NZSki
How we helped NZSki rebuild three ski area websites around guest buying behaviour
Analytics · UX · Website · CRO · SEO · GEO
October 2026
NZSki's team rebuilt the Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt websites using data-driven hypotheses we developed together.
NZSki
NZSki runs three ski areas: Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt. Each mountain has its own brand and its own website.
Ski is a passionate industry. NZSki's guests and the staff on its ski fields care deeply about the experience, and they helped shape the new sites.
NZSki wanted three ski area websites that serve guests better. The business case set four goals: increase traffic, improve conversion rates, lift average order value through cross-selling and upselling, and deliver a better guest experience.
The project began three years ago as a conversation about evolving NZSki's digital platforms. It grew into a full rebuild of all three websites. Full agency builds for all sites were cost-prohibitive, so NZSki hired an in-house developer and contracted an independent UX designer.
Each website had to anchor its mountain brand while remaining accessible to new skiers. The snow reports draw millions of page views, serve multiple tasks, and engage a highly passionate audience.
Key challenges
- One group of buyers viewed a single cart page 8.1 times on average, highlighting an opportunity to simplify the purchasing journey.
- On one key user flow, 45% of users returned to their previous page, showing where clearer navigation could guide guests more naturally.
- 84% of purchases followed a look at other products, with purchasers averaging 21.98 page views as they explored options.
- 2 pages showed higher exit rates, indicating key moments to improve content engagement.
Build once, tailor each brand
We formed hypotheses from NZSki's analytics, aligning them directly with the four target metrics in the business case.
Our analysis showed that all three mountains share similar user flows and guest behaviors. We confirmed that a single, unified component design system could serve all three sites, with tailored brand styling so each mountain retains its unique identity.
We built search engine optimisation and generative engine optimisation into the core architecture from day one.
The plan
Together NZSki and Data Story:
Rebuild the navigation.
Introduced a second-tier menu that links directly to key products, reducing unnecessary page steps.
Make products easy to compare.
Created rich product cards so guests can evaluate options without bouncing between pages, establishing an industry-leading product page template.
Balance brand, performance, and accessibility.
Balanced site performance, accessibility standards, and distinct visual branding across all three sites.
Build search in from the start.
Designed a comprehensive hub-and-spoke content strategy alongside performance optimizations.
NZSki's marketing team and developers built the three sites. Field staff provided feedback, guest insights, and testing time that directly improved the final experience.
While it is early to measure the full statistical impact, we are encouraged by the initial user flows and platform performance.
Early evidence shows that the rich product cards have streamlined guest decision-making.
Use UX data to build.
Too many businesses rebuild around brand and creative alone and lose digital performance and revenue.
One system can serve several brands.
When the data shows several brands share the same guest behaviour, one component system can serve them all, with brand on top.
Build SEO and GEO in from the start.
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