A future-focused website for a world-class independent global construction consultancy
With over 135 years of expertise in built environment consultancy, Gleeds has earned a well-deserved reputation as innovators, advisors, and trusted partners.
Through a network of 2,800 employees in nearly 80 offices across six continents and 26 countries, Gleeds has contributed to some of the most exciting and ambitious building projects worldwide.
Boasting a history of exceptional independent consultancy services, Gleeds has never stood still, continually developing and growing to become a catalyst for change, shaping the future of the built environment with a sustainable and socially conscious mindset.
Looking to the next stage in Gleeds’ continued growth and development, we were tasked with auditing the existing website and broader digital marketing ecosystem to redesign and build a new, user-centric global website for the business.
Key objectives included significantly enhancing online visibility, strengthening engagement, and boosting lead generation. With the new website at the core of this transformative digital marketing project, we created a visually impactful, informative, and engaging platform to showcase Gleeds’ expertise and act as a driving force for brand engagement and lead generation.
Measuring impact
In the 15 months since launch, the new website has seen significant improvements, including inbound new business commissions directly linked to enquiries generated through the website.
Highlights
66.7
%
Average engagement rate over one year
1.4
Minutes average engagement time
+
12
Points average increase in Google search results position
+
7
%
Click-Through Rate (CTR) in Google search results pages
+
25
%
Increase in form submissions throughout the new site
+
77
%
Increase in page views per visit
Expanding on a new brand identity
Working with a recently refreshed identity, we were tasked with evolving the visual identity specifically for the digital environment. The logotype, typeface and distinctive ‘Gleeds Gold’ remained, but our principal aim was to elevate the brand and incorporate the new 3D connected landscape device and secondary colour palette into a modern, dynamic and sophisticated aesthetic approach.
Our design focused on clean compositions and uncluttered layouts with restrained use of type and colour and the addition of subtle micro-interactions to buttons and navigation. The heaviness of the old brand has been replaced with a lighter and brighter look and feel that works in combination with vibrant employee and project photography from around the world to better represent the business in 2024 and beyond.
A UX-led approach
Our User Experience research was informed by behavioural insights using Google Analytics, from which we also derived search acquisition intent and trends to ensure improved SEO and SERP ranking. Personas and user journeys were developed to maximise user engagement and guide the content and design strategy.
The website's information architecture and hierarchy were developed in close collaboration with the internal client team. This process allowed Gleeds to carefully consider how their services and sectors should be structured while maximizing their proven expertise by seamlessly integrating their breadth of locations, people, and projects. This collaborative approach enabled us to design a fully connected digital experience, featuring a broad taxonomy that dynamically surfaces information related to services, sectors, people, and projects, as well as news and insights.
Global knowledge. Local expertise.
The previous website used sub-domains for stand-alone translated versions of the site. After analysing site metrics and insights, a revised approach was adopted with a new URL strategy, enabling a global-first approach. The site has been developed with phase two functionality built into the CMS, allowing for the quick and easy translation of country page content as needed.
A seamless, flexible and user-centric CMS
At the outset of the project, a requirement for the ongoing development and expansion of the website was identified. A future-proof technology platform was necessary to support this phased website growth strategy.
Developed on Umbraco – the largest and fastest-growing Microsoft .NET open-source CMS in the world – the platform offers enhanced privacy and security, omni-channel experiences, and Digital Experience Platform (DXP) solutions to support upcoming digital marketing campaigns and ongoing functional development.
A long-term partnership
For us, launching a new website is just the beginning of the journey, and we pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with our clients. Alongside identified workstreams focused on localised translated content, deeper regional and country-specific interface design, and broader digital marketing activities, our comprehensive hosting, CMS support, and data, analytics, and insights services will ensure the continued optimisation of the site, delivering ROI and supporting Gleeds' strategic business objectives.
