Level

The Goal

Running a trade business is hard. There’s the physical side (long laborious hours on the tools) and the business side (drumming up new business, emailing clients and invoicing). Many tradie entrepreneurs work late into the evenings to balance both sides. 

For everyday people who need someone immediately for a job, the process is equally as hard. It’s hard to know if a local listing is legit. Some may not even have a proper website. Previous negative experiences and lack of technical understanding make the process all the more stressful.

Level required a website that could connect the dots between both of these disconnected groups. They needed a platform to make lead generation and management an effortless process for busy tradespeople – while instilling trust and decision-making confidence in those looking for a plumber or local electrician.

An Unconventional Long-Term Solution

When Level put out the call for this complex project, there were very specific requirements that needed to be met. During our initial conversations, we spent plenty of time learning about their needs and long-term goals for the business. And then we realised something.

The solution they originally asked for was merely a band-aid fix for an immediate problem. Rather than going down this route, we proposed an entirely different solution; one which would require zero dependency from Soul+Wolf after launch. Level would have the freedom to customise and add new content to the site as the business grew.

It was a long-term answer to a short-term problem, and this upfront honesty is one of the key reasons why Level chose to partner with us over another agency.

Establishing the Framework

So where do we start with a complex project like this? Silverstripe. The CMS has proved itself over and over again as a framework that can grow and change over time to meet the needs of a scaling business. If Level needed their site to perform a new set of requirements in the near future, their team could easily use Silverstripe to make the necessary upgrades (as opposed to paying for another site build). 

Meeting the Needs of Multiple User Types

In most typical builds (e.g. ecommerce), a site is built to serve 1 or 2 groups: the end user/customer and the seller/supplier. For Level we had to approach the user experience from the perspective of five different user types—each wanting/needing to do different things:

• Level Members: Trades businesses who need to present and promote their services.
• End Users: Everyday people hitting the website, looking for a Level Member to help them with either a Plumbing or Electrical problem.
• Prospective Members: Independent Plumbers or Electricians looking for more information about Level and/or wanting to become a Level Member.
• Level Administrators: The internal team at Level who need to manage and approve website content.
• Level Stakeholders: Not necessarily using the website daily, but require that the website delivers on key business requirements. 

We started first with the end user. Top-level navigation immediately directs users to search via service or location. From there, users are presented with a map of the nearest service providers. Click one and users are welcomed by a local team of tradies, a list of their specialised services, and customer reviews. In only 3 clicks the user is well on their way to making a booking with a local plumber.

For members using the site daily, the login screen is easily accessible in the top-right navigation. On their end, they can easily manage bookings, inquiries, and more. 

In every build we do, user-friendliness is our utmost priority. Level members experience this in their member portal, and Level administrators have the freedom to modify site content without the need for coding knowledge. Having a user-friendly backend makes onboarding new members significantly easier for administrators. 

The business now has room to scale efficiently, as administrators can accomplish repeat tasks in less time. 

Results

Did these strategic changes lead to real results? Let’s take a look. Over a 90-day post-launch period Level has seen:

• 352 (Click to Call) Trade Enquiries
• 271 (Form Submission) Trade Enquiries Emails
• 200 (Click to Email) Trade Enquiries

Overall, the website’s conversion rate sits at 4.12%, roughly two times the industry average.

Scalable solutions for long-term growth. That’s the way we Level up your business. 

Want to learn more? Drop us a line to book your free discovery session or click the bottom right to start chatting with the team today.