Web Site Makeovers

No Finish Line

To stay relevant to Internet search engines and users, Best Buy offers a regular influx of fresh content and new ideas. For instance, a “Connect” section serves as an aggregator of employee blogs, Twitter feeds, and other social media content. The thinking behind the section is to “help filter up to the top authentic employee communication from Best Buy employees,” Parks says. An employee with an existing blog can ask to have it included.

In an upgraded “News” section, icons are attached to articles or press releases to designate them as a specific type of content. “Rather than only being able to search information by date or keyword, you can now do a visual search of the news area by brand or topic,” Parks says. If a user is only interested in mobile products, for example, it’s easy to spot news on those topics.

As a big believer in transparency, Best Buy also sought to make financial data on the site easier to access and understand for a variety of visitors—including high school students, who often use the site to write reports as part of school work.

“Best Buy wanted the site to be simple enough, engaging enough, and direct enough so a high school student can easily figure out who they are and what they do,” Wharton says. It turns out those same factors have enhanced the site in the eyes of many visitors.