HubSpot Developer Extension

For anyone who uses HubSpot frequently, you may be familiar with the fact HubSpot's cache can be a little sticky. This caching problem occurs when a developer updates a CSS file or template. When a developer updates one of these, the page editor and/or preview pages will not update immediately (or frustratingly, sometimes not at all!). 

Fortunately, this problem is easily overcome. When on a page, adding "?" + [random text] to the end of the URL will force the HubSpot server to send a non-cached version of the page. Therefore, all the CSS or template updates that we made will be applied.

One of our developers Jon McLaren, worked with Gonzalo Torerras(HubSpot Developer and Partner) and William Spiro(HubSpot Employee and Developer) on a Chrome browser extension that simplifies this process. Instead of having to manually enter query parameters, you can simply click buttons that manage them for you.

“HubSpot’s development team is focused on the high priority core product updates, as they should be. The real goal of this extension is to provide Developers the convenience features they want that HubSpot isn’t likely to implement themselves any time soon.”

— Jon McLaren

There are several other features in the developer extension that make common HubSpot actions faster. 

• Quick access buttons for: hsDebug, footer jQuery testing, Amp testing
• Links to the most commonly used HubSpot Documentation
• Google Page Speed Insights tester
• Design Manager Themes

Jon and the other developers of this extension already have plans to upgrade the extension with new features as well.

Install the extension from the Google Chrome Web Store!

“Future plans: We have a list of issues, most are new features we want to implement, we may start ironing out a roadmap where we have goals of adding certain features and fixing specific issues in an order based on their priority. There are a lot of things we can do with this extension and not all of them are huge difficult tasks.”

— Jon McLaren

Spin Group sets up BeaconStac Bluetooth notification system for Milwaukee County Zoo

Spin Group is currently managing the Milwaukee Zoological Society’s Zoo Pass Android/iOS app. They recently asked us if we could set up a Bluetooth location based notification system throughout the Milwaukee County Zoo. We had some ideas on how to implement this idea, so we agreed.

Visitors to the zoo with supported Android devices as they walk through the zoo will notice notifications on their phone appear based on where they are in the zoo. The visitor does not need to have the Zoo Pass app installed. These notifications give visitors more information on projects throughout the zoo and give visitors an opportunity to donate toward those projects.

One of the notifications Zoo Visitors will see.

We placed 13 all-weather Bluetooth beacons throughout the zoo grounds. The beacons send out a signal to nearby android devices triggering a "Nearby" notification card on the device.

This notification, can be modified by us or the Zoo. These cards can direct users to websites/apps with buttons/links, or just be informational by themselves.

We decided to go with Beaconstac a platform for managing Bluetooth beacons and their notifications for the simplicity of setting them up and for ongoing maintenance. We can remotely update the notificaitons without needing to go back and walk through the zoo grounds.

This Scottish Highland Beef Cattle at the Milwaukee County Zoo was happy to see our system working properly.

Our first usage of the system was to show users a new exhibit and direct users to a fundraising campaigns. Our client can also view notification and click-through analytics in Beaconstac's slick online dashboard. Additional features include a mobile app that allows administrators to dial-in broadcasting strength and advertising intervals.

The bottom line? The Beaconstac notification system was a great way to fulfill our clients need to boost customer engagement. We will be monitoring the system's performance over the next several weeks.

We are excited to see the further level of engagement these beacons enable for visitors to the zoo. Next time you go, check your notifications as you walk through :)

Mequon Montessori Website Build

Mequon Montessori School was looking for a new website that would give parents a positive first impression of Mequon Montessori. They needed both a visual redesign as well as new written content. To achieve the first goal, Spin Group created clean, functional design built using the Divi WordPress framework. For the new content, our in-house writer, Jim Mikecz, conducted thorough content discovery research and created SEO-aware content for the website. We removed outdated blocks of text, in favor of shorter and denser writing. Check out the website below!

WNAC Website Launch

Spin Group recently launched the Wauwatosa Neighborhood Association Council website. The design was by Jessica Himsel at herandhimsel.com.

The WNAC hosts a variety of events, and has a page called eBlasts where users can access emails that WNAC has sent. Visit their website here.

Map Application for Secure Parking USA

Secure Parking USA

Spin Group recently launched a new website for SecureParkingUSA.com. The main goal for the website is to connect drivers to one of the many SecureParkingUSA parking facilities. Having already invested in a solid user interface experience, SecureParkingUSA tasked us with building the site based on their design while adding map search and blogging functionality. Their old website did not have a location search and was difficult to maintain. Since mobile devices are primarily used for finding parking spots, building the location search and keeping it updated with new locations was very important.

Both the client and our developers agreed that WordPress was the platform to build on. One of the main design challenges was to incorporate a search feature that would find nearby parking areas and display them on a map. To minimize custom development costs, we searched for existing but solid plugins that can save time and money to build the location search feature.

LocateWP Allows users to customize map styles

We ended up leveraging a WordPress plugin called LocateWP. It provided a good location search platform with features we needed already in place. With a bit of customization, this plugin gave the website the capability to search local parking garages without the cost of starting from scratch.

LocateWP uses the Google Maps API. The beauty of using the Google Maps API is that it provides large-scale geographic integration at a low-cost. It is also very reliable. Google also provides a lot of the documentation necessary to embed their map services.

Another feature we added include a way to easily relate promotions and news to parking locations and regions, so that visitors will only get promos and news that are relevant to them.

The Secure Parking Map displays parking locations as well as displays a side panel of results.

Overall, the customer was very happy with the result. If your site requires location search or some other custom functionality, call us to discuss! By leveraging existing WordPress tools to your advantage, we can add significant value to your project.

Boschert, PBT USA

Our client, Boschert USA, needed a new web-page that showed clients exactly what their profile bending technology could do. This content needed to be engaging, and they wanted a focus on “big images.” Spin Group collaborated with designers at Raddesigns to create a website with both strong, informative content as well as a modern UX.

This website uses full-width imagery while displaying some heavy-duty technical information. Ample use of large, high-resolution background photos shows visitors the capability of PBT machines in an nonintrusive way. See the website here.

MasterMold LLC Website Build

MasterMold is a full-service OEM supplier of custom-molded fiberglass thermoset composites. In layman’s terms, they are a super-precise manufacturer of custom plastic forms.

The client was in need of a new website that shows visitors the capability of their robotic equipment and manufacturing methods. Rad Design was responsible for the project management and creative work. Spin Group then implemented the designs using the Divi theme and page builder framework. We customized this page by adding Gravity Forms enhancements, a jobs management system, and advanced Divi-related plugins and libraries. It also has informative, but not overwhelming text blocks and an improved navigation structure.