Virginia Hayward Hampers
A modern e-commerce site for a traditional family business
The Client
Virginia Hayward is a family firm, supplying quality gifts and hampers to consumers, corporate clients and high street retailers - including Selfridges, John Lewis, Waitrose and Interflora.
Since starting out in a kitchen back in 1984, the company has become one of the leading lights in a highly competitive market. They pride themselves on selling fresh, award-winning produce, using state of the art technology - just as their mission says, 'Traditional Values, Modern Approach'.
The Challenge
In 2008, the family resolved to produce a stylish, sales-driven and highly functional new website.
Their aims included:
- To increase market share in the consumer and corporate sectors
- To maintain online contact with customers and prospects
- To integrate with sales ordering and fulfilment procedures
- To harness seasonal trends - especially the surge of corporate clients in the run-up to Christmas
- To help visitors make the best choice, by reinforcing value and the unique gift appeal of each product
The Solution
We created a design that conveyed the quality of products and customer service, while using site architecture and navigation to drive sales.
Key features included:
- An extensive catalogue database - giving authorised staff control of product descriptions, pricing and promotions
- Integration with back-end distribution - allowing visitors to track their orders online
- A complex fulfilment module - allowing personal messaging, multiple addresses and fast delivery of perishable products
- An opt-in facility - promoting ongoing contact with visitors
- SEO support - driving in traffic through a series of product-based keywords
The Results
Since the new site launched in July 2008, our success measures have been improving year on year - especially the number of unique visits and page views, which are key to driving sales and maintaining a contact database.
The site has also won the New Media Age Magazine Site of the Week Award, scoring a massive 95 out of a potential 100.
And we're pleased to say, we've helped a growing and highly respected brand to connect with a whole new audience and discover new ways of working online.
"They've delivered beyond our expectations and within the timescales that they promised. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Imaginet team to anybody looking for a dynamic web solution."
Sam Hayward
Director - Virginia Hayward