Elevating Australia's Leading Commercial Painter
Client: Usher Group
Industry: Commercial Painting & Property Services
Project: Complete Website Redesign & Development
Introduction: Aligning Digital Presence with Industry Leadership
Usher Group stands as one of Australia’s largest and most respected commercial painting companies. Their comprehensive suite of services, including painting, rendering, signage, access solutions, and tailored property maintenance, caters to a multitude of industry sectors, with a primary audience of large developers such as Hutchinson Builders, John Holland, Built, and LendLease. Committed to outstanding results, their team consistently surpasses client expectations. This project focused on redesigning their website to accurately reflect their current business focus and world-class project portfolio.
The Challenge: An Outdated Platform for Evolving Services
While the existing Usher Group website had performed adequately, it was becoming dated and no longer accurately represented the company’s refined service offerings. The business had evolved, streamlining its services, yet the website hadn’t kept pace.
Key challenges included:
- Outdated Design: The aesthetic didn’t match the premium quality and scale of Usher Group’s work.
- Under-represented Portfolio: Despite completing some of Australia’s largest commercial projects, this impressive work had minimal online presence. Google Analytics data revealed high visitor interest in projects, but a lack of fresh content was a missed opportunity.
- Misaligned Service Focus: The website needed to clearly communicate a stronger focus on their core, remaining services.
The Objectives: Measurable Improvements in Engagement and Conversions
The primary goals for the new website were clear and ambitious, aiming to significantly enhance user engagement and drive business growth:
- Reduce Bounce Rate by 15%: By creating a more intuitive and engaging user experience.
- Increase Average Time on Page by 30%: Through detailed, engaging project showcases and fresh, relevant content.
- Boost New Leads via the Project Enquiry Form by 25%: By improving the visibility of their work and making it easier for prospective clients to connect.
My Role & The Approach: Data-Driven Strategy and User-Centric Design
My role encompassed the strategic overhaul of Usher Group’s online presence, from initial data analysis through to UX considerations and guiding the design direction.
The process began with a deep dive into Google Analytics, identifying what content visitors engaged with most, where they encountered friction, and common exit points. This quantitative data was complemented by qualitative UX interviews with Usher Group staff. These sessions helped uncover internal pain points, understand user pathways, and gather insights into what aspects of the (then) current site were, or weren’t, working.
Further research involved a thorough review of competitor websites, benchmarked against feedback from Usher Group’s key stakeholders. This provided valuable context for UX/UI design decisions, ensuring the new site would not only meet but exceed industry standards.
Strategy & Design: Simplifying Structure, Amplifying Impact
- Information Architecture (IA) & Content Strategy: The existing siloed architecture was streamlined into a simpler, more intuitive sitemap. This naturally led to an improved user experience (UX) and a more focused content strategy, concentrating on the refined service offerings and making project content the hero.
- Design Principles: The new design embraces simplicity and professionalism, with Usher Group’s impressive projects taking centre stage. A dynamic hero banner on the homepage rotates through their five latest large-scale projects, immediately capturing visitor attention. Key project sectors are also prominently featured on the homepage, allowing for easy navigation.
- UX/UI Solutions: A key challenge was effectively displaying the vast scale and variety of Usher Group’s projects. This was solved by implementing an easy-to-use filtering system and search functionality within the portfolio section, allowing users to quickly find relevant case studies.
Development & SEO: Building a Robust and Discoverable Platform
- Platform: WordPress was selected as the content management system (CMS), leveraging its flexibility and ease of use.
- Customisation: Custom post types were developed specifically for the projects section. This empowers the Usher Group team to easily update and add new projects themselves, ensuring the portfolio remains current and dynamic. This functionality also extends to managing team member profiles and the new employment section.
- SEO Foundations: Search Engine Optimisation was a foundational element of the redesign. By concentrating on fewer, core services, the content strategy could be more effectively targeted. This refinement aims to improve rankings for highly competitive keywords, although the full impact will be measured over time. The site was built with SEO best practices in mind, including mobile responsiveness and optimised content structures.
The Solution Delivered: A Modern, Project-Centric Digital Hub
The new Usher Group website delivers a vastly improved user experience, directly addressing the initial challenges and goals:
- Project-Driven Showcase: The incredible scope of Usher Group’s work is now front and centre, with high-quality imagery and detailed project information designed to engage their target audience of large developers.
- Mobile-First Experience: Fully responsive, the website provides an optimal viewing experience across all devices, crucial for busy professionals accessing information on the go.
- Streamlined User Journey: Visitors can easily explore projects, understand the refined suite of services offered, learn about the Usher Group team, and make an enquiry through clear calls-to-action.
- Talent Attraction Portal: A new section and dedicated enquiry form were added to attract and manage applications from prospective employees, a key asset for a growing company.
- Client Empowerment: The custom WordPress setup allows Usher Group to independently manage and update their projects, team information, and employment opportunities, ensuring the site remains a living reflection of their business.
The Results: Exceeding Expectations and Driving Growth
The redesigned Usher Group website was met with enthusiastic feedback from the client and, crucially, delivered on its strategic objectives.
The project successfully achieved its key performance indicator targets:
- Bounce Rate Reduced by 22%
- Average Time on Page Increased by 43%
- New Leads via Project Enquiry Form Increased by 28%
These metrics underscore the success of the data-driven design and development approach, resulting in a website redesign that not only looks professional but also performs effectively as a business generation tool.
