Sutherland Printing
Commercial Printing Website Design & SEO Performance Case Study
This case study outlines how ThePixel transformed a commercial printing company’s digital presence with a modern UX redesign, improved service-driven content structure, and a targeted SEO strategy that increased visibility for catalog printing, publication printing, and custom print services—resulting in a significant rise in qualified quote requests.
Sutherland Printing: Turning a Legacy Print Shop Into a Lead-Generating Website
Sutherland Printing is a family-owned, full-service publication and catalog printer that has been in business since 1956. Despite their reputation and production capabilities, their old website generated almost no qualified leads and had limited visibility in search results. ThePixel rebuilt their digital presence with a custom WordPress website, SEO and PPC strategy, and a faster, easier way for publishers and marketers to discover services and request quotes.
| Role | Principal UI/UX Designer & Web Strategist (research → launch) |
|---|---|
| Team | UX, UI, Content, Development, SEO, PPC, Analytics |
| Timeline | ~12 weeks · strategy, redesign, SEO & PPC rollout |
| Platform & Tools | WordPress, Custom Theme, GA4, Google Search Console, SEO, PPC, Marketing Automation |
Research & discovery
Sutherland Printing had decades of print expertise but almost no digital footprint. We audited their existing site, studied how buyers search for publication and catalog printers, and identified where the website needed to work harder—showcasing capabilities, building trust, and driving quote requests from both local and national clients.
Methods
- Stakeholder interviews with ownership, sales, and production teams.
- Audit of the legacy website for content gaps, usability issues, and conversion friction.
- Keyword and SERP analysis around “catalog printer,” “publication printing,” and “direct mail printing.”
- Review of competitor printers’ websites and online quote experiences.
Key insights
- Most prospects entered via broad searches like “catalog printer” and “printing company near me,” not the brand name.
- Service descriptions were buried, making it hard to understand capabilities at a glance.
- Lack of clear call-to-action made requesting quotes or samples feel like extra work.
- Slow load times and unstructured content were hurting SEO and credibility.
Risks
- Starting from almost zero SEO authority in a competitive national print market.
- Overwhelming visitors with too much technical detail instead of clear service value.
- Failing to differentiate a long-standing, family-owned printer from commodity online print shops.
Problem & goals
The new site needed to showcase full-service printing under one roof and turn anonymous traffic into real quotes and long-term customers.
- Clarify what Sutherland Printing does and who they serve in seconds.
- Make it easy to explore services, capabilities, and sample work from any device.
- Improve Google rankings for local and national printing keywords.
- Build a measurable lead-generation funnel for quotes, estimates, and consultations.
End-to-end customer journey & outcomes
The redesigned experience supports the full decision journey—from a marketing manager searching for a reliable catalog printer to submitting detailed project specs and building a long-term relationship with the Sutherland team.
| Stage | What changes | UX focus | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search & discover | SEO-optimized homepage and service landing pages built around publication printing, catalogs, direct mail, and fulfillment. | Clear messaging, credibility signals (years in business, capabilities), and scannable service tiles. | Stronger visibility for “catalog printer,” “publication printer,” and related searches. |
| Evaluate capabilities | Structured service pages explaining print, bindery, mailing, and fulfillment under one roof. | Simple layouts, hierarchy for specs vs. benefits, and visual examples where available. | Prospects understand full capabilities faster and view more than one service per visit. |
| Request a quote | Streamlined quote and contact forms aligned to key services and project types. | Clear CTAs, minimal required fields, and mobile-friendly forms that work for busy coordinators. | More completed quote requests and better-qualified project details for the sales team. |
| Measure & optimize | Integrated analytics, SEO tracking, and PPC campaigns to measure which pages and keywords drive leads. | Event tracking on forms and CTAs, plus content updates based on real behavior. | Continuous improvements to rankings, traffic quality, and lead volume over time. |
High-performance build & SEO-ready structure
We implemented a custom WordPress theme focused on fast load times, intuitive navigation, and search-friendly content. The site was optimized for fluid processing, reducing page weight and achieving a 100% page speed score—keeping visitors engaged long enough to learn what Sutherland can do for them.
- Custom WordPress theme built for print services and industry-specific content.
- SEO-focused information architecture aligned to priority services and keywords.
- Calls-to-action and quote funnels woven throughout service and portfolio pages.
- Analytics, reporting, and automation to support ongoing digital marketing efforts.
- 100%
- Page speed score on key templates
- +44%
- Increase in visits to service pages
- +32%
- More quote form submissions
SEO & lead generation results
With the new site live and an SEO + PPC strategy in place, Sutherland Printing began to see sustained gains in traffic quality, rankings, and quote activity from both local and national searches.
Organic visibility
- +52%Growth in organic sessions from search.
- Top 5Rankings for several “catalog printer” and “publication printing” terms.
- +36%Increase in branded and location-based searches.
Engagement
- −27%Lower bounce rate on core service pages.
- +24%More pages viewed per session.
- +31%Increase in time on site from new visitors.
Leads & quotes
- +38%Growth in online quote and contact form submissions.
- +22%More inquiries tied directly to SEO & PPC campaigns.
- StrongerPipeline of larger, multi-service print projects.
