VH Shri Construction & Engineering Material Website Design Case Study

VH Shri was established in 2016 as a subsidiary of VHPT Systems. The company operates in the specialized construction industry, focusing on engineering materials used in bridges, tunnels, and water conservancy projects. They manufacture prestressed galvanized metal corrugated pipes, post-tension wedges, anchors, and strands, along with 100 other products serving various industries. VH Shri is an established partner for many companies in the construction sector, providing high-quality solutions for major projects in both private and government sectors.

Though established in 2016, the company did not have an online presence until 2020. In 2020, the company decided to create a web presence due to pressure from the marketing team, who found it difficult to answer questions about the credibility of a company without a website. In today’s world, a website is a requirement for any company. Most companies create a website even before the launch or formal registration to see how their products and services are received by the audience. A company established in 2016 without a website until 2020 raised a lot of questions among companies and prospective clients.

A company without a website in today’s world faces multiple hurdles. Some of the problems faced by VH Shri were:

1. Explaining Products and Services: Explaining products and services over the phone or via email was repetitive and prone to human errors. There was a high chance that the person communicating on behalf of VH Shri might not convey the product details correctly or thoroughly. Additionally, the tone or language used during phone conversations might not be easily comprehensible, especially given India’s linguistic diversity. Although English is commonly used in large companies, varying accents across states can lead to misunderstandings.
2. Inability to Access Product and Service Details: Most companies prefer not to call or email another company unless absolutely necessary. With competitors having websites that detail their products and services, VH Shri risked being overlooked. Phone conversations are also not ideal for conveying detailed product information, especially when numbers are involved. Although email is a great medium, making product details available on a website is preferred.
3. Reputation: Most companies view a business with a well-designed website as reputable. Over 70% of web users state that a company with a good website and design, in particular, creates an impression of reliability. A lack of a website, or a poorly designed one, results in a lack of trust and reputation. Over 68% of all web users say they will not return to a company without a website or one with poor design. In VH Shri’s case, the absence of a website caused many to question its reliability as a business partner.

With these factors impeding the marketing and sales process, VH Shri decided to invest in a new website. The website design project was awarded to Megh Technologies based on recommendations and reviews found online. Megh Technologies was also locally based, easily accessible, and had experience working with large companies in the same industry.

Project Goals & Objectives

Our initial conversation with the stakeholders focused on their requirement for a simple website with product listings. We explained the need for a business website designed with features that could improve productivity in various areas. At Megh Technologies, we provide complete digital transformation services, and we wanted VH Shri to be aware of all the services we could offer. VH Shri decided to start with a full business website that could portray their company as a brand and present itself professionally to its audience. The website was to list all products and services with detailed information on each. Below is the consolidated requirement list:

1. Clean Website with Easy-to-Read Content: The information had to be detailed, and any publicly available content related to products and services should be presented on the website.
2. Responsive Design: With more people accessing the internet via mobile phones, it was sensible to create a responsive website. The company understood that most visitors would be busy, top-tier management staff in purchase departments or managerial positions. These individuals often start their research on mobile phones and then continue it on a desktop. A responsive website was crucial for VH Shri.
3. Fast-Loading Website: The website needed to load quickly, especially on mobile phones. Since many people would be browsing the site in the field without access to Wi-Fi or broadband, it had to perform well on 2G or 3G networks.
4. Minimal Animation but Good User Experience: The company did not require detailed animations or large images on the website. Most images were of construction sites in progress, which, while appealing to those in the industry, were not visually appealing to a general audience. Images were mostly restricted to the gallery section, with only presentable ones displayed on regular pages.

The primary purpose of the website was to present the audience with a branded platform displaying VH Shri’s products and services. This would help the marketing team avoid repeatedly explaining basic product details and services, while also establishing the company’s reputation as an industry leader.

Design Strategy

VH Shri required a fast-loading website with no backend technology. There was no database involved, and the website was to be a static design with subtle microanimations. A responsive design with an adaptive layout was important. Due to the lack of presentable images, a parallax design was not considered. A minimalist design approach with a more typographic focus was ideal for VH Shri, considering the industry.

Megh Technologies decided on using a flat design with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Bootstrap was the preferred framework for creating the website as it had libraries to create a responsive design. With no content management system requirement, we did not consider using WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. Graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Sketch were used where necessary, while Figma and Adobe XD were the preferred UI/UX design tools for creating the wireframe and prototype. The typography was decided to be Montserrat and Source Sans Pro, and the colors were matched to the company’s existing logo.

For web hosting, Megh Technologies suggested the most affordable Azure package for the company. The domain name registration was done in the name of VH Shri through Megh Technologies.

Wireframing and Prototype

The website structure was presented to stakeholders through the wireframe of each page. Once the wireframe was approved, Megh Technologies created a working prototype on Figma for approval and any necessary changes. Once the client was satisfied, the website was constructed in HTML5 and CSS3 with JavaScript using the Bootstrap framework.

The Results

Upon deployment online, there was no significant difference initially. Since the website was new, it took time for Google to recognize it and rank it highly, which typically takes over six months. However, the marketing team experienced a significant boost with the website as a marketing tool. Newsletters and emails sent out at the launch of the website gained traction in the first few weeks but gradually reduced over time.

Update 2024: The VH Shri website now has a consistent number of visitors every month, with 6-7 conversions in the past year. Although this number may seem small, it is important to note that these are conversions for multi-million dollar projects. In an engineering niche like VH Shri’s, conversions are typically low due to the number of competitors and the limited number of projects. Additionally, these conversions are purely from the website itself.