Web Development for the Vaping Community

Technology Stack

WordPress
HTML
CSS
stripe
MySQL

The Client

This website contains personal experiences/stories of people who share how flavored vapes have helped them quit tobacco. In other words, the platform gives voices to vapers. It centralizes vaping-related content and stresses the importance of e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking. The platform also supports campaigns that oppose anti-vaping legislation.

The Challenge

The client was looking for a trusted partner who could conceptualize, design, develop, and launch the above website. His mission was to project stories of people who’ve turned to vapes to say goodbye to smoking. He aimed for a simple-looking website with in-built forms to collect user stories and data.

The idea was to collect as much user data as possible to grow his contacts and then send targeted newsletters to these contacts to promote vaping. He wanted to keep the web forms short with just the primary text boxes to allow quicker signups.

He needed a scalable backend system to save an ongoing flow of stories and data. Besides, he looked for a secure payment solution for inviting donations to support vaping campaigns. He also required custom admin access to manage all content that the users would submit.

There were many such customizations that the project demanded. So, the client turned to Capital Numbers and asked us to take care of all the stages of the development.

The Solution

Capital Numbers began with the initial research and requirement analysis. We then got ahead with developing the wireframe. Our design team created images, structures, backgrounds, and layouts in jpeg format during this stage. We presented the jpeg to the client. Once the client approved the wireframe, we proceeded with the production process.

We started the frontend development by referencing the approved wireframe. We custom-coded the logos, banners, footers, graphics, links, etc., using HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap scripts. Once done, we integrated the visual elements into WordPress.

Integrating the frontend elements in WordPress required a good grasp of PHP commands. There were complexities at various levels, and we had to ensure that none of the design elements got distorted during this integration process. However, our certified PHP developers handled it skillfully and with precision.

Next, we custom-integrated forms on the website. We kept the forms short with just the required input fields and enough space for users to write their vaping stories. After coding these forms, we reexamined them to ensure user inputs added in the frontend get saved in the backend as-is.

We used MySQL to scalably and securely store all data. Our experts added Stripe to pave the way for flawless and safe in-app donations.

After implementing the above, we double-checked the images, content, payment solution, and forms to ensure every element was loading correctly. Eventually, we moved the app to AWS.

Results

Capital Numbers used the agile method to deliver this solution in about a couple of months. We handled every stage of the development, right from concept to launch. With our help, the client could roll out a fast-loading, clean website containing users’ vaping experiences and related info. The platform is agnostic and can run on any device and browser.

Here’s an at-a-glance view of the final results and outcomes:

Header Menu

We designed the header menu containing four primary sections that include:

Personal vaping stories
Vaping-related news
Contact forms
Donations

In addition to being responsive, each section contains high-res banners for a visual appeal.

Web Pop-ups

Our custom pop-up automatically shows up as soon as visitors land on the website, generating clicks and platform subscribers.

Contact Form

We embedded a separate form to help vapers craft personal stories and send them directly to the TDs in their respective constituencies.

Sizable Mailing List

The above digital forms help the client collect sufficient user info and build a sizable mailing list for promotional activities.

Dynamic News Section

We wrote code to extract news items from third-party sources and dynamically display them on the website.

Secure Donations

Our Stripe integration helps the client accept recurring donations from those who want to support the vaping community and the social cause.

Integration with Social Media

Our team integrated Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube buttons into the site to increase the brand’s follower base on these channels.

Admin Controls

Our custom admin dashboard helps the client manage user-generated content, email lists, donations, newsletters, etc.

Concept-to-delivery

We fully complied with the client’s demands for the above and successfully handled every stage from idea to launch.

Agile Process

Our tech team took a phase-by-phase development approach to maximize agility.

PHP Development Expertise

We tackled all unknowns because our talented PHP developers knew how to roll out a successful solution even when there wasn’t an extensive project outline.

Turnkey Services

Our turnkey solution ticks all the boxes regarding technical needs, client demands, and user satisfaction.

Growing User Base

Since the go-live, the client has had a growing list of subscribers - thanks to the short, easy-to-use forms Capital Numbers cleverly placed for increased signups.