Our approach
We started by migrating the site to a secure development server, ensuring no disruption during the rebuild. Working closely with the client, we audited all existing content to decide what should be kept, updated, or retired.
With a cleaner content base, we focused on:
- Rebuilding the site with a clear content hierarchy and intuitive navigation.
- Optimising structure for SEO as well as visitor usability.
- Improving speed and mobile responsiveness.
- Creating a streamlined, user-friendly back end for editors.
The outcome
The new site launched in March 2025. It is noticeably faster, simpler to navigate, and far easier for the IDP team to update and manage. Visitors now access local news and events more quickly, and the publishing process is dramatically smoother.
“New server seems top too!!! Updated that page in seconds.”
IDP team
Early results
- Page speed: average load time improved from 3.6 sec to 0.8sec.
- Engagement: average engaged time per user increased by 31%, page views per user increased by 41%.
- Search visibility: impressions up 36%, clicks up 57% for key local news queries.
- Publishing efficiency: team reports faster content updates and reduced frustration.
What this shows
For content-driven sites like inishowen.ie, user experience and editorial workflow are just as important as design. By removing outdated content, restructuring navigation, and improving speed and usability, we delivered a website that works better for both readers and editors – proving that thoughtful design and technical improvements can transform performance.