Vanderbilt Room

A La Carta, Catering, Dinner, eCommerce, Restaurant Sites

Status:
Online
Client:
PopMenu
Established:
2025
URL:
vanderbiltroom.com
Location:
NH, USA
Project Scope:
Website Dev & Design, Brand Identity, SEO Strategy, Lead Generation

Project Overview

Selling the Vision of Hudson's Newest Venue

The family-owned group behind the Vanderbilt Room was preparing to launch a premier banquet facility in Hudson, NH. However, they faced a unique marketing hurdle: selling high-ticket weddings and corporate events for a venue that was still under construction. Shackled to a rigid WordPress site that was difficult to update, they needed a digital transformation that could showcase architectural renderings as reality.

The mission was to build a sophisticated lead-generation engine. We needed to create a modern, elegant web presence that established immediate trust and authority, driving lucrative private event inquiries and securing Page 1 search rankings before the physical doors even opened.

Challenges & Goals

The Challenges

Selling the Invisible: With the facility still being built, the website had to rely on renderings and brand atmosphere to sell expensive event packages, requiring a high degree of visual persuasion.

Technical Debt: The previous WordPress installation was cumbersome, requiring developer intervention for simple text changes, which slowed down the marketing team.

Revenue Pressure: Private functions were projected to account for 30% of overall revenue, meaning the site had to perform as a high-converting sales funnel from Day 1.

The Goals

Visual Sophistication: Establish a refined identity using a Charcoal, Cream, and Pewter palette paired with elegant script typography (Ms Madi) to attract wedding clientele.

Search Authority: Aggressively target local keywords like "banquet hall Hudson NH" to ensure the venue appeared established and reputable in search results pre-launch.

Frictionless Inquiries: Implement a linear homepage design with three primary Calls-to-Action (CTAs) anchored to short forms for immediate lead capture.

Strategy & Approach

Phase 1: Elegant Typography & Palette

To balance sophistication with readability, I curated a specific font stack: Ms Madi for elegant script headers, Luxurious Roman for titles, and Lora for body copy. This was set against a neutral palette of Charcoal (#3a3937) and Cream (#f4f4f4), creating a canvas that complemented the architectural renderings without overpowering them.

Phase 2: The Popmenu Migration

We migrated the entire digital ecosystem from WordPress to Popmenu. This dramatic shift simplified in-house edits for the staff. We also configured forms to feed directly into Aloha POS via Deliverect, streamlining the logistics for future catering pickups and consolidating operations across the group's five locations.

Phase 3: Pre-Launch SEO & Content

We wrote fresh, keyword-rich copy centered on the value proposition: "A Brand New Destination for Unforgettable Events." We built dedicated "About" and "Private Events" pages that spotlight the staff’s 60 years of experience, using structured data to signal relevance to Google well ahead of the grand opening.

Solutions Delivered

Area	Highlight
Lead Generation	Engineered a homepage with three distinct CTAs ("Plan Your Event," "Explore," "Contact") anchored to friction-free inquiry forms.
Visual Identity	Crafted a custom design system using #3a3937 Charcoal and Ms Madi script to convey high-end wedding elegance.
Cost Efficiency	Implemented Popmenu’s native VIP signup tool to replace Mailchimp, saving the client ~$150/month in SaaS fees.
Event Showcase	Built a detailed "Private Events" page with capacities and sample floorplans that swaps renderings for real photos automatically.
POS Integration	Connected online forms to Aloha POS via Deliverect, ensuring seamless data flow for catering operations.