Great Ormond Street Hospital increases conversions by 11% with Drupal migration
Client overview
Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is an international centre of excellence in child health care, and one of the UK's biggest charities. The hospital website provides vital information to clinical professionals, parents and child patients. The charity depends on its website to support campaigns that aim to raise £100m per year.
The hospital's mission is to provide world-class clinical care and training, and to pioneer new research and treatments in partnership with other organisations for the benefit of children around the world.
The hospital's mission is to provide world-class clinical care and training, and to pioneer new research and treatments in partnership with other organisations for the benefit of children around the world.
The challenge
Great Ormond Street Hospital encountered significant challenges with its previous proprietary CMS. The platform made content management cumbersome, struggled to handle high traffic volumes, and imposed hefty maintenance costs.
The website also limited the hospital's ability to effectively communicate its mission of providing exceptional care and critical information to families and medical professionals. The hospital needed a robust and flexible digital solution that could effectively support its vital services and enhance user experience.
The website also limited the hospital's ability to effectively communicate its mission of providing exceptional care and critical information to families and medical professionals. The hospital needed a robust and flexible digital solution that could effectively support its vital services and enhance user experience.
The approach
To ensure that Great Ormond Street Hospital's new digital platform met its specific needs, we focused on a tailored approach that balanced meticulous planning with agile execution. Recognising the hospital's commitment to delivering top-quality care, we understood that our solutions had to support immediate operational needs and long-term strategic goals.
-
Extended discovery phase:
We conducted a series of detailed workshops involving business analysts, solution architects, and user experience designers. This thorough discovery process enabled us to gain a deep understanding of Great Ormond Street Hospital's specific goals and user needs. Engaging with stakeholders ensured that the organisation’s mission and operational requirements informed every aspect of the project. -
Agile project management:
Our team adopted an agile methodology to promote flexibility and responsiveness throughout the project. We conducted regular sprint retrospectives and client review sessions, facilitating continuous feedback and adaptation. This iterative approach enabled us to quickly assess and adjust plans, ensuring that we remained aligned with Great Ormond Street Hospital’s evolving needs. -
Parallel management of CMS development and migration:
We organised the project such that the new CMS build and the migration process ran concurrently. This strategy minimised risks associated with migration by keeping each phase distinct while ensuring a smooth transition to the new platform. -
Enhanced accessibility compliance:
Recognising the importance of accessibility, especially for users with visual impairments, we implemented improvements that met WCAG standards. Working closely with Great Ormond Street Hospital, we ensured the site was easy to navigate for all users, including parents and medical professionals seeking critical information. -
Atomic design principles:
We employed atomic design principles during the site's development to address the diverse requirements of the hospital's various audiences. This methodology created a cohesive design that efficiently accommodated the hospital's and charity sites' different objectives, resulting in an intuitive and adaptable user experience. -
Optimised search functionality:
Acknowledging the urgent nature of the information sought by medical professionals and parents, we developed a robust search solution powered by Drupal’s Search API. By consolidating over 20 unique search solutions into a single streamlined system, we significantly improved the site’s usability and ensured that users could find critical medical data swiftly and efficiently.
The results
The transformation of Great Ormond Street Hospital's digital presence delivered tangible benefits that significantly enhanced their operational capabilities and user engagement. Our focused strategies effectively addressed key performance indicators, leading to impressive outcomes:
-
This increase is a direct reflection of the site’s enhanced ability to facilitate donations and engage users effectively in fundraising efforts.11%Conversion rate increase
-
The improved user experience and streamlined access to essential information attracted more visitors and sparked greater interest in the hospital's services.13%Visitor traffic increase
-
The site’s intuitive design and ease of navigation encouraged users to return, highlighting growing loyalty among existing supporters and new visitors.10%Return visits increase
-
This significant reduction ensured a smoother browsing experience, lowering bounce rates and enhancing overall user satisfaction.39%Load times decreased
-
Our responsive design implementation guaranteed that the site performed optimally across devices, catering to the increasing number of users accessing information via smartphones and tablets.26%Mobile visits increased
Overall, Great Ormond Street Hospital now possesses a sophisticated digital platform that aligns with its mission and operational needs. This solution not only consolidates multiple sites under one cohesive CMS but also streamlines the process of content management and campaign execution.
With the ability to quickly adapt and launch new initiatives, Great Ormond Street Hospital is now better positioned to fulfil its commitment to outstanding patient care and support for families. The project has demonstrated the powerful connection between innovative technology and compassionate healthcare, ultimately enhancing the experience for all users.
