Website Rebuild Derbyshire – Reducing Ongoing Costs by 75%

Project Snapshot

Client: Efficiency East Midlands Limited (EEM)
Industry: Procurement
Location: Alfreton, Derbyshire
Project: Website Rebuild in WordPress

Results

• 75% reduction in ongoing development costs
• Internal team now able to manage website content themselves
• Faster implementation of future website features
• Reduced reliance on external developers

Introduction

Efficiency East Midlands (EEM) is a not-for-profit procurement organisation that helps public sector organisations and businesses save money through collaborative procurement.

Based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, EEM operates as a membership organisation supporting businesses throughout the East Midlands.

When EEM first approached us, their existing website design wasn’t the problem. Instead, the issue was the cost and complexity of maintaining and expanding their website.

The organisation had become increasingly frustrated with the time it took to implement new features, along with the ongoing costs involved whenever changes were required.

They needed a solution that would reduce costs, increase flexibility, and give their internal team greater control over the website.

The Problem With the Existing Website

Following initial conversations and a technical review of the website, we quickly identified the root cause of the issues.

The previous website had been built using a custom in-house CMS developed by their former web agency.

While the system handled basic content management well enough, it introduced significant problems whenever the website needed to evolve.

These included:

• High development costs for relatively small changes
• Long development timescales
• Limited flexibility when introducing new features
• Dependence on the original developers

In practice, this meant even simple updates could become expensive and time consuming.

For a growing organisation that regularly updates member information and publishes new content, this approach simply wasn’t sustainable.

Our Website Rebuild Approach

After reviewing several options with the client, we recommended a complete website rebuild using WordPress.

WordPress offered several advantages that directly addressed the issues EEM had been experiencing.

Firstly, the platform allows non-technical users to manage most website content themselves using a modern visual editor.

This means EEM staff can easily update:

• Page content
• Images
• Links
• News posts
• Member information

Secondly, the extensive WordPress plugin ecosystem means additional functionality can be added without needing expensive bespoke development.

This dramatically reduces long term costs while also ensuring the website can continue evolving as the organisation grows.

The New Website

One key requirement from the client was that the overall visual design of the website should remain familiar to their members and users.

Rather than completely redesigning the site, we focused on refining and improving the existing design.

Key improvements included:

• Improved mobile navigation
• Better page structure
• Faster page load speeds
• Simplified content management

All existing website content was carefully migrated to the new platform.

Member data was also imported via structured CSV files to ensure all information remained accurate and up to date.

Website Features

The new website includes several improvements designed to increase flexibility and reduce ongoing costs.

New WordPress Website

The website now runs on a modern, widely supported content management system.

Mobile-First Improvements

Navigation and page layouts were refined to improve usability on smartphones and tablets.

Content Migration & Optimisation

All existing content was transferred while also improving page structure and readability.

Fast Hosting and Caching

Modern caching systems were implemented to improve overall website performance.

SEO Considerations

Maintaining search visibility during the rebuild was a key priority.

To avoid disruption to existing rankings, we mirrored the original website’s URL structure wherever possible.

This meant no redirects were required, ensuring a smooth transition to the new platform.

Additional SEO improvements included:

• Implementation of a premium SEO plugin
• XML sitemap generation
• Schema markup where appropriate
• Improved page structure for search engines

Results of the Website Rebuild in Derbyshire

The new website went live several months ago and successfully replaced the previous platform with no disruption.

Since launch, the organisation has experienced several key improvements.

The most significant outcome has been the reduction in ongoing development costs, which have fallen by approximately 75 percent.

Equally important is the flexibility the new platform provides.

The EEM team can now independently manage most website updates without needing external development support.

This includes creating new pages, updating content, uploading images, and publishing posts.

User feedback has also been positive, particularly regarding improvements to navigation and mobile usability.

Before vs After

Metric	Before	After
CMS flexibility	Limited	High
Ability to update content	Developer required	Internal team
Development costs	High	Reduced by 75%
Speed of updates	Slow	Immediate

Client Feedback

A full client testimonial will be added shortly, but early feedback from the EEM team has been extremely positive.

Want a Website That Works For Your Business?

If your current website is expensive to maintain, difficult to update, or heavily dependent on developers, it may be time to consider a rebuild.

At dijitul, we specialise in rebuilding websites using modern platforms that give businesses more control while reducing ongoing costs.

With over 20 years of experience in web development, we have helped organisations across the UK move away from restrictive proprietary systems and onto flexible, future-proof platforms.

If you’d like to explore how a website rebuild could benefit your organisation, get in touch with our team today.

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