HyperSites Builder Case Study: ProGroup complex dynamic self-managed website

Case Study – ProGroup

http://www.progroupinc.com

Key HyperSites Builder Features Used:

•	Asset Manager used to manage and display over 25 discrete dynamic content types.

•	Control Panel created, giving staff an easy-to-use interface for responding to visitor-entered Q&As and adding many types of content ("assets").

•	Indexes and archives populated dynamically, based on easily-modifiable rules (by most recent, alphabetical, etc.)

•	Easy Commerce Engine fully intgrated, enabling client to manage all aspects of their online store, including coupons, sales tracking, and more.

•	Right-area used for site-wide internal "ads". Pages can be set to "subscribe" to that or other versions of right area.

Background

ProGroupinc.com was one of the first large websites built with HyperSites Builder. This is the third version of the ProGroup website built on the platform and we are proud to say that each iteration has brought them great leaps in power and functionality.

In addition to a full design reworking to match their new branding, the site was made much more dynamic and self-modifiable.

Goals & Requirements

ProGroup wanted a very complex dynamic site they'd be able to manage themselves. They wanted non-technical staff to have the ability to respond to visitor-entered Q&A, and add many types of content: case studies, articles, news items, employee profiles and more. To ensure that nothing goes live that hasn't been approved, they needed to ensure that a Content Manager was given power to approve and edit staff-entered items.

Having had previous sites built on the HyperSites Builder platform, ProGroup continues to manage all aspects of their online store, including coupons, sales tracking and more. In addition, an internal "ad" space was created on the right side of each page. A control panel gives them the ability to easily select content for the ad space, allowing them to highlight new products and other items.

Solutions

Over 25 different types of "Assets" (articles, news items, etc.) were created for the site. These items are displayed on dynamically-generated index and archive pages, as well as on detail pages for each assset type.

What that means is that when they want to change the display for Articles (layout, font, fields, etc.), they only need to modify a single page. Using "assets" in this way also gave us the power to easily create a printer-friendly version of all Articles, News items, Q&As, and Case Studies. This one piece of functionality saved them literally days of work they would have had to spend creating PDFs for each one of these items. Furthermore, printer-friendly versions will be created automatically whenever they add new items to the site.

Results

ProGroup is excited about their "world-class" site and had been getting great feedback from their customers.

Also, not content to rest on their laurels, ProGroup already has plans to add some new elements...

Coming soon:

video previews for customers via login
gated content for Affiliates
Employee-only content