Building an online home for geographers

Built-in 2005, RGS-IBG’s site did not encapsulate their impactful work resulting in a CMS which lacked flexibility to support the breadth of their activities. We had the challenge of transforming their online presence. An abundance of compelling and relevant content was lost behind a complex navigation, while an intermittent CRM integration hindered UI, causing users to be negatively impacted. Due to its age, the extent to which the site could be changed had become increasingly limiting. The need to resolve these problems was made all the more urgent as their peak period for membership renewals loomed. RGS-IBG was at risk of becoming PCI non-compliant, a critical issue that would prevent them from taking online credit card payments.

Fully immersing ourselves in the Society, we got to know their challenges, their website, their services, and most importantly understand the diverse audience of members, academics, professional geographers and independent travellers. To demonstrate RGS’ value, we delved deep to determine user personas which informed the site design, structure and content.

The previous site featured a complicated navigation system hindering users from accessing the information they needed, we had the challenge of bringing an array of interesting and engaging content to the forefront. Streamlining navigation and simplifying UX, we have enabled users to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily.

Making the move to a Kentico CMS enabled RGS-IBG to take back control of their site, allowing them to share relevant content tailored to their audience’s persona requirements. A key factor in achieving this was regaining manageability. Kentico’s flexibility allowed us to maximise Content Management capabilities bringing valuable content and resources to the forefront while enabling content editors to easily update and manage the website. The familiarity of formatting features within Kentico meant that administrators didn’t need specialist skills, while Kentico CMS Standard Workflow provided the ability to define user roles for editing and publishing along with clear workflows and approval processes. Throughout these workflow processes, users can view the status of all documents, while content administrators can see the full document history.

Working closely with their software provider, we ensured seamless integration with OpenEngage CRM (Integra), introducing new and engaging functionality. RGS-IBG’s users can now easily register as a member, renew their membership, book events, update their profile, and safely and securely process payments and donations online.

Contemporary and visually appealing, RGS’s new website encapsulates the very spirit of the organisation and the breadth of their work. Through clearer branding and navigation, useful resources have been brought to the forefront and RGS’ value has been clarified. With PCI compliance resolved and seamless integrations in place, RGS now have a scalable website that will accelerate achieving objectives, supporting user interaction and encouraging growth.

After the launch:

""Kentico's ease of use has enabled our staff across the organisation to be more involved in the content creation process and has given them the confidence to take ownership of pages without requiring in-depth HTML knowledge or specialist technical skills."“

Caitlin Watson, Head of Public Engagement and Communication, The Royal Geographical Society