Case Study

Caorda recently worked with Viridian Solar Co-op on revamping their digital presence, which included a new logo, website, and supporting print materials. Viridian Solar is a local solar energy company, supplying Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands with clean energy systems since 2012.

In addition to having a blast working with the amazing team at Viridian Solar, we loved working on this project. Throughout the project, we got to work on all our favourite things: design, branding, website development, digital marketing – and most importantly, helping a fantastic local company renew their image from the ground up!

Research and Analysis

Our project got started with an SEO audit, where our SEO team assessed the value of the content on their current website and identified key improvements to be made on the new site. This involved everything from the technical elements down to messaging, imagery, colours, and user experience – our team left no stone unturned. After a very thorough audit and review, in collaboration with the Viridian team, we devised a plan for the new site’s design, messaging, and architecture. We also established a baseline for performance in order to measure the new website’s impact down the line.

After that, we strategized with Viridian on the most meaningful ways to maintain and improve their placement in organic search engine results for competitive keywords and phrases. As we always make sure to prioritize our client’s best interests, we determined the budget would be best used on monthly SEO strategy, analysis, and maintenance services once the site went live, rather than spending time making improvements to the old site.

Now that Viridian’s new site is live, we are thrilled to be working with them monthly to maintain and improve their placement in search engine results. We’re able to spend that time efficiently because the new site is easy to work with, thanks to the correct tools and integrations in place to improve placement in organic search rankings.

Staying Top of Mind

While it was determined that ongoing SEO improvements would have to wait until the new website launched, our team still recognized the need to stay top of mind in the meantime. That’s when we launched an audit of their Google Ads account. We reviewed and optimized their campaigns to be sure they would have no issues reaching their audience while we worked on the new website. After having worked with Viridian on managing their Google Ads account for over a year now, it has been quite rewarding to help them find new leads and promote a greener quality of life across the island!

We also must take the time to commend Viridian Solar for their excellent approach to customer management. As an employee-owned company, they interact with their potential clients closely and get to know them on a personal level, which allowed them to provide us with precise and timely feedback on their ad performance. We always appreciate this information when managing advertising accounts, as feedback like such is highly valuable and tough to come by.

A New Structure

Before launching into the creation of the new website, Caorda worked closely with Viridian to evaluate the content and structure of their old website. With the help of analytics, this allowed us to identify content that is important. We were also able to recommend trimming content where it was no longer useful to the business, all without hurting their SEO.

Once a new sitemap was developed, Caorda ensured we were using our time efficiently for the new design. By planning the structure and reviewing the content for each page closely, Caorda was able to identify the exact number of unique layouts and design features that would be required for the new site.

And a Fresh Look!

Before our team moved onto designing the new website, we started creating a new brand for Viridian. The company was formerly known as Viridian Energy Co-op, but they wanted to be clear that they are a solar energy installer and an employee-owned business. Viridian decided to rebrand as “Viridian Solar Co-op,” and our team worked closely on creating a fresh design to suit their name.

Our team reviewed Viridian’s existing brand guidelines and created a new, more focused colour palette from their existing brand colours. This change has contributed to a much stronger sense of branding across the site, with fewer colours and more cohesive elements. One of the most exciting parts of the re-brand was choosing new fonts for the logo and website. We’re super proud of the new iconography our team came up with, which includes a very distinctive burst graphic, and immediately brings the solar element to mind.

Viridian’s new website was designed to be intuitive to navigate, and to provide a clearer journey for the user. The old site had become a bit overwhelming, and was easy to become lost or trapped in links that didn’t always provide a point of engagement.

But the new site allows visitors to easily find information about Viridian Solar Co-op, determine which services are right for them, and educate themselves with a wealth of information on solar energy. Most importantly, the new site makes it easy for visitors to get in touch with Viridian’s fantastic team to discuss solar solutions for home or business.

Continued Support

Our team is so happy we’ve developed such a great relationship with Viridian Solar Co-op and are pleased to say that we have collaborated with them on other supporting projects in addition to their website. We’ve worked together on creating a suite of print materials with their new branding to support their daily operations, including print advertisements (plus a very exciting billboard!), and are looking forward to improving their online presence down the road.