A one stop shop for members
The primary objectives behind the creation of the new website was to enhance the visibility of EEMUA’s offerings for its existing members and attract a wider audience. This involved establishing the website as a central access point for training, events and resources tailored to its member and stakeholder needs, serving as a one stop shop for information.
Alongside keeping their current members happy, the goal was to attract and engage a new generation of engineers through a modernised platform. EEMUA wanted to be a hub for knowledge management, encourage greater member engagement and remain at the forefront of industry innovation and cooperation.
The aspiration to modernise the website stemmed from updating the underlying Kentico technology to support EEMUA’s expansion initiatives across new and existing markets. The overhaul aimed to position the website as a catalyst for driving EEMUA’s growth and ensuring its continued success in the industry.
Kentico 12 to Kentico 13
EEMUA has long been a supporter of CMS platform, Kentico, leveraging its comprehensive suite of features, including eCommerce, contact management, mailing, and website functionalities for their previous website. Given the organisation’s prior investment in Kentico 12, an upgrade to Kentico 13 was a natural progression. The choice was further reinforced by our own positive experiences with Kentico version 12, coupled with the CMS’ flexible nature, robust content management tools, and support for .NET technology.
One of the biggest challenges faced during the migration from Kentico 12 to Kentico 13 involved transferring existing customer data, to ensure seamless continuity and prevent any disruptions to current user accounts or historical data. Contact information was of huge importance to EEMUA, and having sight of historical data such as previous orders, member activity, and newsletter subscriptions was pivotal to the success of this project. Whilst the upgrade did take longer than initially anticipated, we were able to keep the user, contact, e-commerce, and newsletter data, along with the majority of pages being re-used such as events and training, so there was minor work required from EEMUA’s in-house team after the upgrade. Despite a few initial difficulties, we were able to successfully integrate historical data into the new system.
Additionally, the website integrates with a third-party training system which enables convenient access to e-learning modules directly from the website, streamlining the user experience. Data management, including e-learning exam completions, is efficiently managed through Kentico’s scheduled task ensuring smooth operation and seamless interaction for users.
We also aimed to future-proof the platform. This involved upgrading to the latest technologies, like .NET core, ensuring compatibility with modern web standards, improving security, and enhancing overall system efficiency.
A sleek new design
An upgrade to Kentico 13 was the perfect excuse to give the website a sleek new design. To appeal to a new generation of engineers, we aimed for an aesthetically appealing and user-friendly website; every design decision was centred around the needs of the members and future members of EEMUA, resulting in a modern and cohesive interface that seamlessly adapts across desktop and mobile devices.
Our strategy involved simplifying the website navigation by reorganising content, implementing clear menus, and strategically placed call-to-actions, to guide members towards the desired actions such as signing up for a webinar, accessing EEMUA’s training resources, or accessing the latest industry news.
The content hierarchy was redefined for a logical structure, adhering to accessibility guidelines and to promote member engagement, both critical to the success of the project.
For the new page designs, we utilised widgets to create content pages, and whenever possible we repurposed existing pages, reducing the need for EEMUA’s in-house team to recreate content for the new site and minimise the editing post-upgrade.
EEMUA’s website utilises heavy use of email marketing and newsletter sign-ups, and so for this project we introduced a revamped approach that includes new-style alerts, featuring a significantly improved set of email designs, and better newsletter management for users.
A website ready to grow with EEMUA
The new website has achieved significant outcomes since launch, including successful scalability and future-readiness through an upgrade to Kentico 13 Xperience.
Notably, the project has improved the overall user experience and improved the website’s design to better align with the modern EEMUA brand, instilling trust and credibility and acting as a shop window for future members and stakeholders.
The website now boasts superior mobile responsiveness, ensuring optimal performance on various devices, with a content strategy that has been optimised to align seamlessly with end-user needs.
The new website has garnered generally positive feedback from both internal and external stakeholders at EEMUA, which is always a welcomed outcome and underscores the success of the project and its impact.