YMCA of Central New York Case Study

<span>YMCA of Central New York</span>
 Case Study Image

Overview

The YMCA of Central New York (previously Syracuse) serves a diverse array of over 60,000 people across seven branches, a day camp, and many program and school sites in the Central New York community. ImageX collaborated with stakeholders at the Y to create a new Drupal site based on the YMCA Website Services (formerly Open Y) platform. We led discovery workshops, consulted on various technical topics, and provided ongoing support.

What They Needed

The CMS the client had been working with previously was outdated and no longer supported by the creator. They simply didn't have the control over their site as they wanted. The team at the Y hoped a switch to the open-source YMCA Website Services (formerly Open Y) platform would help solve these issues and help them stay better updated in the future.

ImageX was hired to provide web development for a new website based on the Drupal YMCA Website Services (formerly Open Y) platform—a CMS that was designed specifically for YMCAs and their digital partners. The client did not have the capabilities in-house to take on a project of this size and scope.

How We Helped

Our team worked with the client to develop an entirely new site with the YMCA Website Services (formerly Open Y) platform. We led stakeholders through a series of discovery workshops, advised on hosting and continued to work with them for maintenance through a service agreement. 

Words from
the client

“They were continually open, honest, and transparent, making us feel like we had the information we needed to make choices throughout the process. We all work with many vendors but have rarely come across a company that truly feels like a part of our team. ImageX became part of our team very quickly—we definitely felt like they were working with us instead of for us.”

Director of Marketing & Communication

YMCA of Central New York

The Results

Not only has the new CMS earned higher traffic volumes, but its internal architecture has made it easier to implement effective digital marketing strategies. Internal teams could then make updates quickly and share content in more dynamic ways.

Initial reports showed an increase in traffic to the site, and it was much easier to update and maintain the site quickly and efficiently. When various departments ask for things to be shared on the site in different ways, site administrators were able to make it happen in more dynamic ways, increasing visibility and engagement. The improved site architecture has also helped in working with the digital marketing vendor in creating more effective campaigns.