Monday, 10 April 2006
HMV, the UK and Ireland's leading music, dvd and games specialist, has relaunched its hmv.co.uk online store following a major investment and upgrade. Along with its significantly enhanced presentation, the new website also features improved design, usability and functionality, which the retailer believes will not only help attract an even greater number of visitors online, but will encourage more of them to go on to complete their purchases and thus increase conversion rates.
The new-look site has been designed by Manchester-based digital marketing agency, Code, and managing director, Tony Foggett, comments, “In redesigning hmv.co.uk, we’ve focused on three key areas – branding, customer experience and conversion. The new site sees HMV maximising its high street heritage and existing brand strengths to help claw back some of the ground lost recently to pure online players. It is the first stage of an ongoing process of development that HMV has asked us to help them with”.
Gideon Lask, HMV Head of Internet, said, “Hmv.co.uk is central to our plans for the growth of the overall HMV offer. The company’s long-term business strategy is based on developing an integrated entertainment offer that will increasingly empower customers to locate, purchase, enjoy and collect music, DVD and games titles in line with their lifestyle choices. Clearly our online proposition has a key role to play in helping us to achieve our objectives”.
He continues, “The contribution of hmv.co.uk to HMV’s overall turnover is now rising steadily, with online sales set to show significant growth across 2006 and beyond. Our investment in the new site, coupled with increased online marketing support, reinforces our commitment to doing whatever it takes to gain the kind of presence and reputation online that the HMV brand enjoys on the high street. There’s no doubt that we have allowed our rivals and particularly new entrants to gain a strong foot-hold in the online market, but HMV is most definitely in fighting-back mode.”
Code’s role as HMV’s retained digital design agency will see it working closely with the retailer’s internal teams to provide creative campaign support. In addition to redesigning hmv.co.uk, the agency has overhauled HMV’s email marketing programme, produced in-store kiosks and is currently working on a number of other internet projects for the retailer. Code has also produced new digital brand guidelines for HMV which will ensure that, in the future, the visual interactive language used across all HMV’s digital communications will be consistent.
Award-winning Code, formed in 1999, is an integrated digital marketing agency that employs 32 people. In addition to HMV, the agency’s client list includes Kimberly Clark Corporation, Centura Foods, Nokia, BUPA, Capital One and NUS Services Ltd.
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