The Pop Insider

Established in 2018, The Pop Insider is a leading daily pop culture news and review site under Adventure Publishing Group. As part of Adventure Publishing Group, a trusted information hub in the toy industry since 1984, The Pop Insider ensures enthusiasts of all ages stay updated on the latest in entertainment. This fun platform provides current news, exclusive giveaways, and insider information on must-have merchandise, solidifying its status as a top-tier source for pop culture enthusiasts. Known for its informative and entertaining content, The Pop Insider offers insights into movies, video games, and various fandoms.

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ThePopInsider.com

In a strategic collaboration, Adventure Publishing Group partnered with WebDevStudios to craft a bespoke website overhaul, seamlessly merging three separate websites into a singular, dynamic hub utilizing the power of WordPress Multisite. This transformative redesign not only enhances visual appeal but also optimizes editorial efficiency, providing a streamlined workflow.

A few of the top features and functionality that WebDevStudios worked on for Adventure Publications Group included a full, custom redesign, custom WordPress theme, a comprehensive data migration from three separate installations of WordPress into one Multisite environment to create a platform for their properties that allows their editorial team to be more efficient in their delivery of content.

Migration to WordPress

Adventure Publishing Group required a content data migration of all three of their websites to WordPress. That included The Pop Insider, The Toy Insider, and The Toy Book.

Utilizing customized scripts and leveraging powerful plugins for WordPress data handling, we completed a full WordPress migration of all three of their sites into one installation of WordPress with the Multisite feature. This content migration included an array of different data types in WordPress, such as posts, pages, custom post types, forms, taxonomies, media, users, and comments. WebDevStudios accomplished the WordPress migration while also tracking any URL changes in order to write 301 redirects so The Pop Insider did not lose any valuable inbound links from search engines and other sources.

In addition to the data transfer, our frontend engineering team designed a custom WordPress theme, providing the client’s content managers with a user-friendly interface for importing products effortlessly. Complementing this, a custom command was scripted specifically for Adventure Publishing Group, guaranteeing the preservation of correct author attributions during the error-free migration process. This tailored approach not only streamlined the migration process but also showcased our commitment to addressing the unique needs of Adventure Publishing Group.

WordPress Multisite

When Adventure Publishing Group initially engaged with WebDevStudios, they were running three separate website properties. Each was crafted by different developers utilizing a variety of different page builders with inconsistent branding and styling. The Pop Insider was originally on a single WordPress installation using the Divi page builder.

The challenge for our team was to address the inherent complexities, particularly given the small editorial team’s limited bandwidth for troubleshooting. Recognizing the potential to enhance backend efficiency, the strategic decision was made to consolidate the organization’s workflow by implementing a WordPress Multisite platform across all three websites.

Adopting the WordPress Multisite feature for this new platform empowers Adventure Publishing Group in the oversight and management of multiple WordPress websites seamlessly from a single installation. This strategic move not only streamlined operations but also paved the way for maximizing the editorial team’s time, minimizing bounce rates, and enticing users to delve deeper into their captivating array of content.

Our objective was to create a cohesive digital environment that encourages a seamless exploration of diverse content offerings. Under a unified umbrella using WordPress Multisite, Adventure Publishing Group achieved operational harmony and ease. By employing a parent theme supplemented with three child themes, each website retained a synchronous structure and design while simultaneously maintaining each site’s individual personality and appeal.

Editors now benefit from a single login access point, simplifying the customization of branding elements such as logos and colors. Furthermore, the current shareable use of plugins across the entire network ensures streamlined updates and consistent functionality throughout the trio of websites.

For instance, implementing a cross-posting plugin facilitated content sharing, enabling editors to create and publish content across all three websites with unparalleled ease and efficiency. This strategic integration not only addresses the initial challenges but also positions Adventure Publishing Group for sustained success in managing its multiple online properties.

High Fidelity Mockups - User Personas

Custom Website Redesign

In our quest to revamp The Pop Insider’s online presence, we aimed to deliver a custom website redesign across all three of their websites. The new design had not only to captivate but also to serve as a valuable resource for its diverse audience.

Beginning with creating a comprehensive style guide and establishing consistency in elements like typography and colors, we developed 12 distinct design mockups, each focusing on clean usability, accessibility, and responsive design to ensure optimal performance across different devices. Prioritizing performance, our team optimized for fast load times to guarantee a seamless and swift user experience. Mobile responsiveness was a top priority, ensuring a consistent browsing experience across various devices.

We set out to construct a user-centric platform, exceeding expectations and enticing visitors to return and share their positive encounters. The challenge was to make The Pop Insider distinct within the Adventure Publishing Group network, standing out from its counterparts—The Toy Insider and The Toy Book—while maintaining brand cohesiveness.

Unlike its sibling publications, The Pop Insider caters to an older demographic, and the design needed to strike the right balance, remaining playful yet sophisticated enough for young adults and those older generations purchasing gifts for them. The accomplished design team at WebDevStudios achieved precisely that.

Our design goals encompassed creating an intuitive navigation system, ensuring users can effortlessly explore the site with a logical layout that facilitates content discovery. The focus was on engaging, modern design that captures attention and enhances the user experience, with a special emphasis on simplifying interactions with The Pop Insider.

In the strategy and discovery phase, WebDevStudios collaborated closely with key stakeholders from Adventure Publishing Group, conducting a thorough needs assessment, strategizing user personas, documenting site requirements, and crafting an implementation plan aligned with their goals and budget.

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“We just wouldn’t be where we are now without WDS. We couldn’t be happier with the sites. We have had over a 200% increase in traffic year to year…but none of our marketing efforts would have worked without the sites you built for us.”

– Marissa Silva, Adventure Publications Group

Custom Features for The Pop Insider

Product Blocks

Adventure Publishing Group sought a versatile Product Block to empower their editors to seamlessly select and embed one or more products from their ‘Products’ custom post type onto any post or page. This block is needed to serve various content creation purposes, including product review posts and listicle posts, by effortlessly incorporating product information.

In response to this need, WebDevStudios developed a custom feature for a Product Block within the Advanced Custom Fields / Gutenberg editors. This innovative solution extracts data from the ‘Products’ custom post type, allowing editors to choose and embed one or more products through a related field during post creation. The product’s associated post supplies the essential images and text seamlessly integrated into the block.

Before the WordPress migration and custom website redesign, The Pop Insider had no product blocks. Today, the publication has the ability to easily feature a variety of products, including apparel, collectibles, home goods, and more. Additionally, The Pop Insider can utilize the New Product Showcase Product Block WebDevStudios created for them, which allows the publication to feature editor-picked products at the top of each of their product pages.

Advertising Integration

Adventure Publishing Group’s editorial team needed the flexibility to seamlessly create and incorporate advertisements into posts, pages, and widget areas as needed. WebDevStudios addressed this requirement by reconfiguring the functionality of the AdSanity advertising plugin and Gutenberg block. This reimagined solution operates across the entirety of Adventure Publishing Group’s WordPress Multisite network, which, of course, includes The Pop Insider.

While AdSanity proved to be a valuable suite of advertising tools already familiar to Adventure Publishing Group’s team from previous websites, there was one technical conflict. The transition to the new WordPress Multisite platform necessitated specific adjustments to align with the network’s distinctive needs.

Our talented plugin development experts undertook the task of reworking AdSanity’s capabilities, optimizing it to rotate and randomize ads without compromising page load speed, resulting in a performance boost for the client. Furthermore, the WebDevStudios team streamlined the plugin’s functionalities on the admin side, eliminating unnecessary processes and creating a cleaner, more optimized editor experience on the backend. In essence, the AdSanity admin interface now runs faster and lighter, enhancing overall efficiency for The Pop Insider’s editorial team.