R.I. Lampus
Digital Strategy, Custom Website Design & Development, Custom Functionality
R.I. Lampus is a family-owned and operated leading manufacturer of landscape concrete products and masonry units throughout the tri-state area. The company came to Blue Archer for a complete website and online brand refresh that would increase lead generation, conversions, and sales.
The major challenge for our team was constructing a design and information architecture that would satisfy the needs of very different users coming to the site including both end-consumers such as homeowners as well as contractors, distributors, and architects.
Discovery Phase
The company’s hardscape and concrete products are the building blocks of impressive commercial and residential buildings, patios, and landscaped retaining walls, but the old Lampus website failed to communicate value using imagery. Early in the discovery phase, we determined that project imagery would be the cornerstone of the final design. We also uncovered the key content for users that included the product catalog and idea gallery. Both of these sections needed to be readily available to users not just on the homepage but throughout their entire site visit.
One of the most important steps in our strategy for R.I. Lampus was to thoroughly identify the potential site visitors and their different needs. While homeowners would access the site as end-consumers seeking inspiration for their own homes, engineers and architects would seek technical and functional information for products. Additionally, distributors would access the site to view products to sell, but they would also use the website as their own sales tool. The final site needed to meet the needs of all of these users.
Building the Design
Based on our discovery phase, our team needed to construct a design that would act as a sales tool for R.I. Lampus to showcase products in various projects. Therefore, the product catalog and idea gallery needed to be the focus on the homepage and throughout the site user’s experience. The design also needed to inform users where distributors were located, provide specifications and instructions, and highlight showroom locations.
With those design objectives in mind, our design team worked through a visual brand that would communicate the established, reliable, and experienced values that have guided R.I. Lampus to over 90 years of success. The final design uses striking photography for the products database where we ultimately determined to have the category names overlay the images so users could immediately recognize the category that would meet their needs. Our design team also crafted custom icon graphics for each section in the Idea Gallery in order to visual separate the section from the photography-heavy product catalog.
Resource Database
During the strategy phase when we reviewed the key users who would enter the new R.I. Lampus site, we realized we would need to add a resource database to the website project in order to meet the needs of contractors, distributors, engineers and architects.
The resource module easily displays and sorts technical specifications, catalogs, guides, kits, installation directions, and more. This resource center ensures that site users can filter and explore through categories and subcategories that match their needs. Once a user specifies her search parameters, she is taken to a listing page that includes a thumbnail image of each resource, helping her to scan resources more efficiently.
Within the content management system, R.I. Lampus admin can easily upload new resources and tag them as specific resource categories. They can also choose the order, add SEO meta data, and even add new categories.
Product Catalog
The product catalog module we programmed for R.I. Lampus was designed to showcase the beauty and style of the products. When users arrive at the product catalog page on the site, they can choose to browse by category to help narrow their initial search. Large thumbnail images and clear product names work together to identify products that may be a good fit for each user. Once viewers click to view product details, they are taken to a dynamic page that includes additional product photos, color variations, technical specification downloads, a product video, and more.
During the strategy phase we determined that the catalog needed to work together with the Idea Gallery, where users could see the products in action through project highlights. Therefore, we built the product catalog to seamlessly integrate with the Idea Gallery based on category tags, allowing users to see the product in various real-life locations and implementations.
Through the CMS, R.I. Lampus can add and remove products and update the name, description, category, color variations, and additional imagery. Admin can also add applicable product resources and tailored calls-to-action for each unique product.
Idea Gallery
Throughout the discovery phase we also uncovered crucial content in the conversion funnel that would influence a customer journey throughout the site. Many site users would seek to view the products they are interested in within the context of a project profile. In addition to the standard product catalog we implemented for R.I.Lampus, we also built out a separate Idea Gallery that would help users to find inspiration and choose products and implementations that fit their aesthetic.
Users can browse stunning patios, poolsides, outdoor ovens, walls, and other hardscape, brick and masonry products. The Idea Gallery organizes the gallery by project, communicating the location, products, and category for each project. Users can click on projects to view details and scroll through multiple images and angles.
Our developers built the Idea Gallery to be exceptionally easy for the R.I. Lampus team to manage. They can create new projects, upload additional project imagery, and choose from the database list of products and categories to tag new project additions.
Event Registration
R.I. Lampus hosts certification classes, contractor seminars, and other events throughout the year. The website needed to support easy event registration for their attendees. Now, site users can register for events online using a simple form and pay by credit card through PayPal integration.
Our developers built the events and registration module for R.I. Lampus to easily add and manage events. Website admin can manage all event information including imagery, descriptions, dates, time and more. They also have the ability to export and download registration data lists.
From the Project Manager
"The Lampus team was great to work with! The new product catalog and image gallery accomplish exactly what Lampus was hoping for, showing off their beautiful products for potential and existing customers to imagine themselves with a new and beautiful outdoor space they can be proud of.”
- Kiley, Blue Archer Project Manager
Distributor Locator
Our development team built an intuitive distributor locator so homeowners, contractors and other design professional can search and discover convenient authorized Lampus distributors near them. Site users simply enter their zip code or address as well as the milage they are willing to travel and click search. The search results page includes an interactive Google map with distributor locations clearly pinned throughout their region. Users can view the name, contact information, address, and total distance from their current location.
The Lampus admin team can add new distributor locations and information including call-to-action text and SEO meta data for improved search engine rankings locally.
Conclusion
Our Project Manager worked alongside the design, development and creative team to create a site that meets the current and future needs of R.I. Lampus. Our digital partnership with R.I. Lampus means that our Blue Archer staff continues to evaluate the website analytics to determine new website enhancements and marketing opportunities as the business continues to grow and develop.
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