CASE STUDY : HOIGAARD'S AWNINGS
INDUSTRY
Industrial Fabrics
SERVICES: WEBSITE DESIGN, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, CONTENT WRITING, GRAPHIC DESIGN
01
Our Charter
Background
If you’re from Minneapolis you’re most likely familiar with the Hoigaard’s brand. A staple in the Minneapolis community for over a century, the Hoigaard’s name is synonymous with quality and service.
This was a bit unique, as their current website was mostly adequate. There’s always room for improvement, but their website wasn’t far off. Definitely one of the better websites that we’ve replaced. The bigger issue, was that their experience with their existing website company fell well short of their standards. Simple change requests went unanswered or took much longer than expected, and they were on a proprietary platform, and couldn’t move their website. Because of this they were looking for a better, more reliable option.
02
THE PLAN
Design Considerations
In the services industry, it’s important to 1. Grab attention quickly 2. Provide a clear call to action, and 3. Make it as easy as possible for website visitors to contact you. In knowing that, it was supremely important to make their new website “pop”. Adding movement, strong visuals and strong content was key.
Functionality
The previous Hoigaard’s website was built on a proprietary platform, that offered limited customization options, and zero mobility. They were at the mercy of their website company. Also, they were looking to tie into and present manufacturer information on their new website, so thought needed to put into how best to integrate this information.
Messaging
The first thing we ask website clients is “what’s the goal of your new website?” Theirs was more appointment requests, so it was important to make this a focal point. Another thing that was missing from the Hoigaard’s website was strong messaging that clearly articulated their value proposition. In other words, the “why Hoigaard’s” messaging was missing.
03
RESULTS
User friendly websites. Better engagement.
This project took two weeks to complete. At the end of the day, they now have a website that hits on all of their main concerns:
Visual appeal to grab their visitor's attention
How? Using full screen images to showcase their beautiful awnings, as well as a Ken Burns (slow zooming) effect to add movement. Also, using visual hierarchy principles to guide visitors' eyes to the most important elements.
Capture more appointment requests
How? By creating a call to action that is attention-getting, and entices interaction, their new website definitely delivers more appointment requests.
Stronger messaging
How? We built a message around their core strengths as a company, in addition to a "Why Choose Us?" section on their home page, which is a great opportunity to sell their advantages.
Want to "own" their website
We build their new website on the WordPress platform, which is a widely-used open source platform that is supported across the globe. They can now do whatever they wish with the website, and possess their own website files.
Secure website (HTTPS vs HTTP)
Check! With an SSL in place, their website is now secure.
Scott was great to work with and extremely efficient especially when I had him working on two projects at the same time. I would highly recommend! Thank you Scott for the great job. the best thing is we are already seeing great results from our newly designed websites
04
RESPONSE
This is why we love what we do. Helping small businesses – one at a time.
Before (left) and After (right)
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