Featured Digital Marketing WordPress

Datawrapper

How Dizzain Helped Datawrapper Get 3X More Account Registrations.

Project length

Mar. 2020 — Jan. 2021

Main tools

Content Migration

SEO

Data Visualization

Svelte

Paid Ads

Conversion Optimization

What is Datawrapper

Datawrapper is a self-funded, Berlin-based startup with a decade-long history.

Known for its camaraderie, the small team has built a leading data visualization tool enabling quick, code-free creation of interactive maps, charts, and tables.

David, Datawrapper’s CEO, sought a partner for a brand revamp, website redesign, migration, and marketing strategy to fuel the next growth stage.

Datawrapper caters to a broad spectrum, from brands and publications to educational and governmental bodies.

The website is instrumental to Datawrapper, serving as the primary interface for user engagement and product discovery.

The Challenge

Brand and Website Updates

David Kokkelink, Datawrapper’s CEO, contacted us in early 2020 with a specific aim: to refresh the company’s brand and overhaul the website to make it more aligned with the company’s core values.

Complex Content Management

Datawrapper’s original website was built on Hugo, a static site generator. While it was sufficient in the early days, it presented limitations:

Content Management: Managing the blog and on-site content became increasingly inconvenient due to Hugo’s static nature.
Functionality: Features like search, comments, and contact forms were difficult to implement, impacting user engagement.
Technical Challenges: Hugo required advanced developer skills for even basic content updates, causing inefficiency.

Marketing Strategy Needs

The company had grown primarily through word-of-mouth and passive traffic. By 2020, the site was receiving up to 2 million requests per day, mostly attributed to the pandemic’s impact on internet usage. However, this growth was unpredictable:

Lack of Control: Datawrapper couldn’t systematically control or predict user influx.
Cost Constraints: Hiring a dedicated marketing team to focus on long-term marketing strategy was deemed too cost prohibitive.

SEO and Content Underperformance

Though Datawrapper had a high SEO health score, some subdomains lagged:

Technical Issues: The existing site needed to comply with SEO standards including code quality, responsive design, and load speed.
Content Strategy: A more structured approach to SEO was necessary for better traffic and conversions.

The Solution

Initially, the focus was on understanding Datawrapper’s existing content and how it interacted with the user. We carried out a content audit and mapped out a content strategy, setting the stage for the redesign.

Our A/B tests on the registration workflow yielded immediate results – a significant 79% increase in mobile account activations. This showed us we were on the right track, addressing real user pain points.

Migration to WordPress

Switching to WordPress wasn’t just about a new look; it was about solving real operational inefficiencies. Datawrapper’s team was struggling with Hugo, which made content updates cumbersome.

WordPress not only made content management convenient but also provided the flexibility to easily add features. We meticulously migrated content, ensuring everything Datawrapper valued was preserved and enhanced in the new environment.

The Intricacies of Content Migration to WP

Tailored Marketing Strategy

Datawrapper had relied heavily on organic growth, which was both a strength and a limitation. We dug into their user analytics, market positioning, and competition. The aim was to build a marketing strategy that could be both agile and sustainable.

Through a series of controlled experiments, we identified the most effective channels for customer acquisition, laying the groundwork for Datawrapper’s future marketing efforts.

SEO and Content Strategy

Our SEO strategy was holistic. An initial audit identified gaps and opportunities, which led us to develop a multi-faceted approach. This included a focus on technical SEO standards, content guidelines based on strategic keyword use, and a robust backlink strategy. The idea was to create a strong, sustainable SEO foundation that could evolve with Datawrapper’s needs.

Weathering the COVID-19 Storm

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced both our teams to adapt quickly to remote working conditions. Despite the physical distance, we maintained effective communication through digital channels.

Weekly status calls continued to be a cornerstone, ensuring that everyone stayed aligned and the project remained on course.

The Result

A Reimagined Website with Stellar Conversion Rates

Our redesign did more than just give Datawrapper a facelift; it fundamentally changed how users interact with the site. New pages like “Careers” and revamped existing ones like “Pricing” made the site more comprehensive. Most importantly, our data-driven approach to the user journey paid off:

Mobile Registrations

3.6x

Account Registrations

3x

This wasn’t mere aesthetic changes; it was about making the site a more effective tool for business.

An All-Encompassing Growth Marketing Strategy

Datawrapper now has a robust, multi-channel marketing strategy, complete with actionable steps for SEO, paid advertising, and content marketing. This isn’t just a plan; it’s a roadmap that the Datawrapper team can follow to continuously attract new users and scale their business.

A CMS That Simplifies Life

Transitioning to WordPress wasn’t just about solving an immediate issue; it was about making content management sustainable for the long term. The team can now:

Save time previously spent on manual content creation and editing.
Easily update and expand the site as the business evolves.

And it’s not just about what we delivered; it’s also about what Datawrapper can now do on its own. Our design system will serve as a guidepost for the Datawrapper team, ensuring that future developments in both the site and product are consistent and effective.