 In the first of a new series of features profiling sports websites, Kate Walthew, website editor for the British Horseracing Board, walks Sport and Technology through the main objectives and features of the governing body's revamped site. The British Horseracing Board launched its new website www.britishhorseracing.com in January 2004. Previously the BHB's online presence was represented by three different websites, each aimed at different audiences - consumer, corporate and specialists. Each website had a very different look and feel and it was felt that there was a strong need to develop a single website to act as a 'one stop shop' for British horseracing that would appeal to anybody with an interest in the sport, no matter how great or how small.
This portal for British racing now plays a central role in the integrated marketing plan of the British Horseracing Board and has attracted an average of 24,000 unique visitors a month and has recorded nearly £500,000 ($907,000) worth of ticket sales in just under six months. Customers have praised the new design and layout, highlighted by vibrant and engaging images. New content areas have also proved popular such as race results, weather reports, news, features, audio interviews and big race videos. These have meant that now, instead of just booking tickets or entering the increasingly popular competitions, visitors are also taking the time to browse around the site to learn more about what's going on in British horseracing and hopefully feel more involved in the sport. Navigation issues When building www.britishhorseracing.com, one of the main objectives was to ensure that, despite the incredibly deep level of content, the navigation was still as clear as possible and that the different content areas could be accessed easily and quickly by the varying target audiences it was relevant to. After careful consideration and consultation with industry stakeholder groups, it was decided to split the website into three sections, each with its own distinct colour, Go Racing, Inside Horseracing and Owning and Breeding.
Whilst 'Go Racing' concentrates on the racegoer, providing all the relevant info to actually get people to the races and learn more about the sport, 'Inside Horseracing' concentrates on racing as an industry with information about the role and activities of the BHB as well as media, careers and sponsorship info. The third section, 'Owning and Breeding' is very specific in its content with the breeding section concentrating on promoting British breeding to industry professionals and the ownership section providing all the relevant information for racehorse owners and potential owners. Whilst these three sections are almost standalone websites in their own right, it still remains easy for the user to browse between the three areas and learn more about other aspects of the sport.
RMG Blackcat was the agency that designed and built the website. The key challenge which faced the company was building the ticketing functionality. One of the unique aspects of www.britishhorseracing.com is that it's the only centralised booking service which exists for a sport where you can buy tickets for any event taking place across Britain. With 200 advance booking and group discounts offered by the racecourses alone plus the different ticket promotions operating at a national level, it was imperative that the booking process worked correctly and efficiently for the customer. Customers have found the new improved booking system gives them all the information they require in order to choose a fixture and which type of ticket they would like to buy.
Racing freebies The new functionality also allows greater flexibility for creating complex ticket promotions or packages redeemable via promotional codes. Two of the most ambitious promotions have been a special free Seabiscuit DVD offer associated with racing's most prestigious racing series, the Summer Triple Crown and a viral Grand National game with a free Derby Day prize draw.
One of the BHB's key objectives now is to work with other websites, particularly consumer websites, to build longstanding partnerships both at a content level as well as a promotional level. This has been illustrated by the teaming up with Vogue.com to create a Ladies Day microsite dedicated to fashion at the races. The aim of this site (www.britishhorseracing.com/fashion) was to raise awareness of racing and in particular the more than 30 Ladies Days taking place at racecourses across the UK during the country's summer months. The target audience is young women looking to enjoy a fun day out together and the What to Wear guide provided by Vogue.com was designed to appeal to them. As well as the expert's guide, visitors can also take advantage of a special promotion with leading skincare company, Biotherm, which is giving away free beauty kits to ticket bookers in July.
Based on the success of projects like these, the BHB plans to establish long term partnerships with consumer brands that will allow the attraction of horseracing to spread to a far bigger and wider audience. The website will continue to be the driving force for all promotional activity as it provides the perfect vehicle to showcase all that's great about horseracing in Britain both nationally and internationally.
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