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Home Junction WP ecosystem

The HomeJunction WP Ecosystem project aimed at refining the operational efficiency and user accessibility of a WordPress platform comprising more than 10 plugins and 3 themes, each housed in separate git repositories. The project focused on improving development workflows, plugin functionality, website performance, and accessibility.

Client's Objectives

As one of the leading data providers across various industries, including real estate, HomeJunction set out to create a product tailored for real estate agents and brokers.

The objective was to facilitate the rapid and convenient deployment of fully functional websites for any real estate broker or agent. This solution would automatically display all of the agent's listings and provide clients with a user-friendly search experience through the integration of an advanced IDX tool. Additionally, it would offer the capability to generate leads from interested clients.

Efficient Data Integration and Website Creation: Home Junction seeks to optimize the integration of real estate datasets into WordPress websites, aiming for a seamless process that empowers brokers to swiftly create and manage their online platforms. By leveraging WordPress themes and plugins, the objective is to simplify website creation, ensuring brokers can efficiently showcase properties and provide relevant information to potential clients.

Adaptation to New Technologies and Accessibility Enhancement: Home Junction aims to adapt its existing projects seamlessly, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance. This involves not only transitioning to the new editor but also enhancing website accessibility to meet industry standards.

Challenges

Complex Development Workflow

The architecture of the ecosystem, characterized by each plugin and theme being housed in separate git repositories, introduced a certain level of complexity to the process of implementing changes across multiple components. This arrangement resulted in an increased consumption of time and a decrease in efficiency, especially when updates were required to be applied across several plugins and themes at once.

Transitioning to Gutenberg Editor and Enhancing Accessibility

With the introduction of the Gutenberg editor, Visual Craft faced the task of transitioning existing projects to this new editing system. Additionally, there was a need to improve website accessibility to ensure compliance with accessibility standards and cater to diverse user needs.

Seamless Project Takeover and Continuity

Taking over a project from a previous team presented challenges in terms of understanding the existing codebase, workflows, and client requirements. Maintaining project continuity while implementing new features and improvements was crucial.

Overcoming Challenges in Plugin Management and Form Dependencies

The setup did not automatically load necessary parts of the software in the plugins, leading to less efficient management of the code and how the system ran. This meant having to add these parts in by hand, which made mistakes more likely. Additionally, some features depended on forms from a specific plugin. This reliance called for a smoother way to handle and refresh these forms, something that was missing at first. This issue made activating plugins more complicated and affected the overall experience for users.

Website Performance

The ecosystem has room for enhancement regarding page load times, which we've identified as an opportunity to boost user engagement, improve search engine rankings, and elevate the overall user experience. Insights from Google PageSpeed suggest that addressing these areas could significantly enhance performance and satisfaction.

Accessibility

Before the start of the project, opportunities for improvement were identified in the website's accessibility features. These enhancements aimed to facilitate a more seamless and interactive experience for users with disabilities. By addressing these areas, we anticipated not only expanding our user base but also aligning more closely with web standards, underscoring our dedication to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all visitors.

Solutions

Plugins and Theme Maintenance

Visual Craft maintained a diverse array of WP plugins and themes designed to meet the unique requirements of real estate professionals. These solutions have enabled clients to create sophisticated websites with advanced functionality, including property listings, search capabilities, mapping integrations, and lead generation tools.

Visual Craft took over from a previous team to address these complexities. We streamlined the process by integrating data seamlessly into WordPress sites, ensuring brokers have access to accurate and up-to-date information. Additionally, we optimized the website creation process by fine-tuning WordPress themes and plugins to meet the specific needs of real estate professionals.

Implementation of a Git Mono Repository

By consolidating all plugins and themes into a single git repository, the development workflow was significantly streamlined. This change facilitated easier and faster commits across multiple components, enhancing efficiency and reducing the time developers spent on version control management.

Transition to Gutenberg

Visual Craft approached the transition to Gutenberg methodically, updating plugins and themes to fully support the new editor's features and functionalities. We conducted thorough accessibility audits and implemented enhancements to ensure websites were accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Our efforts have included optimizing navigation structures, improving color contrast, and integrating keyboard navigation functionalities. However, it's important to acknowledge that while considerable progress has been made, there remain areas for further enhancement.

Seamless Project Takeover and Continuity

Our team initiated a comprehensive onboarding process to familiarize ourselves with the project's intricacies. We conducted thorough code reviews, documentation audits, and client consultations to ensure a smooth transition. By maintaining clear communication channels with the client and leveraging our expertise in WordPress development, we ensured seamless project continuity while delivering impactful enhancements and optimizations.

Introduction of Autoloading for PHP Classes:

Implementing an autoloading mechanism for PHP classes in the plugins improved operational efficiency and reduced the potential for errors. This update streamlined the development process by eliminating the need for manual class inclusion.

Optimization of Website Performance

Through various optimization techniques, the team significantly improved the website's page load times. Achieving an average increase of 2.5 times in Google PageSpeed scores, this enhancement positively impacted user engagement and search engine optimization (SEO).

Enhanced Accessibility

By adding features that supported navigation and interaction through keyboard and screen readers, the website became more accessible to people with disabilities. This improvement not only broadened the site's user base but also aligned with web accessibility standards.

Client's review

Max Chirkov

SaaS Products Manager at ATTOM Data Solutions

It has been an absolute pleasure working with Ihor (Visual Craft) for over five years. During his tenure as part of the development team at Home Junction (later acquired by ATTOM Data), Ihor showcased exceptional expertise and dedication in developing and supporting our SaaS products and services.
As a software engineer myself and later transitioning into a senior product manager role, I had the privilege of closely working with Ihor daily across all phases of software development. His contributions as a full-stack senior developer and subsequently lead developer were invaluable. Ihor consistently demonstrated a commitment not only to completing tasks but also to identifying optimal solutions that added tangible value for our customers.

Technologies

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