The traditional idea of luxury as something that can only be experienced in select physical locations has changed drastically. Online storefronts and ecommerce platforms are now major arenas for fierce competition.
Luxury brands explore every possible channel for staying in touch with their audience during these transformative times triggered by the pandemic, doing everything from creating fully immersive online experiences to providing a seamless online shopping trip.
In this blog, we explore not only the tactics used by luxury labels to mimic the wealth and majesty of their physical stores inside the constraints of a web page but also the underlying infrastructure that allows them to provide their consumers with world-class omni-channel shopping experiences.
Contents:
The Ritz-Carlton
Chanel
Louis Vuitton
Lamborghini
Hermes
Yves Saint Laurent
Swarovski
Berkshire Hathaway
Abel
DDNA
Highcourt Leisure Club
Bottom line
| Brand | Country | Founded | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton | USA | 1983 | Luxury hotels and resorts. |
| Chanel | France | 1910 | Women’s ready-to-wear, luxury goods, and accessories. |
| Louis Vuitton | France | 1854 | Luxury bags and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, perfumes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses. |
| Lamborghini | Italy | 1963 | Luxury sports cars and SUVs. |
| Hermes | France | 1837 | Leather goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. |
| Yves Saint Laurent | France | 1962 | Haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather accessories, and footwear. |
| Swarovski | Austria | 1895 | Crystal glass, jewelry, watches and accessories. |
| Berkshire Hathaway | USA | 1839 | Confectionery, retail, home furnishings, machinery, jewelry, apparel. |
| Abel | USA | contemporary | Jewelry, and accessories. |
| DDNA | Netherlands | contemporary | Jewelry, and accessories. |
| Highcourt Leisure Club | USA | 2018 | High living leisure. |
The Ritz-Carlton
The luxury hotel chain Ritz Carlton wants to be remembered as a heaven on Earth, which is why the first thing you notice about their website is the flawless vibe that captures various pages. They are not just selling hotel rooms for those who want to relax, but rather a lifestyle and a picture that you’ll see and feel once you’re there.
One of the things to notice is the fast loading speed, which is not common for websites that have many interactive elements and videos but is certainly something to strive for. Despite being highly interactive, they did a fantastic job of minimizing the risk of losing visitors to their site due to loading times, which makes visiting their website a pure pleasure.
Standout feature
Crisp high-resolution photos that don’t bog down the site’s load time.
What’s under the hood?
Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Audience Studio.
Chanel
Our next guest needs no introduction. Simple but classy is the motto designers were going for while working on Chanel’s website.
Once you enter a website, you won’t notice Chanel products right away. Instead, you see various collections and items that they are producing. This technique is commonly used among luxury brands since they tend to have different collections for each season.
The one thing that stands out is the intuitiveness of the website. Even if you have never visited any of the pages, you’ll find your way through the catalog. This is particularly important for businesses that have a large variety of products available. In Chanel’s case, they make it easy to find what you’re looking for by utilizing the two main pillars: minimalism and distinctiveness.
Take a look at the search button in the upper right corner. This is such a simple yet effective method to make sure your visitors are able to navigate through the website and find their preferred product, even if you offer a wide selection of items. Besides, think of it this way: the faster people can find what they need, the bigger the chances of a completed purchase.
Standout feature
Virtual try on experience.
What’s under the hood?
SAP Commerce Cloud, Adobe Enterprise Cloud, Atlassian Cloud, Salesforce.
Louis Vuitton
Yet another high-end label with a visually rich online presence. But wait.. when you zoom in, you can see that the quality is superb! Through the pictures, you are able to see seams and every single thread that exists on that piece of art.
Another thing to notice is that you are able to find a clear CTA on every single web page, which slightly pushes visitors to finally make a purchase. Of course, the site is so beautiful that you could simply continue to browse around forever, but the buy button, the only thing that really stands out against the rest of the page, surely is not unnecessary.
If you are one of those brands that sells pieces of art, as Louis Vuitton does, visualizing your product on the video is one of the keys to presenting your product in a non-trivial way.
Standout feature
Dynamic videos everywhere, even on the product pages.
What’s under the hood?
Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Brevo, Bambuser.
Lamborghini
Have you ever played Need for Speed? Well, this is exactly what Lamborghini’s website feels like. Take a look at the gamified part, where you can look through the cars just like in the game.
Besides, since the website includes many engaging transitions, you have to think about usability. Not all people may enjoy it that way, which is why they decided to add special settings where you can alternate the webpage according to your preference.
Keep in mind that even such a small detail as a font size may improve customer satisfaction, usability, and the average time spent on your website.
Standout feature
The configurator tool that literally helps you to configure each part of your brand new car.
What’s under the hood?
Drupal, Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Google Marketing Platform (Display & Video 360), Modernizr, GSAP.
Hermes
One thing to notice about Hermes’ website is the quirky typography that they are using. While the typeface is attractive, it should still prioritize readability. Well-chosen and efficient typography may improve the comprehension of a website’s content, allowing readers to effortlessly digest the data.
In a congested online market, unique typography may help a website stand out from the competition. It gives the site a distinct appearance and sensation that distinguishes it from others that use more generic fonts.
As a matter of fact, typography can elicit feelings and transmit various tones or attitudes. The web page may develop a stronger emotional bond with readers by using creative typography that connects with the desired demographic.
Standout feature
Quirky typography.
What’s under the hood?
Drupal, Salesforce, WordPress, Amazon, Google Marketing Platform (Display & Video 360), Modernizr, GSAP, Edgio, Quantil, Fastly.
Yves Saint Laurent
Now, forget all the websites that we’ve shown you before, because YSL is here to prove that you don’t need to follow a pattern and be like everyone else. Just take a look at their home page.
Brave and bold? Yes. Unique and extraordinary? Also, yes!
If you have a well-established luxury brand that people already adore, think of a way to differentiate and provide a non-trivial user experience.
Premium businesses strive to exude exclusivity, sophistication, and inventiveness. A unique website design may reinforce this idea, giving guests and prospective clients an unforgettable first impression.
Having a unique website can also help you find your targeted audience. Luxury companies frequently cater to a particular target group with specific demands. A unique website may be created to better connect with this group, appealing to their tastes in inventiveness and beauty.
Standout feature
One-of-a-kind layout.
What’s under the hood?
Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Storefront Reference Architecture, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Klarna, SaleCycle, CQuotient, TowerData (ex-Rapleaf), Brightcove.
Swarovski
Shine bright like a diamond as you open the Swarovski website! Remember that your website should line up with its aesthetics so that once users are there, they recognize the logo, typography, and style.
One of the elements that Swarovski decided to use to show the trustworthiness of the brand is social proof. This can be reviews or testimonials from your customers, user-generated content, social media mentions, awards, etc. However, Swarovski is stepping up its game and showcasing the marvelous looks of celebrities on red carpets wearing Swarovski crystals. This can be considered an elevated version of an influencer endorsement.
Although Swarovski diamonds are mainly bought for celebrations or other special occasions, one of the first things you see on the website is an invitation to register. Even though this is not a common feature among luxury brands, still consider it as it provides you with more details on what your customers prefer as well as one more media outlet for communication.
Standout feature
Extended social proof.
What’s under the hood?
Webflow, SAP Commerce Cloud, Cloudinary, UNPKG, RichRelevance, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Klarna, Riskified, Usablenet, Sitelinks Search Box.
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway is a multinational conglomerate holding company, and here is one of their websites dedicated to home services. Since the main purpose of the website is to find a new luxury home, one of the smartest things that they did was add a field to choose your location right when you enter the website. That way, the company makes sure that visitors are jumping into their website’s rabbit hole right away and not wasting their time.
Another great feature that the website has is filters. This is especially helpful for customers who are searching for real estate based on a particular price range. In terms of flexibility, Berkshire Hathaway also gives the option to change currency as well as the language and measurement system.
Now, some of the things that people rarely talk about are the header and the footer. Of course, the way your website looks and operates is an important part of your success, but keep in mind that both of these parts include a navigation menu, which allows users to simply navigate through the site and obtain the information they want. A clean and structured header and footer allow users to swiftly access various areas of the site without becoming lost.
Moreover, since the website operates in the real estate business, it is crucial to demonstrate the credibility of the services you are providing. A well-constructed website promotes trust in prospective customers, positioning a high-end real estate firm as an industry-respected and reliable business.
Last but not least, a feature that you could borrow from this website is registration through social media. This will most likely increase the number of registrations and improve clients’ experiences on your website.
Standout feature
Advanced navigation.
What’s under the hood?
Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Salesforce, LiveBy, AudioEye, Juicer.io.
Abel
Abel is a marvelous jewelry brand that is known for its simple, elegant, and chic designs. Once you enter the website, you are welcomed with a bunch of high-quality, elegant images.
Given that jewelry is a physical product, a site should provide beautiful and comprehensive photos of the jewelry pieces. Visitors may view goods more deeply by using zoom capabilities and numerous perspectives.
Additionally, be aware that the majority of users make purchases on their mobile devices, which is why it makes sense to adapt your webpage for various devices. It is critical for a great user experience to ensure that everything has been properly designed for all screen sizes.
Abel’s website also does not encourage you to register in order to make a purchase, which is a good strategy for those businesses that lose a vast amount of customers throughout the purchasing process. Getting rid of some unnecessary steps increases the chances of proceeding with the purchase.
Standout feature
Frictionless purchasing journey.
What’s under the hood?
Shopify, Shopify Conversions, Shopify Debut Theme, Shopify Pay, Affirm.
DDNA
Customer experience starts on a website, and DDNA’s website is here to prove it. The motion design elements that they are using are almost hypnotizing you to scroll further. Generally, users’ attention can be directed to selected regions of the website or critical content by using motion components. For example, animated call-to-action buttons can grab the user’s attention, boosting the possibility of engagement.
The personalization trend is still ongoing, which is why DDNA offers to customize the jewelry that you are aiming to buy. This can not only be considered a brand’s USP (unique selling point) but also a feature that will drive traffic and attract more people to your website who can get to know your brand and later convert to real loyal clients.
Motion design may be utilized to more effectively tell a story or convey information. Users can have a remarkable experience with animated sequences or interactive tales that leave an imprint that lasts.
Standout feature
Outstanding motion design.
What’s under the hood?
Netlify, DatoCMS (headless CMS), Stripe, Crisp, Matomo.
Highcourt Leisure Club
Highcourt is a membership-only leisure club that promotes a luxury lifestyle. The website is simple, yet it encourages you to jump on the storytelling train that Highcourt is inviting you to. Everything is not that clear at the beginning, but as you scroll down, you get to see more and figure out what the club is all about.
A captivating narrative attracts the interest of website visitors, keeping them hooked and eager to learn more about the topic. Engaged users are more inclined to devote time to the website and explore its aspects.
Have you noticed a pop-up asking if you want to exit the page once you are leaving the Apply page? These little details may actually help you keep visitors engaged with your website for much longer, giving you more chances to convert them.
Besides, storytelling makes the brand more memorable than isolated bits of information. Users are more inclined to remember facts and identify a business or product when a website presents its message via a well-crafted story.
Standout feature
Interactive storytelling.
What’s under the hood?
Netlify, Sanity (headless CMS).
Bottom line
Although the elegance and creativity of these luxury internet pages have astounded us, don’t forget the most crucial aspect of all: assisting customers in making their ideal purchase.
At the end of the day, the fundamental goal of an ecommerce website is to provide users with a pleasant and enjoyable buying experience. It is irrelevant how beautiful the layout is or how modern the software is if users can’t quickly locate what they’re searching for or finish their intended transaction.
So, while we take ideas from these wonderful storefronts, let us keep our clients’ demands in mind. Simplifying the checkout procedure, giving accurate details on products, and delivering outstanding service are all critical factors that can never be disregarded.
Source from Grinteq
Disclaimer: The information set forth above is provided by grinteq.com independently of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com makes no representation and warranties as to the quality and reliability of the seller and products.
