Web Design project: Caradon Stone

The Challenge

The existing SquareSpace site was built for a smaller operation. With a catalogue of 75+ materials, no e-commerce infrastructure, and no structured quote system, the platform was creating friction at every stage of the customer journey. Accessibility and usability issues — invisible hover states, poor colour contrast, inconsistent mobile experience — were quietly undermining trust with the professional buyers the business most needed to convert.

The rebrand also created an SEO risk: nearly 300 existing URLs required careful redirecting to protect years of accumulated search visibility.

For a company selling premium, specification-led stone to architects and trade professionals, a website that looked like any other small supplier was actively undermining the sale before a conversation had even started.

Our Approach

We began with a detailed audit of the existing site — mapping structure, identifying UX gaps, and agreeing a phased delivery plan. Design proofs were signed off before development began at each stage, giving the Caradon Stone team full visibility and reducing rework.

Stage 1 — WordPress Build

Full migration from SquareSpace to WordPress with Beaver Builder, with usability improvements applied throughout: redesigned button hierarchy, improved typography and colour contrast, an alternative header for dark backgrounds, mobile and tablet optimisation, and Google Analytics and Search Console integrated from day one.

Stage 2 — WooCommerce

A flexible product page template and reusable category/shop architecture, built to scale across the full materials range without rebuilding pages each time a new product is added.

Stage 3 — Bespoke Quote Builder

A custom quote request system — frontend quote page, backend request management, and automated confirmation emails — replacing a generic contact form with a structured process suited to high-value, specification-dependent orders.

Stage 4 — Search Engine Optimisation

To support the launch of the new website, Caradon Stone also began working with a local SEO agency, the results reflected is a shinning example of a powerful platform and an active search strategy working in tandem.

Phase 2: Ongoing Optimisation (Jan–Feb 2026)

Months of real-world usage surfaced specific friction points. Rather than a further rebuild, this phase focused on targeted, high-impact improvements:

• Homepage hero rebuilt with an e-commerce focus — inspirational imagery, clear value proposition, direct paths to the catalogue
• Header navigation redesigned with product and resources mega menus, a USP bar, and the Quote Cart moved to a prominent position
• About section overhauled to tell the brand story — 60 years of heritage, sustainable quarrying, expert team — across a core page and supporting sub-pages
• Sitewide CTA language updated from ‘Add to Quote’ to ‘Request Prices’, better reflecting the consultative nature of the sale
• Conversion tracking and session recording set up to ground future improvements in real user behaviour
• Resources Hub built to support specifiers and architects through the research phase

Results

Traffic

• 543% increase in total users year-on-year
• 390% more sessions
• Organic search sessions up 253%

Quote Requests

• Quote page visits up 321%
• Quote completions (thank-you page) up 1,571%
• Active users reaching the quote page up 296%

Contact Page

• Contact page views up 161%
• Active users on the contact page up 139%