Engaging an expansive audience with customisable UX
The brief
Working collaboratively, Marshalls took ownership of backend development, strong communication was maintained throughout to ensure essential design and development work was completed within the deadline. Using this approach, we aimed to build a modern and commercial website that adapts to the needs of their target audiences including architects, engineers, contractors and merchants.
A primary objective of the project was to empower Marshalls’ marketing and development teams to take back control of their website, driving customer engagement and providing better customer service. As a result, a migration was needed to a new, state-of-the-art CMS with minimal disruption to business.
The solution
The project redesign and custom build were undertaken in Kentico with a content-led design approach at the forefront. Ahead of working with us, Marshalls completed extensive user persona testing which provided a starting point for their UX and design requirements.
Due to the vast product and project information Marshalls have, the new Commercial site needed to be adaptable based on the requirements of each audience to encourage lead generation. Crafting a streamlined UX, end consumers can now request quotations and samples with ease through the website request form.
Creating a modern and inspiring website, we introduced Cloudinary to manage Marshall’s huge image gallery. This integration allows images to be adapted based on the user’s device providing the design flexibility their site previously lacked. Additionally, Azure Search provides superfast suggested search which integrates with Marshalls PIM data. With a combination of text and image snippets, this feature provides the ‘inspiration’ that many architects are looking for.
Empowering Marshalls’ in-house marketing and development team was high on the agenda. The site previously had no asset management in place, reducing the in-house team’s ability to manage their digital estate and implement initiatives that would improve conversion rates. Using Kentico CMS features, the new website was built in modules alongside integration of an automated marketing solution. These features empower Marshalls' team in the creation and promotion of new campaigns and landing pages to efficiently provide relevant content, drive traffic and improve conversions. By improving Kentico knowledge and integrating with their Salsify PIM system, they now have the ability to create and promote new content, providing inspiring information quickly to ultimately drive traffic and improve conversions.
The project required the teams at Marshalls and IDHL to work together. This flexible approach to project management allowed us to be proactive during different stages of delivery, helping to prevent and overcome challenges often experienced on projects of this nature.
The results
By standardising the CMS to the latest Kentico MVC framework, stability was provided and UX was improved. With development support from IDHL, Marshalls delivered a new Commercial website showcasing their high-quality products, stunning design projects and services. Providing flexibility and freedom through Kentico has delivered an easy to manage site which, most importantly, generates leads. Since launch, the site has seen significant conversion improvements across conversions and site traffic:
After the launch:
219,000
new site users
1,000,000+
page views
2,000
quote requests
11,036
Contact Us requests
46,000
data sheet downloads
""Our decision to use Kentico as an MVC implementation has meant that we have delivered a stable and modern digital experience platform. Kentico benefited the project by allowing simple integration and offering all the experience technology that we require."“
Marco Maccio, Head of Digital Marketing, Marshalls