Website Study: Coca-Cola

For 126 years, the Coca-Cola Company has been branding itself on one universal ideal: happiness. As one of the world's most recognizable brands, marketers should be aware of Coke's unique designs and strategies, and should emulate when possible.  This week's website study focuses on the core aspects of the Coca-Cola (US) homepage.

Dr. Oli says: "Let's Begin!"

A: Scrolling Banner

Here, the banner serves as a header for the rest of the homepage. It creates the visual foundation that introduces the rest of the content, and it contains some of the most interesting graphic design on the entire page. On each tile is a call to action, an essential part of capturing a visitor, as 66% of all website visitors show some form of engagement according to a recent study by Chartbeat.  For those visitors, the average time engaging in content is 47 seconds.

B: Video/Multimedia

Multimedia, especially videos, also helps to engage site visitors. According to research sited by YouOn Group (video below), video content is 5.33 times more effective than text when it comes to engagement.  The visual placement of this video on the site is strategic as well: the black video frame helps draw your eye toward it in the center of the page, and its placement just above the bottom of the screen is optimal for visitor engagement. According to Chartbeat, 94% of engaged visitors view this part of the screen, the most of the entire site. You may not have a budget for video production like Coke, but you can attach videos to your site's blog, which will still help your overall SEO efforts.

C: Social

Just to the right of the video, Coke prominently displays its social media feeds. You can look at their posts from facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and flikr. Your site should contain some link to your social media accounts somewhere if not on your homepage, whether it's a live feed, or simply icon links to you account pages, or a "like" button displayed in a prominent location. Check out these examples for inspiration!

D: Complementary Content

Here's where Coke's immense marketing budget really shows itself. At ahh.com, a friendly and funny polar bear introduces the visitor to a whole new world of interactive content. Videos, games, and nifty graphics just beg to be shared, growing Coke's personal connection and further increasing its brand awareness. But you don't necessarily need a witty polar bear to connect with your audience, just something simple and unique to give your website and brand a voice. A story about your business on the "about us" page, or even personal bios of your staff can be an effective engagement strategy. 

Conclusion

As one of the world's top brands (#3 to be exact), Coke inherently takes its web design and brand engagement to the next level. But you don't need a big-league marketing budget to emulate a big-time player like Coke. Just study what makes other websites successful and make sure your web design strategically encourages visitor engagement.