Case Study
SoCalGas future-proofs digital experiences by modernizing its customer website
OUR CLIENT
Founded in 1867, the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is the primary provider of natural gas to nearly 22 million customers in Los Angles and 12 surrounding counties.
THE CHALLENGE
Bringing an under-performing website up to speed
SoCalGas’ existing static website used outdated, unsupported technologies that negatively impacted performance. The situation caused unexpected downtime and long maintenance windows that were costly to resolve. Because the content team had to rely on specialized skills, which were scarce in the market, they couldn’t easily publish and update web content or troubleshoot performance issues.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Migrating to the robust, scalable Acquia Cloud Platform
We migrated both the dynamic and static components of the website from Oracle WebCenter Sites (OWCS) to Acquia Cloud, a cloud-based content management platform. Automated migration scripts, that can be re-run on demand, accelerated the migration by 75%. UST also created a comprehensive content model with clear definitions of content types, metadata, taxonomy and the development of new components, allowing more company stakeholders to create and review content. A centralized content repository along with reusable components and templates provided consistent branding and resolved cascading style sheet (CSS) issues. By restructuring content and eliminating redundant information, SoCalGas customers enjoyed a cleaner interface with an elevated user experience.
THE IMPACT
Improving performance and customer experiences
The revamped website, built on a modern cloud architecture, created a cohesive browsing experience that provided users with relevant information to make better decisions about their utility usage. The project was even selected as a finalist for exceptional digital experience services in the utilities sector by Acquia Engage Awards 2020.
To date, SoCalGas has realized these benefits:
- 304% increase in the average session durations
- 300% increase in user engagement across digital channels
- 79% drop in bounce rate
- 65% acceleration in average page downloads
- 52% faster average page loads
- 18% increase in new users
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/what-we-do/experience-design/experience-design