Prijsvergelijken.nl builds future-proof website

Prijsvergelijken.nl builds future-proof website with Bizzomate

Utilising Mendix’s low-code technology for a new back-end system leads to a notably streamlined approach to managing a price comparison site.

For operators of price comparison websites, the website’s performance plays a pivotal role in achieving success. This principle is equally relevant for Prijsvergelijken.nl, a website specializing in comparing the latest prices of telephony subscriptions. Together with Bizzomate, they developed a back-end application using Mendix’s low-code platform. This streamlined approach facilitates efficient website management and expansion without compromising on performance quality. Furthermore, adjusting website settings no longer demands extensive IT expertise, reducing the site’s reliance on a sole web developer.

Increase scalability and reduce dependency
Prijsvergelijken.nl  offers personalized recommendations for internet and mobile phone subscriptions that match your preferences. The website was initially constructed by a single developer using advanced coding techniques. This approach led to its impressive speed and flawless functionality.

In time, however, the price comparator ran into two problems. There was a lot of ongoing development on the website to improve performance even further, making the site increasingly complex and difficult to transfer to others. In addition, the complexity meant more and more time was spent on maintenance, leaving less time to invest in growth and diversification.

When the company acquired the website Pim.nl, they opted for a transformation. They began searching for a fresh back-end system that would bring consistency to their operations, reducing reliance on just one developer. This new back-end setup also needed to simplify the process of expanding the website.

After a thorough initial exploration, the price comparison site decided that constructing their new back-end system using low-code was the way forward. This choice would notably enhance the pace of development. Furthermore, it would enable employees without deep programming expertise to make adjustments.

In the end, Prijsvergelijken.nl opted for Mendix due to its flexible compatibility with the existing high-code elements on the website that were going to remain in place.

Training for Low-Code Developers
Bizzomate was chosen as the implementation partner for this purpose because they offered the opportunity to further educate developers within the organization. Edwin Jonker, the owner of Prijsvergelijken.nl, stated, “We selected Bizzomate because we needed a partner who could not only build with low-code but also provide training to individuals. Our goal was to standardize our processes to the point where multiple team members could make adjustments to the back end. Additionally, we were impressed that they are not only experts in low-code but also understand the language of high-code programmers. This allowed the developers to communicate effectively on technical matters, which proved to be very efficient.”

Sale Spirit
Prijsvergelijken.nl and Bizzomate then joined forces to build ‘Sale Spirit,’ a novel backend system employing Mendix’s low-code methodology. This system rapidly presents information sourced from all telecom providers on the Prijsvergelijken.nl website. The system’s accelerated performance is attributed to a direct API linkage between the front end and the Mendix backend application.

Bart Poelmans, a consultant at Bizzomate, explains: “Preserving the website’s performance posed a notable challenge. Each night, we have to retrieve over 8 million records from diverse telecom providers. The aggregation of this voluminous data into a unified model is imperative. Thankfully, together with Prijsvergelijken.nl’s team, we orchestrated a seamless rapid import of data. This groundwork strategically positions them for forthcoming expansions in product comparisons. Consequently, the website remains compliant with search engine requirements, thereby ensuring optimal visibility.”

Accelerated Data Processing
The new backend application is currently undergoing testing on Pim.nl, and the company is already observing several notable advantages. The process of data acquisition has been significantly simplified through the implementation of Mendix’s low-code approach. Moreover, various team members are empowered to make adjustments. For instance, they can modify filters independently, resulting in faster decision-making and alleviating the workload of their lead developer. While other sections of the website are still constructed using high code, they seamlessly integrate with the low-code backend, ensuring optimal synergy.

Additionally, the company reaps efficiency benefits. The utilisation of a low-code backend translates to its applicability for both Pim.nl and Prijsvergelijken.nl. Operating both websites from a single Mendix low-code-based backend system streamlines operations for the company. Moreover, Prijsvergelijken.nl achieves cost savings as Mendix provides a portion of the hosting services.

However, the most significant advantage that Prijsvergelijken.nl sees in the new Mendix solution is its future-proof nature. Edwin emphasised, “With a Mendix low-code-based backend system in place, we can finally resume our growth trajectory, as adding new categories has become much simpler now. This used to be a significant challenge for us. We are highly content with the progress of this endeavour. The consultants from Bizzomate exhibited remarkable flexibility, and whenever faced with intricate problems, they were always there to assist. Their quick grasp of the challenges allowed for highly efficient collaboration, which is undeniably gratifying.”

Bart Poelmans remarks: “The use case of Prijsvergelijken.nl differs from what we are accustomed to at Bizzomate, which actually made this journey quite engaging for us. By strategically employing Mendix low-code in the right areas and integrating it with robust high code at the front end, a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario has emerged. This configuration empowers Prijsvergelijken.nl to realize its growth ambitions both presently and in the future.”

Expanding the Portfolio
Moving forward, the website’s performance will be further optimized, and the company might also incorporate offerings from other service providers into their portfolio. This envisioned direction demonstrates how Mendix low-code significantly contributes to the ultimate goal of Prijsvergelijken.nl: becoming the premier price comparison platform in the Netherlands.