Connecting communities: YMCA with Kentico.
Technical snapshot
- Page Builder
- Form Builder
- Content Hub
Inside YMCA of Metro Chicago's new digital experience
The Y’s website, a decade old, had become outdated and delivered a poor digital experience. To better serve members, program participants, and other Y communities, each with unique needs and goals, the association aimed to digitally transform its website to improve access to program and membership information. Additionally, the Y sought to merge its brochure and registration sites into a single, unified platform, providing users with a streamlined process for registrations and purchases.
Recognizing the need for a content management system (CMS) that staff could easily navigate, allowing them to quickly and independently create and edit content without developer assistance, the Y also wanted the CMS to offer customization options for the public-facing site while maintaining a consistent look and feel.
- Phase 1 involved discovery, including the development of a foundational strategy, user behavior analysis, search engine optimization (SEO) audit, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) audit, initial requirements gathering, and platform recommendation.
- Phases 2 and 3 focused on the creation of new website designs and development planning.
- Phase 4 transitioned the project into development, incorporating integrations with both internal and third-party systems, culminating in the website's launch.
To enhance the Y’s user experience, Americaneagle.com implemented several key features:
- Navigation menus designed to provide intuitive access to the programs and content most important to site visitors.
- An easy-to-use location finder to help members locate nearby Y facilities.
- Prominent calls to action guiding users to registration opportunities.
- Comprehensive Spanish translation available throughout the website.
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Managing memberships
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Activity and program registrations
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Making donations and outstanding payments
Following the launch, early performance data pointed to steady growth across both engagement and commerce-related activity. Initial results reflect increased site usage and interaction over time, alongside growing adoption of online purchasing capabilities.
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$387k in online purchases within 4 months of ecommerce setup
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38% increase in users (YoY)
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10% increase in new users (YoY)
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18% increase in views (YoY) (2.2M views total)
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16% increase in events (YoY) (5.7M events total)
Looking ahead, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago plans to continue building on its digital foundation to support evolving community needs and engagement goals. Future efforts will focus on refining the online experience, expanding digital capabilities, and ensuring the platform continues to support both program participation and operational efficiency.
“Our research has shown that members and communities across our association place a premium on being able to easily find, learn about, and register for their favorite activities, programs, and services. That’s why user ease, experience, and friendliness collectively served as our North Star in developing both the infrastructure and interface of the new site. Americaneagle.com met and exceeded our expectations on this and every other front in the new website development process.”
Americaneagle.com
HQ
Other locations
Level
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Gold partner
Qualifications
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Quality expert
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Hosting partner
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SaaS expert
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Upgrade expert
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Accelerator expert
Competencies
- Content Strategy
- Digital Marketing
- Integration and Customization
- Personalization
