Blog

Following on from our post on our Free SEO Report, we’re giving you a more in-depth look at what we do  here a Lucidity, and how we do it. Here’s a case study of how we build a website, in this case, the newly- launched Macra.ie

 

 

Step One: Introduction

 

At the end of March, we received a request to drastically redesign the new website for Irish organization Macra na Feírme. Aoife Helly, Public Relations Manager for Macra, had been appointed Project Manager for the new site. She told us that their existing website was outdated and underperforming, and sent us a very thorough outline of what Macra expected of a website redesign.

 

    

The Old Macra Website - courtesy of archive.org

 

She pointed out to us that Macra’s website ‘is crucial to capture the attention of potential members and we want it to better reflect our young, modern members. The homepage needs to be clearer, more colourful, dynamic and youthful.’

 

 

 

Step Two: Meeting the Client

 

With the new site to include an extensive history of Macra and information on the organization as it exists currently, a large gallery of photos, social media integration, an events guide, a download hub and many other elements (including sister site knowyourneighbour.ie), we knew that this would be a large project, but we always relish a challenge.   

 

After meeting with Aoife and agreeing the details with her, work began on the site at the beginning of April. Our designers and developers set to work, with the vision of a youthful, vibrant and easy-to-use site always in mind. The design needed to be bright and appealing to young people, while remaining clutter-free and easy to use.

 

 

 

Step Three: The Design

 

We wanted to keep the site looking fresh and clean, and opted for bright colours and a home page that gradually shifted to different colours and images.

 

                      

The Design Phase

 

‘The challenge with this site was to strip a dated and overly complex site down and create a site which would make an impact on the individual in an emotional way,’ says Lead Designer on the project, Alan Walsh. ‘Macra is really about connecting young people in rural areas, so we went for close up shots of individuals and groups, enjoying themselves. We needed to make the feel bright and colourful with an emphasis on positivity, modernity and youth and also really integrate the social networking aspect which is key to where the organisation is moving forward.

  
‘In the end, we moved away from stock photography to images of real Macra members, we placed them in an array of relevant situations and used a simple homepage layout to encourage users to click on through and maybe even join.’

 

 

 

Step Five: Rebuilding the site

 

As the designers worked, always keeping Macra's vision of youth and vibrancy in mind, the developers rebuilt the old site, adding new elements and improving functionality. Shai Coleman, Lead Developer for the rebuild, said;

 

‘The most challenging part of the website was building the homepage. Macra really wanted to engage and appeal to younger people. There wasn't any module in the market which could achieve the constantly-changing look that we wanted for the homepage, so we had to create our own. It took some work to get it right, as each browser behaved differently. In order to make it work for everybody, we had to employ several hacks and workarounds to get around the browser limitations and bugs. Moreover, we had to use every image compression trick in the book (and discover a few new ones) in order to keep the loading time short.’ 

 

                                    

Behind the scenes of Macra.ie

 

The site was built primarily around the toolbar at the top. This is the key form of navigation around the site, and helps to break the site up into different components and pages without being too obtrusive. Links are embedded to allow easy access the Facebook and Twitter pages for Macra, as well as a forum for their members. Internal links help users to easily jump to other sections of the site in one click, and the search function scans every section of the site, allowing users to easily find what they need.

 

 

 

Step Six: Finishing Touches

 

As the final build of the site began to emerge, it was clear that this site would be one to be very proud of, both for Lucidity and Macra. ‘The creative process involved in constructing the site was really interesting to be a part of, and the staff at Lucidity were helpful and obliging every step of the way,’ said Aoife. Towards the end of August, we had come to a point where both parties were very happy with how the site was looking and performing, and our energy was then directed at finishing touches and launching the site. 

 

 

 

Step Six: Launch and Reception

 

After months of hard work, close consultation with Aoife and others at Macra to ensure the site was meeting their expectations, the site went live at the beginning of September. Edmond Connolly, CEO of Macra got in touch with us to express his feelings on the new site; ‘We knew that communicating the philosophy and history involved in Macra would be a challenge when constructing this website, but I am very proud of the result. I feel it represents this organization extremely well,’ he said.  

 

                                                      

The homepage of the new site

 

We and Macra both publicized the launch via Facebook and Twitter, and the reaction was extremely positive from both sides. 

 

                                                          

Ella obviously enjoys the new site!

 

Just last week, Aoife was kind enough to forward a message from one of their long-time members in Knockbride, Co. Cavan, Olive Hannigan. ‘I just want to congratulate you and the Macra Team who have updated the Macra Website,’ she wrote. ‘It is class and very easy to follow. It is very modern and youthful and extremely well laid out. The information is easy to follow, very relevant, in plain English and to the point which is great to see […] Well done to all involved and I look forward to using it.’

 

Since launch, macra.ie has seen a huge increase in traffic, which remains high. Users old and new continue to flock to the site even now. 

 

                                                                  

Analytics since launch

 

Our conclusion – the site is a great success. It’s one of a few sites we’ll be entering into this year’s Eircom Spiders, look out for us there!