A block-based website rebuild

StokOfiss u30 needed a new website that the client team could maintain without relying on a developer for everyday content changes. Umbraco was chosen as the CMS for its straightforward editor experience, and uSkinned as the site builder for a fast setup and lower ongoing hosting and license costs compared with a fully custom build.

The existing content would carry over in substance - copy, images, and key messages - but the new site is not a one-to-one copy of the old website. The goal was to get as close as possible to the previous design using the blocks and theme settings available in uSkinned, accepting that layout and spacing would follow what the system allows.

I set up and built the site in Umbraco with uSkinned, assembling pages from ready-made modules and configuring content types so editors can update the site themselves after handover.

The build started from the uSkinned Energy template, adjusted in Umbraco to match the old site as closely as the theme allows - typography, colours, spacing, and module layout tuned through the theme rather than bespoke development. Custom code was kept to a minimum. A small amount of custom CSS was added on a few blocks where theme options alone were not enough to bring the design in line with the previous site.

The workflow focused on:

• Editor-friendly CMS - Umbraco gives the client a clear back office for updating text, images, and pages without code changes
• Block-first building with uSkinned - sections mapped to existing theme modules, keeping delivery fast and costs down
• Familiar design within theme limits - the Energy template configured to echo the old site, with targeted CSS only where needed
• Multilingual from the start - Latvian, English, and Russian content structured alongside the module setup, not bolted on later

I installed and configured Umbraco, set up the uSkinned Energy theme, and configured domain, culture, and media settings for all three languages.

Theme-level adjustments in Umbraco covered most of the visual alignment with the previous site. A Project Page document type was built on top of the uSkinned Standard Page, with module composition and SEO fields configured so editors can assemble and publish pages without developer support for each update.

The live site is built from uSkinned modules mapped to the StokOfiss u30 content. Each section below reflects a module type configured during the build - chosen and arranged to mirror the old site structure as closely as the available blocks allow.

Global

• Header and footer settings
• Banner (hero)

Content sections

• Text modules for intro and location copy
• Gallery
• Cards for key facts
• Location block
• Map via Text module with embedded iframe
• Store, warehouse, and office (Cards)
• Standalone image sections
• StokOfiss project details
• “10 reasons” (Accordion)
• Area and prices (custom module consideration)
• Member section
• Contact us (Form, including SMTP configuration)

Legal

• Privacy Policy page
• Cookie Policy page

Alongside page assembly, the build included:

• CookieBot - account setup, multilingual policy content, and site integration
• Content migration - existing copy and media recreated across all three languages
• Styling and UX - theme configuration in Umbraco plus targeted custom CSS on selected blocks to align with the previous site, along with mobile responsiveness checks
• SEO and performance - meta titles and descriptions, URL structure, and image alt texts
• Deployment and handover - publishing pages and a walkthrough for content editors

The site launched on Umbraco with uSkinned, giving StokOfiss a refreshed multilingual presence and a CMS the client team can manage day to day. It reads close to the old website within the limits of uSkinned’s blocks and the Energy theme, without the cost and complexity of a fully custom rebuild.