The Brief

The Holy Metropolis of Kition is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction under the Church of Cyprus. Based in the city of Larnaca, it has a significant religious and historical role in the region. The metropolis oversees the spiritual guidance of the faithful in its territory and is known for its beautiful churches and monasteries.

Challenges

1. User Experience (UX) for Ecclesiastical Websites

   Designing for an ecclesiastical organization like the Holy Metropolis of Kition requires sensitivity to religious and cultural contexts while providing a user-friendly experience that engages the community and visitors.

2. Custom CMS Development

   The challenge was to develop a CMS that was intuitive and easy for non-technical administrative staff to use, unlike the previous WordPress system, ensuring they could manage and update content effortlessly without technical expertise.

3. Optimization for Image-Intensive Pages and SEO

   The extensive use of images posed a challenge in maintaining fast load times while ensuring the website remained optimized for search engines (SEO).

4. Optimizing for Google Web Vitals

   Achieving optimal performance for Google Web Vitals was a critical challenge in ensuring the website’s speed, responsiveness, and overall user experience.

5. Content Migration

   Migrating content from WordPress, including images and text in Ancient Greek, was a key challenge.

Solutions

1. Research-Driven UX Design

   We conducted thorough research with the people of Mitropolis to understand the key priorities of website visitors. The website was designed to prioritize user interests, utilizing a data-driven approach informed by analytics.

2. Tailored Content Management System with Intuitive Functionality

   Provided a Content Management System that is intuitive and easy to navigate for non-technical users. Usability considerations were key in ensuring that users could manage content effortlessly, without needing technical knowledge.

3. Optimization for Image-Intensive Pages and SEO

   The extensive use of images required careful tuning to maintain fast load times and ensure SEO optimization. We focused on image optimization techniques, such as compression and responsive image loading, and employed other performance metrics like lazy loading and server-side caching.

4. Google Web Vitals Optimization

   React optimization techniques, such as lazy loading, code splitting, and minimizing render-blocking resources, were necessary to meet GWV metrics. This involved careful tuning of the frontend to improve these metrics.

5. Content Migration

   To address the challenge of migrating content from WordPress, including images and text in Ancient Greek, we developed a comprehensive migration strategy. This involved automated scripts to efficiently transfer data, ensuring all content was accurately preserved. Special attention was given to maintaining the integrity of Ancient Greek text and optimizing images for the new platform.

Technologies

• Next.js
• TailwindCSS
• Directus CMS
• TypeScript
• Google Analytics