Website Platform Upgrade
We have some exciting news to share - we are making some MAJOR upgrades in 2024! We will be migrating our content management system (The 3plains Portal) and all of our internal and client websites to a new, updated server on a new web platform. We are moving to the same platform as Facebook and Wordpress in a effort to focus on our customers needs.
What does this mean for you? Your website will be moved to the new server with our new, responsive, mobile-friendly theme. How you customize it is up to you. This is a great opportunity to refresh your website at a discounted price. These upgrades are required due to rapidly dwindling support for our current server and web platform. While we unfortunately have no choice in this matter, YOU have 3 options, as described below (also notice option 1 and option 2 are the same website).
Option 1
Cost: FREE - We migrate your site to our new platform, and your theme will be a generic black and white design, as shown in the photo example. We will use your logo if possible, but nothing else will be customized in the design. This will be the default migration if you don’t choose another option before we shut down the old server on Dec 31, 2024 (we extended the date another 6 months from July 1).
For some of our customers on old, non-mobile friendly websites, you will no longer have to "pinch" or flip your mobile phone on the side anymore to read the text, as the website will now be a new, responsive, mobile-friendly theme up to 2024 website code standards. Updating these standards is essential to be able to remain compatible with Google’s standards and be able to maximize search engine results. So at the bare minimum, it's free and it's a huge benefit to you.
Option 2
Cost: $500 - We migrate your site to our new platform, and carry over the basics of your current design. This includes things like link and header colors, some background images, and other textures or gradients. Our new theme is fully responsive and mobile friendly so your new site may look slightly different than your current design, but will still maintain your brand.
This is a great, affordable option to bring your website up to 2024 website standards, while still honoring your brand. It is even a great time to talk to the 3plains marketing team to discuss how to increase traffic to your website for your products and services.
Option 3
Cost: Starting at $1500 - We treat this like a new website project, and we completely redesign your site. This includes migration to our new platform, along with a new, custom design for your website. This is a great opportunity to refresh your website at a discount if your site is more than a few years old and you are wanting a fresh new look. We have a couple of different options for you to look at, depending on the look you like.
Why Are We Doing This?
Technically, we are moving from a Windows/ColdFusion server (old server), to Linux/PHP servers (new servers). Aside from shutting down the old server that will no longer be supported, here is why we’re going this direction:
- PHP allows us to use nearly all third-party software with our websites, so you will have many more options when it comes to custom additions to your website. If you’re interested in eCommerce or deposits, we have a fully integrated API for PayPal, Authorize.net and Stripe, which keeps your users on your site through the entire checkout process.
- PHP Integrates with invisible reCaptcha 3 so your forms are easier for your prospects to fill out and you will get LESS SPAM and more protection from bots. It’s a seamless experience with no clicking boxes.
- We will be able to listen to our customers that have new feature requests or suggestions.
- Since our new code base is centralized for all our customers, this allows us to roll out new features and updates to everyone at once. Your site will utilize code that will be updated and maintained on a regular basis with no actions required from you.
- We are using the latest version of PHP with the most modern code available, so your site will be more mobile friendly, run faster, be more secure, and will be recognized by Google in a friendlier way as our theme meets their expectations for usability, speed, and content shifting.
Additionally, this move will allow 3plains to grow our suite of products and services. From form building tools, to eCommerce and online booking tools... we have ambitions goals in the coming years!
How To Contact Us To Upgrade
Please reach out to us once you make a decision, or if you have any questions about the transition. There are several ways to contact us - call us at 612-716-2060, call your account rep if you have it or fill out a support contact form. We appreciate your business and look forward to another productive year in 2024.
The 3plains Team
Posted in: Web Design