Case Study

Dog Guard

We created a web app for Dog Guard so they have a central place to share resources and information with their network of over 100 Dog Guard dealers.

Web App | Website Design & Development

Overview

Company Background

Dog Guard is an electronic dog fencing company. They have been operating for over 30 years and design and assemble their products in the U.S.A. They operate through dealerships (similar to a franchise) where over 100 individually owned Dog Guard dealerships throughout the country install new fences, train the dogs, and service and support the end customer.

The Opportunity

Over the years Dog Guard has developed many resources for the Dog Guard dealers. They wanted to better support their dealer network by making these resources accessible to dealers through a central web app.

Key
Challenges

Password Protect Content

The information on this website is not public and needed to be secure. Individual logins were required for each dealer so that Dog Guard could manage the access to this website.

Coordinate Review and Update of Resources

This project was also used as a time to review and update these resources. Over time there had been many resources created and modified, but there was no central location where approved versions were stored. There also had been updates to the Dog Guard branding, so some documents needed to be updated before being shared on the new Dealer Portal.

Warranty Database Integration

There was a need to create an integration with the Dog Guard warranty database. This would replace a stand-alone warranty form that required manual entry of warranty information.

Build for Future Expansion

The plan was to build this project in phases to address the most critical needs first and then add additional features in the future. During the discovery phase we prioritized features for phase 1 and identified future needs such as adding online ordering of products and additional reporting. These future requirements were important factors in the choice of software that the website would be built on.

Key Actions
and Metrics

Discovery Phase

We began with a research and planning phase to the project. During this initial phase we worked with the Dog Guard team to identify and prioritize features. We then created a structure and wireframes to decide how the content and navigation would be organized.

Software Selection

After establishing the requirements for the website, we reviewed Content Management System (CMS) options. We presented multiple options to Dog Guard, who ultimately went with our recommendation to use Craft CMS/Craft Commerce. This option met all the initial requirements while also setting the website up for future additions, such as online ordering.

Build

At last it was time to dive in and get our hands dirty building the new website. We worked through the process in close collaboration with Dog Guard’s team who provided input and feedback throughout the design and development phase. We also coordinated the refresh of older content and the creation of new content that was loaded into the new website.

Launch at 2020 Dog Guard Dealer Conference

The goal was to launch the website at Dog Guard’s annual dealer conference in early 2020. The project was completed on time and we worked with Dog Guard to roll out the new website through a presentation at the conference and by sending communication to those unable to attend.

Outcomes and Major Highlights

Content Architecture

There was a significant amount of content to organize within this website and we also needed to plan for future additions. In the initial discovery phase of the project we began organizing the content and visually in wireframes.

Visually Display Resources

Many of the resources are displayed on an image card to make it easy to find the marketing materials needed.

Easy to Manage Content

The Craft CMS live preview editor makes it easy to edit content and preview how the new content will be displayed.

Conclusion

We collaborated with Dog Guard's team to create a better way for them to support their network of Dog Guard dealers. The Dealer Portal web app provides a secure central location to share resources and we are now working with Dog Guard on the next phase of this project to add additional functionality.

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