Based in Lafayette Colorado, Schacht Millworks engaged us for a full website redesign and content overhaul, with a specific goal of incorporating their extensive product catalog into the new website, as well as featuring existing videos and product resources for contractors using the new Schacht website. Search Engine Optimization and implementation of a Content Management System were also key requirements on this project in addition to the website redesign for this Lafayette Colorado Company.
Website Re-Design Creative Process
After an initial kickoff meeting with Schacht at their Lafayette Colorado office location, it was decided that the new website design would use their existing logo, and draw inspiration from a well-produced video marketing piece that Schacht uses with great success to reach their clients. Several creative web design concepts were presented to Schacht for review and consideration in the initial phase of the project. After a primary design direction was decided, internal web page designs for product list pages, product detail pages, and wodd species pages were designed and presented to Schacht for final review. The chosen design features warm, wood-colored tones throughout the website, with large headline fonts and wood grained textures in the header area. Also prominent on the website homepage, is a large scrolling banner area that features the high quality finished products that Schacht delivers, as well as concise marketing messaging to communicate the elegance and quality of their products and work.
WordPress Custom Theme Development
After the website design creative process and sign-off by the client, the new website design was hand-crafted into a fully customized WordPress theme, with many additional admin features to make site and product management as easy as possible for the client. Very few 3rd party plugins were used to ensure that the website continued to work over time, and requires the least amount of maintenance and website updates. After coding and developing the HTML, PHP, CSS and Javascript for the website design wrapper, the bulk of the WordPress Theme development efforts centered around the category listing pages, product detail pages, and date entry into the WordPress admin area. The site has to be as easy to use as possible for BOTH site visitors as well as Schacht employees that will be updating the site, and it was critical that new products were easy to add, and existing products were easy to manage from the admin-side of things. Not only are products on the website easy to add and manage, but the custom WordPress Theme and installation allow for complete control over website SEO data, homepage content areas, news items, and even videos that get inserted into the site from Youtube and other online video hosts.
Website Product Catalog Strategy
With over 500 products in a variety of styles and categories, organizing the structure and display of these product listings on the new website design was a critical task that required a great deal of planning and strategy. Over 43 different product categories & subcategories were chosen to best organize the new website, and allow for ease of use by site visitors trying to find Schacht products. The website design supports the depth of products on the site through descriptive list-style product pages, while still allowing site visitors to dig down into product detail pages, where CAD drawings and other resources are available for contractors and architects to download. Product images are also easily managed through a custom-built WordPress admin interface that keeps content additions and management super easy for the client.
About the Client
Schacht Millworks, with state-of-the-art-equipment in a modern 40,000 facility in Lafayette Colorado, has the three owners with decades of combined experience focused on transforming the business while continuing to embrace fine woodworking traditions. Building upon the core moulding business, the company has added an array of premium building products designed to encompass the needs of contractors, owners, interior designers and architects.