Smile Story Dental Centre’s website was designed to combine high-end design with technical performance and long-term scalability. We chose DatoCMS for its modular architecture and intuitive editing experience — giving the client the ability to create and update pages using predefined content blocks rather than full-fledged page builders that often lead to design drift and performance bloat.
By pairing DatoCMS with Astro and a static site generation (SSG) setup, we achieved a lightweight build that prioritizes speed, SEO, and design consistency. Astro ensures only essential code is shipped to the browser, while DatoCMS provides a highly structured content foundation that supports rapid updates without sacrificing performance or maintainability.
We especially love the flexibility of DatoCMS Structured Text fields, which allow us to embed modular blocks directly within content areas. This gives editors granular control — such as adding images, CTAs, or links — while keeping the layout fully governed by our front-end design system. It’s the perfect balance between flexibility and brand consistency.
We also rely heavily on the DatoCMS Web Previews plugin, which gives clients a live, real-time preview of their content before publishing — streamlining collaboration and minimizing revision cycles.
Other key highlights:
Seamless asset management and responsive image handling.
Clean GraphQL API integration that keeps data predictable and fast to query.
Built-in drafts, versioning, and user roles, ideal for multi-editor workflows.
Scalable content modelling that supports future expansion without rework.
Overall, DatoCMS paired with Astro delivers a lean, modular, and maintainable site architecture — empowering clients with control while preserving the integrity and performance of a developer-crafted design.
