4. Web development process
Not too much to say here, because I know little about your processes. Some things however, are worth mentioning:
Expert outsourcing (HTML/CSS, graphic design)
It's clear that full control over the graphic design was not held by a professional web graphic designer. Without question, this is the one of the most important aspects of the web development process that must be outsourced.
Open source development
I'm not only referring to the tools, but the implementation. No company trusts themselves to do this, but there is actually nothing to lose and much to gain. Of course, given that we know Typo3 is being used, and that we have access to the HTML and CSS, it reasonably open. But it would be nice to open up the entire development process, so that the community can also participate.
Slashdot.org is an example of a (user-driven) site that opened up the design, accepting suggestions from its readers.
User testing (usability, accessibility)
User testing is by far the best way to improve usability and accessibility, and will give insights that will help the developers in future projects. No usability improvement effort should exist without them.
Expert reviews (usability)
This is the difference between an adequate website and an outstanding website. Having an expert review the usability and usability tests will dramatically improve the user experience, and thus the number of users who return to the site.
Small team for future development/experimentation
Trying out new frameworks and interfaces should be constantly in force, even if it is just one person, even if done in their spare time between projects. For this, I would recommend having a look at the Django Framework, which gives full control to the development team, in a maintainable agile framework. The framework is written by a newspaper and is well suited for the job. Having such a side project allows new ideas to progress, which may eventually be integrated into the current system. This promotes agile development, where the requirements are constantly changing.