Redesigning a website is an undertaking that every company must eventually face – should they wish to remain current and on-trend, that is. In a digital world of constant innovation and enhancement, and one in which the consumer is becoming ever more discerning and has ever more choice, the value of a quality website has never been more apparent.

IntechnologyWiFi undertook such a task recently, with the overhaul of our subsidiary site for Citi-Wise, the all-in-one guide to the UK’s leading town and cities. The continued evolution and growth of the Citi-Wise brand saw calls for launching a new site, one with much more functionality, and with a focus on usefulness.

Previously only available in app form, Citi-Wise’s web presence had been limited to a solitary landing page pointing in the direction of an app download. With the app’s content library filling with curated editorial content, it was seen as a step forward to bring that content to a larger user base by transposing it to an online medium.

The aim was simple enough: relaunch Citi-Wise’s web presence as focused content site full with optimised editorials, which would eventually attract a high level of organic search engine traffic. All the while, providing the audience with an engaging and informative lowdown on their town or city, keeping the city guide service a priority over any form of website monetisation.

The process began with a period of market analysis. In taking a snapshot of the competitive market, we were able to pinpoint areas where content was lacking and opportunities for growth in towns and cities underserved by lifestyle content.

Relaunching Citi-Wise’s online presence as an interactive and intuitive content hub would require a redesign of the website’s interface. Any new designs would have to be easy to navigate, feel natural and make the content accessible, as well as front-and-centre.

With the brand covering over 25 locations across the UK and Ireland, we were keen for every Citi-Wise location to receive equal footing on the site, regardless of population size. With cities like London and Edinburgh already being well served by online guide content, smaller locations such as Maidenhead and Southend were relatively new territory for a platform of Citi-Wise’s ilk.

Each location was given its own unique homepage; a landing platform acting as a display window for the location’s content. Geared to their town or city’s audience, and built on one main keyword, each one was designed as a central hub, a magnet for organic traffic from those searching for lifestyle content in their area.

The new Citi-Wise landing page for Bristol, one of many UK locations covered.

The new Citi-Wise site, having grown form one page to over a hundred, launched at the end of January. Featuring a design overhaul, gone was the redirect to the Citi-Wise app page; replaced by an intuitive panel interface made up of the UK locales covered by the Citi-Wise content team.

The new Citi-Wise homepage – a redesigned content hub.

Success was apparent from the get-go. With content now ready to share across social media platforms, engagement increased across the site over the following months. By the early quarter, Citi-Wise had seen huge growth in its audience figures, and with that an increase in engaged audiences across the site’s social media outlets.

A strategy of curating and providing shareable and engaging city guide content, displayed on an innovative content hub site, has seen Citi-Wise take its first steps towards becoming a leading platform in the UK’s city lifestyle and travel guide market.