A Rebuild That Works for Business.

When people think about design, they often picture logos, colours, typography – the front-end visuals. And fair enough. Design does matter. But design isn’t only about what something looks like. It’s also about how it works.

At Channel 13, our web development team thinks about both. Whether we’re coming in at the very beginning or working alongside an existing brand and internal team, we design and build platforms that serve real business needs. For us, design means more than visuals. It includes systems, workflows, and tools that help your team operate more efficiently and confidently.

That’s exactly what CottageRental.com needed. A back-end platform designed to work better for their team and their customers.

The Challenge: Keep What Works, Fix What Doesn’t

CottageRental.com has been helping people find their dream cottage getaways in Ontario since 1988. If you’ve ever spent a weekend in Muskoka or Haliburton, you’ve probably come across their listings, picturing yourself with a morning coffee on the dock or an evening by the fire.

Their brand was already trusted, but their digital workflows were dated and needed to evolve in order to operate more efficiently. The task wasn’t to redesign their website. It was to build a more stable and scalable foundation behind the scenes — a custom CMS and platform architecture that could better support both their internal team and the cottage owners who rely on the platform to list, manage, and rent their properties.

Our Role: Practical Partners Who Understand Design and Function

For CottageRental.com, our approach focused on:

• Modernising the site while respecting their brand: We worked within their existing design system and collaborated with their internal team to rebuild the platform using a responsive, high-performance framework that works smoothly on any device. Our role was strictly focused on development. The visual design remained unchanged aside from targeted improvements to mobile usability.
• Creating a custom CMS built around real workflows: Their team can now update listings, manage seasonal rates, and add new regions without needing developer support every time. The system fits how they actually work day-to-day.
• Integrating a Dynamic Pricing Engine: Seasonal pricing updates are now simple and intuitive, saving admin time and keeping everything accurate for renters and owners alike.
• Building a foundation ready for the future: The new site is scalable, ready for any features, region expansions, or integrations they might need as their business grows.

Supporting the People Who Use It Every Day

Part of good web development is making things easier for the people who rely on it. For the CottageRental.com team, that meant hands-on training, clear documentation, and a staging environment where they could test and learn with confidence. The new platform gave them full control of the content and tools they use every day. For cottage owners, it meant clearer listings, faster updates, and more accurate pricing — all of which support stronger bookings and a smoother overall experience.

Built for Function, Designed for Business

Beautiful design will always be important. But it’s just as important to develop systems and tools that support your team and your business goals.

For CottageRental.com, that meant keeping their trusted brand and design system intact while rebuilding the technical infrastructure to support better performance, smoother workflows, and a platform that could scale with their business.

If your organization’s website needs a smarter foundation, whether it’s a custom CMS, technical upgrades, or a full redevelopment, schedule a call with our team and let’s get to work.