Consolidating 20+ websites into one flexible platform
Equiniti provides sophisticated technology, administration, processing and payment services to over 70% of the FTSE 100, as well as some of the largest pension schemes in the UK.
Etch was challenged with bringing this simplicity and vision to their diverse web presence.
We were tasked with consolidating over 20 websites (multiple divisions of Equiniti and new acquisitions) to bring them all under the same branded umbrella but still offer flexibility in design. Alongside this, we needed to relocate the disparate content management systems (CMS) being used to one centrally-managed platform: Umbraco.
Finally, going forward Equiniti wanted the ability to roll out these sites with little to no involvement (or cost) from an agency.
We initially focused on helping Equiniti understand the scope of their requirements and how we could best organise a series of large-scale acquisitions into one flexible system.
This was followed closely by the development of a responsive, modular design system that could be applied across the portfolio of sites, bringing them together in a clearly branded hierarchy.
Throughout the project, which is still ongoing 4 years later, we worked on a pre-planned program of UX design & development iterations, with rollouts of specific enhancements throughout the year. This allowed a controlled transformation and migration from the old set of sites into their newer versions.
More than 25 websites have been migrated or updated into the new CMS platform since 2015, and the process is still ongoing as Equiniti acquire and set up new businesses.
Since the consolidation project, Etch has continued working with Equiniti on an iterative UX design and development process to upgrade the CMS from Umbraco 4 to Umbraco 7, alongside further enhancements.
With the ability to self-generate sites within Umbraco, the savings to Equiniti amount to more than £75k p.a.
Since this process began, Equiniti has saved well over £300,000 in site launch costs alone.
If you factor in training and efficiency savings the cost savings would be even greater!
2020 Addendum: The framework we built proved flexible enough to allow a transformational site reskin in early 2020. It has also allowed the in-house digital marketing team to start applying the roadmap from the content and digital strategy we co-created onto the site, with zero investment other than their own time, a remarkable testament to the longevity and flexibility we’ve built.
Etch has been our digital partner of choice for five years now. The team’s breadth of expertise has been demonstrated by how they have helped us every step of the way – from the early stages of UX design through to carefully considered decisions in the development process. This has resulted in a flexible and easy-to-use framework for many of Equiniti Group’s websites.
— David Hudson, Senior Digital Manager at Equiniti