Website Redesign for Property Development and Management Company

This project came about as a large number of properties needed to be added to the client’s website, which previously only featured a single location.

The Challenge

The Craggs Country Business Parks have developed a number of business work spaces in various stunning locations around Cragg Vale in West Yorkshire. While this is a long established family business, tracing its roots to industries in the area, their portfolio of business parks continues to grow. By offering facilities that have been developed to an incredibly high and modern standard, they provide the sorts of spaces you would only normally find in a newly developed inner city environment.

This project came about as a large number of properties needed to be added to the client’s website, which previously only featured a single location. On top of this, some of the company’s other services, such as their high speed wireless internet connection needed to added too. 

The challenge would be to create a completely new structure for the website, ensuring that people could easily find the work space for them, either according to location or type of work space. 

 As there would be a lot of new content added to the website, we had to collect, break down and communicate information about very different types of premises, but in a way that would make it possible for potential customers to compare them.

From a design perspective, we would need to find a way to convey lots of new types of information within the design style and branding that previously existed. Brand continuity was absolutely essential as the strong and long term values of this family business needed to be carried through into this new, much bigger website.

A few other smaller features were also amended in order to smooth out the client’s workflow. We find that no website is ever a truly “finished” project, and will always require updates and additions as time goes on. 

 

The Solution

To begin with, we had to look at the bigger picture. We set out the key features of the different properties and services and how they were interconnected. This is a key part of any large web design process as it outlines the hierarchy that pages will follow and is essential for a smooth experience by enabling visitors to easily navigate to the most relevant information to them.

Moving forwards too hastily at this stage can require drastic restructuring further down the pipeline which risks adding substantial costs. Not only did we quickly come up with structure that the client liked, this also gave use the template we needed to collaborate with the client to gather and create content. This included the creation of a new menu system and creating new “top level” pages which displayed each type of service or location of a certain category, enabling us to assign parent pages and keep navigation fast and simple.

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Once we had the structure we worked closely with the client to collect all the relevant materials. In order to achieve a consistent visual style across all pages we identified what information the client would need to provide for each premises. While there were many differences in the type of business premises at each location and therefore also the types of information that would need to be included, we found patterns between these different properties that would ensure a coherent format across the website. As a small business ourselves we are well aware of the benefits that a modern, connected and scalable workspace offers, so we had no trouble creating new and engaging copy for these new pages, drawing on the client’s input and feedback to keep it consistent with the brand’s friendly tone.

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When we had collected all the required information and written up the necessary copy we could begin adding it to the website. Our in-house web developer team were able to work using the existing theme of the website, reducing the need to move to a new framework and keeping the costs down. This also enabled us to create new designs and pages that would be instantly recognisable as being a part of the same business. Our use of different layouts, icons and types of media ensured that the website reflects the modern and technologically advanced business values and premises.

The end result was a new website, that looks very similar to the old website, only includes many times more properties and services. By providing a showcase of their full portfolio, the new website provides a powerful marketing platform and will deliver long term business value.

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The Details

  • Explore thecraggs.co.uk
  • New website structure created including new menu, parent pages and navigation buttons
  • Compelling copywriting created for product and service pages in the client’s tone
  • Key USPs highlighted using material design practices
  • New pages designed within the existing theme and framework for visual continuity and cost efficiency
  • Design and layout optimised for mobile and tablet devices using a responsive design
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