Case study
Virtual Swanage
Virtual Swanage, our longest-running website since 1996: a bespoke local guide to accommodation, events, attractions and historic photographs for Swanage.
- Services provided
- Website design, Responsive design, CMS integration (Atlas CMS), UX/UI design
- Built
- 1996
The Challenge
Swanage is a seaside town on the Jurassic Coast that relies heavily on visitors, and for a visitor the questions are always the same: where can I stay, what is there to do, what is on this week, and how do I get there? In 1996, when few towns had any presence on the web, the aim was to put that information in one place.
The goal was to create one place that would answer those questions for tourists and for locals, and that could keep growing as the town’s businesses and events changed. Virtual Swanage is our longest-running website, and it has been online since 1996.
Our Approach
Because a local guide has very different kinds of content, from accommodation and events to walking routes and old photographs, we built it on a bespoke content management system. The front end is clean and easy to use for people of any technical ability, and the main sections are:
- Where to stay: hotels, bed and breakfasts, farm houses, guest houses, self-catering, caravan and camping sites, with filters for free Wi-Fi, disabled access and pet-friendly places
- Things to do: activities and sports, cycling, walking routes, beaches and local attractions
- What’s on: events this week and Purbeck festivals
- A local guide covering shopping, local businesses, clubs, eating and drinking
- A photo gallery, including a large collection of historic photographs of the town
- A search with suggestions for the things people look for most
The site is responsive, so visitors can use it on their phones while they are in town.
The Results
Virtual Swanage gives visitors a single place to plan a stay, and gives local businesses a way to be found: each accommodation provider and business has its own listing with contact details and a description. The events calendar and the gallery are updated regularly, so the site stays useful from one season to the next.
Long-Term Impact
Few websites last thirty years. Virtual Swanage has evolved from a few static pages to the thousands of pages currently online. Because the CMS makes it straightforward to add listings, events and photographs, updating the content is fast and easy, and it remains a working hub for tourism and community activity in the town.
If you need a website for a destination, a guide or a directory, see how we build websites or get in touch.
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