Peavey Electronics, one of the world’s largest audio equipment manufacturers, recently completed a major overhaul of its website. The redesign was led by New York-based marketing firm Cardwell Beach. Boardroom Insight caught up with Mike Beach, Cardwell Beach’s co-founder and chief executive officer, to get the inside perspective on the project and a look at how the consumer electronics sector’s top players approach digital marketing.

Boardroom Insight: Thank you for giving us your take on this news. Let’s start with some background – an overview of Cardwell Beach and the capabilities your team brings to client projects.

Mike Beach: Cardwell Beach helps organizations achieve rapid growth through outstanding advertising, content, and web design. We bring the power of Fortune 1000 marketing to mid-market brands.

Boardroom Insight: What does the goal-setting and planning phase of a digital project look like when the client is a large company with thousands of employees? 

Mike Beach: In large-scale digital projects, our goal-setting and planning phase is carefully tailored to the client’s needs. For a client like Peavey Electronics, with a rich history and a large employee base, our focus was on reinvigorating the brand in a modern context. 

The aim was to elevate their digital presence to match their iconic status. This involved designing a high-quality website that resonated with their brand tone and provided a seamless online shopping experience. Key to this was working closely with a handpicked Peavey team, ensuring swift and decisive action without the delays often associated with large committee decision-making processes.

Boardroom Insight: What does it take to compress a major website overhaul into 10 weeks?

Mike Beach: Achieving a major website overhaul in just 10 weeks demands a clear understanding and prioritization of the target audience, along with alignment at every critical phase of the project. Our approach started with a comprehensive analysis of the existing site, followed by a fresh take on the sitemap to prioritize user experience. This was balanced with SEO considerations, always keeping the user’s needs at the forefront. 

The process was highly structured yet flexible, with overlapping phases like sitemap development, wireframe creation, and design conceptualization occurring simultaneously. Crucial to this rapid progression was Peavey’s commitment to fast, intuitive decision-making and our strategy of staffing developers around the clock. We also drew inspiration from leading e-commerce sites to ensure we were adopting industry best practices while maintaining the unique Peavey brand essence.

Boardroom Insight: Cardwell Beach plans to continue working with Peavey Electronics to help refine their site design over time. How does that kind of Day 2 continuous iteration on a project unfold from the agency’s perspective?

Mike Beach: Post-launch, our focus shifts to continuous improvement and iteration of the site. This involves extensive analysis of user behavior using tools ranging from Google Analytics to advanced mouse movement tracking. These insights are invaluable in understanding how users interact with the site and identifying areas for improvement. For instance, we recently adjusted product imagery to optimize mobile viewing experiences. Such attention to detail is critical, especially after a rapid launch, as it ensures that the site not only meets initial expectations but continues to evolve and improve, enhancing user experience and aligning with ongoing brand objectives.

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