Our website has had a much needed redesign and relaunch, thanks to the skills and hard work of our digital lead, Dr Peter Rose. We will use this platform to host future projects.
A few words from Peter about the development process:
I think it was around September or October 2023 when I randomly saw a post on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) from an old friend & colleague, Dr Dilshad Marikar. Dilshad was asking if anyone he knew had any experience with building websites, specifically using the WordPress platform.
Some years ago, I co-ran a website project using WordPress so I answered Dilshad. I learned that Dilshad was now the Secretary of the British Association of General Paediatricians and as part of his role with the Association, was trying to update their website.
It was in dire need of an update! It dated back to a time before smartphones and I later learned it was built with a basic website builder from the very early 2000’s! As such, it didn’t automatically reformat itself to look good on mobile devices, and its layout was basic to put it politely. I agreed to help.
Dilshad put together a working group and I spent a weekend playing with modern WordPress. It had changed considerably since I’d last used it but after a day of tinkering, I got my head around it again. I found a theme that was easy to customise for our purposes and, taking the information from the old site, built a mockup to share with the group. Everyone seemed to like the direction I’d chosen. The group was eventually expanded to involve the whole Executive team and discussions were held to decide what the website could and should do for the association in the short and long-term. I then began work on the necessary modifications.
The 2024 RCPCH Conference was chosen as the event to launch the new website in its initial incarnation. The BAGP came into existence from a meeting of General Paediatricians at that very conference 22 years earlier so, it seemed appropriate. Also, the BAGP were scheduled to host a Specialty Session during that very conference. The new website went live, replacing the old one, on the eve of the conference.
The new website has now been live for three weeks. There was a surge in traffic to the site during the RCPCH Conference, peaking on the day of the BAGP’s Specialty Session. Subsequently, daily visits are double what they were previously. Not only that, visitors are staying considerably longer than they did on the old site.
For now, the Association’s priority is to grow our network of General Paediatricians (and allies). The old website managed this, but the new one seems to do it much better. Dilshad tells me sign-ups have accelerated considerably since the site went live!
The BAGP have plans to build from this foundation in the weeks, months and years ahead.
Thanks for being a part of the journey!
Dr Peter Rose
Digital Lead for BAGP