Website: alpinecomp.nz
Project Overview
I designed and built a website for the Schools Alpine Competition, a North Island ski competition for primary school students.
This was a full-service website build from the ground up. The project involved more than simply creating a brochure-style website — it required online registrations, payment processing, ecommerce functionality, email/domain configuration, analytics, hosting setup, and support for the wider digital presence of the competition.
The goal was to create a professional, easy-to-manage website that could support the competition organisers, schools, parents, and participating teams throughout the registration and event process.
What I Built
The website was built using WordPress and Elementor, giving the client a flexible content management system and the ability to make updates without needing ongoing development support.
The site included:
- A custom WordPress website build
- Page design and layout using Elementor
- Online team registration forms
- Stripe payment integration
- Google Sheets integration for registration tracking
- WooCommerce setup for ecommerce functionality
- Custom SMTP email configuration
- SendGrid domain and email delivery setup
- Google Analytics setup
- Hosting and domain configuration
- Social media and digital presence setup
- AI-assisted design support using Claude
Online Registrations and Payments
A key part of the project was allowing schools and teams to register online.
I configured third-party form functionality using Bit Form, with registration data flowing into Google Sheets so the organisers could easily track entries. This gave the competition team a practical back-office workflow without needing to manually copy information from emails or form submissions.
The registration flow was also connected to Stripe, allowing payments to be taken online as part of the process. This helped reduce manual administration and created a smoother experience for schools and parents.
Ecommerce with WooCommerce
In addition to registration functionality, I also configured WooCommerce for product ecommerce.
This provided the site with a structure for selling products or event-related items online, while keeping everything within the same WordPress environment. WooCommerce was a good fit because it integrated naturally with the existing WordPress setup and gave the client a familiar admin interface for managing products and orders.
Email, SMTP and Domain Configuration
The project also involved custom email and domain setup.
I configured email delivery through SendGrid, including the required domain authentication records to improve reliability and reduce the risk of outgoing emails being treated as spam.
This was important because the site needed to send registration confirmations, form notifications, payment-related emails, and other event communications reliably.
Analytics and Tracking
I also set up Google Analytics so the organisers could understand how people were using the site.
This provided visibility over traffic, page views, and user behaviour, helping the team better understand how schools, parents, and participants were engaging with the website.
AI-Assisted Design
During the design process, I used Claude to help explore design ideas, content structure, layout direction, and presentation options.
AI was not used as a replacement for the build process, but as a supporting design tool. It helped speed up early ideation, refine copy, and explore ways to present the competition information clearly.
This was a useful example of how AI can be practically included in a real client project — not as a gimmick, but as a way to improve the planning and creative process.
Full-Service Digital Setup
Beyond the website itself, I also helped with the wider digital setup for the competition.
This included supporting the client with hosting, domain configuration, email accounts, analytics, and social media setup. The end result was a complete digital presence rather than just a standalone website.
Outcome
The final website gave the Schools Alpine Competition a professional online presence and a practical system for handling registrations, payments, ecommerce, and communications.
It reduced the amount of manual administration required by the organisers and provided schools and parents with a clearer, easier way to access information and register for the event.
This project was a good example of combining website development, third-party integrations, ecommerce, email infrastructure, analytics, and digital strategy into one complete client solution.
