Exclusive Steel
Fewer quotes, more conversion
If your previous web developer persuaded you to get a new website and then put it live without redirects from the old site, your accumulated search engine ranking is gone completely. There's only one thing to do; don't cry over spilt milk and start all over again. How do you bounce back and move beyond?
Context
In the era of the industrial revolution, there was a significant demand for well-lit factories and warehouses. This led to the use of expansive glass windows, supported by sturdy, sleek steel profiles. The aesthetic appeal of these structures from the past has found its way into today's high-end interior designs. Exclusive Steel was the company that first spotted and jumped on this trend.
The growth of Exclusive Steel ran parallel to the rise of the internet. With a website - and no competitors - Exclusive Steel built immense authority and shone at the top of every search page. Without the need to advertise, the company from Made received a lot of traffic and thus their business grew. With the launch of the new website, a bleak scenario emerged. They instantly became invisible online, while by that time many competitors had entered the market. Based on word-of-mouth advertising, the business kept running at a steady pace, but the online-driven growth had come to a standstill.
Solution
The damage was done. There was nothing to fix. The best thing we could do was to take the bull by the horns by designing a new website again. An online environment where Exclusive Steel was well-positioned, brand and marketing-wise, for the future. A future in which we aimed to gradually restore the online authority and search traffic of the past.
In search of new success
If you want to achieve online growth, there is no quick fix. It's a process of endless details and choices. Everything you put out there must add value to the organization and the customers you aim to serve. Some questions we posed:
- Who is Exclusive Steel for?
- What does the buyer's journey look like?
- What does the ideal customer need to be convinced?
- What marketing resources are available?
Quality is a product of attention
As the name suggests, Exclusive Steel caters to the higher segment - for those who want the finest and slimmest steel doors and frames; bespoke with the highest level of finishing. And they're willing to pay for it. This choice naturally impacts the product, but also the surrounding service. Everything becomes a product of attention. This includes the quotations that need to clearly explain that your frame or door is incomparable to all the cheaper alternatives in the market.
The problem
When New Story took over the online helm, prospects were essentially only activated through word-of-mouth. They would see the steel doors or frames at friends' homes and try their luck with Exclusive Steel. The online orientation process was where it all went wrong. Technically, the old website was poorly constructed, but the way information was presented was an even bigger issue. It encouraged the wrong behavior. The threshold to request a quotation was set too low. Considering that creating a quote easily took up to 4 hours.
On the homepage, a large contact form was prominently displayed, urging visitors to immediately request a quote. As a result, prospects were presented with an exclusive price tag far too early in their buyer's journey. They were taken aback and began searching for cheaper providers. However, had they taken the effort to visit the showroom and workshop in Made, the difference in quality would have been unmistakably clear. It's the prime location to showcase what artisanal quality means and why a door or frame from Exclusive Steel truly stands apart and is worth the investment. From experience, we knew that a physical visit to Made dramatically increased the conversion rate.
Making quote requests more challenging
It felt counter-intuitive. But when we aligned target audience research, the customer journey, and the available resources from the organization, we concluded that we had to make requesting quotes much more difficult. This would encourage the visitor to read much more about the product and everything related to it. Additionally, it provided more opportunities to steer prospects towards the showroom without getting bogged down in creating numerous quotes that barely converted.
Increasing online traffic
To further accelerate the business, it was paramount to restore organic search traffic, ensuring from a UX perspective that we were always filtering the right visitor and encouraging them towards the desired behavior. This form of inbound marketing and lead generation requires patience and the continuous discipline to create content that caters to the desires and challenges of the ideal target audience. It demands a consistent investment of time, which we were able to allocate by putting the brakes on online quote requests.
Results
The plan and execution have paid off well. The website reflects the artisanal quality that Exclusive Steel stands for. Users are enticed to immerse themselves in the world of Exclusive Steel, both online and in the showroom. Online quote requests have drastically decreased, while the conversion rate of the quotes that are issued has significantly increased. Additionally, the time that Exclusive Steel can now invest in content creation is paying off, with - at the time of publication - 142 keyword-driven marketing pages generating a growing number of recurring leads.
A few high-converting examples include:
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