DMA Website Design and Development

The Client

A network of more than 1,000 UK companies, the Direct Marketing Association offers its members inspiration, support, free legal advice, regular networking events, and industry guidance.

We were initially approached by the DMA in 2012. At the time they’d been let down by a previous digital partner and were looking for some serious support of their own. We stepped right up… 

The Challenge

Originally we helped manage and maintain their old website, which had been built on Drupal, an off-the-shelf CMS platform, but they started hitting limiting factors meaning they weren’t able to achieve their goals as a business. It had been repeatedly hacked by previous developers over the years and the resulting patchwork platform was messy and difficult to upgrade. This meant that even routine maintenance and updates were becoming problematic and costly. There were also a number of issues with the way the website integrated with their CRM solution which had resulted in the CRM being difficult to modify too.

The Solution

We built a whole host of digital products for DMA including a new website for them and for their sister company, a full CRM solution, an awards entry platform and the awards judging platform. In 2019, we finished a large custom CRM and CMS redevelopment project, based on industry standard MVC framework, specifically tailored to the client’s needs following their successful merge with IDM.

Having worked with the old site for a while and understanding the issues they were having with Drupal, we proposed an entirely new website, a custom build from the ground up, giving them complete control and flexibility. Working with DMA, we redesigned their online experience to enhance UX and UI features with a completely fresh approach. We also had the foresight to develop a core technology stack for DMA to base their future online platforms on.

The Results

We’re proud to say that the project was deemed a huge success. With traffic increasing, bounce rates reducing and overall engagement being at an all-time high. The new website was launched without a hitch and we’ve maintained, updated and improved the site since launch. Over the years we’ve built a strong ongoing relationship and continue to do great work with DMA.