- on the website's monthly maintenance costs, once off its custom code
- ÷ 4
- of video tutorials, so the team adds partners, results and articles on its own
- 40+ min
“It never felt heavy-handed. Usually you hear: if you want that, it will add to the budget. Here, it was smooth and simple. At last, a web agency I could recommend.”
Coralie MazauricHead of Marketing and Communications @ OMDIEContext: a national observatory, held back by a custom-coded website
The Observatory is run by Datasulting, a data and AI consultancy, with a network of expert partners across France. Every year, its survey assesses companies' data maturity: 340 took part in 2024.
Its website was custom-coded and hosted on Railway. Every change went through a developer. The team had no control over redirects, and contacts had to be collected by hand. The site also felt cold, almost technical, for an audience of SME and mid-size company leaders.
At the same time, the Observatory was opening up to artificial intelligence: it was changing its name and domain. The team wanted a website it could run, without starting its identity from scratch.
Goals: a website the team runs, a more human Observatory
The new website had to:
- Move off custom code, to cut costs and the reliance on a developer.
- Make the Observatory more human, for leaders who already know the subject.
- Show the partner network, giving each partner the same place.
- Let the team run partners, results and articles on its own.
How we did it: keep the identity, change the tool
1. A more institutional, more human direction
We kept the existing brand guidelines and content, so as not to stretch the budget. On that basis, we offered three styles for the homepage. The team chose the most institutional one, the best fit for small and mid-sized companies.
The brand's dark background stayed, with a texture that makes it feel less cold. Text plays on weight rather than colour, to stay readable. The top of the page holds a presentation video of the Observatory.
2. A map to show the whole network
Featuring the partners was a sensitive topic: each one needed its place. On the homepage, a section names them all, with Datasulting first, as the Observatory's lead. A dedicated page places them on a map of France, with filters to find them.
3. A CMS the team runs on its own
We built the website in Webflow, with reusable components. The CMS manages partners, survey results, articles and their authors. Articles are sorted by theme, and the team can create as many themes as it wants.
4. A launch, then training to run the site
The website went live in early August 2025, under its new domain name. More than 40 minutes of video tutorials cover each task: adding a partner to the map, publishing a survey's results, writing an article. A live session completed the handover.
Results: maintenance costs divided by 4, an autonomous team
| Measure | Before, custom-coded site | After, on Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Railway, with a developer for every change | Webflow subscription |
| Monthly maintenance costs | Hosting and development hours | Divided by 4 |
| Adding a partner or an article | Through the developer | The team, on its own |
- Monthly maintenance costs divided by 4, once off the custom code.
- An autonomous team: partners, results and articles are added without a developer.
- A visible network: each partner has its profile and its place on the map of France.
- A more human website, presenting the Observatory on video from the top of the page.
Updated on 2/11/2026
