Uniting four sites into one seamless digital ecosystem

Representing over 1,400 garden retailers, growers, manufacturers and landscapers, the HTA needed a complete redesign and rebuild of four key websites to better serve members and support evolving organisational needs.

Their existing Preside platform had become difficult to manage, with hundreds of subpages and limited flexibility. The HTA required a scalable, easy‑to‑use solution that aligned with their internal brand refresh and delivered a more intuitive experience for both customers and stakeholders.

They also introduced an additional requirement mid‑project: a brand‑new website for their Responsible Sourcing Scheme (RSS), designed to showcase compost bags carrying QR codes and support the organisation’s growing sustainability initiatives. Alongside this, the HTA wanted to consolidate their separate member store into a simple, economical platform that could scale over time.

Data-driven insight

Deep research during the discovery phase was conducted, including stakeholder interviews, UX workshops, competitor analysis, Hotjar data review and onsite user recordings. These insights were distilled into clear personas that shaped UX and design direction across all sites.

A modern Umbraco platform

Due to its flexibility and license-free model, Umbraco was selected as the new CMS to house all four sites within a single system, supporting long-term content needs and improving efficiency.

Based on their brand refresh, we divided the project into two structured phases:
Phase 1 focused on the most frequently used components: homepage hero banner, footer, CTA card, events carousel, inner page hero banner and events listing.
Phase 2 delivered contact details cards, content lists, Cookiebot, featured video, feedback button, forms, member search, resource cards, and vacancy cards.

Unifying the member store

When RSS was introduced seven weeks into the project, our team rapidly scoped and designed the new site, reusing structural elements from the other builds and integrating product cards.

To unify their previously separate member store, we created a streamlined platform within Umbraco that supports product management and ordering for FOC items. To ensure data credibility and visibility, we built a PLP, PDP, basket, checkout and order history, storing orders in both the database and CRM.

The HTA now benefits from four cohesive, user-centred websites supported by dynamic content, intelligent search filtering, version control, and integrated member tools. The new platform delivers significant time savings, easier updates, reduced errors and a more seamless experience for their diverse membership base.

Our partnership with the HTA continues as we explore ongoing enhancements across their digital ecosystem.

""From the original tender all the way through to launch and subsequent aftercare, IDHL and their dedicated team have provided exemplary service and high-quality outputs time after time - we would have no hesitation in recommending their services to another company in need of web development."“

Matthew Phillips, Project Manager, The Horticultural Trades Association