Wesgro’s Support Business initiative provides businesses with access to a team of sectoral and communication experts to help them navigate uncertainty, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The Support Business website was later consolidated with Wesgro’s primary website to streamline their online presence.
Wesgro approached Ruby Digital with the challenge of creating a responsive digital resource to support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to develop a tailored solution that would help business owners identify relevant disaster relief and support funding while also launching a user-friendly marketplace for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the crisis.
Although this project was implemented in South Africa, it offers valuable lessons for businesses and public organisations on the Isle of Man that are looking to improve access to information, streamline support systems, or create digital marketplaces in response to major disruptions.
The core objective was to design a website that could serve as a reliable hub for business owners, providing relevant, up-to-date information, and allowing users to engage easily during a time of economic uncertainty.
To achieve this, Ruby Digital (RubyWeb’s parent company) developed a website that not only offered essential resources for businesses applying for relief funds, but also featured an eCommerce-style portal where suppliers could register and list PPE products.
One of the key deliverables was the development of a custom Fund Finder tool — built to guide businesses in the Western Cape through the maze of available funding options. In parallel, the site needed to act as a digital marketplace, connecting buyers of PPE with credible manufacturers and suppliers.
To meet these goals, we created a clean, accessible, and informative website that incorporated:
Wesgro’s COVID-19 best practices and lockdown level guidelines
A well-structured FAQ section organised by industry for easier navigation and organic visibility in search engines
Optimised imagery, metadata, title tags, and sitemaps to ensure SEO performance
Redirection of IPs to the correct domain for geolocation consistency
Setup and optimisation of Google Analytics and Google My Business profiles for effective tracking and local SEO
For organisations on the Isle of Man, these tactics offer a blueprint for how public-private partnerships or government-backed initiatives can deliver vital support to businesses during uncertain times.
A major highlight was the creation of the Fund Finder — a completely custom-built tool due to the lack of suitable off-the-shelf solutions. It allowed users to filter funding opportunities based on business type, need, and sector. Behind the scenes, this required extensive data mapping to ensure accurate, relevant results.
We also delivered a South African-first marketplace platform that matched companies in need of PPE with qualified suppliers — a valuable reference point for Manx businesses or authorities considering a similar B2B or community-driven model.
The site quickly became a centralised source of truth for businesses seeking clarity, funding, and safe operational practices during the pandemic — offering both short-term support and long-term digital infrastructure.
RubyWeb is a trusted web design agency based in the Isle of Man, proudly serving businesses in Douglas, Ramsey, Peel, Castletown, and surrounding areas. We specialize in custom digital solutions that combine creativity, strategy, and the latest technology to build websites that connect with your audience, inspire action, and support long-term growth.
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