Relaunch of the website of our client Maxion Wheels based on TYPO3 12.4 LTS

At the beginning of our partnership with Maxion Wheels in early 2022, we integrated the existing website (based on TYPO3 9.5 ELTS) into our system landscape. In addition to making minor adjustments to the website, the initial focus was mainly on ensuring that all security updates provided as part of the Extended Long Term Support were installed and planning the next steps for the upcoming upgrade to a new TYPO3 version together with our client.

As we had taken over the TYPO3 installation from the previous agency and a lot had changed (not only) on the TYPO3 side since the website was published, we decided together with our client not to carry out a “classic” TYPO3 upgrade, but to completely rebuild the website on the basis of a TYPO3 installation in version 12.4 LTS. The layout and look & feel of the website was to be retained and only minor design optimizations to be made. 

After the conception phase and discussion of the various options with our client, the project scope and feature set were finalized and the TYPO3 relaunch project began in January 2024. Our main goal was to create a TYPO3 system for our client that would contain all the features and functions he needed for his website and in which everything is configured and set up in such a way that it not only makes our client's daily work with the website easier, but also makes it fun for him to work with TYPO3.

In the early stages, the following to-dos were on the agenda:

• Setup and configuration of the TYPO3 installation based on version 12.4 LTS
• Setup and development of the prototype

From March 2024, a weekly jour fixe meeting took place with our client, in which the current status of the prototype and the content elements integrated into the TYPO3 system were presented, and details regarding functionality and design optimizations were determined. Change requests and additions were captured directly during the jour fixe meeting, recorded in the minutes and implemented by the next meeting. 

Throughout the entire development phase, we focused on the requirements and needs of our client and on how we could best help and assist him with our work. Or, in other words: we not only wanted to think along but to think ahead. We wanted to ensure that our client was able to focus on his core business as much as possible, while still involving him in all important processes and decisions.

After completing the development and integration phase and migrating all content from version 9 to version 12, quality assurance was carried out by our client shortly before project completion. After making final adjustments and optimizations, the new Maxion Wheels website was successfully launched on 4 July 2024.

With the launch of the new website, Maxion Wheels also started our Continuous Upgrading Program, through which we not only keep the TYPO3 installation up to date, but also all other technical components such as extensions, libraries and the frontend code of the website. The upgrades are carried out on an exact copy of the productive instance and after successful testing - without downtime - are transferred to productive operation. This ensures that the Maxion Wheels website is always up to date and benefits from the built-in capabilities of the new versions of the tech stack at an early stage. Automated tests round off the “all-round carefree package” and ensure that all website functions are tested regularly and automatically.

Find out more about the technical details of the relaunch project here.