Full service digital marketing? The sky's the limit.
When Bristol International Airport came to us in early 2005, they had a problem: a website which, in terms of user-friendliness, was stuck on the runway.
Naturally, we were delighted to help. But, as the project unfolded, we quickly became aware of a much bigger opportunity; a chance to deploy our full range of digital marketing skills and services to help move a client’s business onto an altogether higher plane. (Ouch.)
3Sixty have quickly grasped our business requirements and developed creative and practical solutions to meet our objectives. Not only have all projects been delivered to agreed timescales and budgets, they have also shown measurable ROI.
Isabelle Whiteman, Marketing Manager – Bristol international Airport.
A site for sore eyes
In terms of visually reflecting Bristol International Airport’s brand values, the existing website didn’t get off the ground. And, even more worryingly, it clearly wasn’t doing its job. User data showed visitors to the site struggling to find the information they needed – and, in large numbers, cutting their visit short and never returning. Not good for business.
And our initial review revealed another massive problem: the original designers had allowed the client virtually no facility to manage and update the site themselves – crucially important, when a sudden change in the weather can affect dozens of flights, and thousands of people’s travel plans.
Prepare for take off
The first thing we did was to put the client back in control, by installing a good content management system, (Sitecore, since you ask).
Then we went to work on the site itself:
New look and feel: nothing flashy needed here, but, for a brand like Bristol International Airport, a clean, uncluttered and unmistakably modern feel was the basic minimum requirement; and we hope you agree that we delivered it.
Greater usability: the crux of the matter, and by far the most demanding part of the project. Why exactly was the existing site so unwelcoming and confusing? Usability testing with target customers provided us with valuable insight into what people wanted from the site, and how the navigation could be greatly simplified. Now, from the home page, the information you need is never more than a couple of clicks away.
Built-in flexibility: no point giving the client the power to update the site, unless the design can accommodate the latest airport news and promotional offers. Oh look, it can.
It is, if we say so ourselves, a simple yet highly effective site. It works. And that’s not just our opinion. Since it went live in Autumn 2005, customer feedback has been highly positive, and all the user data has taken off – with traffic up by 18.8% (1)
A journey, not a destination
So job done, then. Except that by the time we were finishing work on the website, we’d already come up with a number of other ideas for using the web to build the client’s business – starting with online marketing.
SEO and Pay per click: car parking makes a massive contribution to the airport’s total income, yet the client had not previously done any search engine marketing. Now, type “Bristol car parking” into Google, and see what comes up at the very top of the page.
Effective? You could say so: in return for a relatively modest investment, parking revenues are up by around 30% year on year.
And since then, we’ve delved even deeper into our portfolio of digital marketing:
Banner advertising: we produced a successful campaign for Bristol International Airport in conjunction with Continental Airlines, promoting their new flights to New York.
E-newsletter: we redesigned the client’s employee newsletter, with the new content management system making it easy for them to create it themselves.
Website management: when necessary, we’ve added new pages, and we also take care of general housekeeping, ensuring the site continues to perform excellently, as it evolves.
What next?
Every month, we meet with the client to review the latest site data, and to generate new ideas. Currently, we’re planning a new online customer incentive programme, which will offer regular flyers big savings on parking – while enabling our client to build a hugely valuable segmented customer database.
Why should you care?
OK, so you’re probably not in the aviation business. And maybe you’re perfectly happy with your current website. But here’s why we believe our work for Bristol International Airport may, nevertheless, be of interest to you.
Because, in both its quality and especially its scope, it proves what we’re always claiming: that at 3Sixty we are specialists in digital marketing, with equal emphasis on both those words.
If you’ve dealt with traditional agencies who can’t get their heads round the technology, or new media outfits who couldn’t market their way out of a paper bag, you’ll know what a rare combination that is.
To find out more, contact us or call for a chat on 0117 90 77 360.
(1) 150,218 unique visits per month September 2005. 178,684 unique visits per month May 2006. Source – Google Analytics
