The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation
Website redesign project on Kentico CMS and custom application development
Background:
The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), is a highly successful and helpful organization, but their website was not reaching the appropriate standards for their needs. The website was static, housed a great deal of content, did not render well on mobile devices, and could not be utilized as an effective marketing tool. The website was created in the 1990’s by a partner organization that required ISHLT staff to submit formal requests for any website updates. Without the proper website development, ISHLT had low user engagement, and was forced to communicate to members by printing and mailing all forms of communication. Additionally, members were required to have up to four usernames and passwords for each of the ISHLT systems.
Solution Highlights:
- Application Development
- CMS Implementation
- CMS implementation & Integration
- Content Classification & Prioritization
- Mobile-Friendly, Responsive Design
Technologies Used:
- .NET
- Kentico CMS
“Our website just looked old fashioned. ATS migrated us from an archaic, HTML-heavy, static website to an easy to update, mobile responsive CMS that was user friendly for our staff and our members.”
Amanda Rowe, Executive Director
Challenges:
Major challenges of this project included:
- The client needed to develop a website that would have single sign-on functionality. Users needed one set of credentials to access their Learning Management System, Online Journal platform, and Online Community.
- The ISHLT team required a solution that the non-technical marketing team could easily maintain after launch and a solution that could also grow with the organization.
- As part of the new build, the organization required a mobile-responsive website able to render appropriately on any member device.
Goals:
The client desired a modern, professional website with easy navigation. ISHLT also needed a site that be their main communication vehicle and provide for an easy guest search experience. Lastly, the site needed to be manageable by a non-technical staff.
Solutions:
ATS built ISHLT a mobile and user-friendly website on the Kentico, all-in-on CMS, E-commerce, and Online Marketing platform. The ATS custom developed applications give the website single sign-on functionality that connects to their existing Learning Management System (Digitell), Association Management System (IMPAK), Online Journal platform (Elsevier), and Online Community (Higher Logic). The build also houses an easy-to-use search function.
The new layout in Kentico’s flexible CMS combines larger graphics with clear calls to action, so important information has a better chance of being seen. The email marketing features allow ISHLT to communicate to members spread over multiple countries and time zones.
Today, the website looks fresh, crisp, and modern, which gives it better appeal to a tech savvy audience and offers a more intuitive user experience. The staff is now able to evolve their website into a space for knowledge sharing and not just brochureware.
Results:
- Kentico’s numerous customizable features allow the ISHLT team to become self-reliant. They no longer need to submit content updates to a 3rd part vendor
- The team can now efficiently handle marketing and e-commerce activities under a single platform
- A mobile-friendly website that allows users simplified access regardless of their devices; and
- The integration of several applications allowed ISHLT to meet its goal of increasing member engagement online. The organization is also on target to save more than $100k in printing costs annually