SCCJ: Moving with the Internet times

The story:
Next built the first website for the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Japan (SCCJ) around 15 years ago—a simple, static html site, as was the norm in those days.

Ten years ago, it was time to go back to the coding again. The Internet had moved on; for the second incarnation, we built a dynamic, database-driven site. At that time there were a limited number of off-the-shelf, reasonably priced content management systems (CMS) available, so we built the back-end ourselves. Next at that time employed two web programmers.

In 2012, it was time to move ahead once more with website version 3.0. The Internet had moved on. Today there are many smart, cost-effective CMS systems available that can be customized, so we seldom find the need to build a system back-end from the ground up.

At the same time, though, smartphones and tablets have changed the landscape dramatically, as has social media. Many things have become technically much easier, but the Internet is also a much more crowded place. You have to be smarter today.

Mobile devices have changed how we interact on the Internet, just as blogs have changed how we perceive websites. For example, scrolling was a major no-no not too long ago. Today it’s seen as quick and convenient.

We re-programmed the entire SCCJ site to fit today’s technology, functionality and design. The CMS was updated and customized to make it even more convenient and intuitive to handle content maintenance, enable flexible publishing options and integrate various social media channels.

We created a closed section for members only to communicate and share content with each other. An event application was added which allows the SCCJ to create events, send out invitations and receive RSVPs from their members. Additionally, the entire site was re-designed with a clean Scandinavian look to further reflect the SCCJ’s identity.