ABS Wavesight

The Client

ABS Wavesight, an ABS-affiliated company, is a global leader in the maritime industry pushing to decarbonize operations at sea through digitalization. Built on the successes of ABS’ industry-leading My Digital Fleet and Nautical Systems platforms, the company’s flagship program provides maritime clients with innovative fleet management software to improve the reliability and performance of their shipping operations. 

The Situation

ABS needed help globally launching its new maritime SaaS company, combining two of its industry-leading software products — My Digital Fleet and Nautical Systems — into one brand identity and dedicated web experience. Building on 160 years of maritime expertise and classification services, the company sought to distinguish itself above other maritime software companies by offering its best-in-class fleet management systems and AI-driven analytics and performance visualization platforms through one integrated website. 

The Challenge

ABS faced numerous challenges in creating its new integrated website:

• Security: ABS required that its hosting platform meet the company’s stringent security criteria and protect all data and proprietary information. Their chosen platform must include end-to-end SSL encryption through all connected platforms and customer information, and compliance with ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and other international security requirements.
• Language translation and localization: As a global brand, ABS needed to be able to communicate to clients and prospects in their local languages.
• Lead generation: To collect leads worldwide across many different languages, ABS needed a mature lead management solution that could be integrated into the entire customer journey.

The Solution

ABS partnered with Adcetera, and the teams started the project with a strategy to help ABS build a new brand, developing new and updating legacy content and assets. Working closely with ABS’ IT and marketing teams, Adcetera demonstrated Acquia Cloud Platform passed the stringent security audits required by ABS.

Next, Adcetera spearheaded the brand development, meticulously crafting ABS’ new identity from the ground up. This comprehensive initiative included formulating a distinctive brand message, designing a visually compelling logo, and establishing a unique aesthetic harmoniously reflected across all elements, including a state-of-the-art website. 

Adcetera seamlessly integrated the website’s lead generation forms with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for lead management. The lead tracking includes a tag management solution that allows ABS to capture the entire customer journey from an ad to the website into the CRM. And Adcetera tackled ABS’ language challenges by implementing a translation solution that included language-specific style guides. Now, ABS content creators can easily add new languages translated by humans through a Drupal connector. The site is compatible with Acquia Site Studio for dynamic content upgrades and supports right-to-left languages.

The Results

To ensure a swift market entry, Adcetera expedited the launch of an initial website, laying the foundation for a robust digital presence within one month, with the full website unveiled three months later. This sophisticated platform showcases custom infographics and fresh content, seamlessly integrated with the Dynamics 365 system to facilitate streamlined operations. Additionally, the new website offers content translated into 10 languages to cater to a diverse global audience, reflecting the brand's commitment to inclusivity and global reach.

Working together, the ABS and Adcetera teams achieved:

• 59% of total users came from outside the U.S., representing 77 countries
• A 2.9% conversion rate from users to leads within three weeks of the site launch
• 1.7 seconds for site load time across all geographies
• ABS’ main target languages (Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, Greek, and French) comprised 52% of non-English users