Century-Long Legacy Transformed: Granite City Electric Supply’s Digital Journey
Embracing the Future at a Historic Milestone
As Granite City Electric Supply, a leader in the electrical supply industry for a century, approached their 100th anniversary, the decision to revitalize their digital presence marked the beginning of a significant transformation. Amplify Industrial Marketing + Guidance was chosen to spearhead this journey, tasked with creating a digital platform that not only reflected Granite City’s storied heritage but also catered to the evolving demands of the digital age.
Our role transcended beyond traditional marketing; we were entrusted with the crucial task of consulting on needs analysis, guiding vendor selection, and overseeing the integration of complex systems to build a best-in-class digital platform. We aim to create digital experiences that are universally accessible, ensuring that websites are not only compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but also offer an inclusive and seamless experience for all users, including those with disabilities.
Challenge: Aligning a Historic Legacy with Modern Digital Expectations
Comprehensive Company Understanding
The initial challenge was to deeply understand Granite City’s long-standing history, market position, internal stakeholder’s expectations, and future aspirations. This understanding was crucial to align the digital transformation with their century-long legacy.
Complex System Assessment
Assessing and understanding the intricacies of Granite City’s internal systems, particularly their ERP system, was vital. The challenge was to ensure these systems would seamlessly integrate into the new digital platform and design and offer a well-executed layout of material to the buyer, as components had various amounts of detail and supporting imagery and may adjust over time.
Navigating Buyer Personas
Another significant challenge was to tailor the digital experience to the diverse needs of Granite City’s professional buyer personas, ensuring the new platform resonated with and engaged their specific customer base.
Comprehensive Needs Analysis
The journey began with an in-depth assessment of Granite City’s operational requirements, digital aspirations, and long-term goals. This analysis was vital to formulate a clear and strategic roadmap for the digital transformation.
Vendor Assessment and Selection
Our team meticulously vetted potential vendors, focusing on their ability to meet Granite City’s specific needs. This rigorous selection process ensured that only the most compatible and high-quality partners were chosen for the project.
Beyond Legal Compliance
Our approach to ADA compliance is driven by the understanding that an accessible website is more than a legal necessity; it’s a platform that opens up new avenues for engagement and business growth. By ensuring that websites are accessible, we help businesses tap into a wider audience, enhance their brand reputation, and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity.
Enhancing User Experience for All
At Amplify Industrial, we believe that an ADA-compliant website is a cornerstone of exceptional user experience. By designing for accessibility, we ensure that our websites are usable and enjoyable for everyone, which in turn, helps improve overall user satisfaction and loyalty.
Solution: A Strategic, User-Centric Digital Overhaul
Wireframing and User Experience Design
A detailed wireframing process was undertaken to create an intuitive navigation structure, thoughtfully consolidating numerous product categories and subcategories. This approach was aimed at enhancing the user experience while supporting robust SEO and efficient paid marketing strategies.
Seamless System Integration
The integration of the ERP system into the website design was meticulously planned in preparation for future phases of the initiative. This integration would prove to be crucial for providing a dynamic and real-time user experience, reflecting the operational efficiency of Granite City.
Building a Future-Ready Website
The redevelopment of the website focused on balancing Granite City’s strong brand identity with a superior user experience. The outcome was a future-ready, SEO-optimized website that stands as a testament to their centennial legacy.
Maximizing HubSpot’s Potential
As a HubSpot partner, we worked closely with Granite City to plan to leverage the full potential of HubSpot’s marketing automation capabilities effectively. This involved tailoring HubSpot’s tools to align with Granite City’s marketing strategy and customer engagement goals.
Strategic Use of Third-Party Solutions
Recognizing the complexities of ADA compliance, we strategically incorporate third-party solutions known for their efficacy in achieving accessibility goals. These tools are carefully selected to complement our human expertise, ensuring a cost-effective yet comprehensive approach to compliance.
Human Insight and Expertise
Automation and tools form only part of our strategy. The human element – our team’s expertise and insight – plays a critical role. Through manual assessments and adjustments, we ensure that every aspect of a website, from navigation to content, meets the highest standards of accessibility.
Conclusion: Setting a Benchmark for Digital Excellence
The partnership between Granite City Electric Supply and Amplify Industrial Marketing + Guidance in this digital transformation journey sets a new benchmark in the industry. It exemplifies how a deep understanding of a client’s history, combined with a strategic approach to modern digital challenges, can result in a groundbreaking digital presence. The new website not only celebrates Granite City’s rich legacy but also positions them for ongoing success in the digital era. This case study is a testament to the power of strategic partnership, meticulous planning, and innovative solutions in the world of digital transformation.
Case Studies
Quantifiable Results That Drive Industrial Growth
See how our integrated marketing system delivers measurable lead generation and revenue growth for manufacturing and B2B companies across diverse industrial sectors.
Total Fire Protection (TFP), a leader in fire and life safety services, sought to modernize its online presence and enhance lead generation in specific geographic areas and industries.
Phase 1 Technology, a vertically-integrated distributor of custom industrial vision systems, has been a client of Amplify’s since 1996. Today, Phase 1 Technology is a leading distributor of vision and machine vision systems components in North America.
Kids for Kids Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2008, focuses on supporting children and families battling catastrophic diseases. Since 2018, Amplify has collaborated with them, aiming to enhance their digital footprint and engage a broader community.
Kawasaki Robotics is leading supplier of industrial robots and automation systems. When they contacted Amplify, their web presence did not effectively showcase their robotic products – their robots solve specific needs in niche industries, but this was not properly communicated on their website.
The Thyroid Cancer Care Collaboration (TCCC) application, recently launched by Amplify and the Thyroid Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation, was built with the goal of improving the overall level of care for thyroid cancers and, eventually, helping to find a cure for thyroid cancer.
As Granite City Electric Supply, a leader in the electrical supply industry for a century, approached their 100th anniversary, the decision to revitalize their digital presence marked the beginning of a significant transformation.
TRU-Vu Monitors, renowned for their industrial monitors and touch screens, faced a challenge: they needed a new website to showcase their extensive product range and a backend application that was easy for staff to manage.
Genesis Systems Group is a recognized leader in robotic integration for factory automation. They approached Amplify with an online presence that did not reflect their position as a major player in the global robotic integration market. Genesis’ existing website was not supplying the volume of leads they desired.
Donnelly Mechanical is New York City’s premier provider of commercial HVAC and energy services. They reached out to Amplify at a time when their service offerings and customer base had expanded greatly, but their digital presence had not kept up with their expansion.
Case Studies
Quantifiable Results That Drive Industrial Growth
See how our integrated marketing system delivers measurable lead generation and revenue growth for manufacturing and B2B companies across diverse industrial sectors.
Total Fire Protection (TFP), a leader in fire and life safety services, sought to modernize its online presence and enhance lead generation in specific geographic areas and industries.
Phase 1 Technology, a vertically-integrated distributor of custom industrial vision systems, has been a client of Amplify’s since 1996. Today, Phase 1 Technology is a leading distributor of vision and machine vision systems components in North America.
Kids for Kids Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2008, focuses on supporting children and families battling catastrophic diseases. Since 2018, Amplify has collaborated with them, aiming to enhance their digital footprint and engage a broader community.
Kawasaki Robotics is leading supplier of industrial robots and automation systems. When they contacted Amplify, their web presence did not effectively showcase their robotic products – their robots solve specific needs in niche industries, but this was not properly communicated on their website.
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