About Path Robotics
Path Robotics, Inc., is an artificial intelligence (AI) company that designs and manufactures proprietary industrial robots that autonomously scan, position, and weld parts without the need for skilled welders or robot programmers. Their mission is to enable robots to build, so humans can create.
Situation: Un-clear Messaging & Positioning and Confusing Site Architecture Led to High-Bounce Rates
When they initially partnered with Windmill, the Lonsberry brothers, Adam and Andy, were determined to develop a turnkey solution to resolve the skilled welder shortage in the manufacturing industry. Their clients, who mainly run high-volume, low-mix production facilities—for example, tier-one automotive companies—were facing recruitment and retention challenges that even the most renowned staffing agencies couldn’t fix.
The team had identified one of the manufacturing industry’s most challenging pain points and developed a smart solution to address it, but they missed the opportunity to connect with their target audiences on their old website. Their messaging and positioning was confusing and led many site visitors to leave and never return. Historical data showed a bounce rate of 90% and an average session duration of 46 seconds.
The Path team knew that their intelligent industrial robots could help resolve the skilled welder shortage, but they didn’t know how to attract, engage, educate, and convert their ideal clients. Their old website, created prior to the engagement with Windmill, was designed by artists and won awards, but it was a poor lead generation tool.
Windmill partnered with the Path team to thoughtfully determine brand messaging and positioning, site architecture, user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and HubSpot and Greenhouse Job Board integrations. Later, Path returned to Windmill to evolve the website as the company prepared to seek a new round of funding.
Solution: Modern, Branded Lead-Generation Website With the Right Information in the Right Spot
For the first redesign, Windmill Strategy conducted several interviews with the Path team to thoroughly understand their brand. The conversations identified and clarified their purpose, positioning, and personality. The Path team articulated their vision, mission, and values and identified their target audience and the messages they wanted to convey. This work influenced the website architecture and user experience.
The Path team needed to educate prospective clients about the role their intelligent industrial robots would play in the production process while addressing concerns about their “bleeding-edge” technology. Because of the confusing messaging on Path’s old website, many prospective clients were halfway through the sales process before they even realized that Path robots were invented to support humans, not replace them, and that the pricing model was subscription-based, not CapEx.
The first redesign solved these problems. The new website featured clear, on-brand positioning and messaging, intuitive navigation, and dynamic visuals to attract traffic, engage visitors, and encourage conversions. The homepage was designed to serve different audiences from different origins, and the homepage messaging was clear, concise, and conversion-focused. A “Meet the Robots” page in the mega menu dropdown was a friendly way to introduce the robots to prospective clients. Messaging throughout the site focused on conveying the robots (often misunderstood and seen as intimidating) as non-threatening and here to help humans.
The Path team launched the website with their most critical content, with a plan to fill in additional detail over time, and the website architecture reflected this decision. It was more important to start telling the right story to connect with current and potential clients than it was to launch a site full of content that wasn’t thoughtfully created. The simplified architecture and common UX patterns delivered a meaningful user experience and helped the site visitor take appropriate action in a timely manner. The strategically placed call-to-action (CTA) buttons gave the site visitor an invitation to learn more about Path’s why, request a robot demo, or join the Path team. The forms tied into the HubSpot CRM and trigger automated workflows with personalized follow-up messages based on submitted information. The Careers page integrated with Greenhouse Job Board to make the application process straightforward for all types of candidates.
Overall, the new website was visually stunning, incorporating animated GIFs, robot demo videos, and many branded design elements, as well as professional photography. Path’s modern, industrial vibe came through in every design element, functional component, and word of copy on the site.
For the later evolution of the website, a new marketing team at Path, with new needs and a new vision, returned to Windmill with a strategic pivot and some specific requests. These included designing a new homepage with a lighter look and feel, reorganizing the menu structure, updating the content on the homepage, and changing the product pages to be less technical and more marketing-focused to appeal to the audience of prospective funders.
Results: Quality Visitors, Engaged Leads, and Converted Clients
~20% Decrease in Bounce Rate
.5% Increased Conversion Rate
14 Second Increase in Session Length
After the first redesign, the post-launch feedback was incredible and Path’s clients were thrilled with their new digital storefront. The bounce rate improved to 70-75%, the session length to 60 seconds, and the conversion rate to 1.5%. Within an hour of launch, a prospective customer submitted a contact form indicating that the reason they reached out was because the website was laid out well and all of the information was in the right place. The goals identified at the start of the project were accomplished and the performance metrics verified it. The Path and Windmill teams were aligned throughout the project and the Path team appreciated our technical expertise, industry experience, and efficient project management approach. The Path project lead communicated that the website redesign project was tremendous and a bright spot in his time with Path.
When a new marketing team determined that the website needed to evolve again, Windmill was happy to continue the partnership with Path and help them achieve their design and development goals. Many elements of the first redesign remain in place, while the refreshed website reflects elements that the client believes will help Path reach the next level of its ambitious business goals.
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I worked with Windmill Strategy to redesign Path Robotics’ website. Our old website has a 90%+ bounce rate, the average time spent on the site was around 30 seconds and our MQL conversion rates were below the industry average.
Windmill’s team of experts worked with me to put together a lead-gen-focused plan and executed it with professionalism. After we launched the website, our bounce rate fell to around 75%, average time on site increased to over a minute, and MQL conversions are on the rise.
I would, without hesitation, work with Windmill again on future projects.
Windmill Strategy is a web design company & digital marketing agency helping B2B industrial manufacturing companies achieve increased visibility, higher quality leads, and greater marketing ROI through smarter web design. Our website design and B2B digital marketing approach goes beyond “more traffic,” seeking out better traffic, by gaining the attention of the specific niche groups of buyers and influencers that represent your best customers. We help our clients communicate and sell their complex products and services to multiple audiences – be it through web design or digital marketing and SEO. Working collaboratively with your in-house marketing and sales team, we design websites that drive leads and sales that result in overall business growth. Schedule a call to learn more.