Ayats
Ayats is a selective fragrance and cosmetics distributor working with perfume retailers, major chains, wholesalers, distributors and travel retail.
VISIT WEBSITE
CONTEXT
In B2B distribution, trust is everything: before working with a distributor, partners need to know they can rely on them.
I designed and developed Ayats’ new website with an unusual challenge: we could not show the products they distribute. The website had to persuade new partners and strengthen existing clients’ trust, combining a strong corporate presence with the aesthetic sensitivity of the fragrance world. A corporate website that did not feel cold.
PROBLEMS AND GOALS
Ayats needed a digital presence worthy of a selective fragrance distributor, but the starting point had an unusual limitation: we could not show the products.
The challenge was to convince professional buyers that Ayats is a reliable partner using only context and brand imagery.
Problems
Unable to show the product
The usual foundations of a fragrance website — a catalogue and product photography — were unavailable. Trust had to be built in other ways.
A demanding professional audience
Both new partners and existing clients need to verify authenticity, stock, logistics and terms: some before taking the first step, others to continue the relationship.
An industry that demands a sense of luxury
Image is everything in selective fragrance. A generic corporate website would have undermined credibility with brands and clients accustomed to high standards.
Goals
Build and strengthen trust
Show the evidence that matters to a B2B buyer: track record, logistics capacity, official brands, traceability and clear answers.
Turn visits into enquiries
Guide partners from their first impression to a business enquiry through an understated, premium, frictionless experience.
SOLUTION
Without products to show, the focus shifted to evidence: figures, traceability, clear answers and a sense of luxury.
Figures and official brands
Experience, logistics capacity and the brands officially distributed by Ayats, all clearly visible.
Traceability, step by step
A simply explained process that gives professional buyers confidence in the source.
Questions answered
FAQs provide answers before partners need to ask.
Luxury without products
Still lifes and unbranded bottles, editorial serif typography and a black-and-white palette.
RESEARCH
The website had to speak to two audiences: companies assessing Ayats for the first time, and existing clients who need continued confidence. Their questions fell into four shared areas, none of which could be answered by showing products.
Authenticity
- Are the products authentic?
- Is the company registered and audited?
- Which brands endorse their work?
Capacity
- Do they maintain sufficient stock and volume?
- Do they have their own logistics infrastructure?
- How much industry experience do they have?
Operations
- What are the minimum order and delivery times?
- How are shipments and issues handled?
Reach
- Do they work with my type of business: fragrance retailer, chain or travel retail?
- Do they sell internationally?
Insights
Without products to show, trust is built through evidence: figures, brands and processes.
Answering partners’ questions before they get in touch reduces commercial friction.
Imagery should evoke selective fragrance without relying on a particular product.
Contact should always be one step away: starting a relationship is a key website goal.
DESIGN DECISIONS
What does a professional buyer need to see to trust Ayats when they cannot see the products?
Buyers need evidence, traceability, evocative imagery and clear answers to assess the offer without seeing the final product.
Evidence in place of the final product
Track record, logistics figures, official partners and traceability take the place of a conventional catalogue.
Figures · Official partners · Traceability
Imagery that evokes rather than sells
Still lifes and unbranded bottles build a selective fragrance world without relying on a specific product.
Opening video · Unbranded bottles and compositions · Images
Answer questions before contact
FAQs anticipate what partners need to know: authenticity, stock, minimum orders, timing and potential issues.
FAQs
Contact, always one step away
Calls to action throughout the journey and a dedicated closing section turn trust into a business conversation.
“Contact us” CTA · “Shall we talk?” section
CONCLUSION
Ayats’ new website shows that trust can be built without displaying products. Replacing the catalogue with evidence — figures, official brands, traceability and clear answers — within a fragrance-inspired editorial aesthetic speaks to both new partners and existing clients, guiding both towards a business enquiry.
Learnings
A limitation can define the solution
Being unable to show products meant asking what truly builds trust with B2B buyers. That constraint became the foundation of the entire experience.
In B2B, trust is designed through information
The website needed to demonstrate rather than simply persuade. Choosing which information to show, and in what order, mattered as much as the visual design.
Two audiences, one shared need
New partners and existing clients both seek reassurance. Designing for that shared need avoided duplicating messages and journeys.
Designing and developing together
Handling development as well allowed me to adjust animation, pacing and responsive behaviour directly on the real website.
Next steps
Monthly reports
Each month, analyse traffic and visitor behaviour to understand which sections build confidence and where interest drops.
Reliable data from month one
The first report revealed a high volume of bot traffic. We filtered it out so decisions would be based on real visits.
Propose a contact form again
The client chose not to include one, but this makes website enquiries difficult to measure. I will propose it again to help measure the real impact.
