Case Study

Carl E. Smith & Sons Building Materials

Carl E. Smith & Sons has been the go-to building materials supplier in South Atlanta since 1981. They offer an extensive inventory of standard and specialty building products, backed by deep expertise and personalized service that contractors and homeowners simply can't find at big box stores.

Key outcomes for Carl E. Smith & Sons:

85% increase in qualified online leads through their comprehensive digital showcase

Intuitive product structure that minimizes search time for busy contractors

Detailed product specifications and resources that reduced pre-purchase inquiries by 40%

Carl E Smith stockyard and website on tablet

The Challenge: Modernizing a Legacy

Carl E. Smith & Sons faced a common challenge in the building materials industry—their digital presence didn't match their physical excellence.

Their single-page website failed to showcase their impressive inventory, consultative expertise, and specialized product knowledge.

Despite stocking thousands of specialty items that contractors sought, they were essentially invisible in online searches, putting them at a competitive disadvantage in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Strategic Roadmap: Understanding Their World

We began with an intensive discovery phase to fully understand Carl E. Smith's business model, product lines, and customer needs.

Through in-depth discussions with their leadership team, we mapped their extensive product catalog and identified their key differentiators: consultative service, specialized product knowledge, and ability to source hard-to-find materials.

This foundation allowed us to create a site structure that would properly showcase their capabilities while addressing the distinct needs of both contractors and homeowners.

Rather than treating their website as merely a digital brochure, we approached it as a critical business tool designed to attract leads and reinforce their reputation for expertise.

Building a Better Solution

We crafted a comprehensive website that mirrors Carl E. Smith's impressive physical inventory and expertise.

The site structure features intuitive product categories that match how contractors and homeowners actually search for materials, with detailed specifications for each product family.

We implemented dedicated category pages with rich content about specialty items, showcasing brands and custom order capabilities that separate Carl E. Smith from the competition.

For homeowners embarking on renovation projects, we created a resources section with carefully curated content that establishes Carl E. Smith as a trusted advisor, not just a materials supplier.

The mobile-responsive design ensures contractors can quickly check availability and specifications while on job sites, streamlining their workflow and strengthening client relationships.

Results That Build Business

The new Carl E. Smith & Sons website has delivered impressive results across multiple metrics, transforming their digital presence into a powerful business asset.

Site traffic has increased by 75%, with visitors spending three times longer exploring products and services than on the previous website.

The intuitive structure has led to a 40% decrease in customer service calls about basic product information, freeing staff to focus on high-value consultative conversations.

Leads from the website have increased 85% year-over-year, with a significantly higher conversion rate from both contractors and homeowners.

The strategic positioning of specialty products has generated substantial interest in high-margin items, contributing to a 25% increase in special orders during the first quarter after launch.

Clean website design on a variety of devices