Scottish Seaweed Industry Association (SSIA)

The Scottish Seaweed Industry Association (SSIA) is a leading membership organisation dedicated to supporting Scotland’s seaweed and aquaculture sectors. As the industry’s national voice, they facilitate networking, provide resources, and promote sustainability in seaweed farming and harvesting.
SSIA came to us with a vision: to revamp their digital presence into a modern, functional, and community-driven website that reflects their growing role and supports a wide range of membership services.

The Challenge
The previous site lacked scalability for their growing member base and was limited in interactivity and backend management capabilities. The client needed:
A secure members-only portal with tiered access.
Flexible membership pricing and payment options.
Efficient admin tools to manage members and content.
Seamless video, webinar, and forum integration.
A more engaging and professional user experience that clearly communicates their mission.

Our Solution
We delivered a fully integrated, responsive membership platform using Wix, tailored specifically to SSIA’s evolving needs.
1. Members Area Integration
Created a secure login area with dynamic content gating based on membership level (3–4 tiers).
Members can register, manage profiles, and recover passwords with ease.
Access to restricted resources like webinars, video archives, and industry documents was streamlined for members only.
2. Payment Integration & Management
Implemented Wix Pricing Plans for clear, user-friendly membership subscriptions:
Annual and monthly billing for each tier.
Student verification logic for discounted plans.
Integrated Wix Payments and Stripe, enabling credit/debit and Direct Debit transactions.
Developed backend features for manual approvals (for offline payments), giving admins full control over member activations.
3. Admin Dashboard & Backend Tools
Built a custom admin dashboard for the SSIA team to:
Track payment status
Send automated emails (welcome, payment confirmations, overdue notices)
Update member records
Included auto-cancellation workflows for failed payments and renewal reminders.
4. Webinars, Video Access & Forum
Embedded secure video hosting within the members' area.
Set up a members-only forum, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
Allowed video embedding in discussions, boosting community engagement.
5. Homepage & Marketing Enhancements
Updated the homepage tagline to:
 “Scotland’s National Seaweed Association” – reinforcing SSIA's identity and purpose.
Integrated Twitter (X) and LinkedIn feeds, delivering fresh, real-time updates.
Added a newsreel highlighting blog posts, research, and upcoming events.
6. Ticket Management
Streamlined the existing system for event and webinar registration.
Integrated it within the members’ dashboard for a more cohesive experience.

Technology Stack
Wix EditorX – Design & responsive layout
Wix Pricing Plans & Payments – Membership and transaction management
Wix Velo – Backend logic & member dashboard customization
Wix Forum – Community platform
Wix Video – Secure video hosting
Custom Email Automations – Notification workflows

Design & UX Highlights
Clean, maritime-themed interface with strong visual hierarchy.
Mobile-first design approach to ensure accessibility on all devices.
User-centric flows: from registration to payment, everything is seamless and intuitive.

Results
Increased member signups and engagement within the first month.
Streamlined internal workflows, saving the team hours of admin work weekly.
Positive feedback from stakeholders on improved usability and aesthetics.
Platform now supports future scalability and evolving needs of the sector.