Umbraco CMS Website for a US Eco-Awards Program

The client needed to launch a website for an eco-awards program in the United States. The purpose of the initiative was to inspire environmentally friendly actions and honor “Heroes” who helped create, preserve, improve, or enhance shared outdoor places across different US locations.

The website had to do more than present static content. It needed to support an awards flow with separate nomination and voting phases. Each phase required its own logic, content, and user experience, while the overall website had to remain easy to manage, consistent, and reliable.

The key challenge was to combine several functional parts into one Umbraco CMS-based solution and enable smooth switching between campaign modes. Users had to see the right content depending on the active phase, while the client needed a manageable platform for running the awards program without unnecessary technical complexity.

SaM Solutions set up and extended Umbraco CMS to support the specific logic of the eco-awards program. The team customized the website structure, adjusted front-end behavior, and developed additional .NET and XSLT modules to connect different functional parts of the site.

Umbraco-based website implementation

The solution was built on Umbraco CMS 4.0, giving the client a structured content management foundation for the campaign website. Umbraco was used as the central platform for presenting program information, managing content, and supporting the public-facing user journey.

The team configured the CMS and extended its default capabilities where the campaign logic required more than standard content publishing. This allowed the website to reflect the specific needs of an awards program rather than behave like a generic marketing site.

Nomination and voting mode support

A central part of the project was the implementation of mode-specific behavior for the nomination and voting phases. The website needed to show different content and functionality depending on the active campaign stage.

SaM Solutions brought together site components with different functionality and enabled switching from one phase to another. As a result, visitors could interact with the website according to the current program mode, whether they were submitting nominations, learning about participants, or taking part in voting.

Custom .NET and XSLT modules

To support the required business logic, SaM Solutions extended Umbraco with custom XSLT and .NET modules. These modules helped connect content, templates, and campaign-specific functionality inside one website environment.

The custom development work made it possible to keep the website flexible while still preserving a clear structure for administrators and visitors. Instead of building isolated website sections for every campaign stage, the team created a more coherent CMS-driven experience.

Front-end customization

The front-end was customized to support a clear public-facing experience for the awards program. Visitors needed to understand the purpose of the initiative, learn about the program, and interact with the website during the relevant campaign phase.

The team adapted HTML, JavaScript, XML, and XSLT-based components to support the required presentation logic and user flow. The result was a website that could serve both as an informational hub and as an interactive campaign platform.

Testing and delivery

Manual testing was performed to verify that the website worked correctly across the required scenarios. Particular attention was given to the behavior of nomination and voting modes, content display, and the connection between front-end and back-end functionality.

The project was managed with MS Visual Studio and FogBugz, supporting development coordination, issue tracking, and delivery control.

The delivered website gave the client a dedicated digital platform for promoting the eco-awards program and engaging communities across the United States. The solution supported the program’s public mission: encouraging eco-friendly action and recognizing people who improve shared outdoor spaces.

From a technical perspective, SaM Solutions helped the client move beyond fragmented freelance-based delivery. The outsourcing model gave the agency easier access to qualified development professionals and more flexibility for projects with diverse technical requirements.

The renewed Umbraco-based solution allowed the client to run a campaign website with different functional modes, phase-specific content, and custom CMS extensions — all within a single web platform.