FS-Elliott
Digital Strategy, Custom Website Design & Development, Custom Functionality
FS-Elliott, a manufacturer of oil-free centrifugal air and gas compressors for a wide range of markets, came to our team as an established, reputable brand in their industry. FS-Elliott sought a digital partner that could build a new website to exceed new design, user-experience, content, and functionality standards.
Strategy & Project Approach
FS-Elliott needed their website to stand out and differentiate them in a highly competitive marketplace. To meet this need our strategy phase for FS-Elliott focused on highlighting differentiators and value propositions such as superior support-staff and niche product focus and also identifying project objectives such as increasing leads and improving internal website management.
We also spent time analyzing the analytics and trends of the current site to better inform the development of the new site. After analyzing the data, for example, it became clear that new visitor traffic was weighted heavily towards mobile devices. This was unusual for a B2B business, and it underscored the need to ensure that first-time user experience needs were met on the mobile display.
Prototypes
Like most projects, before moving into the design phase, it was necessary for us to create prototypes for varying categories of pages on the site. This step prioritizes usability and enables us to visually display the site architecture and identify necessary content sections on pages.
We prototyped concepts for the homepage as well as every other custom layout on the site including product pages, industry pages, and more. Throughout the process we identified potential user funnels throughout the site.
For example, many users would enter the site and look for solutions specific to their industry. Therefore, we needed to prominently feature the industries as an interactive element on the homepage. Throughout the prototype phase, we tested varying opportunities to visually display the content.
Initial Design Exploration
The moment we saw imagery of FS-Elliott’s products, we knew they needed to take center stage in the website design. By using high quality photography to set a visual tone, we were able to create an effective and informational website that keeps the user focused on the products.
Throughout our initial design exploration exercises, we determined that we wanted to move away from the bright red in FS-Elliott’s logo since it did not compliment the bright colors of FS-Elliott’s products. Instead, we focused our energy on incorporating variations of blue, green, and a softer red.
The defined color scheme and supporting geometric design direction set the foundation for a website design that communicates experience, innovation, professionalism and value.
Custom Website Design
Our team of designers crafted a website that communicates an industry edge to help distinguish FS-Elliott from their competitors. The resulting aesthetic is a clean site that leans on powerful product imagery and illustrative accents where appropriate.
The font, similar to Futura utilized throughout their print and marketing materials, is a sans-serif Roboto Condensed that provides a feeling of strong voice, appropriate for the market.
After revising and finalizing the homepage design with the FS-Elliott team, our designers moved on to additional custom layouts including product overview and details, industry, support, form, and additional pages crucial to the site visitor’s journey.
Product Pages
Customers and prospects anywhere within the sales cycle would look to the site to be a canonical source of product specifications. Therefore, the product section needed to provide an intuitive, informational experience for the end-user. Importantly, it also needed to prepare users to take the next step towards conversion.
On the other hand, one of the overarching goals for the project was also to provide a tool for FS-Elliott distributors to help their customers identify the most appropriate products for their needs. So, from an administrative perspective, the product section on the site needed to provide the FS-Elliott team with the ability to manage all product data including range, dimensions, certifications, codes, accessory options, and more.
Our developers created a solution that includes database driven product categories and accessories for simplified site management. For the end-users, the product pages also strategically integrate with case studies and the ability to seamlessly locate a distributor or request a quote.
Industry Module
As we identified in the strategy phase, site users would enter the site with expectations to see the products contextualized within their specific industry throughout the site. Consequently, industry content couldn’t just appear on static pages. In order to simplify site updates and edits for the FS-Elliott team, we built an industry module that utilizes databases to manage content for related applications, products, and case studies.
Now, FS-Elliott can easily build new industry pages without having to worry about populating hundreds of content variables. The module also integrates directly with the case studies, enabling FS-Elliott to evince expertise within each market.
Case Study Module
Similarly to the industry module, our developers also developed a custom case study module for FS-Elliott to highlight their experience. FS-Elliott wanted to enable all site users to engage with the case studies. However, for marketing purposes, they determined that in order for site users to read the entire case study, they would be required to submit contact information. This allowed the FS-Elliott sales team to follow-up with interested individuals to begin discussing how similar products and solutions could benefit their own organization.
Within the content management system, FS-Elliott team can populate case study content a single time and then associate it with multiple pages using simple databases.
Find a Distributor
When FS-Elliott came to us, they had a confusing distributor locator page on their current site. It was developed using outdated flash technology and required users to know the shape and location of the country, state and county they were searching for, which added unnecessary complexity for the site visitor.
Our simplified, updated version gives the user a opportunity to select their location from a simple drop-down list. Once a user chooses their location, they are presented with a list of FS-Elliott distributors’ names, locations, and contact information.
Conclusion
FS-Elliott came to our Blue Archer team with a complex challenge: synthesize all of their internal and external customer needs into one easy-to-use web presence that modernizes the brand without losing an established identity. Our strategy process identified and prioritized goals, defined a solid information and visual architecture, and identified existing assets we could use to fully meet those needs. Our experienced creative and technical teams brought that vision to life.
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