Case Study
Engineering a Multisite WordPress Solution on MSSQL
Medical Guardian is a prominent provider of medical alert systems dedicated to enhancing the lives of older adults and providing peace of mind to their families. Their primary goal was to transition their static, non-CMS website into a more flexible, content-managed environment that could empower their marketing team to handle website updates independently. This move aimed to minimize reliance on the IT team, streamline content updates, and improve website responsiveness across multiple sites.
Summary
Salzer Technologies partnered with Medical Guardian to design and implement a robust, multisite WordPress solution on an MSSQL database hosted on-premises. This solution enabled Medical Guardian’s marketing team to gain full control over content management, significantly reducing the back-and-forth with the IT team. Additionally, Salzer converted four existing static sites into responsive, content-managed sites, providing a consistent user experience across various devices.
Objectives
- Enable CMS Functionality: Convert Medical Guardian’s non-CMS website to a WordPress-based content management system (CMS) to simplify content updates for the marketing team.
- Set Up Multisite Functionality: Establish a WordPress multisite environment to support multiple sites under one WordPress instance, making it easier to manage multiple web properties.
- Improve Responsiveness: Redesign each site to be fully responsive, ensuring seamless user experience across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
- Implement MSSQL Database: Configure the WordPress setup to operate over MSSQL on Medical Guardian’s on-premises infrastructure, ensuring data security and compliance.
Solution Implementation
1. Multisite WordPress Setup Over MSSQL Database:
- Salzer’s team configured a multisite WordPress instance that connected with an on-premises MSSQL database. This integration supported seamless data management while adhering to Medical Guardian’s security and compliance needs.
- The multisite setup allowed Medical Guardian to operate multiple sites within one WordPress environment, centralizing management and making it easier to apply updates across sites.
2. Migration from Non-CMS to Content Management System:
- Salzer migrated the existing non-CMS site into the WordPress environment, structuring the site for easy content management. By utilizing WordPress, the marketing team could now update content, images, and pages without the need for IT intervention, reducing content update times by over 60%.
- Custom user roles and permissions were also created to give the marketing team autonomy over their content while ensuring secure access for the IT team.
- Four additional sites were integrated within the multisite instance, each customized to maintain brand consistency while offering unique functionality as required.
- All sites were developed with responsive design principles to ensure optimal user experience across a range of devices.
- Salzer provided training sessions for the Medical Guardian marketing and IT teams, empowering them with the knowledge to efficiently manage content and troubleshoot basic issues.
- A comprehensive support package was implemented to ensure ongoing stability and security of the multisite environment.
Results and Impact
- Enhanced Efficiency: Medical Guardian’s marketing team can now manage content independently, significantly reducing content update time by 60% and enhancing marketing agility.
- Improved User Experience: All five sites are now fully responsive, offering a consistent and optimized experience across devices, increasing user engagement.
- Centralized Management: The multisite WordPress setup streamlined site management, enabling centralized updates and consistent branding across all sites.
- Reduced IT Workload: The IT team’s involvement in daily content updates has been minimized, allowing them to focus on higher-priority tasks and strategic initiatives.
Conclusion
By leveraging Salzer Technologies’ expertise in WordPress multisite configurations and database management, Medical Guardian successfully transformed its web presence into a fully content-managed environment. This case study highlights Salzer’s ability to deliver tailored, secure, and efficient solutions that empower marketing teams and streamline IT processes. Medical Guardian now enjoys a scalable, responsive, and easy-to-manage digital platform that supports its growth and operational goals.