M/I Homes wanted to improve their website to meet the demands of potential home-buyers looking for a customized experience. They had a vision, but they needed the technology to execute it.
Challenge
One of the largest homebuilders in the nation, M/I homes, knew their website was most likely the first opportunity to connect with potential homebuyers. While their existing website introduced visitors to their brand, their diverse community locations, and wide array of floor plans and amenities, they knew today's homebuyers were seeking more from a builder's website. In order to create a more positive customer experience, they wanted their website to offer a more customized experience to visitors that highlighted their design options while simplifying the buying process and reducing reduce stress on buyers.
However, they needed assistance in overcoming core challenges. Their existing site had inconsistent messaging and branding and relevant information was challenging to find which created confusion for customers and reduced their likelihood of connecting and engaging with M/I Homes. They also wanted to drill down more in each market to speak to the unique needs and preferences of homebuyers in specific locations.
While they were already working with a company to provide website and marketing content, they needed a technology expert to build a website that would overcome their existing challenges and align with their long-term goals. They chose Fusion Alliance as their strategic partner, and we after discussing their goals, we recommended Sitecore because it would allow them to create a more intuitive and engaging website experience for both existing and prospective customers, and they could consolidate and simplify existing website features.
Solution
Fusion met with M/I Homes to discuss their goals for their new website and get a better understanding of their existing challenges. We recommended Sitecore because our team could create a more intuitive and engaging website experience for both existing and prospective customers, and they could consolidate and simplify existing website features.
Our team built out use cases beyond the basic requirements of the new website, and we also worked with the third-party digital team to create and include relevant content. As a result, M/I can grow the capabilities of their website in several significant ways. At the same time, having a more robust CMS with stronger marketing and analytics tools means that M/I can publish web content and new material more quickly and gain better insight to improve their customers' experience.
In addition to addressing their content and marketing needs, Fusion included an overall search feature so users can search the full site using filters based on their specific needs and find relevant, market specific and buyer type information to ensure a more individualized experience. Fusion partnered with M/I homes to create an online experience that would meet their objectives: catering to the needs of homebuyers and streamlining the organization's internal processes for creating, publishing, and analyzing relevant content.