Using headless to future-proof Hall & Woodhouse

Since  1777,  Hall & Woodhouse has established their position as a front-runner within the drinks and hospitality industries. Starting with a dream to make a living out of beer, the family-run pub brand has expanded its reach, incorporating all-day dining and overnight stays at its historic pubs and hotels.

 

With the existing website template for The Duchess reaching the five-year mark, the Hall & Woodhouse digital team were aware it needed a refresh and that its web traffic was in decline, particularly in comparison to the wider estate. With these objectives in mind, we are proud to reveal we have grown web traffic by 17% and online bookings by 38%.

In our discovery phase, we wanted to map the journeys of guests who landed on The Duchess’ website. All-day dining is a shining feature of the inviting venue. To showcase this, we needed to understand the journey of different demographics, with a focus on those who arrive at the website searching for different menus or areas.

 

We built this site as a template framework, developing it with headless architecture. Headless functionality increases site speed, and conversion rates and enhances the user experience. Headless architecture now powers the sites of 13 of Hall & Woodhouse’s flagship, destination venues which are key revenue drivers for the estate.

 

Core Web Vitals site speed tests revealed that The Duchess’ website was not performing to the best of its potential on mobile. With over 70% of traffic coming from phones, the mobile journey needed reviewing to ensure the customer journey was a streamlined operation, boosting the experience for The Duchess’ new and returning guests.

Collaborating closely with Hall & Woodhouse, we crafted a timeless yet vibrant design for The Duchess, a historic gastropub. We built a flexible, component-driven website that empowers their team to easily adapt to the ever-changing hospitality landscape. Playful illustrations, a clean navigation, and a ‘Menus’ page that beautifully showcases their offerings enhance the user experience.

To celebrate The Duchess’s unique heritage, we created dedicated spaces to share its story and connect with the local community. Seasonal campaign pages ensure the website remains dynamic and engaging year-round.

Our meticulous keyword research and SEO strategy propelled The Duchess to the top of search results for key terms like ‘Poundbury Hotel’ and ‘Poundbury Restaurant,’ significantly boosting their online visibility.