How did we create a portal about Moscow-City?
The work on the largest information and service portal dedicated to Moscow-City and the Greater City project began with a deep analysis of the niche, target audience, and competitive landscape.
We weren’t just building a website — we were creating a digital platform capable of uniting all key aspects of urban life: from real estate and gastronomy to events and business infrastructure.
Research and Strategy
Before moving on to design and development, we carried out a comprehensive research phase that became the foundation of the portal’s entire growth strategy.
This stage was critically important, as the goal was not merely to create a website, but to establish a flagship digital resource encompassing the entire ecosystem of Moscow-City and the future business district of Greater City.
We reviewed over 20 subject-specific resources, including:
public and private information portals,
websites of real estate agencies and restaurant guides,
event aggregators and travel services.
For each of them, we compiled a SWOT analysis, identified shortcomings in the structure, functionality and presentation of information, and also identified successful solutions that could be adapted and strengthened.
We have identified several key audience segments:
investors and developers,
commercial real estate tenants,
residents and potential home buyers,
tourists and guests of the capital,
business representatives, restaurateurs, marketers,
Moscow City visitors,
foreigners and expats.
For each user segment, we developed detailed user journeys — including visit goals, behavior patterns, touchpoints, and critical drop-off points.
This approach made it possible to design a site structure that is intuitive and efficient for every audience group.
We began with an analysis of over 100 competitors and conducted in-depth interviews with representatives of the target audience.
This allowed us not only to define key functional priorities, but also to design a site structure tailored to every user — from investors to expats, from restaurateurs to news readers. The project’s architecture was built with a clear focus on organic growth and monetization.
Sergey Grigoriev
Project Manager
Based on the analysis of search queries and audience behavior, we:
formed an end-to-end SEO architecture for the site,
distributed priorities according to the depth of page nesting,
compiled a map of target queries for each section and page type,
We have included scaling capabilities (creation of dynamic filters, landing pages, tag pages).
Technical optimization mechanisms were also included: CNC, micro-markup, high-speed loading, internal links and navigation logic.
Together with the customer, we developed a technical assignment that defined:
key services (booking, subscription, advertising, accounts),
requirements for integration with external systems (CRM, telephony, Bitrix24, messengers),
features of future scaling (multilingualism, growth in the number of subsections),
Project KPI: traffic, conversions, behavioral metrics.
This fundamental step allowed us to build the project on a solid foundation, where every element – from the section title to the technical implementation – corresponds to the strategic goals and interests of the target audience.
Prototyping and UX
After the strategic and analytical phase, we moved on to designing the user interface and interaction logic.
The main objective at this stage was not just to outline the structure, but to create a user-friendly, intuitive, and scalable system — one capable of supporting diverse scenarios, from reading news to booking a table or submitting an advertising request.
We have developed dozens of behavior scenarios for different audience segments:
a visitor is looking for a restaurant in Moscow City and wants to book a table right away,
the investor studies the parameters of the towers and requests an offer,
an expat chooses a neighborhood to rent an apartment in and signs up for updates,
the advertiser is looking for a form to place an ad or wants to place his property on the portal,
The editor adds new news or updates the object card.
The interface logic is built on the basis of these scenarios: from the main page to deep nesting in directories.
For key sections, interactive prototypes (wireframes) with full navigation logic were created:
real estate and towers directory;
restaurants and reservation system;
poster and events;
personal accounts;
news block;
subscription forms, contact forms, feedback forms and advertising placement forms,
cards of various organizations and real estate objects.
Each prototype was tested internally, then demonstrated to the customer and finalized based on feedback.
We paid special attention to:
speed of access to key functionality (3 clicks to any action);
visual clarity and emphasis – without excessive complexity, but maintaining a premium feel;
universality of the interface: the site is equally convenient on mobile devices, tablets and desktops;
UX assumptions for the future: The system is designed to be extensible without a complete rewrite of the logic.
Flexibility and Scalability
The prototypes were designed with the project’s future growth in mind: accommodating new object types, localizations, tags, filters, and auto-generated pages aligned with the SEO structure.
We planned ahead for horizontal scaling of both content and functionality — ensuring expansion without compromising system stability.
This stage became the link between strategy and design, allowing us to precisely build user behavior and lay the foundation for a convenient, technologically advanced and effective digital product.
Design and visualization
At the design stage, we focused on creating a visual language that reflects the prestige of the Moscow-City business district and meets the expectations of a diverse target audience — from investors and property managers to international residents and tourists planning their visit.
The goal was not just aesthetic appeal, but functional excellence: every design element was crafted to enhance usability, clarity, and user engagement.
We have developed a unique design concept that reflects the dynamics and premium nature of Moscow City. Key accents:
strict geometry and modular grid, visually echoing the architecture of the towers;
minimalism and business restraint – without excessive decorative elements;
neutral color palette with emphasis on important actions (booking, application, subscription);
visual hierarchy that ensures easy perception even with a complex page structure.
Each page was designed and drawn with adaptation in mind for:
Particular attention was paid to the mobile experience: navigation, filters, booking and subscription forms were developed separately to ensure maximum comfort and clarity on screens of any size.
In the design, we aimed to convey the business-driven rhythm of Moscow-City without overwhelming users with visual noise.
A clear visual hierarchy, responsive layouts, and a modular design approach made it possible to create an interface that’s easy to navigate across all devices.
Each screen was designed as a functional tool — not just visually appealing, but intuitive, purposeful, and focused on guiding the user toward meaningful actions.
Emil Burnashev
UX/UI designer
We have prepared a complete set of visual components:
author’s icons for all types of objects;
thematic banners and illustrations for sections;
blocks with cards for real estate, restaurants, news and events;
individual interface elements: filters, buttons, pop-up windows, messenger widgets.
A visual system was also developed for tower cards displaying key features, photos and CTA elements.
The final design system included:
UI kit (colors, typography, interface elements);
guidelines for spacing, grid structure and element states;
examples of block layout and scaling logic;
Figma mockups with markup and comments for developers.
All elements were finalized and approved taking into account future stages: scaling, adding new languages and sections, introducing new services.
The visual part has become an important tool in building trust, engagement and brand perception. Design not only emphasizes the status of the project, but also ensures seamless interaction of users with the platform functionality.
Development and integrations
After finalizing the design concept, the team moved on to the technical implementation of the project.
We chose 1C-Bitrix as a reliable and scalable platform, which enabled us to build a robust architecture with flexible content management, seamless integration with external systems, and the ability to rapidly scale in response to new business needs.
Front-end: adaptive and interactive layout
Adaptive layout of all screens and blocks has been completed for correct display on all types of devices.
Dynamic elements have been implemented: drop-down menus, filters, sliders, pop-up windows, contact forms.
The speed of page loading and interaction with the interface has been optimized.
Full cross-browser compatibility is taken into account.
Back-end: logic and system management
A multi-level CMS structure with a convenient system for editing materials has been developed.
Flexible filtering of real estate objects, restaurants, events and other entities has been implemented.
The system of auto-generation of SEO pages has been configured for key search queries and content structure.
Added mechanisms for managing users, advertisers and administrators.
Our goal was not simply to build a website, but to develop a resilient digital platform capable of handling high volumes of data and user requests.
We implemented a complex architecture based on 1C-Bitrix, with extensive integrations — including CRM, telephony, messengers, and analytics.
At the same time, the system remains flexible and scalable, allowing for the seamless rollout of new services without disrupting core functionality.
Andrey Kozlov
Head of Development (Back-end/Integrations)
Personal accounts have been created and implemented with the ability to:
editing company information;
receiving reservations and applications;
moderation of reviews;
creation of news and announcements.
We have implemented a full range of integrations:
CRM systems: connection to Bitrix24 with automatic creation of leads based on requests from the website;
Telephony and messengers: Telegram, WhatsApp, connection of feedback, chat widgets and capture forms;
Booking system: possibility of online booking of tables in Moscow-City restaurants;
Email newsletters and subscriptions: collecting a database and automatically sending news to subscribers via an integrated newsletter platform;
Analytics: connection of web analytics and CRM reporting systems with the ability to track user behavior and traffic sources.
SEO and preparation for promotion:
Laying down all the technical foundations: CHPU, micro-markup, sitemaps, robots.txt, redirects, meta tags;
Integration of SEO module with the ability to edit titles, descriptions, alt tags;
Generation of filtering and tag pages for extended semantics.
The result of this stage was not just a website, but a powerful digital platform capable of scaling, automating processes, combining multiple types of interaction, and providing a convenient service for both the end user and the business.
Content and Development
After launching the portal, we entered a critical phase that directly determines the success of any information platform — systematic content development and management.
From the outset, the project was conceived as a living, dynamic resource — one that remains relevant not only today, but for years to come.
To support this vision, we implemented processes that ensure continuous updates, expansion, and audience growth.
We have developed an editorial policy with a clear system of priorities:
Current events in Moscow City: opening of restaurants, business events, launch of new towers;
Interviews and analytics to attract a professional audience;
Collections and guides for tourists, tenants, investors;
SEO-oriented materials covering high-frequency and mid-frequency queries;
News on the development of the Big City project, integrated into the general agenda.
Content is created taking into account key queries, user interests and behavioral analytics.
A regular monitoring system has been built:
Telegram channels, business media and press releases;
news agenda from developers, restaurateurs, management companies;
search trends and social signals.
Based on this monitoring, topics for new publications, tags, landings and special projects are formed.
The project is constantly being scaled:
new pages are created based on requests from users and partners;
the “Restaurants” section is being expanded with filters by cuisine, price and reservation;
added pages about towers, with parameters, floor plans and investment analytics;
the “Big City” block was implemented as a separate direction;
An English-language version of the portal for expats and investors from abroad is being developed.
Each extension comes with SEO optimization and internal linking.
SEO and Organic Traffic:
articles and pages are created for a semantic core covering tens of thousands of keywords;
Headings, meta descriptions, alt tags, URL structures are optimized;
technical support for SEO and control over indexing of new materials is provided;
Mechanisms for interlinking and automatic generation of tag pages have been implemented.
The Result
The project now attracts over 110,000 unique monthly visitors from organic search alone.
But we’re not standing still — the platform continues to scale. We’re actively:
– Expanding content,
– Improving conversions,
– Introducing new formats, and
– Growing the audience through a strategic, high-quality, and systematic approach to development.
