Develop a Website for Your Wood Flooring Business

Your hardwood flooring retail store is probably one of the thousands of businesses that is now flocking to the World Wide Web to use this cyber-tool as part of its marketing plan. And why not, when conservative estimates put more than 30 million potential buyers on-line, and analysts predict that Internet retail sales will reach $4 billion by year 2000.

"In today's competitive retail marketplace, it's essential to have a website, or customers won't know that you exist," says Frank Rosso, owner of Toronto based Hardwood Flooring Centre, which has had a website for three years. "Indeed, operating a business today without a website is like trying to run one without a cell phone. It can be done, but not having one will put your store at a disadvantage."

For small businesses like those in the hardwood flooring industry, the Web has the potential to dramatically increase their market share and even allow them to compete with larger, better-financed companies. In the world of cyberspace, business size is irrelevant. As a matter of fact, you should decide how you are going to handle the international business that comes your way, because your website is almost certain to bring you international opportunities, whether you plan them or not.

"Do the right things for your website, and your hardwood flooring retail business, no matter how big or small, has the potential to substantially increase in market share and to compete with bigger, better financed companies," says Sebastien Charroud, a Rock Hill, S.C.-based Web consultant, who has taught businesses how to market their products successfully on the Internet.

Think of the Internet and its World Wide Web as being the global equivalent of the telephone book and your home page much like a Yellow Pages ad, offering information on your business's goods and services that can be accessed almost instantaneously by anyone anywhere in the world. But unlike the Yellow Pages, your hardwood flooring retail business isn't limited to a four-inch panel, which makes your business a mere speck among numerous other businesses.

"We use our website to show off some of the jobs we've done, and this has helped to get us business from all over the world," says Kenneth Schumacher, owner of Schumacher and Company Custom Hardwood Floors in Newport, Ky. But with thousands of new websites springing up every month on the Internet, you might be a little anxious, wondering if you are going to do all you can to market your business's Web presence effectively.

So how do get the most you can out of your website, ensuring that those potential customers will find your site and keep coming back. If you need some guidance, consider these seven proven techniques to market effectively your business's presence in cyberspace:

1. DEVELOP AN INVITING WEBSITE

 "When customers come to our website, we are confident that it is designed in such a way that they know what we are talking about," Rosso says. But don't expect your website to do everything possible. A flashy website with a lot of frames, movement and sound bites might actually turn off many visitors. Such sites, infact, may confuse visitors and even frustrate them if it takes too much time to load your website information on their screen.

"Make sure your website is easy to navigate and that it can load quickly. If not, you will lose potential customers because they will get frustrated and not come back," Schumacher says. Besides, not every visitor is going to have a flashy multimedia device attached to their computer, a high-speed modem or a computer with extensive sound and graphic capabilities.

"Keep it simple and don't get carried away," says Robert H. Spencer, a Gulf Stream, Fla.-based technology and business consultant. "Most of the time, a white background and small graphics that load quickly will work. If you are going to use extensive graphics, give people a text-only option."

Schumacher advises finding an expert to help build your website, if time and expertise are a concern for you. It won't cost much, given the returns, and you'll be sure to have the job done right, he says.

2. BE INFORMATIVE, NOT GLITZY

Setting up a website is just the beginning. "You need to promote it properly or nobody is going to find it," says Jeff Horn of the York, Pa.- based Aged Woods.

Provide solid information about your products and services and avoid the hard sell. "By visiting your website,people have already expressed their interest in your business," Charroud says. "They have spent time and money to get connected to the Internet. What they are expecting, therefore, is factual information and rich content."

Horn says a retailer must make a solid presentation on the Web. "Point out that you have been in business for some time, be clear about what you can offer, and use blurbs from satisfied customers to show that you are reputable," he advises.

Run special ads in newspapers or magazines or send a press release to high-tech publications, as well as general business and consumer publications that fit the profile of your customers. Put your Web address in your e-mail messages and on everything you print, including stationery, brochures,business cards, press releases and fax cover sheets. Stress to your employees how important it is to communicate the presence of your website to customers who phone, e-mail or visit your store.

3. ESTABLISH YOUR PRESENCE

Register your website with on-line directories and search engines. Some of the best known search engines are Yahoo!, Lycos, Infoseek, Excite, AltaVista and Web Crawler, but there are many others.

"A prompt and proper registration to the main search engines is one of the most important measures a business can take," says Charroud. "Search engines are the starting points for most of the inquiries on the Web."

Most search engines do not charge a fee for registering your site, but submitting your site to multiple search engines can take time. So have a concise 20- to 25-word description of your site and a list of 10 to 15 keywords ready when registering. Note that for most search engines it can take two to three weeks from the time of registration to inclusion.

The best results, though, will come by generating a combination of actions. For example, joining newsgroups and purchasing banners on strategic websites are two of the actions that will generate more traffic to your own site.

4. GET FEEDBACK

On the Web, as in the real world,businesses only will be successful if they meet customers' needs and desires. So budget the proper amount of time to answer questions in a timely manner, because delays will only turn off visitors and make them think twice about coming back.

"Studies show that on-line customers don't tolerate answers that arrive at the pace of 'snail mail,' "Charroud says. "That's why answering your Web customers' requests quickly is so important."

Schumacher agrees, noting, "Make sure that your visitors can e-mail you easily and quickly and that you respond quickly. When people send letters, they may not expect a fast response, but they do on the Internet." Schumacher says that someone in his store checks the e-mail every 15minutes.

The comments and questions sent by Web surfers can help retailers offer new ways of marketing their products,and they certainly help build one-to one relationships. So include a customer feedback form at your website,asking visitors to comment on who they are, the site's ease of use, and new ways to improve the site. You can even run a contest in which you offer prizes to the visitors who submit the best entry.

"The Web market is the least expensive market for you to reach," says Daniel Janal, president of on-line marketing agency Janal Communications, and author of On-Line Marketing Handbook. "Visitors to your website who buy your product will let you know what they think of it faster than other customers, so it's certainly the best way to help you position your product or service in the marketplace."

The side benefit is that the information gathered can be used to build a database of people who have shown interest in your site. The data can then be used to help you send e-mail messages the same way you would send out press releases through the mail.

Is time a problem for you. Then setup automatic e-mail responders or"mail-bots," which can send out a quick reply via e-mail if you don't have time to respond properly. An alternative is to designate an employee to answer on-line questions and comments regularly.

5. NETWORK YOUR WEBSITE

Search the Internet for non-competitive sites that have similar appeal and compatible services and products. When you do come upon such websites, tell their administrators that you will add a link from your site to theirs if they do the same for you.

"I highly recommend that retailers use networking as a marketing tool,"Charroud says. "Related websites are reaching the same audience that your business is trying to reach, so it's worthwhile every time a business makes it easier for potential visitors to find them on the Web."

6. KEEP IT FRESH AND UP-TO-DATE

This will help you get repeat customers. Consider this marketing technique the normal cost of doing business, unless you can code your own Web pages. "You've got to be aggressive, on the ball and on top of your website," Schumacher says. "The Web is a marketing tool, but a retailer can't expect to put his normal information on the Web and attract customer attention."

Horn says he has a date posted on his website, which indicates when it has been updated.

7. BE PATIENT

Don't expect to be overwhelmed by visitors. Sure, people will come, if you have made it easy for them to find your Web page and you have worked hard to promote it. "You have to build a customer relationship with your visitors, if you want to see results," Charroud says. "So it's important to be patient and to give yourself enough time."

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Following these seven Web marketing techniques can help you reach a worldwide audience and increase your sales. Your hardwood flooring business will have a presence in cyberspace that will allow your company business to be viewed and accessed 24hours a day, 365 days a year.

But remember: As your sales increase, continue to give your on-line customers the same level of service and attention you give to those customers you have in the real world. As Schumacher puts it: "Treat a visit by an on-line customer as you would a phone call to your store."