We work well with others
We work well with others and definitely enjoy partnering up. That was certainly evident with this project as we teamed up with our friends up in Boulder at IMM. Ideas Made Measurable, are a group of designers and developers that are quite the passionate bunch. We partnered with them on previous projects, like USA Cycling, and a few other projects. So when we were approached about this project, we were all in. We love being an extra set of hands, and help other bigger agency's with projects from time to time.
Clients Don't Always Know What They Need
The interesting thing about this project when it first started was that the client initially requested that we build the site out with Spike CMS. IMM, and us alike, had never worked with that CMS previously. No sweat! We picked it up pretty quickly, began working on the frontend templating, CSS, JS, and backend infrastructure just like we do on all of our other projects.
As the client started inputting their content, they couldn't stand working with the backend. So within a few days, they wanted to change gears and migrate to something that they were more comfortable working with. Enter WordPress.
Being A Small Team Has Its Advantages
Since we have decades of experience building out powerful, performant, and easy-to-use WordPress websites, making the switch from Spike CMS was a breeze. We were able to get all of the new fields setup with Advanced Custom Fields, setup our various Post Types, and get them migrated over pretty quickly. There's no better way to build modern WordPress websites than utilizing the Roots.io stack. We never work with pre-built, bloated themes.
Being a small, tight knit team made this typical tough situation much easier as we were able to powwow with IMM and the client, formulated a strategy, and set it all in motion quickly.
Creating an easy to use Authoring Experience
At the end of the day, the client got what they needed to push their product forward. Yet it was imperative that their team would have an easy time keeping up with their ever-changing product offering landscape.
By focusing on these core concepts we were able to deliver a feature-rich Authoring Experience, all while performing well both in performance and search engine optimization.
Easy Admin
With Spike CMS, the client had a hard time managing all of their content.
Switching to WordPress simplified this process for them so they could focus on their product offerings.
Endless Options
We were able to configure Advanced Custom Fields to provide a feature-rich admin interface that fit their goals.
All while keeping the technical debt low.
Powerful SEO
Wordpress has always been a rock solid at SEO.
That's no different with Cerity. Mixed in with a robust marketing plan, their organic rankings continue to rise.
Making the most of it
This particular project got off to a less than ideal start, but we remained flexible and came together to build an awesome project. While learning Spike CMS was a great experience, if the ones using it can't stand it, then that's a problem.
If we recall correctly, a member of the Cerity team was all about Spike CMS as, at the time, was a new shiny CMS. That doesn't always mean it's the right choice for a particular project. Choosing the right CMS for the job shouldn't be taken lightly or done in haste.
Unfortunately, we weren't part of that initial discovery, but in the end the client is delighted with what they have now. That's all that matters to us and we were happy to partner with such a great company in IMM, and welcome the next challenge they send our way.