SonyStyle.com uses consumer reality to break down web site design barriers
Over the course of seven years and three redesigns, Sony has learned how to use consumer research to break down the silos that once prevented shoppers from getting fast access to product information and merchandise, SonyStyle.com director of web development Darrell Porcher said in a featured address today at the Internet Retailer Web Design ’08 conference in Miami.
The first iteration of SonyStyle.com, No. 9 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, did a good job of showcasing Sony’s various electronics and computer products, which pleased the company’s marketing managers. But consumer research also revealed that Sony needed to implement future designs in ways that made it easier for diverse sets of customers to research a product or complete a purchase. “We learned that you can’t be so segmented that you wind up isolating the customer,” Porcher said.
Sony has learned that detailed customer research and feedback is one key to implementing a successful site relaunch. For the latest redesign of SonyStyle.com, which launched in May, Sony reached out to hundreds of thousands of its customers through e-mail and phone interviews, call center contacts, and focus groups throughout the planning, testing and execution time frame. “We invested heavily in research to understand how our online customers behave,” Porcher said.
In the latest redesign Sony has reconfigured all of the product pages on SonyStyle.com for consistent placement of key information across categories. The company also added new features and functions, including an interactive wish list, product personalization options, mouse over tools and an e-mail-a-friend capability. “The new site speaks to the results of our customer research,” Porcher said.
Going forward Sony will continue to make design decisions that reflect changes in online buyer behavior as well as in the company’s SonyStyle boutique stores. “Customers want the same experience across all channels,” Porcher said. “We will continue to create not just a visual design, but a functional one as well.”
Sony spent 18 months redesigning SonyStyle.com. Though he didn’t reveal specific numbers, including web sales, Porcher said that Sony is pleased with the results. “Traffic and revisits are up since the relaunch,” Porcher said. “The next big goal is refining and growing how we can use the online experience to support our offline activities.”
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