Wayfarers park

Problem and solution

The client was looking for a practical enhancement from their previous website (a static Weebly site) that could improve their throughput by automating their booking processes.

The updated design was initially provided by the client as a set of PDF documents. The technical challenge here was navigating the options for a booking system and integrating such seamlessly into an already complete aesthetic.

This website has been built pixel by pixel so that it matches the client's chosen design. Its responsiveness allows the site to adapt to different screen sizes and devices, and it features a fully integrated booking system that allows visitors to make bookings directly through the site.

Process and methodology

This project was handled remotely with the majority of communication happening through email and telephone.

The site is a hybrid of custom JavaScript and PHP wrapped in a traditional WordPress architecture. Although the design had already been finalised, a number of elements were refined and embellished by myself over the course of the contract for enhanced UX and usability.

Before starting the build, I undertook an investigation as to what might be the best approach for handling the booking aspect. In an ideal world, I would have built this from scratch myself, but realistically this was not feasible within the scope constraints.

Instead, we opted for a turnkey solution that could be modified to the needs of the park while filling its needed role.

During this project, I managed all things technical: deprecation of the old site, the new site build itself and installation onto the client's host server, full website testing, email troubleshooting, bug fixes, customisation and configuration of the third party components, among other things.

A comprehensive video manual was given to the client upon completion of this project that walked them through every aspect of managing the site going forwards.

Results and impact

The site's new booking system reduces the time it takes for customers to make accommodations and bistro reservations. This of course compounds over time for every reservation that is made and phone call that is then avoided as a result, freeing up the manager's time.

Google maps integration enables visitors to quickly get directions from their current location to the park's address.

An integrated analytics solution enables the site owners to systematically keep track of their site's performance. Upon project completion it was evident that the site's average engagement time was 2 minutes, the most popular pages were the bookings page and some of the accommodations, and the majority of the site's visitors were based in London, Bristol, and Birmingham.