Why Good Design Benefits Your Bottom Line
In this guest post, design director at Engaging.io, Geoff Harper (pictured below), says too often agencies don’t value good design and are missing out on bucks because of it…
An increasingly large part of our lives is spent online. And that part will only get larger as technology makes it harder to be anywhere else.
To make money, businesses not only need to embrace the online world, they need to make their part of that world as easy to be in as possible. To that end a lot has been written about designing better usability for clients and customers, because the more they want to be in your online space, the more likely they are to spend money there.
Unfortunately, even though design has come to the fore over the last few years, it still takes a backseat in a lot of organisations, treated as an afterthought and devalued to the point of being worthless.
Which is why I love it when a business not only bucks the trend and designs for their customers first, they also prove how profitable it can be.
Walmart is not the first name that comes to mind when talking about good design, but this year Walmart’s second quarter earnings had the strongest growth in more than a decade. Beating analysts’ expectations, their shares closed at over nine per cent up on the news, the biggest increase since November 2017.
It turns out that most of this growth was due to the relaunch of a newly designed website. Which increased online sales by 40 per cent.
Walmart are traditionally a bricks and mortar business that had to make a move into online sales and their biggest rival is Amazon. Amazon has never had traditional storefronts and had a headstart in e-commerce so Walmart knew they had to pick up their online game to stay in front. And they did.
They put their users first. They listened to feedback from their customers, worked with their existing merchants and also with brands that don’t already sell with them, to design a better and more wholistic online experience.
One of the biggest updates is a focus on personalisation. Rather than use a scattergun approach, Walmart has personalised content based on the customer’s location and previous purchases. They will show trending items in the customer’s area along with available services like Walmart’s online grocery, order status, and easy reorder for re-purchasing favourite items.
Amazon have become infamous for recommending single purchase items (I don’t need to buy a collection of toilet seats thanks Amazon, one was enough), and Walmart have spent a lot of time on their algorithms to make sure recommendations are relevant. They not only use preferred categories and items that a customer prefers to shop, but also information from merchants to include trending, new or seasonal content.
Mark Lore, CEO of US e-commerce for Walmart says, ‘You want the site to make shopping faster and easier, and when you’re showing those items that customers are trending towards, you’re actually making a faster shopping journey for them, which is ultimately the goal‘.
Another inclusion for the new Walmart site is creating speciality shopping experiences for various categories. These will appear as sites within the site, focusing on tailored content and imagery, allowing a customer to differentiate between shopping for say fashion and groceries.
And based on the increasing growth in online homewares and fashion, Walmart have also partnered with department store Lord & Taylor to beef up their fashion offering. It will present a separate shopping experience while still being part of the Walmart site
Digging down into more basic changes, the User Interface (UI) has been stripped back, getting rid of a lot of the previous clutter and focusing on letting the user find what they want to find. The search bar is very prominent and easy to use, while the visual hierarchy of information means easier navigation around the site and no needless distractions.
Part of the updated UI includes improved, and more relatable imagery, simplified icon designs and refining the fonts (previously there were lots of different font sizes in lots of different colours all vying for attention at the same time).
On initial results, it looks like Walmart’s focus on design has really paid off. A 40 per cent increase in e-commerce sales is a massive improvement, moreso for a company the size of Walmart. Design can often be a hard sell, but when done well, your bottom line will love you for it.
Latest News
Cannes In Cairns MC Keeva Stratton Shares Her Top Session Picks
Self-professed nerd and one of four top Cannes in Cairns, presented by Pinterest MCs, Keeva Stratton has a front-row seat to some fascinating minds and fierce debates. But who should you put on your must-see, must-hear list? Here, B&T grabs five with the Quip agency founder, who will be helming the lecture in the Rainforest […]
Here Are The Agencies That Made AFR’s Best Places To Work List And What The Industry Can Learn From Them
Did your office not make the list? Make sure your boss shouts at least two schooners at office drinks come Friday.
Get Ready, B&T’s Best Of The Best Is Back With The Top Holding Company Executive Leaders – Creative!
Want to know who the Grandest of the Grand Poobahs in the industry are? Look no further than this exhaustive list.
How A Glittering Campaign Helped The Australian Museum Sell 400,000 Tickets
B&T thoroughly enjoyed the Ramses exhibition at The Australian Museum, despite thinking we were going to the Archibald.
TV Ratings (30/04/2024): A “Shoey” Straight From A Fish’s Mouth Launches The Cheap Seats Into 2024
Last night's TV saw horny farmers beat Lego nerds, who beat fame-obsessed home cooks, who beat a chap with a large fish.
Spotlight Extends Partnership With Starlight Children’s Foundation
B&T always happy to promote the excellent work of the Starlight Foundation. Less so the Starfish Fanciers Foundation.
Amazon’s Advertising Quarterly Revenue Soars To $11.8bn
There are so many Amazon couriers visiting B&T headquarters at the moment our office dog doesn't know who to maul first.
VML Wellington Welcomes Jacob McGregor As Pou Ārahi Māori
McGregor set to lead cultural competency and safety at VML Wellington in important new gig.
“They Grow Up So Fast”: Simon Fowler On Five Years Of ABEL
Abel's CEO talks lessons learned from the agency's first five years. Including staff nicking all the Nespresso capsules.
Kyle & Jackie O Urge Melbourne To Pick A Side
Who can stop Kyle & Jackie O's indelible march into Melbourne radio? Is Peter 'Moony' Moon waiting by the phone?
Future & Taika Waititi Feature In Striking New Global Belvedere Campaign
Not only does drinking vodka make you cool like these dudes, it also has great weight loss properties for the bone idle.
The Fall Of Bonza: A Case Study In How To, And Not To, React In A Crisis
Does the collapse of yet another budget airline hark back to a gentler time of 17 hours spent on a Greyhound bus?
Opinion: Agencies, Be Unique – Stop Using The Word “Unique!”
Trinity P3's Ellie Angell says agencies are overusing the word unique. You could add omnichannel & holisitic to that.
Ex Marketing & Advertising Exec Releases Melanoma Memoir
Ex-adlander Anne Gately has penned a tome to skin cancer. Which is a handy reminder to check your moles, people.
Mamamia Appoint Danni Wright As New Head Of Strategy
Danni Wright takes up Mamamia's strategy reins with a feng shui expert called over positioning of office chaise lounge.
From The Bureau: Championing Competency & Cross-Industry Collaboration
The IAB's Jonas Jaanimagi calls for more specialisation in adtech. Meaning you'll understand it less than you already do.
Rumble Nabs Renee Park From Cutting Edge
Rumble has recruited Renee Park as one of its new sound designers. And it's only right to make some noise about it.
iD Collective Teams Up With City Of Parramatta To Amp Up NRL Fan Experience
Adland's often lampooned for never going further west than Surry Hills. So this Parramatta news is welcome indeed.
Slew Of New Hires At The Company We Keep
The Company We Keep announces new hires. Here's hoping it doesn't impact the RBA's interest rate decision.
UnDigital Announces Brand Refresh Helping Clients Achieve More Than 600% Sales Increase
Warning - this headline comes with some obscene bragging. Much like the B&T editor's 5/8 in the weekend footy tipping.
Microsoft Advertising: “We Make The Complicated Simple”
Microsoft ads wants to make the complicated simple. The total opposite to Korean restaurant menus & the recent Yes vote.
TV Ratings 29/4/24: Farmer Wants A Wife And Lego Masters Lock Horns In Overnight’s Battle
Who won the battle of the big guns - Lego or Farmer Wants A Wife? One thing's for sure, it wasn't Great Train Journeys.
Nielsen Data Reveals Brands Spending Big To Attract Aussie Tourists
Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed that the travel and tourism industry spent more than $153 million on advertising in Australia in Q1, 2024 – an increase of 8 per cent from the previous quarter, with TripADeal the biggest spender, followed by Virgin Australia, then the Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel. As many Australians return from […]
IAS Awarded New Responsible AI Certification From Trustarc
Integral Ad Science tossing up over the mahogany or teak frame after being awarded TRUSTe Responsible AI Certification.
AWARD Calls For Hall Of Fame Nominations
B&T's noms for AWARD Hall of Famer includes Louis The Fly, Chums' talking Scottie dog & Mumbrella's coke dealer.
Havas Red Wins PagerDuty PR Account
Havas Red wins PagerDuty's PR. And judging by B&T having to Google PagerDuty, it could probably do with some help.
ACA Poised To Release Results Of 2023 Create Space Census
The Advertising Council unveils date for its census results. Hey, why not coincide it with an office lamington drive?
Why Fear Is Essential To Fernando Machado’s Creativity
If there's anyone B&T loves to chat to, it's fabled marketer Fernando Machado. Although the 5am time difference sucks.
Superdry Drafts AFL’s Patrick Lipinski For New Campaign
B&T fast regretting that poncho we just bought, as it appears the puffer jacket returns as winter's hottest trend.
Elon Musk vs eSafety: Legal Experts Warn That ‘Rogue Operators’ Like X Are Unlikely To Win Federal Court Battle
If this legal stoush boils down to who can afford the better lawyers, B&T's backing Mr Musk every single time.
Amy Poehler Presents First Look At Inside Out 2 At Vivid Sydney 2024
Vivid isn't about freezing your arse off while looking at lights on a wall, as you'll learn with this Amy Poehler news.
Mutinex Launches DataOS Improving Data Warehousing & Quality For MMM Marketers
Work in marketing? Does your data warehousing resemble a teenager's bedroom? Here's a Marie Kondo-approved read.
IMAA Celebrates Three Years Of Group Trade Credit Insurance Deal
Are you a struggling indie? Thinking of firebombing the building for the insurance money? IMAA has you covered here.
Adam Sandler Seemingly ‘Slams’ Ukraine In Pro-Kremlin Campaign
Host of A-list celebs caught slamming Ukraine's president. Thankfully it does have the Milli Vanillis about it.
New Marketing & Comms Agency For Defence & Aerospace Industry Takes Flight
As painful as this is to say, judging by current world events, the bomb & tank industries must be in rude health.
Opinion: Do Punters Want To Wear Your Brand?
This columnist asks do punters want to wear your brand? B&T'd say yes if you were Nike, no if you were Anusol.