Achieving Sales on the Internet - Case Study

Every business needs to be online in one way or another, but generating sales for a business over the internet is the true goal for everyone. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as acquiring a cheap website and placing it on the internet for everyone (or no one) to see. The challenge is to build a website that is easy to find for your ideal customer, and exciting to use so they remember your website over your competition and invest in your product or service.

The following case study identifies how Succinct Solutions was able to analyse our clients business, devise a sales and marketing plan, and successfully taking their business online to achieve an increase in sales output while reducing sales costs. By using our experience and tools we were able to increase the sales of the business, and more importantly make the internet work for the business as an extra sales force.

The Problem
The client had a successful business that had always used the more traditional approach to gaining sales, through face-to-face meetings and resellers of their products. The challenge was to use the internet to generate sales while not loosing the feel and personal nature of the business. This challenge was combined with low company-wide knowledge of IT systems and the internet, and a tight budget. The business required a sales and marketing plan with the internet as a key part, but lacked the skills and time to solve the problem in-house.

The Solution
The first stage of the project was to conduct a Focus Day; to better understand the business, define selling points, product value to the customer and the routes to market. This intense interactive day worked with the business owner and staff, providing a clear understanding of what the business is marketing, and the best approach to sell to the customer. Afterwards, the Managing Director concluded the day by stating: “You have been able to do in one day what we have struggled with for 10 years”

After the focus day the next challenge was to create a sales and marketing plan, engaging the internet as a source of new revenue and customers. The initial plan was devised during the focus day, and further bolstered by market research developing into a complete sales and marketing plan; including everything from how to write effective communications to e-commence systems.

Once the plan was approved the Succinct Solutions team set about the implementation. Domain names were acquired and all staff members we given new company email addresses (with an auto forward setup for the old address). The entire project took six weeks to implement including the website testing. The client now had a full functional e-commence website running, and a proven marketing strategy to put into operation.

The client was given a new website that reflected the unique nature of their business, as well as placing their business firmly in the middle of the online market. The site was web-optimised so that the maximum amount of interested customers would find the site. Furthermore, we established a user-friendly and secure online order and payment system, linked directly into the business accounts management. To launch the website various marketing material were printed, from business cards to exhibition posters, and a one month e-marketing campaign was run to drive traffic to the site, starting the process of growth over the internet.

Bottom Line Results
With careful planning and detailed research Succinct Solutions was able to manage and deliver this project on time and to budget. As a result the business was taking online orders within 48 hours of the site going live, and within the first three month the overall sales of the business had increased by 22%; all driven by the online sales of their products. This growth meant that the project paid itself back within three months and thus confirmed the return on investment of the project.
The business was able to reduce the cost of traditional marketing making an overall saving of 15% on the cost of sales, while decreasing the time to take new products to market. As an addition to the project the marketing material was reviewed and improved to better communicate the business message. With all these changes evident; online marketing, reduction of traditional marketing and the increase in the quality of the marketing material, the whole business was able to increase their profits by a total of 26%, working smarter and not harder. The business was given access to new markets as well as routes to new customers; they where always there, they were just online.

The focused and professional success of this project prompted the client to state that: - “Succinct Solutions came into our business like a breathe of fresh air. They work with us to better understand our own business and gave our sales and marketing plan a revamp, and brought it into the 21st century. We ended up with better marketing material, an amazing website and a clear plan to work to. But in truth they gave us a lot more from expert advice to a real passion to help us improve”