Hector James - Web design and branding for a global audience

Creating a simple but highly effective website for an international drinks distributor.

93ft were approached by Hector James, an international drinks distributor, for a brand and web design that needed to appeal to its international audience across Europe and Africa. The brief was simple - Hector James needed a website that was as crisp as one of its fine wines, with no ambiguity or convoluted maze of pages. Just straightforward and concise information and a clear and compelling call to action. 

The importance of EAT - expertise, authority and trust - can’t be underestimated and this is something we carried through from the branding, to the look and feel of the website and its content.  

A premium rebrand fitting for the drinks industry

We also worked on Hector James’ rebranding, distilling the essence of the family owned business into a premium brand that felt fitting for the global drinks industry. 

The sleek simplicity of the site with its sophisticated colour palette, adds to the overall feel of the brand as a key player on the world stage. 

Our expert branding and design team underwent an exploration of typography to find the perfect fit, before working on the monogram design for their new logo. We created several different options during the development process before narrowing down to our, and our client’s, first choice.

Effective web design…

Our creative and web design experts began as we always do when working with a new client - with a workshop to identify their needs and the values and vision behind the business.

Hector James was keen that their site be clean and straightforward - their current site had too many pages and wasn’t always easy to navigate so UX (user experience) was key.

We created a one page website that lays out Hector James’ USP clearly, introduces the brands and offers a clear call to action (CTA). Instead of a menu there are options at the top of the page which when clicked navigate to the relevant section. 

Above the fold - the first part of the website before the site visitor scrolls down - uses a dark, sophisticated navy, a filter laid over a close up of wine corks. 

…Underpinned by compelling copywriting 

Copywriting - referring to the words on a website or any other marketing material - is more than just words. It draws from the melding of psychology with marketing know-how, crafting not just the words but the tone of voice, the personality of the brand - essential for maintaining customer trust and loyalty. 

Hector James is a global brand that needs to appeal to clients in the UK and Europe as well as several countries across Africa, so getting the tone and language right was key. In keeping with the classic and effective design of the site, our copywriting team used unfussy language that gets right to the heart of the customer’s needs. 

A clear hero statement appeals to both site visitors and search engines to help the site rank for its chosen topics. This is prime real estate on a website, being what site visitors see first and the statement that will compel them to read further. It also contributes to how search engines file the page, so we gave a lot of thought to the words we use here, mentioning key phrases and words, making the content of the site crystal clear. 

Putting the USP front and centre

Hector James has an attractive USP - aside from being the only official distributor of their top brands, they are unique in that they add a personal touch to their work. Customers are allocated their own personal account manager who deals with all their transactions so they’re able to build a relationship over time. They’re also one of the fastest distributors to work with.  

We made these points the focus of the site, allowing the brands they work with to speak for themselves. 

Sophisticated and relevant imagery

Hector James is an international brand so we used stylised images of the world map to add a global look and feel to the site. 

We chose photography that showed the vibrancy and got to the heart of the brands that Hector James represents - picnics with friends and bustling dinners for the wines and remote Scottish Highland crofts for whisky and other spirits. 

The sophisticated navy filter was laid over a beautiful image of wine glasses to continue this imagery further down the page and pull the whole site together.

We added a timeline - copy and images that lay out the straightforward process when a client works with Hector James. This is an effective way of displaying the simplicity of the process in a visual way. 

Clear call to action

A web page should have one clear CTA to keep the site visitor on track, prevent distraction and decrease the risk of bouncing (leaving the page too quickly without having performed an action). 

We agreed on a CTA for Hector James that centred around the visitor making an enquiry, and so the whole site led towards this. 

We created an enquiry form to gather the essential relevant information - this is a delicate balance between not asking for an off putting amount of detail while still gathering the information that the team at Hector James needs. 

A brand new site and branding that meets ambitious needs

As Hector James realises its ambitious plans to expand in their field, 93 were proud to provide the site and branding work that forms the foundations of their marketing. We wish them all the best as they continue to grow. 

To discuss your own plans for web design, copy or branding, just get in touch

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