Recorded Books is the largest independent wholesale audiobook retailer in the world, serving customers across the US, UK, and Australia. As the audiobook market shifted from physical CDs to digital downloads and streaming, the business needed a digital presence that could keep pace - but its existing website was working against it.
The platform was difficult to use and poorly structured for conversion. Pricing was complicated, with different models for subscriptions, one-off purchases, and bulk discounts. Tax, royalty, and pricing rules varied by region. And the site relied on five separate internal and third-party systems that did not communicate well with each other. The result was a frustrating experience for customers and lost sales for the business.
Recorded Books was also facing competitive pressure. More agile competitors were investing in their digital platforms, and without a modern, customer-focused buying experience, the business risked losing market share it had spent decades building.
"This project was very challenging and incredibly rewarding. Distinction worked with us as partners throughout, leading our global team to deliver an exceptional product. Each of the new ecommerce sites have increased sales considerably."
We started with the customer, not the technology. We ran 25 in-person research workshops across the US and UK, with additional remote sessions covering the Australian market. Our consultants spent time with real customers - observing how they browsed, bought, and managed their accounts - to understand where the experience was falling short and what would actually make a difference.
The research confirmed a clear demand: customers wanted a simpler, more intuitive buying experience. The existing site was structured around internal product categories rather than how people actually searched for and purchased audiobooks.
We rebuilt the platform from the ground up, organised around three priorities.
First, regional specificity. We built three separate ecommerce sites - one each for the US, UK and Europe, and Australasia - each configured for local tax rules, pricing structures, and regulatory requirements. This removed the complexity that had been causing friction at checkout.
Second, a better buying experience. We introduced personalised recommendations, recently viewed titles, and improved title detail pages. The goal was to make it as easy as possible for a customer to find what they wanted and complete a purchase without unnecessary steps.
Third, platform consolidation. We streamlined the technology infrastructure, connecting five previously disconnected systems into a single, coherent stack. This gave the operations team visibility they had not had before and removed the manual workarounds that had been slowing everything down.
The impact was immediate and significant. Global sales increased by 433%. Session duration improved by 99%, and visitor engagement - measured by pages viewed per session - rose by 63%. The platform reached positive ROI in under three months.
The commercial impact went further than the numbers. Recorded Books strengthened its position as the market leader and subsequently acquired its closest competitor - a move that was supported by the digital infrastructure now underpinning the business.
The three regional sites gave the business a platform that respected local market differences while maintaining a consistent brand experience. And by consolidating the underlying systems, the operations team could manage content, pricing, and promotions without relying on developer support for every change.
