PROJECT OWNER:

Avalon Hosting, 2018

During my tenure at Avalon Hosting, I assumed the role of team leader, spearheading a talented group of designers and developers in the task of reconstructing the company's website.

From its initial conceptualization to its full implementation, I oversaw every aspect of the project, ensuring that our vision for the website's presentation, ordering system, and customer service management via a centralized dashboard was brought to fruition. With the team, we facilitated brainstorming sessions to generate new ideas and solutions, fostering a collaborative environment. With a deep understanding of user experience principles, we worked closely with our development team. For them, clear direction and guidance were provided, translating design concepts into functional and intuitive features. Through meticulous planning and agile project management methodologies, we successfully navigated through challenges and milestones, ultimately delivering a website that seamlessly integrated presentation, ordering, and customer service management functionalities.

About Avalon Hosting

Avalon Hosting, one of the leading hosting providers in Croatia, embarked on a transformative journey to redefine its offerings and expand into the realm of full web services. Recognizing the evolving needs of the market and the increasing demand for comprehensive web solutions, Avalon Hosting was on a mission to develop a new website that would cater to the diverse needs of its clientele.

The development of the new website was not merely a cosmetic change but a strategic endeavor to offer a full-service solution in the web business arena. Over more than a year, Avalon Hosting engaged in extensive brainstorming sessions, reimagining its offerings and reshaping its portfolio with additional services.

Building upon its foundation of good hosting, domain, and security services, Avalon Hosting developed a custom-made platform that supported websites with infrastructure, security, development, and design services. This comprehensive approach aimed to provide clients with a seamless and integrated solution for their web hosting and development needs.

Finally, at the end of 2018, after meticulous planning and development, Avalon Hosting unveiled its new website, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards becoming a leading provider of full web services in Croatia. With its innovative platform and expanded service offerings, Avalon Hosting continued to uphold its reputation as a stable and trustworthy partner in the industry.

Rethinking the web

The rebuilding of Avalon Hosting's website structure was a departure from the conventional approach, focusing on positioning the company as a comprehensive partner in the growth journey of its clients. The emphasis was on offering a complete suite of services, from domain registration to web hosting and virtual private servers (VPS), catering to clients at every stage of their business development.

The domain search functionality was enhanced using APIs, offering users a tailored experience with suggestions and information about domain availabilities. Fully integrated with the ordering services and customer dashboard, this feature facilitated seamless domain registration and management for clients.

A custom-built ordering form and cart were implemented to simplify ordering and ensure fast conversion with minimal user input. This user-friendly approach enhanced the overall customer experience and accelerated the ordering process.

Additionally, Avalon Hosting introduced a novel service: the web audit. This service included a custom-built questionnaire that enabled the company to deliver a comprehensive assessment of clients' web design and development needs.

To construct the website, we developed a custom framework that facilitated swift content updates through plain HTML templates. Additionally, prices and offers were efficiently managed within the same framework, communicating seamlessly via APIs with marketing and sales department systems, respectively. While building the blog section, we opted for WordPress, leveraging its robust features and user-friendly interface to enhance content management and publishing capabilities.​​​​​​​

Building the dashboard

A custom dashboard was developed for both existing and new users, providing them with a centralized platform to monitor, upgrade, and manage all their services. Integrated with invoicing and messaging services, the dashboard empowered users to easily access and manage their accounts, enhancing convenience and efficiency.

The revamped dashboard empowered users to efficiently manage all services by seamlessly connecting via cPanel and Stripe APIs. This integration provided users with complete control over domains, emails, and server space, enabling them to easily oversee and customize their online presence.

Domains featured simplified and editable DNS control, supplemented with security features for locking and transfer, ensuring enhanced security and flexibility. Users could effortlessly create new emails and manage their quotas and passwords through the intuitive interface.

Additionally, a file manager was integrated into the dashboard, allowing users to browse the server and manage their files with ease. The inclusion of an FTP manager and database manager further streamlined server management tasks, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Tracking payments and initiating new transactions was made effortless, with a comprehensive payment tracking feature enabling users to stay up-to-date with their financial transactions.

Additionally, users could submit tickets and seamlessly follow the communication with customer support, ensuring timely resolution of any queries or issues. This comprehensive suite of features and functionalities transformed the user experience, empowering users to efficiently manage their online services with Avalon Hosting.

Avalon Hosting underwent a significant change in 2019 when it was acquired by the Polish IT group R22, which later rebranded to cyber_Folks. As of 2023, Avalon Hosting operates under its new brand name and identity.