Future-proofing Hall & Woodhouse with headless architecture

Client

Hall & Woodhouse

Platform

Wordpress

Service

Web development

38%

increase in bookings

17%

increase in organic traffic

16%

increase in sessions

The Opportunity

Since  1777,  Hall & Woodhouse have firmly established their position as a leader in the drinks and and hospitality industries. What began with a dream of  building a business around beer, the family-run pub brand has expanded its reach, offering everything from all-day dining to overnight stays at its historic pubs and hotels.

 

As the website for The Duchess of Cornwall, one of the crown jewels of the Hall & Woodhouse estate in Poundbury, approached its five-year milestone, it became clear that the digital presence needed a refresh. Despite the site’s legacy status, web traffic had begun to decline, particularly when compared to the broader digital performance of the Hall & Woodhouse estate. Recognising the need to modernise and boost online engagement, our team set out to revitalise the site. We are proud to reveal we achieved growth in web traffic by 17% and online bookings by 38%.

The Discovery

In our discovery phase, we wanted to map the journeys of guests who landed on The Duchess’ website. All-day dining is a shining feature of the inviting venue. To showcase this, we needed to understand the journey of different demographics, with a focus on those who arrive at the website searching for different menus or areas.

 

We built this site as a template framework, developing it with headless architecture. Headless functionality increases site speed, and conversion rates and enhances the user experience. Headless architecture now powers the sites of 13 of Hall & Woodhouse’s flagship, destination venues which are key revenue drivers for the estate.

 

Core Web Vitals site speed tests revealed that The Duchess’ website was not performing to the best of its potential on mobile. With over 70% of traffic coming from phones, the mobile journey needed reviewing to ensure the customer journey was a streamlined operation, boosting the experience for The Duchess’ new and returning guests.

The Solution

Collaborating closely with Hall & Woodhouse, we crafted a timeless yet vibrant design for The Duchess, a historic gastropub. We built a flexible, component-driven website that empowers their team to easily adapt to the ever-changing hospitality landscape. Playful illustrations, a clean navigation, and a ‘Menus’ page that beautifully showcases their offerings enhance the user experience.

 

To celebrate The Duchess’s unique heritage, we created dedicated spaces to share its story and connect with the local community. Seasonal campaign pages ensure the website remains dynamic and engaging year-round.

 

Our meticulous keyword research and SEO strategy propelled The Duchess to the top of search results for key terms like ‘Poundbury Hotel’ and ‘Poundbury Restaurant,’ significantly boosting their online visibility.

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