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How WSS Built Smart Reno’s Online Presence In-House
For more than 30 years, WSS Windows and Doors has made and installed aluminium and glass solutions for homes and businesses in Singapore. Its expertise spans custom design, powder coating, windows, doors and safety grilles. Much of that work has reached customers through renovation contractors, interior designers and other partners.
While the model had served WSS well, it placed distance between the company and its customers. As Smart Reno grew, WSS saw an opportunity to change that. The goal was not simply to launch a stronger digital presence, but to build the internal capability to attract customers directly, strengthen brand visibility, respond faster to market shifts, and reduce dependence on external providers for routine digital enhancements.
“We recognized that to stay competitive in the Built Environment sector, we needed to digitalize our marketing efforts.”
Tan How Hwee, Director, WSS Windows and Doors
The Challenge: Reaching Customers Directly
WSS had begun investing in digital channels, but its marketing team could make only minor website edits. Staff had limited experience in webpage design, search optimisation and analytics, while the existing tools made it difficult to refresh the site.
For Smart Reno, these gaps had direct business consequences. An outdated, hard-to-manage website made it difficult to showcase projects, explain new services, and engage prospective customers. The challenge was not simply website management. It was about shifting from outsourced execution to in-house ownership, embedding digital capability within WSS as the business scaled.
Learning by Building
WSS partnered with the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) through the Learning Enterprise Alliance programme. The project began with discussions with key staff and an audit of the Smart Reno website. This gave the team clarity on both the technical gaps in the website and the capability gaps within the marketing team. The project was then designed around work-based learning, combining practical training, hands-on implementation, and coaching through a live business project.
Working closely with WSS, IAL developed practical learning resources covering web design, development, user experience, and search optimisation. Through train-the-trainer workshops and hands-on implementation, staff applied these skills directly to rebuilding the Smart Reno website. A customised optimisation playbook was also created to help internal champions maintain the site, drive future enhancements, and transfer knowledge across the organisation.
The project faced a change in leadership when the original project champion announced plans to leave. Day-to-day work also made it difficult for staff to set aside consistent time. WSS’s marketing leadership took a more active role in steering the build and keeping the team focused on launching the site.
“The hands-on mentoring gave us the confidence to take ownership of our digital assets.”
How Ti Beng, Marketing Director, WSS Windows and Doors
What Changed for WSS
The most significant outcome was not the launch of the Smart Reno website itself. It was the development of in-house capability to plan, build, optimise, and maintain digital assets without relying heavily on external vendors. WSS staff redesigned and launched the website, demonstrated that they could build and refine webpages, publish content, and apply foundational search optimisation practices. The team can now manage more routine updates and new pages internally.
The site has also begun attracting visitors through search. A Google Search Console snapshot included in the project report recorded 711 search impressions and 36 clicks over three months, alongside early growth in organic search and direct visits. While still early, these results provided encouraging evidence that the team’s work was beginning to improve Smart Reno’s online visibility and discoverability. The available data does not yet establish how many enquiries or sales the visits will generate.
For Joanne, a WSS marketing executive, the launch showed what learning through a real project could achieve:
“Seeing the new Smart Reno website go live and knowing we built it from the ground up gives me a great sense of accomplishment.”
Joanne, Marketing Executive, WSS Windows and Doors
WSS's Website
Building on the Results
WSS now has more than a website. It has the in-house capability to continuously improve and grow its digital presence. The next phase will focus on enriching project and portfolio content, strengthening search visibility, and using visitor insights to drive ongoing optimisation and customer engagement.
The shift matters beyond a single website launch. WSS now has a stronger foundation to support Smart Reno’s growth, strengthen direct customer acquisition, and continually improve its online presence through internal capability rather than external dependence.
Connect with IAL
What could your organisation achieve if critical capabilities stayed within the business instead of depending on outside support?
WSS’s journey shows how workplace learning can turn a business challenge into an opportunity to build sustainable in-house capability. Whether the focus is marketing, operations, digitalisation, or workforce development, IAL’s consultancy programmes help teams learn by doing and apply new skills directly to business priorities. Connect with IAL to explore how workplace learning can support your organisation’s next stage of growth.