Question:
How can Blend Studios drive traffic into the Bergerís Sports store through a website? What style elements of the snowboarding lifestyle can be employed in a professional but appealing way to effectively target Bergerís customers?
- Flash
- PHP
- DHTML
- Client Managed System
Back Story:
Bergerís Sports is a snowboard shop in Corning NY. They needed a site to increase interest and traffic into their store, a site that targets both established riders and new comers to the world of snowboarding.
As a host of various events during the winter, a client managed events section (CMS) where the Bergerís team could keep the site current for their customers was a top priority.
Blend Studios had free reign from this point on to be as creative as we wanted with the remainder of the site.
Answer:
First priority: create a visually stunning site that immediately appealed to snowboarders and left them wanting more, therefore driving traffic into the Bergerís store. Creativity and a unique style is one of the strongest aspects of snowboard culture. Bergerís understood this and allowed Blend to create a product as cool and appealing as any of the brands carried in the store.
On the technical end, editorial control over the content of the events section needed to be handled by the client. These sections must be intuitively structured so that upkeep is minimal. Additionally, the creation of an interactive coupon system where a user, after signing up, can download any current coupons to be used at the store added even more interactivity with Bergerís and their clients.
Execution:
The interactive mountain range was created. Creative brain-storming sessions lead to the side scrolling environment utilizing layered graphics to simulate depth and give the illusion of the third dimension.
Dispersed throughout this mountain range, are elements that may be interacted with to navigate to other parts of the site. This eye candy rewards the curious visitor with something to do beyond the static navigation. The inclusion of an extensive number of links ranging from product manufacturersí websites to local ski areas truly set the site apart from its competition. No one else at the time had such an extensive list of links to the product lines.
Result:
Feedback has been monumentally positive. During the snowboarding season, the site receives heavy traffic as users return to download the newest coupons and find out the scoop on the next big event. The site is so unique and interesting that it stays with visitors, motivating them to seek out more information, therefore driving them into the store.
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