Pilot Path
Project Overview
Objectives
Since the original website launch, Brightside has continued to develop the Pilot Path platform with WooCommerce functionality, customer account improvements, Pilot Hub access, gift voucher journeys and better tracking foundations. This has helped move the website from a marketing platform into a more complete digital sales and customer journey system.
Improve the Website User Experience
We weren't happy when taking over the website looking at the amount of broken links, flat pages and basic formatting throughout. We felt this was effecting the registrations.
Create Successful PPC Account
Good keyword research, better business structure and bid management to deliver a regular set of new pilots for the business.
Redesign Website
After 6 months of positive results we broke down the benefits of a website redesign. With a large focus on SEO, more information/interactive elements and a multisite structure.
Create Multisite
This was a significant and hugely positive enhancement for Pilot Path. The simple explanation is to display a different website to their different audiences nationally. Which are the UK, Ireland and the USA.
Develop WooCommerce Booking and Payment Journeys
Brightside helped introduce and improve WooCommerce functionality across the website, giving customers a clearer route to purchase flight training products, gift vouchers and deposits online.
Create the Pilot Hub Customer Area
The Pilot Hub gives customers a more structured post-purchase experience by providing access to relevant information after they buy or book through the website.
Improve the Website User Experience
The website needed to improve the way it presents information. Flying is such an amazing experience and to sell the journey of becoming a pilot the website needs to demonstrate this.
Budgets are tight with SMEs so to really do this in a cost-effective way we only took the money pages and enhanced them. Some of the examples of what we did was integrated a video slider on the homepage showcasing the flight experience (rather than uninspiring landscape stock images). We also created urgency in sales periods with countdown timers and better display of information with counters and interactive text areas. One of our biggest issues was the amount of dead pages and broken links. A site clean-up took a run with our software and cleaned up navigation across the board. Lastly, we maximised CTA space and reduced blocky none converting space throughout.
Before and After
Create Successful PPC Account
The previous management of the account was disjointed and not taking into account the nature of the business (PPC structure needs to match the business needs not the agency or account user).
The success we had here to date is segmentation and geo-targeting near training sites. We first drastically reduced spend by excluding areas across the countries. Then segmented the types of training using bid managed and profit margins to define what should be spent where. Previously the business was told they couldn’t do better in regards to their account. Right now the bottom line conversions have increased by 4x year on year.
The Impact
PPC restructure was in Q4. What we did initally was cut the spend by 70% which of course reduced the number of clicks but the main metric saw a small decrease in conversions. In addition in those conversions, the quality of those leads exceeded those in previous months (this is because enquiries were coming from locations not near the training centres and had a low take-up rate). The introduction of the new site and multisite saw the PPC account take off with the spend matching previous amounts leading to at least 4x conversions each month compared to the year on year data.
Redesign Website
With the success of the UX changes earlier in the year. We redesigned the site away from some standard colour changes the rebuild had a strong focus on SEO and better CTAs.
Viewing the old and new website slider below gives you an idea of some of the drastic changes within the redesign. However with keyword research, faqs and more focus on relevant call to actions throughout the website. The new build has been functioning on a whole new level. The main improvement is the level of relevant traffic to the website and the fact conversions have significantly increased in recent months.
Old and New Website
Create a Multisite
Creating multiple websites allowing Pilot Path’s offerings to be optimised for Irish, American and British markets.
Something identified as a huge SEO and lead generation benefit we set out to create a multisite build when redesigning the site. The short is depending on whether you are coming from the UK, Ireland or the USA. You’ll be presented the relevant via your geo IP. The results have been significant for the business allowing them to personalise and localise for the market. Increasing leads and traffic as a result.
Results and How It Works
By having different sub directories i.e. PP/uk or PP/ie it allows everything to be personalised. Areas like pricing, contact details and certain national details are applied to each site. As a result enquiries, traffic and conversions are at an all-time high.
Develop WooCommerce Booking and Payment Journeys
As Pilot Path continued to grow, the website needed to support more than enquiries and information requests.
Brightside helped introduce and improve WooCommerce functionality across the website, giving customers a clearer route to purchase flight training products, gift vouchers and deposits online.
This helped move the website from a lead-generation platform towards a more complete commercial system that can support bookings, payments and customer follow-up.
Pilot Path offers a range of flight training products across different locations and training pathways.
WooCommerce was used to create a more structured product journey, allowing customers to review options and complete purchases directly through the website.
This included improvements to product pages, checkout styling, order confirmation pages and the wider customer journey after purchase.
Improve Checkout, Order Confirmation & Support Gift Voucher Sales
Once WooCommerce was introduced, the checkout and order confirmation process became an important part of the customer experience.
Brightside improved the styling and structure of the checkout and order-received pages so they felt more aligned with the Pilot Path brand.
This helped create a more professional journey from product selection through to payment confirmation.
Brightside also helped Pilot Path improve the online journey for gift voucher purchases.
This created a clearer route for customers buying flight training experiences as gifts, with improved WooCommerce product setup, checkout flow and confirmation messaging.
Gift vouchers are an important part of the customer journey because they allow Pilot Path to generate online sales from customers who may not be booking training for themselves.
Create the Pilot Hub Customer Area
A key part of the recent development work was the creation of the Pilot Hub.
The Pilot Hub gives customers a more structured post-purchase experience by providing access to relevant information after they buy or book through the website.
This helps Pilot Path deliver a better customer experience beyond the initial transaction and supports the wider goal of turning the website into a more useful customer platform.
Build a Stronger Digital Platform for Growth
The Pilot Path project has evolved from a website build into a broader digital systems project.
The website now supports enquiries, content, location-specific training pathways, WooCommerce products, online payments, gift voucher purchases, customer account functionality and post-purchase information.
This gives Pilot Path a stronger foundation for future growth because the website is no longer just an online brochure.
It is becoming part of the business’s sales, booking and customer management infrastructure.
The Results
Pilot Path now has a stronger digital platform that supports both marketing and customer transactions.
The website is better positioned to explain flight training options, support online purchases, manage post-purchase information and provide a clearer customer journey across Ireland, the UK and the USA.
Commercial
WooCommerce added to support online payments, deposits, gift vouchers and product purchases
Customer-focused
Pilot Hub created to improve the post-purchase customer experience
Trackable
Improved structure for ecommerce reporting, customer actions and future campaign tracking