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Posted by on 31 August, 2011 in eMarketing - (Be the first to comment)
Is your website failing to achieve your online business objectives? Have you noticed dwindling numbers of visitors? Is your site looking dated? Have new technologies become popular since you last upgraded your website? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time for a website makeover.
Posted by on 24 August, 2011 in eMarketing - (Be the first to comment)
Having online payment options on your company website can help you make the most of the 24/7 trading possibilities opened up by the internet. Make no mistake: within the Irish market alone there is both the interest and the capability to make e-commerce a profitable platform for your business, provided you go about it the right way. Ireland had 3.1 million debit cards and 2.3 million credit cards in circulation in 2009, according to Irish Payment Services Organisation (IPSO), the representative industry body of the payments industry. The appetite for online purchases is thriving, and alternatives to credit cards are growing in popularity. Irish-based e-payment processor Realex Payments noted that in one month alone last year, it processed over EUR100 million in Laser card payments. (more…)
Posted by on 17 May, 2011 in eMarketing - (Be the first to comment)
Customer service, continuous development and a hunger for new business are the core values behind successful Irish online gift company WowWee. The Ennis-based company was set up by Aine Gleeson in 2000, and her business sells everything from personalised gifts for christenings to dolls and Christmas presents. WowWee employs between two and six staff, depending on the time of year, and it sells its products to customers in Ireland, the UK and North America.
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The most important thing for SMEs to remember when it comes to online discount sites is that the deal being offered must be appealing to your target audience, says Siobhan Hanley, sales and marketing manager at Snapicity, a new Irish discount site. SMEs should consider going beyond simple money-off discounts, says Hanley, and think about ways they can add a product or service to the deal to make it more attractive. Your online deals should be original – not simply online versions of existing offline deals.
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The number one pitfall when redesigning your website is failing to set a realistic goal of what you want to achieve. That’s according to Patrick Murphy, director of Irish-based web marketing specialists SiliconCloud. Failing to define clear objectives for your redesign, whether that be increased traffic and/or sales, is the equivalent of buying a house off the plans, says Murphy: within a few years it almost invariably becomes apparent that changes need to be made.
Posted by on 3 May, 2011 in eMarketing - (Be the first to comment)
Most successful businesses evolve over time. Carlow-based Garrendenny Lane made the transition from interior design firm to online boutique store in just three years. Owner Lorna Sixsmith set up the company in 2008 and she runs it from her home in Carlow. Originally, the company focused on providing interior design services, selling a range of boutique items on the side. However, the boutique side of the business proved more popular and, after the decline in the economy, Sixsmith decided to develop that side of Garrendenny Lane in more depth. The company now sells soft furnishings, wallpaper, gifts and other home-ware products online.
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Group purchasing and discount sites are all the rage among local businesses and their customers. According to recent research by consultancy firm BIA/Kelsey, the US market alone is set to grow from USD873 million in 2010 to USD3.93 billion in 2015. Naturally, consumers worldwide are rushing to seize on great online deals being offered by SMEs, from restaurants to manicurists. For consumers, the idea is simple: sign up to receive digital coupons (sometimes with strings attached, but more on that later) and then enjoy discounts and savings when you spend money on a selected product or service. (more…)
Posted by on 19 April, 2011 in eMarketing - (Be the first to comment)
Clothing boutique Coze Di Roze has made the transition from real-world store to online shop, and picked up 1,700 Facebook fans along the way. Coze Di Roze is an online boutique for women that sells shoes, handbags and other products. Owner Soraya Quigley established the SME in 2008 as a bricks-and-mortar store in Cabinteely Village, Dublin. In December 2010, she closed down the physical store and moved her business to Facebook. More recently she has launched a revamped online webstore for customers.
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Allowing customers to give feedback on your website, blog or other internet real estate produces more positive results than feedback provided on third-party websites. That’s according to Conor O’Neill from Irish customer review specialist Loudervoice. “Give your customers the platform where – on a reasonable basis – they can tell you what they think. Most of the time they are going to be positive in any case. Irrespective of the type of feedback system you’re using, the key bit is that if you don’t embrace the ability for your customers to give feedback, they will do it somewhere else,” he says.
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SMEs have a slight upper hand over larger companies when it comes to location-based marketing – for the time being at least. That’s according to Des Martin, founder of Irish firm Local Search Marketing. “Interestingly, a lot of national chain stores that have a local presence in towns all over Ireland have not adopted a ‘local search’ strategy. This often gives SMEs an edge in this space,” he says. |
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