Brandon Bay Sauna
Website Development & Booking System Integration | 2024 | Ireland
Located in the Maharees, a tombolo off the north of the Dingle Peninsula and a special area of conservation, Brandon Bay Sauna is a wood fired barrel sauna, situated on one of the longest sandy beaches in Ireland.
This project involved the complete development of a new website with the key objective of integrating a robust booking system and creating a user experience that allows for calm and relaxation from the first online visit.
Check out the live website for the full experience.
Challenges
Finding a functional and intuitive booking system architecture that integrates seamlessly with the website hosting site.
Designing a visually appealing and cohesive user interface that is usable by both the Sauna team and customers.
Testing and optimizing the website across different devices and browsers to ensure optimal performance.
Solutions
Utilized up to date web development and design tools to create an easy to use website in keeping with the sauna branding requirements.
Worked with the Acuity booking system, creating a usable back-and for the client and a clean front end for Sauna visitors.
Implemented responsive design principles to ensure the website functions flawlessly on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
Website Design & Branding
The color palette for this project was selected with the intention of emphasising the colors of the landscape around the sauna. From the blue of the sea and the sky to the natural wood grain color of the sauna.
A dark base is used throughout the website to make it easy on the viewer’s eyes, adding to a restful state from the get go.
Minimal ‘white’ is used as to not overstimulate the eye.
Social Media Integration
Brandon Bay Sauna cultivates an active social media presence. Updating their customer based on closures and special events through Instagram first and foremost. As such, integrating a live social media section with automatic updates was essential.
The Brandon Bay Landscape
The landscape surrounding the sauna is a point of pride and the main draw for many of the visitors that choose to spend their time in the area. Photographic elements were used frequently and throughout the website.
Website Build Scope
This website build consisted of 5 pages. Home, Health Benefits, FAQs, Terms and Conditions, and the Booking page. We keep the pages simple and easily readible while providing as much information as the user might need to have a safe and enjoyable experience.
The back-end of Acuity is set up to be user friendly and allow for the owners to add/update the session slots as they see fit. Requiring for minimal additional web services.
The build time was of approximately 8 weeks and was completed remotely.
Booking System
Backend
Through the backend, the team is able to see how many spots are available per slot, set hours, cancel and reschedule appointments as well as see the contact info of the clients and even write notes if necessary.
This booking system is accessible both through the squarespace website and through the acuity scheduling app. Allowing ease for the sauna attendant of the day.
Step By Step
We used Acuity, Squarespace’s native scheduling platform to handle all bookings. We set the booking page to be quick, straight forward, and give all the information a visitor might need. With 4 simple steps you are able to book your sauna session in about a minute.
Select your slot
Fill in contact info
Agree to terms and conditions
Pay through the online payment portal or select the pay later option to pay at the time of your session.
After booking, both the client and team receives a confirmation email with the date, time and location of the sauna session.
Outcome
Successfully launched an on brand website that effectively showcases Brandon Bay Sauna’s services and visual aesthetic.
Integrated booking system has streamlined the customer booking process and allowed for a quick and easy booking experience.
Enhanced online visibility and customer engagement, contributing to the growth and reach of Brandon Bay Sauna’s customer base.
Analytics
Lets talk numbers.
Since going live in April of 2024, Brandon Bay Sauna has reached an audience of over 15.5.k unique visitors.
The top viewing locations are:
1. Ireland (87.4%)
2. United Kingdom (4.74%)
3. USA (3.05%)
With most visitors viewing on their mobile device at a staggering 94%.
Traffic sources are 47% (7,391 visits) direct and 32% (5,112 visits) from search. SEO is working well with Brandon Bay Sauna showing up in the top 3 results for saunas in all of County Kerry.
Analytics viewed and collected from Squarespace’s native analytics report.
