Brattleworks
www.Brattleworks.com
Fred Good
Industry: Garden fencing company
Brattleworks Business Summary:
Brattleworks is a high-end garden fencing company, with a factory showroom that caters to architects, designers, and builders. First founded in 1987, the company's mission is to provide nationwide the type of high-end fencing product that has traditionally only been produced by local cabinet makers or finished carpenters. For years, Brattleworks used catalog distribution as its primary marketing vehicle. Naturally, since Brattleworks' focus was to reach a national audience, its efforts evolved to include the Web (www.brattleworks.com).
Experience with Network Solutions' Services:
"Typically fencing falls into a category like home renovation or remodeling," Fred Good, founder, explained. "The consumer will collect ideas over a long period of time. It's very much a planned purchase and a big ticket item. Over the years, customers have migrated to the Web to find product information because it's enormously more convenient for them." But Brattleworks realized that it was difficult for customers to find them on the Web. So, they attempted to conduct their own online marketing efforts. What they discovered, according to Good, was "the keywords that people use to find us are all over the place. We could pick a keyword, but the quality of the leads was not necessarily good. Of all the folks out there searching the word "fencing," we might be of interest to 1%."
Frustrated with their efforts in-house, Good attended a seminar on SEO hosted by Network Solutions. "I was convinced after attending the seminar that SEO sounded like a cost-effective way to get ourselves in front of our customer. So we signed up with Network Solutions. In only 9 weeks, we reached the number one spot on Google," he reported.
"With SEO, Network Solutions taught us how to go broad with our use of keywords in web copy, even though we're a high-end specialty company. Whereas, if we used a word that was too specific, we might miss potential audience members," he said. "What we've learned is to take a step back; the keyword may drive general traffic to your site from people looking for items in your area of expertise. That was a strategic change for us going into SEO."
Another change involved the tracking of people coming to the site via specific keywords and whether or not they requested a catalog or quote. Today, Good said, "Eighty to 90% of the people that buy from us have an interaction with our website, although less than 5% are straight web or ecommerce transactions. That's because people still need to figure out the price given the complexity of the product. But our web site is part of the process in closing that sale. From our point of view, Network Solutions has delivered and gotten us results; it's up to us to convert the leads into sales."
Adaptive AutoMobility
www.adaptiveauto.com/
Kevin Durban
Industry: Sells wheelchair accessible automobiles and vans
Adaptive AutoMobility Summary:
Three years ago, Kevin Durban purchased a unique automotive business that was struggling. At the time, the company was focused on providing wheelchair accessible vans and vehicles with lifts to commercial businesses, such as nursing homes and school districts. But the business' sales were declining and the bottom line was hurting. So Durban's first task was to turn the business model upside down and to transform it into a consumer-oriented business. Today, Adaptive AutoMobility is a quality source for wheelchair accessible minivans, vans and vehicle equipment designed specifically for people with limited mobility.
Experience with Network Solutions' Services:
"After I purchased the company, it took a while to realize that even though there was a Web site, there was no Internet strategy in place," explained Durban. "In fact, you could only get to the Web site if you knew the URL; there was no way to find it through a search."
Initially, managing the site and the online marketing campaigns himself, he had great success. "I learned as I went along and wasted some budget dollars," he said. "Ultimately, I contacted Network Solutions® because I no longer had the time to do all of the administration, and our budget had grown significantly. If you're going to do it correctly, you really have to stay on top of it. You have to monitor your efforts and improve your ads. But I needed to free up my management time to focus on growing the business, and I wasn't getting the most efficient use of my budget dollars. I knew that experts like Network Solutions would be able to spend those dollars much more judiciously and get us higher quality leads."
"Within three years, the company has tripled in size, with 50% of its growth coming from the Web. By having a Web site, we've essentially extended our showroom," Durban said. "Our customers who have limited mobility are very comfortable shopping on the Internet."
"With Network Solutions working on our behalf, we've gotten to a whole new level of sophistication. The reporting is so much better and multi-dimensional. With the graphic interface, you can get a snapshot that tells you what's working and what's not," Durban said.
Such detail has enabled Durban to target his marketing regionally and to constantly refine his efforts. Best of all, he's been able to do it quickly and efficiently with the help of his Account Representative at Network Solutions. "When we opened the Colorado Springs location six months ago, I wanted to run some ads and to expand the geographic targeting for our PPC campaign. I made one phone call, and the next time I logged on an hour later, it was done. That would have taken me a whole afternoon to do myself. But with Network Solutions, if I have a request, I feel that it gets action and that we are really working with someone who knows what they're doing," Durban stressed. And that level of expertise is just one component helping to drive Adaptive AutoMobility's success.
A Little Indulgence
www.alittleindulgence.us
Tracy Young
Industry: Retail; makes custom-designed dresses for young girls
A Little Indulgence Business Summary:
Founded in 2006, A Little Indulgence creates custom made dresses for girls, working with suppliers in Thailand.
Experience with Network Solutions' Services:
From the beginning, Young knew she wanted to sell directly to consumers rather than solely through retail stores. "I built a Web site. At first, it was a web presence only. But it validates you and legitimizes you," Young explained. "For my customers, as a parent buying a special-occasion dress, there's a certain amount of trust involved. So for me, it's all about transparency. Many people will tell you not to post your address. But if I wasn't willing to share where my business was located, then that trust wouldn't be there."
Over time, Young added a shopping cart to her site (www.alittleindulgence.us). Then, she attended a workshop hosted by Network Solutions® on the topic of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). "When I learned more about SEO, I realized I needed to add some text to my site," she said.
Young also realized that it might be beneficial to launch a Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising campaign. For a time, she optimized her site with PPC and then funded a concerted SEO effort. With that, Network Solutions helped her to create a library of articles and keyword-rich text that could be featured on her site to help boost her rankings. "With content added in the articles, I wanted to be sure that the copy had the same voice and that it dovetailed nicely with the site design," Young explained. "So I asked if I could review the copy that Network Solutions was developing. The team was very wonderful in accommodating me. And they would tell me what we could change and what we couldn't, based on what had been optimized. Creatively, it worked well."
"What I see with the PPC program is that people are adding themselves to my database through a simple form on my site. And we've been able to evaluate our phone call leads. While I would love to have sales go through my Web site, the reality is that people will call me up with a lot of questions. They want to make sure there's a person behind the Web site and they want to ask about sizing. Usually, it translates into a sale at some point," said Young. "With Network Solutions, I can track the areas where the calls are coming from. And if I compare the results now compared to the beginning, I definitely see more traffic. The whole PPC and SEO process has been so easy, because I've worked with an Account Executive who has handled everything for me."
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery
www.millbrookwine.com
Stacy Hudson
Industry: Vineyard
Millbrook Vineyards & Winery Business Summary:
Opened in 1988, Millbrook Vineyards & Winery is nestled in the Hudson River Region of New York. For years, the winery thrived as it was. But then, as more businesses moved towards the Web, the winery decided to follow suit and create a Web site. No longer were they restricted to simply attracting visitors to the vineyard for tastings and events. They could also use the site to reach out to wine lovers everywhere, to help them to enjoy a variety of Millbrook wines, any time, any day, for any moment of the year. Today, Millbrookwine.com enables visitors to purchase cases of wine, to create custom labels, to join their wine club, as well as to plan trips to the winery and surrounding area.
Experience with Network Solutions' Services:
"Originally, we did it to gain exposure," explained Stacy Hudson, marketing manager. "It was what people were doing at the time. It was a way to let people know we were here, that we were open year 'round."
In late 2007, the winery decided to expand its online marketing efforts in an effort to promote their custom wine bottle labels. It was a winning product that they felt would make the perfect, unique holiday gift idea.
"To launch the promotion, we tried to do pay per click advertising on our own, through Google™. It was something I had wanted to do for quite a while," recalled Hudson. "Here we were trying to come up with content and keywords. But it was so hard. It was confusing and vague. We didn't have anyone leading us in any direction. Eventually, we felt like we were just throwing money away, so we stopped."
Shortly afterwards, Hudson attended a seminar on the topic of online marketing and pay per click advertising hosted by Network Solutions®. "During the seminar, the speaker from Network Solutions said that you really needed to devote two to three days a week to online marketing efforts in order to make it work. As a small business, we just didn't have that kind of time," Hudson said.
But Hudson hadn't given up on the idea of an online marketing program, so she turned to Network Solutions and signed up for pay per click services. "They made it so user friendly, you just couldn't go wrong. They did the research and all the work," said Hudson. "With just one phone call, it was like I had an assistant to take charge of the initiative and do it for me."
"It's right there in black and white. I can see where people are calling from. I can actually get their emails. It's tangible, but it's all happening behind the scenes so I don't have to think about it," she said.
Jovani Fashion
www.jovani.com
Nazy Rafaeil
Industry: Designer gowns and formal wear
Jovani Business Summary:
Jovani Fashion offers designer gowns for any formal wear occasion, be it a night on the town, a gala ball or the opening of a Broadway show. Celebrities from Carrie Underwood to Jordin Sparks to the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, have all donned gorgeous Jovani dresses for special occasions and red carpet events. All of the dresses can be purchased at specialty retail boutiques, but you can find that dream gown through the Jovani Web site (www.jovani.com).
Experience with Network Solutions' Services:
"From the moment I attended that seminar, my knowledge of SEO and ecommerce completely changed," Nazy recalled. "I got such good advice, they were so helpful. My sales representative, Darcy, also gave me articles to read. She also recommended that I attend the advanced workshop on SEO."
"So I mixed my knowledge from the classes with Network Solutions SEO services and advice. Now, we're doing amazing. We used to be on page 70 to 80, but as soon as we started with Network Solutions, I could see the impact. We had a lot of new customers and a lot of international customers. With the very important keywords, such as 'prom dresses' we've jumped to the top of page 2 or 3 and we're getting lots of hits and traffic," she said.
"For anyone considering working with Network Solutions, I would tell them to go for it. Whatever promises they've made to me, they've always follow through on," she stressed. "Most important, we really got results."
JumboSack Corporation
www.JumboSack.com
Joe Wurm
Industry: Industrial Packaging
JumboSack Business Summary:
JumboSack Corporation specializes in selling a wide variety of bags and sacks – in large and small quantities. From bulk bags, sand bags, baler sheets, and mesh bags, to seed bags, onion bags, and potato bags, JumboSack sold most of its products through direct sales representatives and used its Web site (www.jumbosack.com) largely to offer customers the option to request quotes.
Experience with Network Solutions Services:
"We marketed with Google and Pay Per Click ourselves," recalled Joe Wurm. "For a while, it went okay. But then I started to find it overwhelming to manage the process and the campaigns."
"The biggest change with Network Solutions is the fact that I don't have to manage the PPC efforts myself. I no longer feel overwhelmed. I have one person to go to for everything. Once you set up those keywords, it's automatic. Then you just tweak things, here and there. That's the biggest sense of satisfaction."
"Now we're seeing a steadier, more consistent request for quotes on those products like mesh bags, onions, and potato bags," he said.
"I used to just put keywords out there and hope for the best. I was never able to track them. But now, I see our click through rate is between 6% to 9%. I'm told 2% to 3% is good, so I'm happy with those results. And I can see sales coming through. It's worth the money that we've put into it."
"I gave the Network Solutions team 20 keywords and they exploded it to over 100. I was amazed at the words I saw on the list; words I hadn't even thought of," he said. "That would have taken me forever to do!"
"I really like having Network Solutions to help me. It takes time to implement all these new things, especially when you're working on your own. But Network Solutions is like an extension of our marketing team."
Jazz-Ups
www.jazzups.com
Mary Hardenbergh
Industry: Bracelet Charms
JazzUps Business Summary:
We are a wholesaler selling hand enameled silver plated charms, craft decorations, and jewelry supplies. We design and manufacture our products.
Experience with Network Solutions Services:
Mary remarks, "Network Solutions is very good about answering my questions in all areas. Even if they don't know the answer, they will tell you so and then find out the answer. The keyword selection process went pretty smoothly. Some words that I wanted to focus on were just not searched enough to use, so coming up with alternatives was a little difficult."
"The pages look great, and the overall appearance is just fine," comments Mary.
"Network Solutions is great about answering questions quickly, and disseminating information about progress as well," states Mary. "I think Network Solutions is great."
Paper-Papers
www.Paper-Papers.com
Lori Olson
Industry: Paper Stock
Paper-Papers Business Summary:
Our business provides blank paper and envelope stock to many designers, printers and some personal use projects. We have great "specialty" papers which aid in the project of our Very Creative Customers. We sell creative papers for creative minds.
Experience with Network Solutions Services:
Lori states, "When the sales process started, I felt a bit overwhelmed. The rep spent a long time on the phone answering all my questions and when I came across any other concerns, she would promptly answer my questions through email."
"The keyword selection was quite simple and understandable, they provided a large list of words of which they recommended and we went through the steps of removing the ones that were least relevant until we reached the desired keywords needed. We were happy with the pages customized for our site as well with the 'writing' skills of your team. The team did a great job, we were very happy with the added pages and the verbiage."
"I was most impressed with the team being able to evaluate our site and put pages together with such valid content," comments Lori. "I am very pleased with the traffic results since the optimization process. Our results seemed slow in coming, but once the rankings started showing, we were thrilled and have now signed up for the management so we can maintain our new ranking status. Thanks, you all did a great job!"
EasyToGrowBulbs
www.EasyToGrowBulbs.com
Jill Fielder
Industry: Gardening
EasyToGrowBulbs Business Summary:
Easytogrowbulbs.com is an online supplier of flower bulbs, specially selected for warm weather gardens. The company prides themselves on supplying the biggest bulbs commercially available; this matters because bigger bulbs produce more flowers and stronger plants. Owners Jill Fielder and Jim Threadgill started the business in 2004.
Experience with Network Solutions Services:
"I was comfortable that my questions were answered, and I had a lot of questions! I like to understand the overview and as much detail as possible. She was quite patient," remarks Jill.
"It was interesting to go through the process and understand how keyword research is done. Our company has an extra challenge because some seasonal keywords are meaningful only at certain times of the year. Our developer was cooperative and helped us balance our focus so we were aiming equally for both spring and fall/holiday seasons."
"I chose to write my own text. The information and example given to me were helpful; it was pretty easy to understand how to structure things. I have never written for search engines before so it took a little while to actually do it, but it was more a function of trying to follow the guidelines without making the text sound stilted," comments Jill. "From the experience, I gained a better understanding of the way search engines look for 'word' and 'word groups' on a page."
"Many people who are novices in this area get confused by the misinformation and random bits of information about search engine optimization out there. It was helpful to have an opportunity to ask questions and have professionals do much of the work. With Network Solutions Services, you can hand over the entire project and have them do it or you can write the copy yourself," states Jill. "I've found the experience satisfying because we've made ranking headway, learned something in the process, and expect the ranking improvements to continue to move forward. Regarding the final product, I like the way my product images were placed on the created pages; it is aesthetically pleasing."
|
