DATE
08/10/2024
Defideal.mu: WooCommerce Booking Platform
Defideal.mu is a comprehensive booking platform offering hotel stays, day packages, activities, restaurants, and spa deals across Mauritius. The client needed a fully custom WordPress site with WooCommerce at its core, but with deeply modified functionalities tailored to local tourism demands, including a loyalty rewards system, multi-currency setup, and multilingual support.
WordPress
WooCommerce
Services
Web design & Web development
Category
E-Commerce Portfolio
Client
Yaasiin Karimbocus
Challenge
The project demanded more than a regular WooCommerce setup. Each deal type (hotel, activity, spa, day package, restaurant) had unique logic—like single-day selection for activities vs. multi-day hotel bookings, dynamic pricing per guest type, and minimum stay rules. The platform also had to support booking restrictions, reward systems, custom filters, backend controls, frontend visibility management, and real-time availability synced with the admin dashboard.
Process
Custom WooCommerce architecture for each deal type using cloned but refactored post types
Booking logic for single-day (e.g., restaurants) and multi-day (hotels), plus adult-child validation rules
Ajax cart with modals, reward system logic, bulk editing in backend
Integration of APIs for currency conversion (Fixer.io) and geolocation (MaxMind)
Translation setup using WPML and compatibility adjustments
Client collaboration via ClickUp + Loom + Zoom during all stages
Ongoing QA + feedback loops from test.defideal.mu before pushing to production
Responsiveness
The site was made mobile-first and tested across multiple breakpoints.
Frontend components built to work with Elementor
Deal types shown dynamically on homepage with real-time filters
Fully mobile-compatible calendar, cart, booking form, and reward system
Custom Elementor widget logic added to allow drag-and-drop deal placements
Problem - Site and Service Improvement
Defideal wasn’t just a fresh build — it was a complete overhaul of how online bookings are handled in Mauritius for locals and tourists alike. The issue wasn’t just technical — it was workflow and UX. Admins needed to bulk-manage availability and prices across hundreds of listings. Frontend users expected a mobile-friendly, real-time, clean UX. Plus, most WooCommerce plugins weren’t built to support these workflows, meaning custom solutions had to be engineered across the board.
Site and Service Improvement
We redesigned the experience from both frontend and backend perspectives.
Created custom logic for “minimum nights,” “non-bookable dates,” and dynamic pricing rules
Refactored post types to split hotel rooms, activity packages, and day passes cleanly
Improved admin tools: calendar bulk edit, loyalty % reward rule, better search filters
Added visual grouping in backend with icons and custom menu structure for better clarity
Real-time multilingual and currency switching (USD for foreigners, MUR for locals)
Allowed updating templates visually using Elementor for long-term content flexibility
Solution - Communication and Deployment
The project was managed with tight communication via email, Loom, and ClickUp.
Weekly Loom videos showing progress on each feature
ClickUp Gantt chart with deadlines and progress breakdown
Regular Zoom calls for technical alignment and visual confirmation with client and project manager
Clear milestone payments tied to functional deliverables (e.g., frontend dev, UAT, launch)
Live testing environment on test.defideal.mu before pushing to production
Clean handover and internal documentation after deployment
Communication
Clear communication was central to the success of the Defideal project. We used ClickUp to track every milestone, assigned tasks, and keep the client updated in real time. Loom videos were shared weekly to explain progress visually, while Zoom calls were used to align on complex functionality like booking flows and loyalty logic. Deployment was handled in stages via a testing environment (test.defideal.mu) to ensure the client could test and give feedback before anything went live. This transparent, feedback-driven process helped us deliver exactly what the client needed, on time and without surprises.
