Results | Aspiring Guides Website Redevelopment How Smart UX Increased Engagement and Bookings for Aspiring Guides

The PARTNER

Aspiring Guides is a guiding company based in Wānaka, New Zealand. They offer world-class courses and trips across skiing, climbing, and trekking. With over 30 years of experience in New Zealand's backcountry, their guides are internationally certified and deeply passionate about creating unforgettable outdoor experiences. Their audience spans from first-timers to seasoned alpine adventurers.

Data Story Services

Conversion Rate Optimisation

Website Development

Quick WINS

76 %

increase in 'Book Now' clicks post-launch

22.8 %

improvement in engagement rate

43 %

increase in average engagement time

The CHALLENGE

Aspiring Guides offer an impressive and diverse range of adventures, from simple day hikes to advanced mountaineering adventures. With such a wide offering, it was time to rethink how information was presented to help users explore confidently and efficiently.

The previous site had served its purpose, but a more intuitive, category-driven approach was needed to reflect the brand's evolution and improve user journeys across the board.

We also had to integrate newly developed brand visuals — including a new logo, colour palette, and guidelines — into the website design.

We had to ensure that the refreshed look was cohesive across all digital touchpoints.

THE STRATEGY

We approached the redesign with a customer journey mindset, crafting a user journey that reduces friction and builds intent—anchoring the experience in clear category pathways.

What we did:

We integrated newly developed brand visuals — including a new logo, colour palette, and guidelines — into the website design, ensuring that the refreshed look was cohesive across all digital touchpoints.

Redesigned homepage and navigation: Introduced clear pathways for each of the three core categories (Ski, Climb, Trek). Focused on scanability and clear CTAs for mobile-first users.

Rebuilt product pages with Webflow CMS: Enabled structured content blocks (e.g. Itinerary, Pricing, Difficulty) and nested key info in tabs and accordions.

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Integrated dynamic trip recommendations: Surfaced related trips to keep users exploring.

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Redesigned homepage and navigation: Introduced clear pathways for each of the three core categories (Ski, Climb, Trek). Focused on scanability and clear CTAs for mobile-first users.

Rebuilt product pages with Webflow CMS: Enabled structured content blocks (e.g. Itinerary, Pricing, Difficulty) and nested key info in tabs and accordions.

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Integrated dynamic trip recommendations: Surfaced related trips to keep users exploring.

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The results

A redesigned site that fuels discovery and drives more action

Post-launch analytics showed a 76% increase in "Book Now" clicks and a 43% lift in time spent on site. The new navigation made it easier for users to find trips by category and ability level, while the CMS structure allowed product pages to communicate complex information in digestible chunks. Engagement rate jumped from 51.5% to over 63%, showing users were staying longer, clicking more, and exploring deeper.

Home Page

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Dynamic Trip Recommendations

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Product Page

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We’re thrilled with our new website developed by Data Story. Since its launch, we’ve seen an immediate increase in bookings and a noticeable improvement in the quality of enquiries we receive. The streamlined user experience, combined with the clear and intuitive presentation of information, has transformed our website into a genuine tool for our team and clients. Data Story truly understood our brand and delivered a platform that not only looks great but will continue to serve our company as the products and brand develop.

Victoria

Marketing Manager

Key Takeaways

Takeaway 1: Structure solves scale
Grouping 60+ trips under intuitive categories helped users self-select without getting lost in complexity.

Takeaway 2: Show everything, without overwhelming
Accordion sections and clear layout made complex trips easier to digest, especially those with gear, training, and insurance requirements.

Takeaway 3: Small improvements compound
Related trip widgets, better CTAs, and scan-friendly design all contributed to increased site stickiness and conversions.

Takeaway 4: Get inspiration outside your industry
Drawing inspiration from eCommerce conventions like filters, modular layouts, and persistent CTAs helped make technical outdoor products easier to browse.