Case Study: Wood Appreciation
Background
Mike Pitts, owner of Wood Appreciation, has a talent and gift for creating unique, one of a kind, custom built solid wood creations.
However, some of his products needed a different method of ordering than most, and he also wanted to be able to keep his costs as low as possible, since this was a new business. So, he needed an e-commerce storefront, which would allow custom orders plus real-time orders, as well as allow him to test the waters of online selling without making his business go broke before it got started.
By progressing to e-commerce and providing customers with an online shopping option, Mike can greatly improved all facets of the business. He is able to manage the cart's back-end, as well as provide the superior workmanship and competitive rates to a wider audience.
Business Benefits
- Ability to display and offer ease in ordering for custom-built products, plus real-time ordering for other products.
- Secure, 24/7 shopping for customers.
- PayPal® purchasing option creating an affordable first time Merchant option.
- No increased administrative costs associated with selling products online.
- Ability to have a client-maintained site with a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor for ease in updates and upkeep, which provides total control over product and category management, as well as page additions.
- Ability to monitor user statistics giving important marketing and customer service information.
Conclusion
With an online presence, this business now has the ability to generate sales beyond the local area bringing a new customer base and marketing area. With the use of the right shopping cart and the Internet as a source of new customers, this site has allowed Mike Pitts to bring his products to anyone with an Internet connection and the ability to enact site improvements as he needs, in order to drive down costs associated with a new business. With this forward thinking, Mike's dream of exposure for his products and a future in e-business is becoming a reality and enables him to see his way to profits at a much faster rate than his competitors.
Case Study: Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort
Background
Brad Talbott, owner of Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, is a very forward thinking and progressive business owner.
Not only does he own a physically-located business, but he knows that using the Internet as a business medium offers advantages that the physical world cannot in reaching his audience.
Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort started out as a physical store with limited items, plus a drop-ship business, and a generalized brochure website. Brad knew he needed to bring his business into the 21st century beginning with expansions of his product line while making them available for purchase online, upgrade of his dealsgap.com web site into a full-fledged informational site for his visitors, and creation of an online community via a forum for his target market.
Business Benefits
- The ability to sell merchandise online instead of just by phone or mail.
- Automation of the order process and ability to integrate it with current systems.
- Dynamic product management with add, delete and modify options for ease in updates
- Ability to offer secure 24/7 ordering capabilities for customers.
- Dramatic increases in site hits and visitor counts.
- Ability to interact with customers, troubleshoot problems, and give feedback.
- Browser-based, easy-to-use applications that allow for ease in communicating with visitors/community.
- Receipt of a dramatic increase on return-on-investment.
Conclusion
Transforming the online presence of the business has given it the ability to generate increased sales, as well as a dramatic increase in site and physical business visitors. With the increase in active communication methods through an automated daily update area and community forum, General Manager Ben Steinberg is able to keep ahead of news on the area, as well as become a watched figure for all things Deals Gap. Finally, by contracting with JSDVS for maintenance, Ben and Brad are able to send on any request for maintenance, so they can focus their attentions on the building and growing of this thriving business.