Source Referral
Transforming Print Media into a Digital Marketing Platform
Source Referral is an all-in-one referral-based marketing platform. It helps busy business owners who don’t have time to manage pay-per-lead, SEO, and social media marketing by giving them an effective way to offer digital marketing to their clients.
Technologies Used
Client Overview:
Source Referral is an all-in-one referral-based marketing platform that caters to busy business owners by offering an effective way to manage digital marketing. With a legacy of over 28 years as a successful magazine publisher, Source Referral sought to transition from print to digital media, expanding their presence in the digital world. They approached Luminous Tec to develop a web-based referral platform that would bring their advertisers into the digital age.
Opportunity:
As user preferences shifted from print to digital media, Source Referral (Your Villa Magazine) found it challenging to grow their user base. They required a rapid digital strategy to:
- Enter the Market Quickly: Launch the digital platform within four weeks to align with their printed magazine’s schedule.
- Onboard Existing Advertisers: Transition advertisers from their printed magazine to the new digital platform seamlessly.
- Custom Template Creation: Develop templates that would allow future advertisers to create profiles and offerings without needing extensive client resources.
- Enhanced User Experience: Create a user-friendly experience for all personas, including administrators, advertisers, and end-users.
Solution and Results:
Accelerated Time-to-Market with ‘T, T+1, and T+n’ Model
Luminous Tec’s Web Development team collaborated closely with Source Referral to design and develop a minimum viable product (MVP) using our ‘T, T+1, and T+n’ model. This phased delivery approach allowed us to focus on refining the platform’s core functionalities and accelerate the time-to-market. Within a challenging four-week timeframe, we delivered a fully functional product that helped Source Referral expand their digital presence, even during the COVID-19 pandemic when many businesses faced closures.
2. Design-First Approach for Seamless User Experience
To ensure a smooth transition from print to digital, we adopted a ‘Design-First’ approach. This involved:
- User Experience Design: Collaborating closely with Source Referral to design a user experience tailored to each key user persona, including administrators, advertisers, and day-to-day users.
- Best Practices Implementation: Leveraging insights from intensive design sessions, we identified areas of improvement from the printed medium to the digital platform. We recommended best practices for content presentation, resulting in an updated UI, simplified navigation, intuitive user flows, and a streamlined onboarding process.
3. Template Creation for Efficient Advertiser Onboarding
Luminous Tec’s expertise in creating templates for Robotic Process Automation (RPA) enabled us to build templates and workflows that automated repetitive processes. We developed templates that allowed Source Referral to onboard over 1,000 advertisers to the platform in less than two weeks. This not only ensured a robust user experience but also allowed the platform to scale without overwhelming the back-office support team.
4. Integration of LinkTrust API for Performance Marketing
To enhance the platform’s affiliate marketing and referral capabilities, we integrated the LinkTrust API. This performance marketing API facilitated the tracking and management of referrals, providing Source Referral with robust tools to monitor campaign performance and optimize marketing efforts.
5. AWS LightSail Implementation
To host the platform, we utilized AWS LightSail, setting up a standalone WordPress Ubuntu server with the following specifications:
- 4 GB Memory, 2 vCPUs, 80 GB SSD Storage, 4 TB Transfer.
- Static IP Address and SSH Key Access: Configured for secure server access.
- CPU Utilization Alarm: Set up to monitor and alert if the average CPU utilization per 5 minutes exceeds 40%.
6. Result and Impact
The digital referral platform was successfully launched, and users began joining the community immediately. The new platform enabled Source Referral and its advertisers to gain new customers rapidly, effectively expanding their reach in the digital marketplace.
With the successful transition from print to digital, Source Referral is now well-positioned to continue its legacy as a trusted name in marketing, offering a robust and scalable platform for its advertisers and users.
Architectural Diagram
What about the delivery made the client happiest?
When Your Villa/Source Referral came to us, they told us about their need, the urgency, and their current business model. Based on our experience with other referral platforms and web applications, we brainstormed and designed a highly scalable, user-friendly referral platform that exceeded their expectations.
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