StudyChurch is an ambitious startup seeking to make a mark in the church product marketplace. With a unique approach to online interaction, StudyChurch combines the elements of engagement and learning in a way that is both simple and intuitive for the end user.
Overview
It was imperative that StudyChurch combined functionality with ease of use. Because of the unique approach StudyChurch takes with group discussion, it was important to create a user interface that was simple and met the expectations of the users.
iWitness Design took the old custom BuddyPress theme that was slow and dated and rebuilt the whole platform using the WordPress API and VueJS. The result was a site that not only feels quick and intuitive, but the new API driven interface is now ready for integration with native apps.
Challenge
StudyChurch was originally built using BuddyPress and a custom study builder module for WordPress. These integrations provided a good framework for a proof of concept, but were limiting functionality. At the end of the day just felt outdated. Not only that, but the previous host was very slow and the time required for submitting an answer or replying to a conversation caused many users to distrust the system.
These barriers made it difficult for StudyChurch to attract and maintain new customers.
Solution
iWitness Design rebuilt StudyChurch, decoupling the functionality from the user interface. Using VueJS, the user interface was optimized to dramatically improve speed while also creating a more intuitive interface. The functionality was rewritten as a REST API that can be accessed through the VueJS app. This allows built-in support for external access from 3rd party partners and paves the way for native mobile and desktop apps.
Underneath everything, StudyChurch is still built on WordPress and leverages WordPress’s user management system, custom post types, authentication, and more. This means that StudyChurch can still be managed via the WordPress admin dashboard giving StudyChurch admins the control they need to manage the software and user accounts.
Finally, we moved StudyChurch over to LiquidWeb to take advantage of their dramatically better speeds. The result was an instant increase in app response time. LiquidWeb also gives us the ability to connect with NewRelic for powerful app monitoring.
Features
- Private Groups with discussions, assignments, and studies
- Simple Group management for leaders
- Advanced dashboard for organizations to manage all groups
- Study Custom Post Type with Study Builder
- Assignments Custom Post Type with Assignment management dashboard
- Custom notifications for Assignment reminders
- Premium restriction for certain features
- And more!
Tech Stack
Result
StudyChurch is now a powerful, robust social network ready for scale. Ongoing development is still happening and new features are being completed faster and with better results on the new framework.
New customers are adopting the new system with minimal support, highlighting the ease of use of the new system.
Feel free to try out StudyChurch by creating a free account!