The below is our case study for a project we completed for Clyde Cruises (clydecruises.com). It offers a sample of what one of our case studies looks like and how it benefits the client/business/entity that commissions it. All case studies should discuss the challenge of the commissioned project, and then go on to discuss the potential solution, the benefits of said solution, and then conclude with the verdict. At the end of the day, case studies give clients/customers/consumers the confidence to trust a product or service by offering evidence of its value.
ABOUT THE CLIENT
Clyde Cruises is a family-owned business operating a range of vessels providing boat tours and river cruises on Scotland’s west coast. It is part of Clyde Marine, a business that traces its roots back more than 100 years. The family takes great pride in the fact that they have been an integral part of local history for so long. They continue to expand their business to offer more tours and cruises that show their guests a side of Scotland they may never have seen before. Clyde’s boat tours and river cruises run from spring through until mid-autumn.
THE CHALLENGE
When Clyde Cruises (through their SEO/marketing provider) first approached us in 2014, they already had a significant web presence established. Their website provided all of the basic information their customers would normally look for in a package that was both attractive and easy to navigate. They requested our help in generating some new web copy, engaging in content marketing, and improving the SEO performance of their website.
What made the work especially challenging is the fact that tourism-based marketing is a unique niche requiring writers to paint a favourable picture in the minds of readers. This type of writing requires a tremendous amount of research and a bit of creative flair. The writers we assigned to the project had to rely partly on their extensive experience and training, and partly on being willing to learn as they went.
THE SOLUTION
Our initial task of creating web copy was for the purposes of rounding out the informational portions of the Clyde Cruises website. We provided new copy for their home page along with additional copy for several new pages that were to be added later. This copy was fairly straightforward in that we were to employ standard web copy practices in conjunction with the types of keywords and phrases that would work well for SEO purposes.
Following the completion of the web copy, our writers moved on to the content marketing portion. After discussing matters with the web development team at Clyde Cruises, it was determined that the best way to approach this portion of the project was to create articles that would be part industry news and part travelogue. The concept was something Connotations’ writers had never done before. Nevertheless, they dug into the research and learning aspects right away.
Our writers did have the benefit of seeing work previously done by the Clyde web development team. We used that work, along with our own research, to begin creating a series of articles published on the website under the ‘News’ heading. Combining that heading with our writers’ choice of topics and keywords worked to give search engine algorithms clarity regarding the value of our content. The project was concluded with more than a dozen new articles added to the website.
THE BENEFITS
By updating existing content and adding new web copy and articles, we were able to improve the overall performance of the Clyde Cruises website. The updated web copy proved to be more search engine friendly with more focused keywords, phrases, and titles. We were able to more clearly define the mission and scope of Clyde Cruises to more effectively reach customers.
Adding more articles to the site’s existing collection of industry news also proved beneficial in that it showed search engines the site was being updated – even during the off-season. We believe the articles also offered added value by introducing the idea of local cruising to a whole range of potential customers. If we did our job effectively, Clyde Cruises will enjoy a very profitable season in 2015.
THE VERDICT
Connotations was successfully able to deliver both web copy and content marketing that met the specifications of the Clyde Cruises web development team. Furthermore, all work was delivered on time and within budget. Our ability to complete the project demonstrates that we are more than capable of handling any kind of project, even when it involves a unique niche requiring extra research and learning. We are proud to have been offered the opportunity to work with Clyde Cruises in developing a well-respected website.
Click here to visit the Clyde Cruises website.