Five Star Logistics had managed without a website for the company’s entire history. While referrals, great relationships, and Facebook had served to keep the company connected to its customers, a well-designed, high functioning website was determined to be key to establishing an online presence that defines the full scope of service offerings, while driving new operational efficiencies and growth.
Connected and Comprehensive Capabilities from Coast to Coast
Five Star Logistics is a full-service logistics sourcing company that offers a wide range of transport solutions within industries that include food and beverage, packaging, and plastics. Specialized services also cover large equipment hauling, the proper handling for transport of hazardous materials, and warehousing.
A well-connected and reliable provider within a complex field for which the allowable margin for error is close to zero, Five Star Logistics had managed and maintained a solid industry standing based on its reputation and relationships, along with a high level of consultation and support services. Until the launch of its current site, Five Star Logistics’ online presence had consisted solely of a Facebook page and a Google listing.
New Site for Accelerating Efficiency and Growth
Headquartered in Elgin, Ill., Five Star Logistics is a subsidiary of a company for whom Solid Digital had recently redesigned a website.
Inspired by the success of that initiative and anticipating cost efficiencies that drew upon previous design and discovery work, Five Star Logistics reached out to Solid Digital — specifically requesting to work with the same team that had designed and developed the parent company’s website.
KEY OBJECTIVES FOR FIVE STAR LOGISTICS’ NEW SITE INCLUDED:
- Expanded partner relationships with new trucking and transportation providers,
- A platform for driving up SEO and digital value overall,
- A steady stream of leads,
- Greater efficiencies and reduction in staffing needs, resulting from the option of requesting a quote or making general inquiries via the website, and
- Online claim reporting capabilities.
Leveraging Existing Onramp
Solid Digital’s previous working relationship with Five Star Logistics’ parent company served as a foundation for significant efficiencies. While it’s often the case for clients that simply getting started and knowing where or how to begin can be a hurdle when designing or redesigning a website, for Five Star Logistics, that road had already been paved.
In designing and developing the Five Star Logistics site, the Solid Digital team was able to fast-track the discovery process and proceeded to leverage many of the design elements and templates developed for the parent company’s site.
The overarching visual direction relative to the parent company site: “related not replicated.” This direction translated into a variation of the parent company’s distinctly warm and engaging vibe for the Five Star Logistics site. While the colors and font treatments were switched up for Five Star Logistics, the Solid Digital design team pulled in some of the design features that had been particularly well received on the previous project.
AMONG THEM:
- The “glass” menus reemerged, this time with a more rugged, roadworthy feel.
- Isolated floating images contributed to an airy, contemporary aesthetic.
- Headers on stylized map backgrounds subtly reinforced the context of transportation and logistics.
- Navigation pin icons interspersed throughout the site with lines connecting them served as a whimsical reminder that Five Star Logistics is in the business of transporting goods from point A to point B.
Solid Foundation for Forward Momentum
Solid Digital created the website in WordPress with Elementor Page Builder, which has provided the Five Star Logistics marketing team with the ability to quickly and easily manage page content, updates, and revisions. The claims form that was an essential component to the new site’s functionality, was created using an embedded Office 365 form.
Success Factors
It is always a compliment and an honor when a previous client returns.
Five Star Logistics’ request to re-engage with the same team from Solid Digital, within just a few months of the completion of the parent company’s site, sparked energy akin to getting the band back together. From a practical standpoint, the fact that no introductions were needed, and that the client team had an established track record of being a fun, productive partner to work with sparked efficiencies and energized the team.
The opportunity to leverage elements from the previous engagement served to further fast-track development.
