Helly Hansen is a Norwegian company that produces textiles and gear for sports and work on the ocean and in the mountains. During the first semester of my Digital Concept Development program, in 2014, I formed a group with two of my classmates and one student from the University of Applied Sciences Hague. We engaged in an assignment that required us to drive conversion rates and increase average order value for Norway-based company Helly Hansen.

But how do you devise a strategy that achieves this goal without any access to internal data?

The first step we took in approaching the issue was understanding the Norwegian cultural environment through a review the Geert Hofstede Analysis, a six-dimensional model obtained from theory by professor Geert Hofstede.

Next, we ran a competitor analysis on Helly Hansen and six of its rivals, examining prices, shipping, product range, website functionalities and social media presence. Additionally, we investigated existing studies based on statistical data focused on Norwegian online shopping and social media usage.

This preliminary research helped us uncover potential areas of improvement, such as free shipping, delivery options, the integration of wishlists, and increasing social media engagement. It also highlighted the company's main unique selling point - Helly Hansen has custom-developed technologies and sells high-performance clothing.

For a better comprehension of the user behavior, we created a survey and posted it to Helly Hansen's Norwegian social pages (Facebook, Youtube, Twitter). The responses from our target group helped us better understand the users' interactions with the company and their customer service expectations.

The survey showed a high percentage of visitors using mobile or tablet devices to access the website, meaning a redesign focused on responsiveness would have a substantial impact. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of feature-rich products for our target group, something that Helly Hansen does not emphasize enough on their product pages.

Our research led us to the conclusion that Helly Hansen's best approach to increase AOV and conversion rates is by improving the online user experience.

The faster the user can proceed to checkout, the more likely they are to make a purchase. By serving them proven incentives (product features, calls-to-action), crucial information (shipping details, size guides), and shortening the three-page checkout process, Helly Hansen can streamline the buyer's journey and increase the likelihood of conversion.

We redesigned several sections of the current website (Featured, Homepage, Header and Product page) and tested them against the existing versions on Usability Hub.

The A/B testing was successful in confirming our predictions - The company needs to rethink its website from both an aesthetic and functional point of view. To maximize sales, they need to make sure they offer an impeccable online experience which aligns with their brand image.

Despite lacking a direct collaboration with the company, through literature review, extensive research and testing, our team was successful in devising a strategy that would undoubtedly positively impact Helly Hansen.