How the Jacksonville Port Authority leveraged GravityKit for an enhanced website experience

In this case study, we speak with Jeff Price, Marketing Director at JAXPORT, a major international seaport based in Jacksonville, Florida. Jeff led a full redesign of the JAXPORT website, introducing several custom “mini apps” built with Gravity Forms and GravityView. The result was a more engaging, user-friendly site that clearly showcases JAXPORT’s global reach and helps prospects make informed decisions.

Meet Jeff Price

As the Marketing Director at JAXPORT, Jeff is responsible for brand strategy, market research, customer events and digital initiatives. Additionally, given his freelance experience over the years as a web developer, he also built the organization’s website.

Jeff chose to use our GravityView plugin (and related layouts) as a low/no code framework to speed up development and provide added value for JAXPORT’s site visitors and customers.

Discovering GravityKit

Jeff learned of GravityKit from searching online for Gravity Forms add-ons and plugins.

During the organization’s rebranding effort, Jeff made the decision to transition their website CMS from Drupal to WordPress. This necessitated a rebuild of mini-apps on the site, a new way to manage public meeting notices, and a new company directory.

Because of the ease-of-use and speed of Gravity Forms handling data, and GravityView handling views of that data, Jeff was able to quickly rebuild existing apps. He also built new ones, offering more information for prospects and customers.

It’s very easy to get started with GravityView, and it’s really powerful for displaying data in a variety of ways. I haven’t needed support often, but when I did, GravityKit support professionals were responsive and very helpful.

Building with GravityKit

Use case 1: Trade lanes map

This is Jeff’s favorite part of GravityView—the Maps Premium View. Using the Maps layout, JAXPORT are able to provide an interactive map showing markers at cities around the globe where they offer ship service.

When site visitors click on a map marker, an info box will pop up, showing a summary of the cargo service.

They can then click through to view the Single Entry to see more information, including transit times to/from JAXPORT, as well as contact information for booking their shipments. For prospects considering using JAXPORT, this has proved to be incredibly helpful.

Use case 2: Cargo service lists

Jeff also used GravityView to slice into different views of the cargo service data. As an example, JAXPORT maintains views based on geography and separate views based on service type.

This is helpful because some of their shipping prospects think first of the locations they need to ship to/from, and others think first of the types of cargo service they require. JAXPORT offers both views, thanks to the flexibility of GravityView.

Use case 3: Public meetings

One of JAXPORT’s requirements as an organization is to provide public notice of board of directors meetings and similar public meetings. GravityView’s capabilities allow them to provide a list overview of all upcoming meetings, as well as more in-depth information about each specific meeting (including a meeting summary, and associated documents).

Use case 4: Solicitations

Likewise, the port publishes work opportunities that companies bid on. They use GravityView to display lists of those requests for proposals.

Use case 5: Business directory

Finally, JAXPORT.com also offers a business directory showcasing companies working in the maritime sector in their area. They use GravityView to displays lists of these companies, which can be filtered in various ways.

Why GravityKit was the right solution

During development, Jeff evaluated alternative mapping plugins and even considered building a custom JavaScript solution. Ultimately, Gravity Forms and GravityView were chosen to minimize plugin sprawl, reduce maintenance overhead, and accelerate development.

GravityView met all functional requirements out of the box, including displaying Gravity Forms entries as lists, single records, and an interactive global map. Just as importantly, both tools are actively maintained and aligned with WordPress standards, making them a reliable long-term choice.

The impact

Historically viewed as a regional port, JAXPORT has been working to reposition itself as a global trade hub. The interactive map built with GravityView plays a key role in reinforcing that message by visually showcasing worldwide port connections.

The tool also supports mid-funnel decision-making, answering common prospect questions like where JAXPORT ships to and which destinations are supported. Combined, the map and services pages generated over 8,000 page views and 500 referral clicks to service partners in a single year—making the mini-app both a strong differentiator and a direct driver of business impact.

Expanding the platform with future data projects

Jeff is already planning the next phase: a searchable database of global port connections JAXPORT has served over the past year. While the current map focuses on nonstop services, future iterations will include transshipment routes—complex connections that reflect how cargo often moves through intermediary ports.

By compiling historical shipment data and using GravityView’s DataTables layout, JAXPORT plans to offer advanced filtering, drill-down searches, and easy data exports. This will give customers a clearer, more comprehensive view of cargo origins and destinations connected to JAXPORT.

Takeaways

By leveraging the power of Gravity Forms and GravityView, the Jacksonville Port Authority enhanced their website, providing valuable tools and information to their prospects and customers. The interactive trade lanes map built using GravityView’s Maps layout has empowered users to explore JAXPORT’s global shipping services with ease.

This case study illustrates how GravityView can elevate website functionality and deliver an exceptional user experience.

We’re excited to celebrate the Jacksonville Port Authority’s success as they continue to navigate the seas of innovation and customer satisfaction with Gravity Forms and GravityKit at the helm!