Business Authority Website for a Government Agency

Project Overview

We developed a corporate website for this client using WordPress and PHP. The website made it easy for administrators to manage content and helped visitors access up-to-date information. There was a significant increase in website traffic following its release with some great reviews coming in. The website received recognition and accolades for its design and efficiency.

Business Challenges

The client’s existing website used static pages to list companies and services.
Performance was a major issue as the website could not handle high volume traffic.
The site, built on Flash, presented search engine optimization and browser compatibility issues.
Without a content management system in place, it became increasingly difficult to manage the website; editing or updating content was cumbersome.
The website did not keep pace with the latest design trends, rendering it dull and uninviting.

QBurst Solution

QBurst helped the client brand their corporate website. The new website was dynamic and more in line with their brand. Key features of the website are listed below.

Home Page: The main website has two subsites - one for businesses and the other for residents. Visitors can navigate to these subsites from the home page. The home page for each subsite has a sliding banner that displays stunning images of businesses, services, and life in the free zone.
- The business subsite has individual sections for businesses such as commodity trade, financial services, and property services. Each section has multiple pages that explain various products and services. The main page has two horizontal sliders to highlight the latest news and events.
- The community subsite caters to the different living needs of the residents. There are four main sections in this subsite - live, work, shop, and dine. There is a separate ‘News & Events’ section that functions like a public notice board. This site also has image and video galleries.
Maps: Maps display all the important places in the free zone area such as ATMs, hotels, bus stops, toilets, and playgrounds. Visitors can search based on category, cluster, and tower. The results can be sorted location-wise or alphabetically.
Advertisements: Registered users can submit advertisements to the website. Administrators can review them in the admin panel and publish them on the website.
Admin Panel: Website content can be edited and updated from the admin panel.
Newsletters: Visitors, residents, and businesses can subscribe to email newsletters to get the latest news and updates on the free zone.
Social Media Integration: A separate section on the home page of community subsite displays the latest Tweets and Facebook activities.
Registration for Community Members: Residents of the community can register with the website. Registered users will be able to submit news, events, and advertisements to the website.

Client Profile

The client is a free zone authority run by the government of Dubai to manage businesses and residents of one of the largest free trading zones in Dubai. Around 45 percent of the zone is used for residential purpose, 21 percent for office, and the remaining for hotels, malls, and utility areas.

The client provides commodity, financial, and property services to promote businesses as well as shopping, dining, and other community living services to the free zone residents.

Project Highlights

The website is a combination of three WordPress sites:
- WordPress for Home page
- WordPress for the Business subsite
- WordPress for the Community subsite
Around 40 WordPress plugins were used to implement and manage various features in the website such as galleries, events, videos, and social media integration.
The WordPress portal was customized to enable administrators to manage all website content and receive email notifications whenever there is new content to be published.
Flash and PHP were used to create the Map that helps visitors find businesses and stores in the free zone area.
CodeIgniter, an open source PHP web application framework, was used to enable rapid development.

Business Benefits

The new site was user friendly; for visitors and administrators alike.
The site generated a lot of traffic and significantly increased trade in the free zone.
The website was chosen as the “Best Website of a Free Zone” during the 11th Annual World Free Zone Convention held at Shanghai, China, in 2011.

We congratulate QBurst for a magnificent achievement. We already have clients calling in inquiring about our website developer
Director - Information Technology
For the Client