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Absolutdrinks.com

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Background

My journey with Absolutdrinks.com began in 2018, marking my entry into the world of high-traffic websites. Picture this: a web developer who’s never mixed a drink in his life, diving headfirst into one of the largest online drink platforms. Talk about a fun twist of fate! Launched in 2016 and having undergone several transformations, this project required a robust and scalable solution to cater to its substantial monthly traffic.

Challenge: The Developer’s Cocktail - Performance, Structure, and Integration

The challenges were as multifaceted as a well-mixed cocktail:

  1. Performance and Caching: Ensuring the site ran smoothly under heavy traffic was like solving a complex puzzle. Each piece had to fit perfectly to create an efficient, high-performing website.

  2. Frontend Structure: Here, my approach was minimalistic yet effective. The philosophy was simple – load only what you need, when you need it. This strategy kept the site nimble, even as it grew in complexity.

  3. Integration: Blending a front-end with two headless APIs (a drinks API and a content API, later evolving into a Headless CMS with WordPress) was like mixing two distinct flavors to create a new, exciting taste.

Solution: Crafting a Tech Elixir

  • Tech Stack Symphony: The composition included WordPress, Nunjucks, Akamai, Roll-up, Azure Dev-ops, and S3 Bucket. Each played its part in harmony.
  • Frontend Philosophy: I treated each section of the site like a unique ingredient. Just like in a cocktail, every element – HTML/template, CSS, and JavaScript – was added with precision, ensuring nothing superfluous diluted the mix.
  • WordPress Wizardry: Utilizing ACF, we concocted a single API endpoint to resolve all paths. Sitemaps and redirects were handled similarly, adding layers of complexity behind a seemingly straightforward frontend.

Outcome: A Mix of Success and Reflective Insights

The project turned out well, though the later addition of marketing tools added some complexity. It’s a common scenario in web development, akin to adding a twist to an already perfect drink – necessary but changes the original flavor.

Conclusion and Learnings: Reflections from the Bar Stool

Looking back, handling redirects was a challenge. Integrating them directly into the frontend build was a compromise for better TTFB, a decision influenced by the limitations of our chosen technologies. If I were to do it again, tools like Astro or Next.js, which weren’t available then, would be my go-to choices.

Personal Touch: As someone who had never concocted a drink, working on Absolutdrinks.com was an exhilarating experience. It taught me the essence of adapting and evolving in the web development landscape. Each project is a new recipe, and Absolutdrinks.com was a delightful mix of challenges and triumphs. Here’s to more such adventures in coding! 🍹💻