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How did the project start?
Shontal CIC Ltd got in touch because they needed a website that their members could visit for further reading and to find out the latest news about the company. They wanted people to be able to contact them, leave messages on the site and they also needed full control over the content of the site.
What options did you consider?
The site was designed with a clean, clear appearance as the company wanted a professional look with simple to follow navigation. A bespoke content management system was written for updating the site in the easiest way possible. Because the company is a non profit organisation, we felt this would be the best option for saving on updating costs further down the line.
What help and expertise did you receive?
Dean Morgan from Deanzod Web Design carried out all the work on the site from planning to design to coding, and writing the CMS from scratch.
Did you face and challenges or learn any lessons?
The main challenges with this one were making the CMS as easy to use as possible but with as much control over the site as possible. It allows Shontal to control all text and image content on the site, post news stories which are automatically archived and sorted, check and approve/deny comment postings and add/remove images to the gallery page. Putting this sort of system together makes you realise how important it is to be able to switch off your technical mind and view things as if you are an occasional computer user.
What are the outcomes and how has it improved your business?
The site has been favoured by many of my recent clients that have viewed my portfolio. Shontal are extremely happy with the outcome of the site and have said how much people have commented on how they like the site. They are also finding the editing and upkeep of the site to be a breeze with the CMS.
What are your plans for the future?
We are currently working on a few other projects and have several in the pipeline under negotiation. Hopefully some of these will be entered into the 2009 Digital Awards.
