MANCHESTER & LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY was formed in 1964 and is now one of the largest family history societies in the world. Although the Society is united by a common interest in Genealogy and Family History, members also pursue interests in closely related fields.
Sandlebridge was invited to pitch for the redevelopment of their old, dated website and transform their online facility as a modern genealogy website for people who want to trace their ancestry and have family connections in Manchester and Lancashire.
The task in hand is not something that a regular web design company could undertake. They needed a specialist in membership marketing who had the capacity to take on the complexity of creating a membership web application that could handle a database of millions of records. The technical challenge from the outset was to ensure time was dedicated to research and ensuring simplicity in the user experience, so that the new website would be easy to navigate and GDPR compliant.
A membership model was designed to ensure paying members could quickly their local branch and get access to localised content and events. Each member has full access to a large database of over 3 million records, where they can dig deep into historical records, such as births, deaths and marriage records as well as census data and parish records.
We built a bespoke membership web application that was complex in it's capability but simple to use for web admins and members alike. We moved many offline systems, online, and provided a centralised management tool for the entire Family History Society. The platform provides the tools for new members to join online, pay for membership and manage their account profile and subscription from an easy-to-use dashboard. Great importance was placed on protecting and securing online records from public visibility and ensuring compliance with GDPR regulations.
Family History Society Members can now access a unique database of over 3 million records, as well as archives of historical street maps and old Society magazines, dating back years. This online community has been created to allow members to conduct research, share knowledge and expertise, participate in events, and access a wide range of family history web tools to help them find their ancestral information.
Sandlebridge worked with the Society over an eight-month period to understand the operations of the organisation, the legacy databases that existed and how to migrate them safely into a new platform. We also worked closely with branch managers to understand the local and specific needs and in doing so managed to build a bespoke membership platform that met the needs of all stakeholders.
On this ocassion we recommended the Joomla Content Management System (CMS) as this provided the high degree of database design flexibility without over-reliance on third party plugins. We followed a thorough process, involving four discovery sessions, brand design, UI design, prototyping and build. The entire project took around eight months to complete.
In addition to web design and build services, we also undertook a complete re-branding of the Society, which involved devising a new name, new logo and brand assets. With a completely new look and feel with new branding, the Society can now operate its services efficiently and confidently. Since the launch, there has been superb feedback from members and staff users. I am very proud to achieve this wonderful piece of work for the good people of Manchester.
If you have a similar project to Manchester Ancestors please get in touch with Phil Holt for an informal, and no-obligation chat. We love to solve problems by bringing innovative ideas and thinking to the table.
