Macdonald Hotels
MacdonaldHotels.co.uk
We created one of the world’s first large-scale responsive sites and transformed this hotel company’s performance.
inspiration
A complete overhaul was needed
Macdonald Hotels briefed Equator to overhaul their aging web estate. There was a requirement to streamline the booking process and put greater focus on the other areas for revenue growth. They wanted to make more of a feature of their Golf, Spa, Weddings, Business and Food & Drink facilities.
Connections
Moving to a mobile-first world
We were tasked with creating forward thinking website that differentiated Macdonald Hotels. We had to simplify and improve the customer journey to grow bookings and revenue through the site. Initial research revealed that it was imperative the new site catered for mobile users as their numbers were increasing exponentially.
Ideas
A first-class experience
One of our challenges was maintaining a first-class experience across all devices. Macdonald wanted to be seen as more premium than competitors by offering a diverse range of hotels (from luxury hotels, to country houses, to boutique city centre locations), along with high quality food and drink and additional packages.
Development
A completely new design process
Our pioneering, responsive design concept meant a complete rethink of our design process involving thorough testing prototypes on all devices to make sure we delivered a consistently high-quality experience. We also re-wrote the site's 600+ pages to create a stronger personality and to achieve better search engine traction.
Big numbers
The site paid for itself in less than a year
In just 9 months, revenues had increased by 8% to almost £1.5 million. Not only that, but MacdonaldHotels.co.uk was one of the world’s first hotel sites with fully responsive functionality for devices. It was showcased on UXBooth.com and in The Financial Times as a leading example of design for an increasingly mobile, touch-based world.