In quite a diversion from our usual work we were approached by The Barbel Society to help with the evolution of its membership website.
The Barbel Society is the national organisation for barbel anglers in the UK. As well as bringing the barbel community together, it is a place where members can share information, whilst also working hard to protect, lobby and promote the species.
The website needed a refresh, in particular to appeal to all ages and encourage the younger generation to get involved – to keep it thriving, as well as continuing the vital conservation work that was started thirty years ago.
A lifelong passion
Our director Simon Asbury is a keen, lifelong, barbel angler and provided the connection between the two organisations. He has been a committee member since 2002 and, with his experience and know-how, has been involved in every iteration of the website since it began. This latest upgrade needed more of the team’s attention and, relishing something different, we enjoyed the challenge.
Key upgrades:
- Brought membership subscriptions online
- Automated membership renewals
- Created membership login on home page
- Changed to fully digital membership card
- Converted all information into digital format
- Created place to share information online
- Created a brand new, welcoming, professional look
These important changes mean that the website is now more modern and accessible. Information is immediately to hand and membership status no longer relies on the vagaries and expense of the postal system. In line with its conservation work, the website upholds good environmental practice. It is economically more efficient – every penny goes towards the member experience and the good work it promotes for barbel, and the fishing experience.
From a technical perspective, the website is now fully up-to-date, driven primarily by the need to take membership online. It’s not an overly sophisticated website, built on WordPress, but it shows what can be achieved in a few short weeks with some care and a thoughtful approach.
Including communication details such as social media (to attract the younger members) and a variety of articles (for interest and valuable SEO) completed the project.
Working with The Barbel Society is representative of DbyD being an intentional business – in that we choose to work with clients who are a good fit for our team. We work well with organisations who align with our values, where there is a strong connection. In recent times we’ve become aware of how much more successful the collaboration is when both the DbyD team and client really get each other – it shines through during the process and in the finished project.
What’s more, we’ve written a whole article without a single fishing pun, which was arguably the hardest part of the job!
