Project Overview
Who: City of Armstrong
Just 73 kilometers from Kelowna, located in the beautiful Spallumcheen Valley, the City of Armstrong is an agricultural hub nestled between the Okanagan and Shuswap regions of British Columbia. Whether you’re in Armstrong to live, work or play, the quaint community is a memorable and welcoming environment for everyone.
What
- Drupal to WordPress rebuild
- Information architecture and navigation improvements
- Responsive website development
- Accessibility-focused design and QA
- Ongoing website maintenance and support
Results at a Glance
Our experienced team helped the City of Armstrong replace its outdated, difficult-to-manage Drupal website with a modern WordPress website. Ultimately, our goal was to create an online experience that was easier for residents to use and simpler for staff to manage. Since the initial launch in 2021, we have continued to support and improve the site as the City’s needs have evolved.
Successfully rebuilt the website, migrating from Drupal to WordPress
Delivered the project under the original estimated hours
Fewer repetitive inquiries as information became easier to access online
2024 refresh improved navigation, accessibility, and the mobile experience
The Challenge
An Outdated Website Experience
Built in the early 2010s, the City of Armstrong’s website no longer reflected their brand or modern user expectations. The design needed a clearer structure, a more welcoming look, and a better overall experience for online visitors.
Important Information Was Difficult to Find
The information people needed was on the website, but the navigation often made it difficult to find. As a result, City Hall continued receiving calls and emails about information that was already available online.
The Mobile Experience Was Lacking
Their old site wasn’t built for the way people browse today—on mobile devices. Since 96.2% of internet users access the internet from a mobile phone at least some of the time, the City needed a website that worked just as well on a phone or tablet as it did on a desktop.
Staff Needed an Easier Way to Manage Content
Routine updates were time consuming and difficult for City staff to complete. The website relied on a complicated legacy setup, leaving staff dependent on outside support for changes they needed to make regularly.
A Direct Migration Wasn’t Possible
Their website from the 2010s was built in Drupal, but limited access to the original database and codebase. That meant it couldn’t be transferred directly into WordPress. Instead of a simple migration, the website needed to be carefully rebuilt on a new platform.
HOW WE WORKED
Our Process
Content Audit & Planning
We started by reviewing the old Drupal website, its content, and how people were using it in detail. Together, we identified what needed to stay, what needed to change, and how to organize the information so people could find it more easily.
Information Architecture & Template Design
Before rebuilding the full site, we mapped out a clearer navigation system and created a set of standard page templates. This gave the project a consistent structure from the start and helped us avoid making the same layout changes across dozens of pages later.
Development, Accessibility & QA
We rebuilt the website in WordPress, applied Armstrong’s visual identity, and developed the core features the City needed. Throughout the build, we checked accessibility, functionality, and mobile usability so the site would work well for both the public and City staff.
Launch & Training
We worked closely with the City of Armstrong team through final reviews, testing, and launch preparation. The new site launched in February 2021, under the original estimated hours, and gave staff a more manageable platform for day-to-day updates.
Ongoing Support & Continuous Improvement
Our work didn’t end at launch. We continue to support the City with maintenance, updates, accessibility reviews, performance improvements, and guidance as new needs come up. For instance, in 2024, we helped the City refresh the site again by improving on the foundation.
Content Audit & Planning
We started by reviewing the old Drupal website, its content, and how people were using it in detail. Together, we identified what needed to stay, what needed to change, and how to organize the information so people could find it more easily.
Information Architecture & Template Design
Before rebuilding the full site, we mapped out a clearer navigation system and created a set of standard page templates. This gave the project a consistent structure from the start and helped us avoid making the same layout changes across dozens of pages later.
Development, Accessibility & QA
We rebuilt the website in WordPress, applied Armstrong’s visual identity, and developed the core features the City needed. Throughout the build, we checked accessibility, functionality, and mobile usability so the site would work well for both the public and City staff.
Launch & Training
We worked closely with the City of Armstrong team through final reviews, testing, and launch preparation. The new site launched in February 2021, under the original estimated hours, and gave staff a more manageable platform for day-to-day updates.
Ongoing Support & Continuous Improvement
Our work didn’t end at launch. We continue to support the City with maintenance, updates, accessibility reviews, performance improvements, and guidance as new needs come up. For instance, in 2024, we helped the City refresh the site again by improving on the foundation.
WHAT WE DID
A More Accessible, Sustainable Municipal Website with Ongoing Maintenance & Support
Rebuilt the Website in WordPress
We quickly discovered we weren’t able to do a direct migration from Drupal because the City didn’t have full access to the original database and code. Instead of forcing an incomplete transfer, we rebuilt the site in WordPress and created a cleaner, more manageable foundation.
We selected an accessibility-focused theme and customized it to reflect Armstrong’s identity while keeping the project practical for a municipal budget.
Made Information Easier to Find
The website already contained a lot of important information. The challenge was helping people get to it quickly.
We created two clear ways to navigate the site:
- Quick access for residents, businesses, and visitors
- Navigation organized by City departments and services
This made the website easier to use for people who knew exactly what they needed, as well as those who were less familiar with municipal terms.
Created Consistent, Easier-to-Manage Pages
We built a set of standard page layouts before moving the full content library into the new site. This helped keep information consistent across departments and made routine updates easier for City staff.
It also reduced the City’s reliance on outside support for simple content changes.
Added Core Municipal Website Features
We turned the website into a clearer central hub for City information and services, including:
- Responsive layouts for desktop, tablet, and mobile
- Site-wide search
- News and categorized public notices
- Council and governance information
- Service pages for permits, utilities, waste and recycling, recreation, and public works
- Organized forms and document resources
- Staff contacts and department-level inquiry options
- Online inquiry and service request forms
- Clear links to external event and document systems
Built Accessibility Into the Experience
We made accessibility part of every stage of the project. Our team improved colour contrast, typography, spacing, heading structure, keyboard navigation, and forms to help more people use the site with ease. We also continue to review and improve accessibility through ongoing maintenance and support.
Refreshed the Website in 2024
As the website and its content grew, the City needed more flexibility and a more modern editing experience.
Rather than rebuilding the site again, we strengthened the foundation already in place. We introduced the CityGov theme and Elementor, updated the visual system, rebuilt key website components, and improved navigation, contrast, spacing, and mobile usability.
The refreshed setup also made it easier for City staff to create and update pages themselves.
Project Outcomes
The City of Armstrong now has a clearer, more accessible website that makes municipal information easier to find and routine content easier to manage. The project replaced an aging technical foundation without sacrificing the volume of public information the City needed to preserve.
Our ongoing relationship with the City of Armstrong also shows the value of improving a website over time. Instead of treating the original launch as the finish line, Cheeky Monkey Media has continued to help Armstrong maintain, refine, and modernize its digital services as community and staff needs change.
Quantitative Results
- Only 90% of hours used to complete project
- Rebuilt 40 pages from Drupal to WordPress
- Completed 20+ updates for accessibility, security, and functionality
- 65% reduction in phone calls and emails
Qualitative Results
- Easier access to municipal information
- Simpler content updates for City staff
- Better navigation and mobile usability
- Pages look more consistent across departments
- The website better reflects Armstrong’s community
- Ongoing support keeps the site current and easier to improve over time
