Case Study - Stirling People Solutions
Introduction
Stirling People Solutions, a five-star rated recruitment consultancy specialising in sales and business support talent acquisition, had Milton Keynes Web Designs evaluate a critical challenge. Their existing GoDaddy website was severely underperforming, failing to reflect their professional reputation and hampering their ability to attract both clients and candidates in an increasingly digital recruitment landscape.
The challenge was clear: migrate from a restrictive GoDaddy platform with poor performance metrics to a bespoke, high-performance website that would position Stirling People Solutions as the forward-thinking recruitment partner they truly are. With only one rebate in five years of operation and multiple preferred supplier relationships, their digital presence needed to match their exceptional service delivery.
Project Goals
- Build a comprehensive content strategy enriching the site with detailed information about Stirling People Solutions' unique recruitment approach and services
- Dramatically increase PageSpeed scores to ensure optimal user experience for both clients and candidates
- Implement a modern, accessible design incorporating features like light/dark mode and WCAG compliance
- Establish superior code quality through custom development, eliminating the bloat and limitations of page builders
Problem Identification Phase
Our initial technical audit revealed several critical issues undermining Stirling People Solutions' digital effectiveness:
- Mobile Performance: Google PageSpeed score of just 82/100 on mobile devices
- Platform: GoDaddy's builder severely restricted both performance optimisation and design flexibility
- Content Gaps: Key service offerings lacked the depth needed to communicate their value proposition
- Poor User Journey: Navigation structure failed to guide visitors towards conversion points effectively
Limitations of the Old GoDaddy Site
The GoDaddy platform presented numerous obstacles that no amount of optimisation could overcome:
Technical Constraints:
- Bloated, unoptimised code injection adding unnecessary JavaScript and CSS
- Limited control over server response times and caching strategies
- Inability to implement modern performance techniques like lazy loading and code splitting
- Restrictive template system preventing custom functionality
Design Limitations:
- Templates which were failing to differentiate from competitors
- Minimal customisation options for responsive behaviour
- Inability to implement modern UI patterns and animations
- No support for advanced accessibility features
SEO Disadvantages:
- Poor semantic HTML structure affecting search rankings
- Limited meta tag control and Schema.org implementation
- Slow loading times penalising Core Web Vitals scores
- Inflexible URL structures hindering content organisation
Client Questionnaire
To ensure complete alignment with business objectives, we deployed our comprehensive discovery questionnaire covering:
- Brand Positioning: Understanding their unique value proposition and target audience
- Services: Mapping all offerings from permanent recruitment to their innovative subscription model
- Conversion Goals: Identifying primary actions for both client and candidate journeys
- Content Requirements: Cataloguing existing assets and identifying content gaps
- Competitive Landscape: Analysing competitor sites to identify opportunities for differentiation
- Technical Requirements: Integration needs for job boards and communication tools
This structured approach ensured every design and development decision directly supported business objectives.
Design Phase
The design transformation focused on creating a professional yet approachable aesthetic that would resonate with both corporate clients and job-seeking candidates. Free from GoDaddy's template constraints, we crafted a unique visual identity that truly represented Stirling People Solutions' brand values.
- Modern Professional Aesthetic: Clean, contemporary design balancing corporate credibility with approachable warmth
- Brand Consistency: Preserved original logo and key brand assets while elevating the overall visual language
- Enhanced Navigation: Replaced the hidden hamburger menu on desktop with visible, intuitive navigation improving user flow, changing depending if they're on mobile or not
- Responsive Excellence: Mobile-first approach ensuring perfect presentation across all devices
- Strategic Tech Stack: Selected HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Eleventy (11ty) and Nunjucks for optimal performance and maintainability
Using Figma as a Design Tool
Figma proved invaluable for collaborative design development, enabling real-time feedback and iteration. This cloud-based design platform allowed us to create prototypes showcasing exactly how the final website would look and function.
Our Figma workflow included:
- Component Libraries: Reusable design elements ensuring consistency across all pages
- Version Control: Complete design history enabling easy revision tracking
- Client Collaboration: Real-time commenting and feedback directly on designs
Each page design received explicit approval before development commenced, with feedback immediately incorporated into subsequent iterations. This transparent process eliminated surprises and ensured complete client satisfaction with the visual direction.
Development Phase
The development phase leveraged our carefully selected tech stack to deliver exceptional performance and maintainability. Moving from GoDaddy's restrictive environment to custom code proved transformative for both functionality and performance.
- Clean, Semantic HTML5: Properly structured content improving SEO and accessibility
- Optimised CSS Structure: Stylesheets with minimal conflicts
- Vanilla JavaScript: Lightweight interactions without framework overhead
- Eleventy Static Generation: Lightning-fast page loads with pre-rendered content
- Nunjucks Templating: Maintainable, DRY code structure enabling easy updates
Technical Performance: The PageSpeed Revolution
The transformation from GoDaddy's platform to custom code delivered extraordinary performance improvements, with Google PageSpeed scores jumping from 82/100 to 92-100/100 across all metrics. This isn't just a vanity metric but it represents fundamental improvements in user experience and business outcomes.
The Dramatic Performance Uplift:
- Performance Score: 82 → 98 (+16 points)
- First Contentful Paint: 2.2 s → 1.1 s (50% faster)
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.5 s → 1.5 s (67% faster)
- Total Blocking Time: 10 ms → 0 ms (100% elimination)
- Cumulative Layout Shift: 0 → 0 (perfect visual stability)
Why PageSpeed Scores Matter for Recruitment:
In the recruitment sector, speed directly impacts candidate and client acquisition. Research shows that 53% of mobile users abandon sites taking over 3 seconds to load. For a recruitment agency, that's half of potential candidates and clients lost before they even see your services.
Direct Business Impact:
- Improved Conversion Rates: Every 100ms improvement in load time increases conversions by 1%
- Enhanced SEO Rankings: Core Web Vitals are confirmed Google ranking factors since May 2021
- Reduced Bounce Rate: Fast sites see 35% lower bounce rates, keeping candidates engaged
Technical Optimisations Implemented:
- Critical CSS Inlining: Above-the-fold styles load instantly, eliminating render-blocking
- Lazy Loading: Images and resources load only when needed, preserving bandwidth
- Minification & Compression: All assets optimised and served with compression already done on them
- Static Generation: Pre-rendered HTML eliminates server processing time
- Modern Image Formats: WebP and AVIF formats reducing image sizes by 50%
The perfect PageSpeed score translates directly to business results: candidates can instantly access job resources and guidance even on poor mobile connections, while clients experience the professionalism they expect from a premium recruitment partner. This technical excellence provides Stirling People Solutions with a significant competitive advantage in an industry where every second counts.
Content Management Without Complexity
We implemented DecapCMS (formerly NetlifyCMS) integrated with DecapBridge to provide Stirling People Solutions with a seamless blog management system. This Git-based CMS solution delivers the content editing capabilities they need without the performance penalties of traditional database-driven systems like GoDaddy or WordPress.
The DecapCMS implementation enables:
- Intuitive Editorial Interface: Clean, distraction-free writing environment accessible from any browser
- Real-time Preview: See exactly how blog posts will appear before publishing
- Media Management: Simple image uploads and organisation without plugins
- Version Control: Complete revision history through Git integration (so we can revert the website back if required)
- Zero Performance Impact: Static generation means blog content loads instantly
DecapBridge further enhances the experience by providing seamless authentication and deployment, ensuring the client can publish content independently without technical knowledge whilst maintaining the blazing-fast performance of a static site.
Strategic Communication Channels
Replacing GoDaddy's chatbot with a direct WhatsApp Business integration transforms visitor engagement. This strategic decision recognised that meaningful conversations drive conversions in recruitment and not automated responses.
The WhatsApp button implementation offers:
- Instant Human Connection: Direct line to recruitment consultants, not bots
- Mobile-First Communication: Meeting candidates and clients on their preferred platform
- Enhanced Trust: Real conversations building genuine relationships
- Improved Response Rates: 98% WhatsApp open rate versus 20% for email
- Conversation History: Seamless follow-up across devices and sessions
The Feedback Loop
Throughout development, we maintained an agile feedback loop with the client. When Stirling People Solutions identified desired adjustments - such as wanting text content or images changed - we implemented changes immediately in the codebase.
This iterative approach proved invaluable because:
- Reduced Development Time: Issues identified and resolved before completion
- Enhanced Client Satisfaction: Active involvement in the creation process
- Optimised User Experience: Real-world insights incorporated throughout
- Eliminated Revision Cycles: Continuous refinement replaced post-launch fixes
Why Custom Code Over a Page Builder?
The transition from GoDaddy's page builder to custom code delivered transformative benefits:
Performance Advantages:
- 73% faster load times through optimised code and asset delivery
- Better Core Web Vitals scores, improving search rankings
- Reduced server costs via efficient static site generation
- Enhanced mobile experience with responsive design
Business Benefits:
- Complete design freedom to match brand vision exactly
- Scalability without penalties as adding content doesn't slow the site
- Future-proof as it is adaptable to emerging technologies
SEO Superiority:
- Semantic HTML structure improving content understanding
- Optimised meta implementation for enhanced SERP display
- Schema.org markup for rich snippets in search results
- Superior site speed - a confirmed ranking factor
Analytics Implementation and Data-Driven Insights
Post-launch success requires measurement, so we implemented a comprehensive Google Analytics 4 (GA4) setup tailored to recruitment industry KPIs. This goes far beyond basic pageview tracking, providing actionable insights into user behaviour and conversion paths.
Our custom GA4 configuration tracks:
- Client Engagement Metrics: Whole site engagement and enquiry funnel analysis
- Content Performance: Blog post engagement and topic resonance
- Conversion Attribution: Understanding which channels drive quality leads
Custom events capture critical micro-conversions including:
- WhatsApp button clicks segmented by page and user type
- Service page scroll depth and engagement time
- Contact form field interactions identifying drop-off points
- Blog subscription sign-ups and content downloads
This tracking system enables continuous optimisation based on real user behaviour, ensuring the website evolves to meet changing market needs whilst maintaining its performance excellence.
Conclusion
Stirling People Solutions now possesses a digital presence that truly reflects their position as a premium recruitment partner.
The client's satisfaction is evident: their new website not only looks professional and modern but performs flawlessly across all devices, providing the robust digital foundation needed to support their continued growth.
Here is what the Adam from Stirling People Solutions said:
We recently worked with Lewis at MK Web Design on the complete redesign and launch of our brand new website. As a small business, being able to pay monthly for a new professionally built website protected our cashflow and saved us £1000's in upfront costs. The process from start to finish was superb! Lewis took on board all of my ideas and tried to deliver as close to what we wanted as possible. He was always available and on hand at every step, and quick to tweak things and make changes as we worked our way through each page of the site. We're incredibly happy with the finished website, and would highly recommend MK Web Design. Thank you for all of your help and ongoing support.
Many recruitment agencies and small businesses remain trapped by page builders that restrict their growth potential, or face expensive quotes from traditional agencies. This project demonstrates that there's a better way which is custom development that's both affordable and transformative.
Ready to escape the limitations of your page builder? Milton Keynes Web Designs specialises in liberating businesses from GoDaddy, Wix, and WordPress constraints.