Project Highlight

Burgerville Website

Ektron CMS400.NET Implementation

  • Type: CMS Web Application, Frameworks: Ektron CMS400.NET, ASP.NET
  • Technologies used: ASP.NET, C#, SQL Server 2005

For this project, I delivered a custom ASP.NET/C# Ektron CMS400.net website implementation. Although the front end was heavily Flash-based, the client could still use the CMS to create new pages and update site content and imagery without relying on programmers.
View burgerville.com project.

My client’s number one priority was a memorable user experience. I needed to find a way to give the client what they wanted without compromising search engine indexing and browser functionality. Support for Internet Explorer 6 was a requirement.

The CMS needed to enforce content workflow, permissions and version control. Burgerville wanted this website to create a unique and memorable experience for its customers. We used a combination of Flash and Javascript to make this happen. Flash allowed customers to interact with the story Burgerville wanted to tell, while Javascript was used to asynchronously fetch user-generated content from the server and maintain navigation state. View burgerville.com project.

Requirements

The client wanted this website to be able to tell their story; to connect with their customers. They wanted the website to be fun, interactive, and informative.

Burgerville makes great food, takes care of their employees, supports local farmers and environmental initiatives, and implements sustainable business practices – and they want to share their story.

View project.

Challenges

  • Browser bookmarking. As with many Flash-based websites, users are unable to create bookmarks to maintain navigational state within the application.
  • Browser back/forward/refresh buttons. Built-in functionality users expect on browsers don't function in Flash-driven websites.
  • Graceful degredation. What is the user-experience if Flash isn't installed on the browser? What if Javascript isn't enabled?
  • Search engine indexing. Traditional Flash-based websites have much of their content hidden from search engines.

View project.

Solution

We were able to come up with a solution that addressed all of these technical challenges, while also meeting the client's goals. We delivered a solution that allowed the client to have full control over their site's content, layout and structure by giving them a customized content management system.

We wrote robust, standards-compliant code that does not force them to use any particular technology or platform. (As an example, I re-implemented the site in WordPress.)

View project.