As per Global Newswire, multisite architecture is pegged to grow at 22.6% CAGR from 2020 to 2027 with an estimated market size of US$ 1,628.6 million. Globally, media conglomerates operate a myriad of content-based sites for managing different business use cases.
Therefore, a need for a robust multi site architecture is a panacea for business decision-makers to drive operational efficiency.
To narrate their distinct brand stories and offer a rich customer experience, Crain wanted a unified digital platform that would let content editors manage the websites seamlessly without having to depend on the internal tech team.
As there was no centralization in place, the client faced the following challenges:
We leveraged Acquia Lightning, a custom distribution of Drupal 8, for developing the core CMS. The approach was to enable component-based development for all brand sites owned by Crain.
To ensure the technically correct delivery, the architecture features design templates based on global style guides. All templates are built using Pattern Lab, the online style guide based on the atomic design principles. Pattern Lab also has a central hub for viewing all components available on the platform, including the specific modules used by brands. Editors can use these design templates for diversifying the look and feel of their content pages without needing inputs from the IT department.
Consequently, page creation and publishing times have reduced by up to 50 percent, leading to an overall better editorial experience. Features include,
The new platform is highly scalable, allowing the reuse of sub-components while maintaining a consistent user experience across subsites. We rolled out 20+ websites and migrated over 1 million content pieces within weeks of launch without compromising SEO best practices, website performance and data security.