Standout Style

Though owner Chris Wright was the one to originally create his company’s website, he turned to an expert for WrightWorks’ site revamp. The Indianapolis remodeler had high expectations for WrightWorks.net’s  aesthetics and wanted to avoid a “template” feel. Key concerns: that the site could be easily found, searched, and used; that it would help convert leads to projects.

Denny Connor, in Seattle, revised all his marketing materials, integrating a new company name and logo with the website. “We chose to work with a company that could give us a complete package,” he says.

Body of Work

“Most people who come to our website go straight to the portfolio because they want to see examples,” Wright says. “Companies that have been around awhile and have deep portfolios have a serious competitive advantage online.”

WrightWorks’ original thumbnail gallery was difficult to navigate. The new gallery uses larger images and has titles similar to magazine headlines, which lead users to a story about the project.

Interactive elements, such as the gallery, let users focus on their interests so they spend more time on the site. Wright wanted each photo/title box to resemble smartphone application icons.

Simply Better

The website design team switched the original logo for a simpler, more compact version. Wright’s Web developer says that large logos do not register with online visitors whose focus is on finding the information they need. Wright says that even a subtle change like this contributes to the success of the new site.

Linger Longer

“The more leads you have, the more selective you can be,” says Wright, explaining why it is important for him to analyze site statistics. Analytics provide information about how long a visitor stays on the site, how many pages he or she views, and the percentage of visitors that contact the company.

“The first step to understanding and growing is tracking and measuring,” Wright says, adding that visitors spend twice as long on the new site as they did on the old site. The company also receives double the number of online contact forms and phone calls. The bounce rate — number of visitors who only look at the home-page — has decreased.

Change It Up

  • The shade of orange chosen is “forward-looking” and “expansive,” Quesada says, and the slight brown undertone “adds grounding.”
  • The vertical tabs on the homepage echo the company’s new vertical logo — designed to be recognizable and memorable. The logo’s chamfered corners convey both stability and movement.
  • A new About Us/About You section helps visitors identify with the company and, Connor hopes, will produce qualified leads who “respect professional help.”
  • The company added a section that explains the design/build process.
  • The new Lifestyle Solutions tab aims to reflect the company’s process in solving client issues and matching home designs with lifestyles.
  • The homepage has several scrolling plans, as well as in-progress and project photos, all of which aim to reinforce the company tagline: Design, build, balance.

—Nina Patel, senior editor, REMODELING.

Fresh Energy

Denny Connor changed his company name from Connor Remodeling & Design to CRD and wanted the new website (crddesignbuild.com) to attract younger clients.

Architect Michelle Quesada — hired by Connor to bring in more exciting projects — was involved in the process and says the focus was on “young or young-at-heart clients” as well as “a new generation with a growing family and a strong interest in design, with money to spend.”