AES Corporation, a global energy powerhouse across four continents and 15 countries, approached us with a distinct mission. Driven by their commitment to clean, renewable energy, they wanted their website to radiate this ethos. Taking the challenge head-on, we employed Drupal Multi-site to overhaul 17 websites, prioritising the homepage and investor sections. The results were colossal: a 49% jump in Investor Page engagement and a 54% dip in homepage bounce rate. This wasn't just a digital makeover; it was a game-changer for AES's online presence.

The Impact

OpenSense Labs created the AES platform prioritising security, performance, and reliability. Our design not only reflects AES's renewed mission but also maintains the highest standards of security and usability. Consequently, the average time spent on the page soared from 30 seconds to 1.06 minutes, and page exits reduced by 25%.

We enhanced the platform with a dynamic, user-focused redesign, streamlining content access for investors and customers alike.

Results at a glance

• Bounce Rate dropped from 76.36% to 28.2%.
• Pages per Session rose from 1.76 to 2.89.
• Session Duration increased from 0:49 seconds to 1:20 minutes.
• Investor Pages saw 49% rise in visitor time and 31% reduction in bounce rates.
• The homepage redesign led to 54% reduction in bounce rate. 

Needs and Challenges

At the core of AES Corporation is a compelling ethos: "Improving lives by accelerating a safer and greener energy future." Armed with this vision, symbolised by the essence of 'Energy', we embarked on a profound journey alongside AES. Through comprehensive discovery workshops with their marketing brigade, we explored the depths of their values, aspirations, and objectives, letting these revelations guide our design and development blueprint.

The path wasn't without its hurdles. Foremost among AES's challenges was rejuvenating the investor and homepage segments. The previously trusted module was on the verge of becoming dated, especially in the face of evolving Drupal versions. The task of ensuring uniform and compelling content across 17 unique platforms came with its own intricacies, accentuated by possible technical nuances and support intricacies. In addition, the homepage needed a renewed design to embody their renewed renewable energy commitment.

Addressing these needs, our aim was crystal clear: to harmonise AES's renewable energy vision with a digital platform that's both agile and user-friendly. This necessitated an interface that's sleek, intuitive, and navigable, placing a spotlight on the most pivotal and updated energy narratives. Creating an environment where visitors navigate effortlessly and remain abreast of AES's strides towards a greener tomorrow was of essence.
 

Our approach

Confronted with AES's intricate challenges, innovation was imperative. We laid out three strategic options, and AES opted for our most robust approach: a complete website transformation, leveraging the dynamic capabilities of the Drupal Multi-site platform.

Drawing from our experience, our approach was two-fold: modernise and enhance. The switch to Drupal 10 was pivotal, as was a fresh design perspective. At the heart of this transition was the emphasis on streamlined content management, a cohesive site structure, powerful search capabilities, and elevated search presence. Prioritising user experience, we also focused on decluttering content and ensuring user-friendliness. Every step was calibrated to align with AES's specific objectives, ensuring impactful and efficient outcomes.

Towards A Cohesive Digital Presence

Strategically, OpenSense Labs realigned AES's digital presence with a focus on objectives, brand perception, and user engagement.

• Realignment with Objectives: Aligned digital presence with AES's overarching goals, ensuring a cohesive and impactful communication strategy throughout the website.
• Perception Improvement: Emphasised mission and future goals through clear messaging, fostering increased brand awareness and connection with the audience.
• Enhanced User Journey: Improved the user journey by making information easily accessible, creating interlinks, and ensuring a seamless experience for prolonged engagement.
• Clear Content Hierarchy: Established a clear content hierarchy by equally emphasising financial reports and long-term corporate objectives, enhancing the user's understanding and engagement.

Strategy

Our transformative strategy for AES was meticulously executed across two core pillars, each playing a pivotal role in reshaping and enhancing the digital landscape.

Design

A modern, user-centric design approach was implemented, completely revamping the homepage. The extensive redesign involved replacing the initial long video with visually captivating templated pages. This change reduced loading times, a crucial SEO factor and also created a more engaging and responsive introduction. These templated pages now showcase projects, programs, press releases, and blogs, fostering a seamless user experience.

The redesign and development efforts were comprehensive, driven by extensive user research. This research-informed overhaul ensured a more intuitive and engaging experience, aligning with the user's expectations and needs.

Development

In our development approach, we fine-tuned the homepage, bringing in user-friendly templates that embody AES's dedication to renewable energy. We strategically revamped and realigned the Global x Local section and spruced up the News section to boost engagement. 

The implementation of a centralised content hub was a pivotal initiative. This content vault streamlined content creation processes, ensuring consistency across vital pages like Investor and Sustainability segments. This facilitated the delivery of consistent messaging, enhancing content visibility and resonance.

Critical development flaws were identified and addressed to enhance security measures with region-specific access controls for content security. Additionally, the prevention of unauthorised content creation contributed to a more secure and streamlined backend, preserving data integrity and enhancing overall security. 

These efforts ensured a smooth and impactful user journey, perfectly in sync with AES's overarching strategy for a revamped digital presence.

Clean, Intuitive, User friendly: AES's Digital Standard

Recognising the fundamental challenges, OpenSense Labs championed the shift to the dynamic Drupal Multi-site system. At the heart of this transition was the establishment of a 'content hub', crafted to deliver consistent and resonant messaging across vital pages.

Our vision then expanded towards optimising content visibility. The architecture was recalibrated, emphasising a structured content layout reminiscent of 'paragraphs'. Essential pages, notably the Investor and Sustainability segments, experienced comprehensive design enhancements.

By integrating the formidable SOLR search mechanism, we boosted the discoverability and allure of these pivotal sections. Concurrently, with a keen eye on security and compliance, we tailored data access, segmenting it by markets, fortifying data consistency and protection.

The pièce de résistance was the homepage refresh, meticulously aligned with AES's rejuvenated vision, instantly captivating the audience.The Upshot

The concerted efforts, with a laser focus on the investor and homepage facets, transformed AES's websites into a hub of vibrant engagement and exceptional user experience. The staggering metrics underscore this change, charting a journey from inherent challenges to resounding triumphs.

Today, AES's websites stand as paradigms of content interaction, evidenced by a significant 54% dip in homepage bounce rates and an impressive 49% surge in Investor Page engagement. Marrying compelling design with engaging content, the digital presence now mirrors AES's unwavering devotion to renewable energy and a sustainable tomorrow.

These meticulously crafted websites not only fulfil AES's current requisites but also forge a sturdy pathway for prospective digital ventures. The platform ensures that in the world of digital energy exploration, neither content richness nor user efficiency is ever compromised.