The Hochdorf Holding AG wanted to improve its online presence with a new corporate website. The old online solution did not meet the demands of an increasingly digitalized environment. With a new modern website, Hochdorf Holding AG wants to direct users' attention towards the benefits, quality, and strengths of its products and services. Clients, partners, and investors should be able to access information fast and conveniently. Hochdorf's old website, for example, was not optimized for mobile access via smartphones or tablets. With more than 10 percent of the site's traffic coming from mobile devices in 2013, this was a major disadvantage and problematic with regard to user experience. Furthermore, the old content management solution was not flexible enough. Adjustments and extensions could not be realized easily.

Furthermore, Hochdorf also expressed its desire for a new newsletter solution that allows the company to address different audience groups (investors/clients).

The project: from concept to migration

W4 has developed a new concept for Hochdorf's corporate website and realized the project within a narrowly set time frame. Thanks to a simple, intuitive site navigation and a clear but friendly visual language, usability now occupies center stage. Site visitors now see the most important information immediately on the home screen. The individual areas of expertise are directly accessible, and the up-to-the-minute stock market price is displayed prominently as well. Moreover, W4 has used responsive design in order to allow for a unified user experience across devices. Hochdorf now has a fresh website that is perfectly suited to represent the quality products the company sells.

The same holds for the newsletter system W4 developed for Hochdorf. Our Open Source solution enables Hochdorf to define various audience groups and to address each and every reader in a personalized way. The integrated analysis tool generates statistics and reports for each newsletter so that future newsletter campaigns can continuously be optimized.

The solution: open-source software and responsive design

The sale of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) has surpassed the sale of desktop computers for the first time in 2013. This is why it is important that websites offer the same user experience no matter the device with which they are accessed – it is about giving users a positive, unified experience across devices in order to allow them to navigate the site with ease. This is a challenge easily mastered with responsive design.

In order to give users the best browsing experience independent of the devices they use and to make available interesting content for clients and investors without much navigation, a thorough redesign of Hochdorf's website was necessary.

For both the website and the newsletter, W4 and Hochdorf decided to go with open-source software. With a Open Source solution, a high degree of flexibility can be guaranteed. Adjustments and extensions can be realized both flexibly and easily.

The client

The Hochdorf Holding AG is among the Swiss market leaders in developing, producing, and marketing valuable foods and ingredients made from milk and cereals. Founded in 1895, the market-listed company employs about 370 people and sells its products, such as milk powder, bread improvers, and sports and dieting products, in more than 80 countries.