WebCitz started working with this client in 2014
- Client: The Frightmare Compound
- Platform: Other
- Industry: Entertainment / Recreation
- Services: Maintenance / Support
The Challenge
For an attraction like The Frightmare Compound, which has been scaring Denver residents since 1983, the website is the primary gateway for ticket sales and brand storytelling. Their challenges for the 2014 season included:
- Preserving Artistic Vision: They had a specific, atmospheric design created internally that needed to be converted into a functional website without losing the “gritty” and “terrifying” aesthetic.
- Urgency of the Season: There is no “extension” in the haunt industry. The site had to be fully tested and live well before October to capture early-bird interest and ticket sales.
- High Traffic Stability: During the weeks leading up to Halloween, the site would experience sudden bursts of traffic from local residents looking for hours, locations, and pricing.
The WebCitz Solution
We provided a “Precision Build” model to ensure their design was translated perfectly into a robust CMS:
- Custom Joomla Implementation: We took their supplied design files and coded a bespoke Joomla theme from the ground up. This ensured that while the front end looked exactly like their creative team envisioned, the back end was powered by a reliable CMS that allowed for easy text and image updates.
- Responsive Development: Even in 2014, mobile traffic for local entertainment was surging. We ensured that the custom design was optimized for mobile users who were likely looking for directions or ticket info while on the move.
- Visual Atmosphere Retention: We paid close attention to the CSS and asset loading to ensure that the dark textures, custom fonts, and horror elements of the design were rendered sharply across all browsers, maintaining the brand’s legendary “scare factor.”
- Seasonal Readiness: Our team worked efficiently to meet the strict seasonal deadline, ensuring that the site was “scare-ready” for the 2014 opening night.
The Result
For the 2014 season, The Frightmare Compound possessed a digital presence that matched the intensity of their physical attraction. By trusting WebCitz to handle the technical conversion of their custom design into Joomla, they were able to present a professional, atmospheric, and stable website to the Colorado market. It was a successful “one-season” partnership that helped one of the region’s most famous haunts dominate the digital landscape during their most critical time of year.
