WebCitz started working with this client in 2013
- Client: GT Shout (website offline)
- Platform: Joomla
- Industry: Business & Professional Services
- Services: Maintenance / Support
The Challenge
For an independent sports site, traffic is extremely “spiky.” The site would remain quiet during the off-season but experience massive surges in traffic during the ACC football season or during high-profile recruiting windows. Their technical needs included:
- Handling Traffic Bursts: Ensuring the site didn’t crash on Saturday afternoons when thousands of fans rushed to the forums to discuss a play or a final score.
- Maintaining a Dynamic Layout: Sports sites require frequent updates – new player stats, game schedules, and breaking news.
- Platform Stability: As an independent site, they needed a technical partner to handle the backend “heavy lifting” so the writers could focus on covering the team.
The WebCitz Solution
We provided the technical stability required for a high-traffic fan community:
- Two-Year Maintenance Partnership: Starting in 2013, we became the dedicated technical support team for GT Shout. We managed the backend environment, ensuring that the site was patched, secure, and running on optimized infrastructure.
- On-Call Technical Support: Because sports news doesn’t follow a 9-to-5 schedule, we provided the responsive support they needed to keep the site live during critical game-day windows.
- Backend Performance Tuning: We worked to ensure that the site (which featured news articles, fan forums, and media galleries) remained fast and responsive, which is critical for retaining users in the fast-moving sports media space.
- Database & Content Support: We helped manage the site’s growing database of articles and fan interactions, ensuring that historical content remained accessible and that the site’s search functionality stayed accurate.
The Result
During our two-year engagement, GT Shout remained a reliable destination for the Georgia Tech faithful. Our technical support allowed the site’s owners to navigate several successful seasons (including the legendary 2014 Orange Bowl run) without the distraction of server crashes or technical downtime. It’s a great example of how WebCitz supports the digital “town squares” where fans gather to celebrate their teams.
