Case Study
12 min read
Transforming industrial search from a pay-to-play directory into a precision-matching platform.
What is the purpose?
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Background
At Amplify Industrial Marketing + Guidance, we've witnessed firsthand the frustrations of clients (from small local businesses to large manufacturers) struggling to effectively market their capabilities online. Traditional directories prioritize paid placements over relevance, making it nearly impossible for businesses to reach their ideal customers without massive marketing budgets. This inspired the creation of IWS, a platform that levels the playing field by focusing on precise capability matches rather than who pays the most for visibility.
Problem
Traditional industrial directories overwhelm users with irrelevant search results, prioritizing suppliers who pay more for visibility regardless of their match to buyer needs. This creates frustration for buyers who waste time filtering through mismatched results and disadvantages suppliers who lose opportunities to connect with their ideal customers.
Impact
The platform transforms how industrial buyers and suppliers connect by eliminating the noise of traditional directories. The new keyword-driven system ensures buyers find exactly what they need, while giving suppliers the tools to showcase their true capabilities. This resulted in higher quality leads for suppliers and more efficient search experiences for buyers.
Goals
• Design an intuitive search experience that connects buyers directly with relevant suppliers
• Create a supplier portal that gives businesses control over their digital presence
• Develop a keyword system that ensures precise matching between buyer needs and supplier capabilities
• Build a platform that values accurate matches over paid placement
01 Research
Uncovering key pain points by understanding how the industrial sector navigates marketing.
Overview
To understand the complex landscape of industrial marketing and search behaviors, comprehensive research was conducted across multiple user groups and platforms. My goal was to uncover the key challenges faced by businesses of all sizes in the industrial sector and identify opportunities to revolutionize how they connect with potential buyers.
Research Methods
To gain a deep understanding of the challenges faced by users in the industrial sector, I conducted:
Surveys
Sent to agency clients with experience in the industrial sector, focusing on their usage of traditional directories, online platforms, and trade shows.
Internal Interviews
Conducted with marketing professionals who have been in the industrial sector for over 20 years. Their insights provided valuable historical context and a nuanced understanding of industry trends.
Competitor Analysis
I evaluated three primary methods currently used by industrial companies to connect with potential customers:
Key Findings
• Businesses struggle to showcase their true capabilities in current platforms
• Smaller companies are often overshadowed by larger competitors' marketing budgets
• Buyers waste significant time filtering through irrelevant search results
• Companies need more control over their online presence
• The industrial sector requires more precise search capabilities than general search engines provide
Overview
To design a solution that effectively bridges the gap between industrial buyers and suppliers, I created personas that are grounded in insights from user interviews and research, highlighting the diverse challenges, goals, and motivations of both sides.
Supplier Personas
Representing businesses of various sizes, from small, local manufacturers to large-scale industrial suppliers, these personas reflect the need for visibility, control over their digital presence, and access to quality leads.
Buyers Personas
Spanning roles from procurement specialists to engineers, these personas embody the demand for precise, efficient searches that minimize time spent filtering irrelevant results and maximize finding the right partners.
02 Defining the users
Understanding the behaviors of our users.
Brainstorming
To solve the challenges identified in research, I kicked off with structured brainstorming sessions. Using affinity maps, whiteboards, and sticky notes, I organized insights into themes and pain points. I collaborated with colleagues in ideation sessions, ensuring diverse perspectives shaped potential solutions. Every idea was grounded in research. This process set the stage for meaningful, actionable design concepts.
Feature Prioritization
After generating a range of ideas, I prioritized the features that would deliver the most value while setting IWS apart. Using a high-impact, high-feasibility framework, I narrowed the focus to key features: robust keyword-driven search system, customizable company profiles, and an intuitive interface. These features were chosen not only to alleviate user frustrations, such as irrelevant search results and limited profile control, but also to elevate the platform as a unique, user-centered solution.
Prototyping and Usability Testing
With high-fidelity wireframes complete, I created interactive prototypes to test real user flows, such as onboarding, creating supplier profiles, managing billing, and searching for suppliers. Usability testing revealed areas for improvement, like the supplier profile setup, which initially overwhelmed users.
To simplify this, I introduced an onboarding walkthrough that guided users step-by-step. These refinements made the platform more intuitive and accessible, ensuring buyers and suppliers could easily accomplish their goals.
Wireframing and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
I translated these features into user and task flows to outline the buyer and supplier journeys. Using Figma, I built low-fidelity wireframes section by section: supplier onboarding, buyer onboarding, logged in user portals, and public facing screens. Breaking the platform into components allowed me to focus on usability and functionality for each area.
Feedback from stakeholders was critical during this phase, leading to iterative refinements. I also worked closely with developers to ensure all designs were practical for implementation without compromising user experience.
Here are some of the key screens:
UI Kit & Design System
After completing low and mid-fidelity wireframes, the next critical step is establishing a cohesive UI kit and design system. This foundation ensures consistency across all automation interfaces, accelerates development, and creates a unified user experience.
03 Ideation & Design Process
Transforming insights into digital experiences.
Overview
The Industrial Web Search platform was designed to bridge the gap between industrial buyers and suppliers, focusing on precise capability matches rather than paid visibility. The final product emphasizes usability and efficiency, enabling buyers to quickly find relevant suppliers while giving suppliers more control over their online presence.
Final Designs
The final designs are tailored to meet the unique needs of three distinct user groups:
Public Screens – Designed to create transparency and ease in discovering relevant suppliers and products.
Supplier Portal – Empowering suppliers with data, control, and enhanced visibility.
Buyer Platform – Optimized to gather preferences and facilitate seamless supplier-buyer connections.
Collaboration with Development
Throughout the design and implementation process, I worked closely with the development team as the sole point of contact for all design-related questions and decisions about IWS and its features. I ensured clear communication by annotating all designs and creating detailed handoff documentation.
To support a smooth implementation, I developed QA testing protocols and created comprehensive documents outlining business rules and official guidelines for the platform. These materials not only served as a reference for developers but also ensured that every aspect of the platform were clearly defined. My hands-on collaboration helped bridge the gap between design and development, ensuring the final product met both functional and aesthetic goals.
04 Final Designs
Bringing the vision to life, streamlining the industrial search experience for suppliers and buyers.
Initial Results
We’ve recently launched the platform and are already seeing traction, with a growing number of paid users actively utilizing the system. Our current focus is on strategic marketing efforts to drive further adoption and iterative improvements to refine the user experience based on feedback.
Reflections & Key Takeaways
Throughout this process, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the importance of:
Organizational Efficiency – Keeping detailed, organized documentation ensured a smooth handoff between teams.
Collaborative Communication – Aligning with cross-functional teams helped avoid misalignment and kept us focused on shared goals.
Iterative Learning – Embracing a mindset of continuous improvement allowed us to adapt quickly and fine-tune the platform to meet evolving user needs.
Next Steps
As the platform launches, the focus will shift to analyzing real-world usage and gathering feedback to drive future improvements:
User Feedback: Post-launch, we’ll collect feedback from both buyers and suppliers to identify any friction points and prioritize updates.
Performance Monitoring: Metrics like search success rates, onboarding completion, and lead quality will be tracked to measure platform effectiveness.
Iterative Design: Based on insights, I plan to refine onboarding flows, further enhance the supplier profile interface, and optimize the search experience.
AI Integration: Work is already underway to incorporate AI-driven features that will further refine search capabilities, improve recommendations, and personalize the user experience.