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Business Network Platform Development for Copybook

We created a custom web platform consisting of a public web portal, a customer portal and a back-office system. The platform features a business directory of suppliers, news and information about a wide range of industries.

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Services

  • Architecture
  • UI/UX
  • Front-end
  • Back-end
  • DevOps

Duration

2013-2019

Project overview

A world leader in online business-to-business media with clients from over 40 countries, the network also provides news and information on a wide range of industries, from military and construction to pharmaceuticals. When the team behind Copybook first got in touch with us, their network consisted of nine distinct web portals focusing on different industries, all with unique layouts, separate domains and their own content management systems. This made changing or adding content to the various websites extremely complicated and time-consuming.

Technologies

  • Bootstrap logo
    Bootstrap
    Front-end
  • PHP logo
    PHP
    Back-end
  • Yii logo
    Yii
    Back-end
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The objective

A more adaptable system to resonate with the company’s expansion

Seeking a more scalable setup to accommodate the growth of their business Copybook asked us to deliver a solution that would unify their existing portals and consolidate them under the main Copybook brand. The goal was to be able to manage the entire network from one interface. In addition, the existing system’s outdated technology needed replacing so that modern website features could be incorporated.

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The challenge

Managing the enormous amount of data

The difficulty stemmed from the large volume of data generated by all portals over the course of their existence which spanned more than ten years and resulted in millions of records, data, photos, and multimedia. All of this has to be consolidated into a single portal with no compromise on the performance. The system had to be quick, with quick search and perfect navigation capabilities. In terms of SEO, domain authority from the existing portals needed to be preserved with the new corporate one.

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The solution

Agile development approach and close team collaboration

Using the Agile Development approach and working closely with Copybook’s team, we delivered the initial MVP version in several sprints, meeting the corresponding project milestones. It took several additional sprints, extensive testing and finalising data and SEO authority migration to release the feature-rich version that completely replaced the legacy portals. As with all our projects, we used test driven development along with regular sprint and code reviews to guarantee the consistency and quality of the software.

We used Yii Framework to develop a custom web platform consisting of a public web portal, a customer portal and a back-office system. In place of nine independent websites, the public web portal provides one-point access to all the content Copybook offers. This is organised into industry-specific sections that visitors can move between seamlessly. For the UI, we decided to use Foundation and Bootstrap frameworks and an SEO-friendly design for improved usability and accessibility. Our solution also introduced several new features, including an expanded customer portal, networking and social tools, online payment functionality, an automated subscription process, and multi-industry search. Most importantly, a centralised back-office system was created so the entire platform can be managed from one place.

Main challenges

What we did

    • Outdated technology
    • Developed a complete platform system, consisted of a unified public web portal, a customer portal and a back-office system based on modern front-end and back-end technologies.
    • Large volume of data that has to be preserved
    • Created comprehensive and detailed data mapping and migration fully automated. The process included data migration, verification and SEO 301 redirects.
    • Content management overload
    • Introduced a centralized content management system for all industries from a single interface.
    • Old interface and low usability
    • Modernized the visual design of the portal, applied mobile responsiveness and various design best practices.
    • Keep and improve platform popularity after the renewal
    • Boosted SEO and implemented new social features and tools.

The entire platform is supported by a single back-office system, through which Copybook administrators can manage user accounts, supplier profiles, subscriptions, events, user uploads and all other content within the network. The process of making changes or updates to any one of the different industry-specific sections is standardised and can be carried out from the same interface.

"Copybook has recently been using the services of Devision. We have found all the staff within the company to be extremely professional and knowledgeable regarding web development and UI design. In our opinion, Devision is a company that offers excellent service, superb value for money and attention to the slightest detail. Things seem to be completed at lightning speed and at a price that is right. In addition to forming a good working relationship, we have found that we have made new friends too. I would recommend this company to anyone who requires web design, development and understanding as far as the internet is concerned."
Andy Fields
Managing director, Copybook

Allow our software developers to create a custom application for your business needs now with no compromise on performance and ongoing enhancement.