1 Stop Building

The Case Study in Brief

1 Stop Building is a construction company with an amalgamated 45+ years of experience. Keystone Foundry has worked with 1 Stop Building for over 10 years, creating high-quality websites and maintaining them to the standards we set ourselves for every client.

Rather than treating each request as a standalone project, Keystone Foundry has considered it alongside the rest of the website. This ensures each addition is implemented in the right place and works well for 1 Stop Building and its team.

We understand the importance of a high-end website for a business such as 1 Stop Building. We work alongside the team to plan what they need, creating trust and satisfaction while removing potential confusion for customers.

The Idea

A New Website, with New Features

After many years of running the website, it had become outdated and its visual layout was falling behind its competitors. It was time for a much-needed renewal.

Alongside this, the team at 1 Stop Building wanted to give clients an easier experience, offer better support and reduce time spent speaking with potential customers who later withdrew when pricing was provided.

1/ Website

Building the New 1 Stop Building Website

Keystone Foundry worked alongside 1 Stop Building to design a layout and theme they were happy with before beginning to build the website itself, rather than using a pre-made template that would not fit the client's requirements.

This meant understanding the client’s customer base and how people would benefit from the new website. Wherever possible, we removed confusion, conflict and other friction that could negatively affect 1 Stop Building or its customers.

We provided references and discussed ideas and themes from websites produced for 1 Stop Building and other clients, covering both page layouts and contact forms.

The result is a unique website that is simple to use, saves time for both customers and 1 Stop Building, and presents the business clearly.

2/ Product Strategy and Development

Constructing a Cost Estimator

1 Stop Building has been in the market for almost 10 years. During that time, many potential customers have withdrawn after receiving a quote. This takes time that could have been spent with other customers and can be frustrating for people who need an answer sooner rather than later.

Keystone Foundry and 1 Stop Building therefore designed a cost estimator so customers can understand the likely investment before spending too long in consultation. We agreed the following criteria:

• A configurable building-cost estimator.
• Initial support for house extensions and garage conversions, designed to be easily expandable.
• A combination of base cost per square metre and additional adjustments instead of one hard-coded calculation.
• Configurable lower and upper rates per square metre for each project type.
• Configuration stored as administrative options that can be managed through the admin portal.
• Each project type stored as a post.
• Each configurable option storing lower and upper modifiers to produce a range estimate.
• Final bounds calculated from base cost and area, with other configuration options such as the number of floors.

Information Provided by Customers

• Project type: extension, garage conversion or another configured service.
• Approximate floor area or dimensions.
• Number of storeys.
• Property type: detached, semi-detached or terraced.
• Intended use of the completed space.
• Specification level: basic, standard or premium.
• Roof type and significant structural requirements.
• Number and type of external doors, windows, roof lights or bi-fold doors.
• Whether a kitchen, bathroom, utility room or other plumbing is required.
• Heating, electrical and other service requirements.
• Demolition or removal of existing structures.
• Site access, parking and waste-removal restrictions.
• Known ground, drainage or foundation complications, with an “unknown” option.
• Whether planning permission, building regulations, drawings or structural engineering are required.
• Optional extras relevant to the selected project.

Cost Guide

For each selectable answer, the administrator can define the label, help text, display order and pricing effect. A pricing effect can be a fixed addition, a price per square metre, a price per item, a percentage increase or decrease, or a multiplier. It supports lower and upper values so the final result can remain a range.

Case Study Outcomes

The Result

1 Stop Building will continue to receive SEO and IT maintenance, while the website and its cost estimator are now complete.

This is the relationship Keystone Foundry wants to build with every client: clear communication and an exact understanding of what needs to be done.

1 Stop Building has gained a new bespoke website tailored to the business and will continue to save time, attract customers and generate value through its ease of use and estimator.

As it was designed to.