Branding and beyond

Building a website from the ground up.

What began as a request to develop a brand strategy for a cast polypropylene manufacturer expanded into creating a new website to help the global company make a name for itself in new markets. Profol, an international leader in the industry, was looking to communicate their expanding capabilities, and we rose to the challenge.

Profol historically specialized in the stationery products market and had begun to see sales evolve with the rise in digital products and platforms. To address a potential market shift, Profol developed new markets for its products, including packaging, furniture, construction, and automotive, yet needed to communicate these new solutions via its website—on a global scale.

 

 

Discovery process goes international

Learning the language.

 

Headquartered in Halfing, Germany, Profol has additional locations in Germany, the Czech Republic, China, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our international brand discovery sessions pinpointed what made Profol different from the competition and led us to a new unified global brand position and tagline: Profol Performs.

With the brand strategy in place, we were on to the next task: a website overhaul to infuse it into Profol’s online presence and add informative content to highlight the company’s range of capabilities. To add to the challenge, as an international player, Profol was operating five different websites in three different languages. Each website presented Profol differently and lacked a unified brand, both in appearance and presentation of message.

 

Translating a brand

Consistency across continents.

Our job was to not only add new information about capabilities, but to do so with a global appeal—and create a multi-lingual website with the option to select English, German, Spanish or Chinese languages. The process included developing new, translated content, checking and re-checking to ensure the message was consistent and on brand, regardless of the language.

Customer interviews we conducted during the initial brand discovery provided us with powerful testimonial quotes underscoring how Profol “performs” as a preferred supplier. Incorporated into a rotating banner, each provides a quick hit of trusted reliability for those new to the brand.

 

Content + UX = success

First impressions matter.

In addition to communicating Profol’s new capabilities through a unified brand message, we also wanted to ensure a positive user experience.  The new site was developed with:

• A responsive design to make the site mobile-friendly and boost search engine results.
• A simple pulldown menu to select one of four languages.
• Icon buttons organized by application to visually direct the user to specific product information.
• A streamlined contact form and floating call-to action (CTA) button with a lead generation form to further strengthen the company’s reliance on qualified leads through the website.

 

Finding a website, and staying there.

Search terms are up, bounce rate down.

One year into the launch of the new website, two key search engine optimization (SEO) analytics are reflective of our goals: the Profol website is easier for potential customers to find, and the content and positive user experience are keeping them there.

Previously, Profol was ranking below page two in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for three top keywords. Now the company sits at the top of the pack at #1, #2 and #3 respectively.

And once visitors find the Profol website, they are staying longer. The positive user experience is making it easier to them to navigate the site and find the information they are searching for.

The bounce rate, which measures the percentage of visitors who leave a webpage without taking any action, has improved nearly 10% and continues to remain below the prior year rate.

 

Thinking about upgrading your online presence?

Let’s get started.

Building a website—or updating an existing website—is more than just adding text and photos. It requires an overall marketing strategy to ensure it is communicating your brand consistently, meeting your objectives, and working as a key foundational piece around your entire mix of content.

It can feel like an overwhelming, complex task. And it’s one you shouldn’t have to worry about. That’s where we come in. Whether you need a large, global multi-lingual site with lead generation muscle or a smaller site to grow your business, an experienced professional team can help. Have questions?

Contact Dave Morton – dmorton@jwmorton.com. 319-378-1081.