Website Design
Coshatt’s Sod & Supply
Coshatt's Sod and Supply has been in the business since 1964, supplying a wide variety of products to landscaping companies and DIY customers. Company stakeholders were looking for a design solution to address common customer inquiries.
Stakeholder Interviews:
Coshatt’s Sod & Supply has been operating without a web presence and needed a way to communicate key company details to their customers. Information that should have been easily accessible needed to be answered by their phone operator. This was particularly problematic for Coshatt’s DIY customers. Directions, lawn care, and product information were the most frequently asked questions.
Research:
I conducted in-depth interviews with customers who have DIY experience laying sod and landscaping. These participants helped us understand the landscaping market, personal experiences, and what they need from a landscaping website.
Key Findings:
Customers want to be informed before making the purchase
DIY success depends on the tools provided by the supplier
Access to lawn care information is needed to ensure a positive experience
Design Deliverables
Research showed DIY users have a strong desire to feel in control of their landscaping projects. Customers should be able to make informed decisions without leaving the company website. Design decisions were centered around user resources.
Area calculator
Detailed information on sod varieties
Easy to follow lawn care instructions
Images to help identify sod varieties
Wireframes
Designs were ultimately focused on driving sales. CTA’s are found throughout the website encouraging the user to buy. The home page offers quick access to Coshatt’s most popular landscaping products and detailed information is provided in subpages. Answers to frequently asked questions including directions, lawn care, and product information can be found easily within the navigation bar.
Website Design
Image sourcing was an important aspect of this design. Customers often did not know how to identify their sod variety and referenced this as a major concern when purchasing sod. This was implemented across all Coshatt’s products to help DIY customers identify the correct landscaping materials.
Testing revealed that the lawn images evoked emotion in customers and encouraged them to start new landscaping projects. Iconography and lawn care instructions gave users the impression that caring for sod wasn’t difficult after all.
Final Thoughts:
I was thrilled to be able to help bring this family farm online. It was an exciting challenge to design for a company with no online brand assets. Stakeholder and customer interviews provided the insight needed to create a highly functional website aligned with Coshatt’s business goals.
Moving forward I’d like to encourage Coshatt stakeholders to consider more online resources for customers. Online ordering and scheduling tools will help alleviate phone traffic and provides a convenient method for customers to checkout.