Transforming Social Housing Engagement – The Ziel Global & Reliance Housing UK Digital Overhaul

Client

Reliance Housing is a UK-based social housing provider managing over 10,000 tenants and offering essential housing services to residents across the region. The organization is dedicated to providing safe, affordable, and community-driven housing solutions, ensuring that all tenants have access to essential services and support.

The Issue

Reliance Housing’s previous website was outdated, inefficient, and failed to meet the needs of tenants. The platform suffered from significant usability and performance issues, which created major challenges. Poor user experience was a major issue as the navigation was confusing, and tenants struggled to find critical information, such as rent payment options and maintenance request forms. The lack of engagement features, including online rent payment, maintenance request submissions, and real-time service updates, led to frustration and increased operational inefficiencies. The outdated and inaccessible design lacked mobile responsiveness and failed to comply with modern accessibility standards, making it difficult for many tenants, including those with disabilities, to interact with the platform. Additionally, Reliance Housing needed a refreshed brand identity that communicated trust, safety, and a strong community ethos to its diverse tenant base.

The Solution

Ziel Global undertook a comprehensive redesign and development of the Reliance Housing website, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience while reinforcing the brand’s mission of accessible, affordable housing. To create a tenant-centric digital experience, Ziel Global conducted stakeholder interviews and surveys to engage with tenants, internal staff, and stakeholders to uncover pain points and critical needs. A thorough competitor analysis was carried out to study leading social housing platforms and identify best practices for tenant engagement and service accessibility.

Ziel Global implemented a complete UX/UI overhaul to design a streamlined, user-friendly interface with clear and intuitive navigation. A mobile-first approach was adopted to optimize the website for smartphones and tablets, ensuring tenants could access services anytime, anywhere. Accessibility compliance was prioritized by implementing WCAG 2.1 standards, including assistive features such as keyboard navigation, enhanced text contrast, scalable fonts, and alt text for images. A custom content management system (CMS) was developed, enabling Reliance Housing staff to manage content updates, process tenant requests, and handle communications efficiently. Tenant-focused enhancements were introduced, including prominent calls-to-action for “Pay Rent” and “Submit Maintenance Request,” a simplified navigation structure, and a fresh, community-driven brand identity with a modernized logo, a welcoming color palette, and high-quality imagery reflecting tenant communities.

Data-driven testing and optimization played a crucial role in refining the platform. Heatmaps and user tracking tools were used to monitor tenant interactions and refine key areas. A/B testing helped optimize different layouts and calls-to-action to enhance user engagement. Continuous refinements were made based on real-time user feedback to further streamline the experience and improve usability.

The Outcome

The revamped Reliance Housing website has significantly improved the tenant experience, leading to remarkable outcomes. Tenant engagement increased by 35%, with more users actively utilizing the site for rent payments, maintenance requests, and service inquiries. Mobile traffic grew by 50% due to enhanced usability, and mobile conversions, including rent payments and maintenance requests, saw a 30% increase. Task completion times improved by 25%, allowing tenants to access key services more efficiently. Organic search traffic increased by 40% due to SEO improvements, enhancing the visibility and accessibility of services. Additionally, a stronger brand presence was established, reinforcing community trust and engagement.

Through a complete digital transformation, Ziel Global has empowered Reliance Housing with a user-first, highly accessible, and mobile-optimized platform that enhances tenant engagement, streamlines service delivery, and reinforces the organization’s mission. By focusing on intuitive navigation, cutting-edge accessibility features, and a modernized brand identity, Ziel Global has created a platform that truly serves the needs of over 10,000 tenants across the UK. The ongoing success of this project showcases the power of strategic UX design and technology in transforming social housing engagement.

Staff Augmentation

Artificial Intelligence

Cyber
Security

Cloud
Engineering

Mobile App Development

Custom Software Development

UI/UX

ERP Consultancy & Delivery

Transforming Social Housing Engagement – The Ziel Global & Reliance Housing UK Digital Overhaul

Contents

Client

The Issue

The Solution

The Outcome

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