When Aluminess first contacted Sequent Creative, its website was more than overdue for an update. The aluminum product manufacturer had enjoyed a successful 12 years of business, but now wanted to offer consumers the ability to purchase products online, along with other key improvements. Sequent’s team of web professionals was more than eager to help.
Scenario
Based in Santee, California near San Diego, Aluminess Products, Inc. had established a trusted reputation for manufacturing quality aluminum products for trucks, vans and SUVs.
Despite this success, the Aluminess website had not been redesigned since 2006 and was in desperate need of major upgrades.
As part of their online expansion, Aluminess had four primary requests for Sequent:
- Modernize the website design to a comparable level of competitors and partners.
- Move the website architecture to a content management system (CMS) that could easily be maintained in-house post-redesign.
- Implement a menu and navigation structure for users to search by vehicle type.
- Build an ecommerce platform for users to select and purchase Aluminess products from a virtual storefront.
Search Engine Optimization
In addition to the updates listed above, Sequent utilized search engine optimization (SEO) both behind the scenes (including metatags, page descriptions, etc.) as well as within the web copy itself (using original, keyword-rich copy) to maximize online visibility.
Design
To start, the design team compiled an in-depth analysis of the proposed sitemap, a wish list from Aluminess and a review of comparable sites. Taking these into consideration, the design team produced high level wireframes, complete with proposed style suggestions (color pallets, fonts, etc.)
The result was a new design that showcased the full catalog of Aluminess products, bringing them to life for users to experience and purchase online.
Development
With a proposed design in place, the first step for Sequent’s development team was was to determine a CMS that could handle the functionality requests and online traffic. WordPress proved to be the best match.
Online Store
Sequent’s development team began building a customized online store by creating over 100 individual product pages and accessories.
Each item would be controlled through a centralized module built with the WP-ecommerce WordPress plugin that would make it easy for the Aluminess staff to change prices and add new products in the future.
Expanded Menu Structure
The final step was a custom-built expanded menu structure, a collection of images and lists that would clearly direct users to the products that mattered the most to them. Visitors could now search for products by choosing the make, model and year of their vehicle with an easy-to-use, aesthetically-pleasing list of menus. These menus allow users to find a product with one or two clicks, as opposed to the three or four clicks a dropdown menu would require.
Summary
Sequent successfully launched the new and improved Aluminess website on July 19, 2013.
“Now, we can offer our customers the ability to easily find and purchase the products they need online. Our new virtual store and updated look will help us stay competitive and gain new customers,” says Kenny Gorham.
“We couldn’t be happier with the result,” Diane Hoskins adds.
