Municipality of Amsterdam: Bureau Broedplaatsen

Commissioned by the City of Amsterdam, Mennes Creative has redesigned the Bureau Broedplaatsen website and linked it to Creative CMS Control, the user-friendly content management system from Mennes Creative. A somewhat more contemporary look of the website was desired and was not satisfied with the user-friendliness of the old CMS with which the site at the time was managed. For each project – with accompanying address data from the Broedplaats in Amsterdam – the Google Maps coordinates always had to be looked up manually and copied into the system; a time-consuming job that also turned out to result in a lot of unnecessary mistakes. In addition, content management was not really user-friendly and the possibilities for search engine optimization were not satisfactory.

Mennes Creative solved these problems, thanks to a restyle of the site and through the integration with a better content management system containing various customized solutions. First of all, Google map management was improved thanks to the integration of a zip code database, so that administrators only have to enter the zip code and house number in the new situation. Thanks to an innovative link between that zip code database and Google Maps, all this has now been set up in such a way that the projects automatically appear in the project card after entering only zip code and house number. At the individual level, every Broedplaats can now also be seen exactly where it is located in Amsterdam.

A restyle often involves details that make a difference and jointly contribute to improved usability – both for website visitors and for the administrators of the underlying content management system. At the front, among other things, the presentation of submenus was improved, the gigantic laundry list with news items was divided into series, and research files and publications were presented in a fixed pattern, which now also records the number of downloads. Thanks to the integration of Bureau Broedplaatsen’s Facebook page, the homepage now has a more contemporary character and is aimed at broadening the reach through social media.

At the rear, it made it easier for administrators to manage Broedplaatsen projects. In addition, the blocks on the homepage can now be arranged more easily and linked to various parts of the website. Content management is streamlined through improved filtering options and documents can be managed in a standardized way and because administrators can create files online, additional software such as Photoshop is no longer needed.

Important steps were also taken with regard to improved findability in the search engines with the restyle and technical implementation. For example, the structure of the URLs became cleaner, they were automatically synchronized with the improved breadcrumb structure and the automated sitemap ensures optimum indexing. Thanks to the extensive possibilities to manage metadata of all content, the findability of the site in the search engines has been considerably improved. The internal search engine was also improved through improved algorithms and the presentation of the search results based on the various parts of the site.

An important restriction with regard to the restyling of the website was conformity with the corporate identity of the Municipality of Amsterdam. Thanks to some subtle changes, it now fits even better with the umbrella website of the Municipality. The delivery of the improved website and the preparation of the new system for the administrators of Bureau Broedplaatsen were preceded by a challenging migration process, to integrate all content in the new database. Thanks to a careful approach, Mennes Creative has also carried out this process to the full satisfaction of the Municipality.

The restyle of the website of Bureau Broedplaatsen, part of the City of Amsterdam, shows that also improving a website, linking it to a more appropriate content management system and managing the associated migration process at Mennes Creative in good The starting point of this project was to remove the dissatisfaction of the managers with regard to the old system, which turned out to fall short on a lot of points.

During a fertile brainstorming session, all points of improvement were then put forward. Without flattening the beaten track, they were subsequently translated by Mennes Creative into innovative solutions that led to significant efficiency improvements. Creative CMS Control – our in-house developed content management system – was taken as the starting point for standard matters such as the management of pages, menu items and files. Specific modules were then built for Bureau Broedplaatsen to meet the specific wishes and requirements of the City of Amsterdam.

Are you also curious about how Mennes Creative can improve your existing website; in terms of layout, user-friendliness, and manageability? One of our experts is happy to show you the possibilities that our content management system offers. Every existing site or web application can be linked to this. Various customized functionalities then provide the finishing touch. After all, it is not about the system, but precisely about the functionalities that make it easier for you and more attractive for your visitors. And that often involves details that are central to Mennes Creative. Contact us today for an appointment without obligation!