Nothing Ordinary About Mobile Updates | CanyoNZ
He’d rather be abseiling in a canyon than stuck behind a desk all day. That’s why Russell Hodgson needed a website that’s easy to manage, even when on the go.
The Challenge
Russell Hodgson doesn’t do ordinary. A typical day at the office involves leading a group of adventurers abseiling, sliding, jumping, scrambling, and zip-lining 300 metres down into Sleeping God Canyon, located in the Coromandel’s Kauaeranga Valley. So when he and business partner Wayne Darlington took over CanyoNZ in late 2012, they weren’t about to settle for an ordinary website either.
CanyoNZ already had a website when Russ and Wayne bought the business but it needed a lot of attention. Their attempts at making changes to the existing site proved frustrating. Communicating with the web designer (via the previous owner) was taking far too long, and making the alterations themselves was tricky. “We couldn’t change a lot,” explains Russell. “We could go through the back end, but it was really hard to use."
The life of an adventure tour guide isn’t exactly conducive to hours spent staring at a computer screen fiddling with complicated programming, so it was time to find a new web design firm. Although Russell knew about Rocketspark through a personal connection, the huge number of possible options made choosing a company to work with difficult. But Rocketspark’s prompt and clear replies allayed any fears he and Wayne had early on.
The Outcome
The ease of communication with Rocketspark made the process of designing the new site straightforward, and Russell found the team to be “helpful and friendly and prompt to respond.” And the difference between the old site and the new site? “Night and day,” says Russ. “It’s really well built. We really like the usability. We’re not that computer literate, so it’s nice.”
For Russ, one of the biggest benefits is being able to update the site remotely while on the road. Riding shotgun in a van full of worn-out adventurers, Russell can make changes—add a pic of the day, write a blog post, and reply to emails—all from his mobile during the 1.5-hour drive back to their Hamilton base. That means an up-to-date website with less time spent at the computer.
The website’s no-fuss manageability frees Russ up to focus more on what he’s really into: giving people an unforgettable adventure through breathtaking New Zealand scenery. It’s hardly an ordinary day job. That’s why Rocketspark works so well for Russell—it’s hardly an ordinary web firm.
