Freightliner Trucks Homepage Redux

In the last quarter of 2008, I was tasked with redesigning the home page of one of our clients, Freightliner Trucks. The original design of FLT is from a few years back, and we have been slowly updating areas of the site to current standards and practices since then.  A wider layout, better navigation, stronger design attitude, and SEO friendly content are our overall goals with the site. This homepage redesign is a big cornerstone in getting us to that promised land.

Freightliner Homepage before the redesign

I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish with the redesign of the homepage, including improved SEO and visibility, an easier and more concise promo area, and a better user experience for people looking for business class trucks. I also wanted to show off the trucks more, particularly in real world situations.

Improved SEO and visibility

This was a big priority. Before the redesign FLT was getting decent rankings with the search bots. I wanted to push those rankings up the list and also wanted to get away from using Flash, as SEO always suffers when it is used heavily.

Solutions

• Use jQuery for animation and functionality
• Big headlines, use of popular search terms
• Meta info on all the truck models and images

Easier and more concise promo area

The old FLT design had a very large area at the top of the page dedicated for promotions. This was great for showcasing individual pieces of the site, but not so hot at showing off Freightliners great trucks and products. This was also Flash, which made it hard to update and not SEO compliant.

Solutions

• Moved the promo area to the bottom of the page
• Standardized the size and layout for easier updates
• No Flash animation or other distracting content

Better user experience for people looking for business class trucks

The business class trucks of Freightliner are used nationwide for beverage delivery, construction, long haul, and heavy duty use. In order to make it easier for a user to find a truck that fits their needs, a better way of navigating the site was needed.

Solutions

• Gave the user a clear choice, TRUCK BY THE JOB or TRUCK BY THE MODEL
• More prominence for LOCATE A DEALER
• Added the TOOL BOX, an area for financing, parts & service, and merchandise

Freightliner homepage navigation widget

Show off the trucks more, particularly in real world situations

Everyone likes a cool truck. People want to see big beautiful trucks pulling logs out of the mud, cruising down the highway, and just getting the job done Freightliner style. I wanted to give this to them, and show the user what they could be doing in a new Freightliner truck.

Solutions

• Rotating slideshow at the top of the page using jQuery showcasing flagship truck models in real world use.
• Wider format for the page, giving it a widescreen feel.

Freightliner Homepage after

Summary

Overall, I am really please how this turned out. The new SEO numbers are just starting to come in, and they look good. People are digging the new navigation, with the TOOL BOX and “Trucks By the Job” being the most used on the homepage.  Moving forward I would love to see more photography added, and maybe more content in the TOOL BOX area. (wallpapers, downloads, etc).