West System

Introduction

West System is a reliable, well-balanced epoxy system formulated and manufactured by Gougeon Brothers, Inc., an innovator and world leader in marine epoxy since 1969. As the manufacturer of the world’s most the most reliable and well balanced epoxy system, West System is keenly focused on refining its vast epoxy product line. Offering an easy-to-find, informative, and digestible online resource for its worldwide customers and distribution channels is paramount to maintaining West System’s reputation for superior products and exceptional customer service. West System is an employee-owned company located at the heart of the Great Lakes, on the banks of the Saginaw River in Bay City, Michigan.

Situation

West System’s distribution channels and customer base span the globe. Distributors and customers alike require detailed information that is easily located and ingested via the Web. Its distributors and customer base require an easy-to-navigate platform on which to disseminate product information, quickly find the epoxy solution right for them, as well as locate a dealer from which to purchase.

Towards that end, West System required a complete overhaul of their 1990’s-designed archaic web site. Specific requests included: driving traffic to their web site, search engine optimization, a crisp and updated appearance, easy navigation through the plethora of product information, ability to update electronic information internally, and obtain higher rankings on search engines, particularly Google.

To embark upon this immense renovation, manufacturer of West System, Gougeon Brothers, Inc.’s President, Alan Gurski sought a digital marketing solutions provider. The criteria guiding the selection process was to find one provider to redesign, organize, rewrite, build, and optimize their web site thereby laying the foundation to manage its future growth. 

Solution

Ingenex Digital Marketing presented a full-service solution for all of West System’s requirements to ultimately remedy their situation and build the platform for their long-term worldwide digital interaction. West System chose Ingenex Digital Marketing for its comprehensive digital marketing solution, including:

• Providing digital marketing research, keyword creation, and search engine optimization to ensure West System’s web content would improve its search engine rankings and drive web traffic to its new web site;
• Building, designing, organizing, and writing a 200-page crisp, clean, easy-to-navigate, easy-to-comprehend web site for its customers and distributors;
• Utilizing the powerful content management system (CMS), Silverstripe to build West System’s new web site, Ingenex Digital allows key personnel at  West System easy access to update and upload electronic information, such as: news, products, announcements, team member biographies, blogs, and more;
• Linking out and back-linking to social media websites adds higher visibility and improve ranking among search engines, particularly Google.

Today, West System’s web site meets all of their criteria and surpasses their original expectations.

Results

Grace Ombry, Director of Marketing at West System, finds Ingenex Digital Marketing to be knowledgeable and resourceful. Ombry believes that Ingenex Digital Marketing did a good job of training its personnel on Silverstripe, which made the transition far easier. West System enjoys page 1 rankings on Google, and is proud to send customers to their new web site built by Ingenex Digital Marketing.

“It does exactly what we need it to do; it fills in the gaps of person-to-person question-answer and saves time for our customers and our staff,” says Ombry. “It can be a complex product line to inform potential users about, but the design and navigation of the site makes it easy for people to find exactly what they’re searching for.”

Ingenex Digital Marketing's role in building West System’s new website met all of its objectives, particularly ease of navigation, driving traffic, and ranking on the search engines. Above all, this new web site will carry West System well into its future, and it is virtually self-sustaining.

West System at a Glance

Corporate Headquarters:

102 Patterson Ave.

P.O. Box 665

Bay City, MI 48707-0665

Web site: www.westsystem.com/ss

Toll free 866-937-8797 / 989-684-7286 / Fax 989-684-1374

West System epoxy is a versatile, 2-part, marine-grade epoxy that bonds and coats fiberglass, wood, metal, fabrics and other composite materials to provide superior strength and moisture resistance.

West System is a reliable, well-balanced epoxy system formulated and manufactured by Gougeon Brothers, Inc., an innovator and world leader in marine epoxy since 1969.

West System has distributors and licensees across the globe.

West System is a privately held, employee owned company.