If you’re still asking why a business must have a website, consider the following case study:
In today’s Sydney Morning Herald an article outlines how traditional fashion retailer Witchery has turned it’s website into it’s most important and profitable shopfront.
How is that possible, you may ask? Witchery has applied important marketing principles to it’s online marketing strategies and has also engaged an agency specialising in online marketing consultant to benefit from specific internet marketing strategies.
Why have business websites? Here are some of the main considerations:
Massive Return on Investment
In 2007, Witchery Holdings acquired Mimco, an accessory and handbag outlet, which made miniscule sales at them time. After a $100,000 website make-over, the website now turns over $90,000 each month! What a return on investment!
Of course, not everyone has a budget for a $100,000 website make-over, and it’s not even necessary. What this case study illustrates is that you’re leaving money on the table if you’re not taking a piece of the online market.
Engaging Customers
Through it’s online presence, Witchery Holding’s brands have now created additional points of contact with their customers. Whether it’s their monthly newsletter with a subscriber base of 130,000, or their Facebook and Twitter pages, Witchery can keep in constant contact with customers to offer everything from the latest fashion trends to promotional discounts in store.
Give the customer what they want
Monitoring customer’s behaviour through analytics helps the company to improve customer experience. Whether users are looking for a product, a store, or the latest fashion information, it’s the data collected by analytics that help to develop insights and turn the website into the fourth most profitable outlet of the company. Ian Nairn, the chief executive of Witchery Holdings, told the Sydney Morning Herald about the importance of striking a balance between content and commerce, resonating with the common internet marketing principle of giving value before asking customers to buy.
Synergies between online and offline business
In summary, the most important lesson from this case study is that taking your business online doesn’t mean leaving your traditional business behind. In contrast, the purpose of taking your business online is to create a synergy between the two that contributes to your overall profits.
Why have business websites? Are you seriously still asking? The fact is, most Australians are now online and are increasingly more comfortable shopping online too. So whether you’re a retailer, or a traditional brick-and-mortar business, you now know why a business must have a website.
If you want to take your business online too, contact me now for a obligation free consultation to see how your business can also increase profits online.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great ROI. They could’ve easily spent $100k on the redesign that produced much worse results.
Goes to show that if you have a solid strategy and the ability to execute tactics well, anything would work. Of course, a $100k doesn’t hurt either.
Squidoo, Hubpages and Infobarrel are great, i write articles for them that links to my website. great for promoting affiliate p-*”