Charlesgate

Charlesgate, a full-service real estate brokerage based in Boston, had been a long-time HubSpot user but faced significant challenges with their outdated website. Their old site, built on HubSpot’s CMS, no longer reflected the breadth and depth of their services, which include residential real estate, new development consulting, leasing, and property management. The site failed to effectively guide their diverse personas—investors, developers, homebuyers, condo owners, and real estate agents—to the right information. Additionally, Charlesgate was undergoing a full rebrand, including a new logo and color palette, and needed a website that aligned with their modernized identity.

ATAK partnered with Charlesgate to deliver a comprehensive website redesign and rebranding effort, addressing their key pain points:

1. Full Rebrand and Custom Theme Development:

   ATAK led a complete rebrand, starting with color palette research inspired by New England aesthetics. They designed a custom HubSpot CMS theme from scratch, ensuring the site was visually appealing, fast, and optimized for SEO.

2. Persona-Focused Navigation:

   ATAK restructured the website to clearly target Charlesgate’s five main personas. The homepage and navigation were designed to guide users—whether investors, developers, or homebuyers—to the most relevant pages, improving user experience and engagement.

3. Content Staging and Migration:

   Using HubSpot’s content staging feature, ATAK built the entire site offline, ensuring a seamless transition when pushing it live. They migrated and optimized all blog content, updated page titles, meta descriptions, and blog images for improved SEO performance.

4. Subdomain Consolidation:

   ATAK eliminated multiple subdomains (e.g., pm.charlesgatereality.com) and consolidated everything under the primary domain, charlesgate.com. This streamlined their online presence and strengthened their brand identity.

5. Intranet and Internal Documentation:

   Beyond the public website, ATAK redesigned Charlesgate’s intranet and internal documentation, ensuring consistency across all digital touchpoints.

6. SEO and Content Strategy:

   ATAK implemented a robust SEO strategy, optimizing the site to attract organic traffic and reduce reliance on referrals. They also created featured listings and property management case studies to showcase Charlesgate’s portfolio.

The new website and rebranding effort delivered transformative results for Charlesgate:

1. Enhanced User Experience:

   The persona-focused navigation and clean design made it easier for users to find relevant information, improving engagement and satisfaction.

2. Stronger Brand Identity:

   The rebrand, including the new logo, color palette, and custom theme, positioned Charlesgate as a modern, full-service real estate brokerage.

3. Improved SEO Performance:

   The optimized site structure, content, and SEO strategy increased organic traffic, reducing Charlesgate’s reliance on referral-based leads.

4. Streamlined Operations:

   Consolidating subdomains and updating internal systems (intranet, documentation) improved efficiency and consistency across the organization.

5. Positive Feedback:

   Charlesgate’s Director of Marketing, Christine McColby, left a glowing review on the HubSpot Marketplace, stating they would be “a repeat customer for life.”

ATAK’s collaboration with Charlesgate resulted in a modern, persona-driven website that accurately reflects their full range of services and strengthens their brand identity. By addressing their pain points—outdated design, poor navigation, and fragmented subdomains—ATAK helped Charlesgate improve user experience, boost SEO performance, and streamline their digital presence. The project not only met but exceeded Charlesgate’s expectations, setting the stage for continued growth and success in the competitive Boston real estate market.