Version1

The client

Version 1 is a global leader in driving business transformation, with nearly 30 years of experience helping clients surpass their goals through advanced technology and expert guidance. Specialising in cloud, data and AI, application modernisation, and service delivery management, Version 1 has transformed organisations across the globe, shaping the future for major public sector entities and leading private brands.

By prioritising user-centric design, Version 1 empowers its customers to deliver exceptional user experiences. Their approach is rooted in the Strength in Balance model, which focuses on customers, employees, and organisational strength. This balance is driven by core values that are embedded in every facet of Version 1’s operations.

The challenge 

When tasked with designing a new website for Version 1, we faced several key challenges that needed to be addressed to meet the client’s objectives. The site had to reflect its commitment to driving a digital-first world and position itself as an innovator with a platform capable of supporting global growth.

Key considerations included:

• Accurately portraying Version 1’s brand to engage potential clients and employees, while also serving as a competitive strength in their industry.
• Showcasing Version 1’s people as the true differentiators, offering a platform where their collective expertise could stand out alongside their service offerings.
• Creating a future-proof site that could scale with Version 1’s international expansion and evolving business needs.
• Enhancing data integration, including seamless HubSpot connections and GA4 tracking, to ensure the tracking of critical metrics and clear insights into user engagement.
• Redesigning the careers section to attract top talent through a user-friendly, reliable interface.
• Developing a flexible backend, making the most of WordPress’s security, content management, and design capabilities, while building on Version 1’s existing platform familiarity.

Delivering on these fronts required careful planning and execution, ensuring the new site not only met current needs but also laid the groundwork long-term success

What we did 

We started with a UX discovery phase, fully immersing ourselves in the Version 1 brand to understand who they are and what they excel at. This deep dive into their business and customer needs shaped the foundation of the wireframe design, with each page and user story crafted to reflect Version 1’s core values. Our SEO team then conducted thorough site crawls and keyword research to develop a taxonomy aimed at boosting visibility and search rankings.

To ensure the messaging was on point, we carried out usability testing, which gave us valuable insights into the content that resonates most with users. This process helped identify opportunities for improvement, confirm what was already working well and optimise the user journey to guide visitors smoothly towards product purchase.

To help take the hassle out of a large part of the content population, we were able to export and format data from the old site and import over 800 pages across news and blog articles, case studies, resources and events into the new site.

In addition, we built a custom API integration to automatically sync job vacancy details from the SmartRecruiters career platform within the Version 1 website, allowing users looking for new opportunities to find and filter roles of interest easily.

The website launch was planned to align with Version 1’s new branding, so the UI needed to reflect their global ambitions. Working closely with their branding team, we provided Version 1 with a solid framework and a comprehensive UI kit to ensure both existing and new pages stay consistent with their visual identity.

The results 

The final flexible design system used for the site, underpinned by both SEO and UX best practices, provided Version 1 with the flexibility it needed to expand and grow its web presence, directly supporting its marketing and sales ambitions both in the UK and internationally.

Following the launch, 97% of visitors experienced improved Core Web Vitals, ensuring a smoother and more efficient user experience. This was made possible due to our streamlined and bespoke WordPress build along with enterprise level hosting provided by WPEngine 

Organic traffic increased by 18% compared to pre-launch levels, reflecting the site’s enhanced visibility and engagement. Additionally, we achieved a 22% improvement in user journey speed, enabling visitors to navigate the site more quickly and efficiently. This, in turn, contributed to a 20% increase in the organic click-through rate, showcasing the effectiveness of the website in driving meaningful interactions.

Do you have a similar project in mind?

We don’t work with only the world’s biggest brands. Our clients include many small to medium-sized businesses, non-profits and startups.

Just tell us what you want to achieve, and we’ll let you know what experience we have in your sector, and how we can help you. Alternatively, you can check out more of our work here. Our methodology has been successful in almost all sectors, delivering double and triple-digit improvements on average.