Creating a Website Builder for Internet & TV Provider

How It Started

Being a big Internet and TV provider, Novotelecom decided to update the website for one of its brands. They turned to us to create a custom website builder. First we thought “What’s the point? There are lots of readymade website builders like Wix, Weebly, Squarespace”. However, Novotelecom was looking for a solution with a specific set of blocks not available in off-the-shelf products. Only a custom website builder could fulfill these requirements. So, we got to work.

The Task

Our team was tasked to design and develop a website for Novotelecom users and a website builder for the administrators.

The Build

Lego inspired us and we created a website builder with an intuitive UI. The first trick we made is integration with Novotelecom internal services. Readymade products don’t offer integrations at all or have limitations.

The other trick is the website builder structure. Site pages can be arranged using separate cube blocks. We made three types of blocks. Simple blocks — for fixed content, blocks with backend — for dynamic content, and HTML blocks for editing.

Blocks allow for administrators to:

• create and edit pages
• change content
• make new website sections
• control the number of pages and the nesting level
• create landing pages whether web or mobile

Novotelecom users can:

• order a connection with the Internet channel
• find the nearest company’s office on a map, filter other offices according to the location and office hours
• send a request for free technical support
• search for information in the FAQ

One convenient feature for website users is the plan calculator. Novotelecom users just pick their required elements like Internet, TV, antivirus, TV box, and other. The final sum is based on the set of chosen elements. When a user taps the button Apply, the request is processed by the Novotelecom staff, and the user gets a message with confirmation.

The Stack

HTML, CSS, jQuery, Yii2, PostgreSQL

The Outcome

It was a very ambitious project as we developed a website builder from scratch for the first time and succeeded. Beyond new features and a great interface for users, the final solution equipped the Novotelecom team with the resource to manage an enterprise website without professional developers help.