Marketing Case Study / Gradwell
Web Development
| Client | Gradwell / www.gradwell.com |
|---|---|
| Objective | Bring website in-line with new brand and enable smoother online sales journeys. |
| Quick Facts |
|
The Gradwell website redevelopment formed part of an overall tightening of the sales process at Gradwell. The aim for the website was to create a hub and capture point for awareness-driving activities, and targets on increased sales conversions.
Problems with the existing website:
The key driver for changing the website was to bring it in-line with the refreshed brand. The business also took the opportunity to review the way in which people journeyed through the sales process online, and the way that products and services were presented to aid decision-making.
Following a review of the target market, their approach to purchase decisions, and the role the website would need to play in this, we identified the following key issues:
- Visually, the site only appealed to the technology enthusiast community, with a heavy use of high-tech imagery and a reference to coding language.
- The tone of voice and language used was alienating to a wider business audience.
- The information architecture did not intuitively separate products into logical groupings, and there was no in-built cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.
- Product information was factually presented, with little in the way of features, advantages and benefits, and little proof and case study material presented in the right places.
- As the site, blog and systems had grown up organically, various parts of the site were fragmented, making SEO more challenging.
- Even simple changes needed to go through the development team, rather than enabling responsive and regular house-keeping by the marketing team.
- Adding campaign landing pages, etc, was not a built-in to the site set-up or structure.
The new site we helped to deliver:
Clear Thought pulled together a team of heavy-weight experts to work on the crucial elements like information architecture (the way that information is organised and linked), wireframing (the function and layout of each page) and key page visual designs. To make the most of the budget, freelance experts were then used to deliver less crucial elements. With Gradwell's own development team fully occupied with service infrastructure improvements, Gradwell worked with an outsourced team of developers for the initial chunk of work.
The new site has the following key features:
- Content management system (CMS): enabling speedy site changes as needed.
- Design: significantly friendlier visual appeal in line with the new brand.
- Information architecture: clear and intuitive site navigation.
- Visitor experience: clear journeys for different target markets.
- Engaging content: case studies, how-to articles, tips, press articles.
- Cross-links: Campaign promotion points at key locations around the site.
- Metrics: Clear goals within Google Analytics.
This project was very much a starting point for Gradwell, looking at key areas of the site in relation to the first three steps of the sales process. Having recognised the significant strategic importance of the site in their business plan, a team of in-house experts have now taken on full-time responsibility for ongoing improvement of all areas of the website. Plans include a sophisticated online support centre, simpler online purchasing and a partner portal.
Clear Thought was delighted to kick this project off, and is pleased to see the Gradwell team embrace the ongoing responsibility with such enthusiasm.
This project was undertaken as part of a 12-month marketing transformation programme for Gradwell. Hear Peter Gradwell, MD, talk about his experiences in this 3-minute video »
