Case Study: Breakneck Tavern Website Redesign

MIBS, Inc. provided website redesign services for Breakneck Tavern, a restaurant located in Mars, PA. The goal of this project was to create a more modern design that reflected the atmosphere of the tavern. Much of Breakneck Tavern’s web traffic comes from mobile users, so it was important to make the website friendly for mobile use.  

The pre-existing website was built on Joomla’s CMS, and was difficult to manage. So, one of the objectives of the new website was a more intuitive CMS interface that allowed for easy-to-update online food menus and event calendars. We also wanted to make online ordering available to customers.

Breakneck Tavern Website Before Redesign

Breakneck Tavern Website Before Redesign

Notable Project Features Include:  

  • Responsive Design  
  • WordPress CMS 
  • Online Ordering via Aloha Online Ordering
  • Food Menus 
  • Online Calendar 
  • Online Employment Application 
  • Social Media Feed 
  • Social Media (or other) Popup Feature 
  • Other Third-Party Integrations:
    • Online Gift Card Sales
    • OpenTable (online reservations) 
  • Photo Galleries 

Project Phases: 

The website redesign process occurs in 4 phases.  

Phase 1: Project strategy Discussion 

During this first phase of the project the Lead Designer consulted with the owner of Breakneck Tavern about likes/dislikes of the existing website and goals for the redesign. Following this, the owner provided examples of websites that he liked, to help the MIBS, Inc. team create the perfect custom design. Then, the owner provided assets including graphics, pictures, and documents to populate the new website. 

Phase 2: Initial Design and Content Population   

At this point in the process the web designers at MIBS, Inc. began developing Breakneck Tavern’s new website live, on our own site. This involved populating content and implementing the features discussed in phase 1. Once things began to take shape GovUnity shared a link to the site in development with the owner.  

The link allowed the owner to monitor the development of the site, request changes, and give feedback. And, it gave the design team opportunity to provide different design options for the owner to choose from. For example, we provided the owner with two live version of the home page that he could compare and choose from.  

During this phase we also began developing a system for online ordering. Although we used a third-party ordering platform (Aloha Online Ordering) the MIBS, Inc. team did design the online ordering templates. Once again, we provided the owner with the link and revision requests were made and addressed quickly. 

Phase 3: Website Testing/SEO 

It is important to remember that SEO is NOT an afterthought. That is why MIBS, Inc. considers SEO through every step of the project, from the initial conversation to launch, training, and beyond. This project was no different.  

During the design phase we worked with the owner of Breakneck Tavern to ensure that all images had appropriate tags. And, we worked to minimize redirects, dead links, and 404 pages by checking that all links on or to the website worked properly. Additionally, we made sure keywords were used in content, including page titles and meta descriptions, and in tags. After the website launched, we submitted the XML sitemap to search engines for indexing.  

Beyond SEO, this phase also included testing the website’s functions. Testing occurred during development and following the website launch. And, it was done by both MIBS, Inc. team members and the owner of Breakneck Tavern.   

Phase 4: Website Launch and Training 

Breakneck Tavern Website After Redesign

Breakneck Tavern Website After Redesign

After everyone was happy with the development site, we finalized the design and prepared the site for launch. We scheduled the launch, and obtained all the information needed to complete it. For this project, we completed website training after the launch, at the convenience of the client. Training is done by way of an online screen sharing meeting.  

The Lead Web Designer sent a customized, step by step training document to the owner, this served as a reference guide during training and in the future. The web designer demonstrated and explained each item in the training document in a clear understandable way. The web designer remained available to answer questions for the new website administrator as he got acquainted with the website functions.

We redesigned the website using WordPress CMS. And the owner expressed that it was much more user friendly than the Joomla CMS used on the previous version of the site. In the end Breakneck tavern received a modern, mobile-friendly website that is easy to manage. 

Are you looking to strengthen your online presence? Contact MIBS, Inc. today to learn more about how we can help you develop the best website to meet the needs of your organization and to help you connect with your audience.