--- title: Site Touch Base — Events & KIT Integration type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2026-01-06-vcedc-site-touch-base-112062437.md tags: - vcedc - wordpress - events-calendar - kit - convertkit - crm - blog-design - google-search-console - seo - meeting layer: 2 client_source: Vilas County Economic Development industry_context: nonprofit transferable: false --- # Site Touch Base — Events & KIT Integration **Date:** 2026-01-06 **Attendees:** Melissa Cusumano, Isahaque Mahmud, Tracey Pilsner (client-side), Isalia Ramirez **Client:** [[wiki/clients/current/vcedc/index|VCEDC]] ## Overview Working session to review the current state of the VCEDC WordPress site rebuild. Three areas needed attention: a broken Events page, an undefined event registration → CRM workflow, and blog post design polish. A follow-up was scheduled for the following Monday to review progress. --- ## Key Decisions - **KIT is the CRM — no exceptions.** All event registrations must funnel into KIT (formerly ConvertKit). Managing contacts solely within WordPress was proposed by Isahaque but rejected; the client's existing CRM must remain the system of record for all subscriber data and marketing automations. - **Keep the integration simple.** The solution must be maintainable by future staff without custom code. Whoever manages the site after the current team should be able to operate it without developer intervention. - **Events page fix before integration design.** Isahaque will get the Events page and single-event display working first, then the team will reconvene to finalize the KIT integration approach. - **Next sync: Monday** (following week), with a status update from the team by end of the current week. --- ## Action Items | Owner | Task | |---|---| | **Isahaque** | Fix the broken Events page; configure the Events Calendar plugin to display events correctly | | **Isahaque** | Investigate and propose a simple method to funnel event registrations into KIT (tag-based approach preferred) | | **Melissa** | Send detailed blog post design feedback to Isahaque (column length, image quality) | | **Tracey** | Request event copy from the client for the Jan 20th event; loop in the full team when received | | **Tracey** | Search VCDC accounts for existing Google Search Console access | | **All** | Meet Monday to review events fix and finalize KIT integration strategy | --- ## Topics ### Events Page The Events page is non-functional. The Events Calendar plugin is installed but not configured to surface events on the page — events exist as individual pages rather than populating through the plugin. Isahaque confirmed he needs to build out the event page template and single-event view before any integration work can happen. There is an upcoming event on **January 20th** that needs to go live as soon as possible. Tracey will obtain copy from the client and share it with the team so Isahaque has real content to work with. ### KIT Integration Workflow The client's existing CRM is KIT. The previous workflow (used with another system called SiteCast) used KIT tags to trigger event-specific automations — each event had a unique tag ID, and that tag was the trigger for confirmation emails and follow-up sequences. **Proposed workflow going forward:** 1. Create events in WordPress using the Events Calendar plugin 2. Integrate the plugin with KIT to automatically tag new registrants at the point of registration 3. Use KIT tags to trigger event-specific automations (confirmation emails, reminders, etc.) Isahaque initially suggested managing everything within WordPress to avoid a third-party CRM dependency. This was overruled — KIT is the client's official CRM and all contacts must land there. The concern about WordPress contact forms landing in spam was noted as a general WordPress issue, partially mitigated by the existing CAPTCHA and Akismet setup. KIT credentials are stored in LastPass under `kit.com`. ### Blog Post Design Melissa flagged that blog post layouts lost design fidelity during the migration — they look more basic than the original mockups. Specific issues: - **Column length:** Columns are too long; need to be shortened for a tighter, neater appearance - **Image quality:** At least one image appears grainy; cause to be investigated Melissa will send Isahaque detailed written feedback with specific instructions. ### Google Search Console (GSC) The client (Kathy) raised concerns about poor Google search results for basic queries like "VCDC." This is a **temporary indexing issue** — the site indexes correctly for more specific searches and will improve over time as Google crawls the new site. Site indexing is enabled. Neither Tracey nor the Asymmetric team could locate an existing GSC property for VCEDC. Tracey will check other VCDC-associated accounts. If no existing property is found, a new one will need to be created. A side note from the conversation: search results are increasingly AI-driven, making tight, keyword-rich content more important than ever for organic visibility. --- ## Context & Notes - The project scope was strictly a website rebuild — no CRM migration or new tooling was in scope. - The site is built in WordPress with Elementor for standard pages. Blog/news posts and events are the dynamic areas requiring ongoing content management. - Spam protection stack: Akismet + CAPTCHA on forms. Contact form submissions are currently routed to Tracey rather than directly to the client (Kathy), which has reduced spam complaints. - Fathom analytics is installed on the site. --- ## Related - [[wiki/clients/current/vcedc/index|VCEDC Client Index]]