# NU.nl: Scalable CMS and Redesign for the Netherlands’ Largest News Platform

With 1.5 million daily visitors, NU.nl is the largest news website in the Netherlands. Dawn Technology has been involved in the platform’s ongoing development for many years, from building a powerful content management system to delivering a large-scale redesign that improved both user experience and audience reach.

**Discovery**## A Growing Editorial Team with Growing Ambitions

As NU.nl rapidly expanded with platforms such as NUfoto, NUsport and NUzakelijk, its existing systems could no longer keep pace with the organisation’s ambitions. The editorial team needed a new content management system that would simplify publishing workflows and streamline content management across all sub-platforms.

Dawn Technology developed a custom CMS designed around usability and efficiency. The focus was not on technology itself, but on the people using it every day: the editors.

**Design & development**## From an Efficient CMS to a Major Redesign

The new CMS gave NU.nl maximum flexibility for content publishing while enabling seamless integrations with image and video platforms. An independent external code audit later concluded that the platform’s reliability and security were of “banking-level quality.”

Several years later, the collaboration entered a new phase with the complete redesign of NU.nl.

The website received a wider layout, additional advertising opportunities and improved social media integration. While the visual changes appeared straightforward on the surface, the technical reality was far more complex. Hundreds of thousands of images and numerous advertising formats needed to be migrated and converted without disrupting the user experience.

Dawn Technology worked closely with the Sanoma Digital teams throughout the process. Through continuous communication, flexibility and deep knowledge of the existing platform, the migration was completed smoothly and successfully.

**Conclusie**## Greater Reach, Better Performance

The redesign delivered measurable business results almost immediately:

- Increased advertising inventory and higher revenue potential
- 5% growth in social media traffic within six months
- Increased traffic to specialised platforms such as NUsport and NUzakelijk

Today, NU.nl continues to lead the Dutch online news market with a flexible CMS, scalable architecture and a user-focused design. The platform remains a strong example of how long-term collaboration, technical excellence and a pragmatic approach can support continuous digital growth.

[Back to overview](/en/success-stories)  Link copied to clipboard

> ### What our clients say
> 
> “The people at Dawn Technology are pragmatic, transparent and willing to challenge ideas constructively. You really work together as partners. On top of that, Dawn Technology had already proven through previous projects that they consistently deliver on time, within budget and according to the agreed requirements.”

**Serge van Steensel** ICT Manager News, Sanoma Digital 

## View similar success stories

Overheid   PHP  

## Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations: building the wallet

The EU’s European Digital Identity (EDI) initiative aims to give every EU citizen access to a secure digital identity wallet within the next few years. On behalf of ICTU, we are working on a Dutch prototype for the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) that can serve as a European example.

Public   Health   Mobile   CMS   PHP   Open Source  

## CoronaMelder, GGD Contact & CoronaCheck

The coronavirus pandemic was the first pandemic where IT played a crucial role in fighting the virus. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport developed several apps that played a key role in policy to prevent the spread. To achieve this, the ministry relied on expertise both within and outside the government, including ours.

### Looking to Make Your Platform Faster, More Scalable and More User-Friendly?

We help build stable technology platforms, smarter management solutions and future-proof digital products. Leave your details and our specialists will be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.

<a id="subscribe"></a>## Curious about our latest updates?

Stay up-to-date in the digital landscape with our newsletter. Enrol and get the latest updates in your mail