Case Study

Technology
HTML
CSS
.NET
SQL Server

The client
Merkel Furniture and Carpet One have been in been in business since 1924. They are a true historical icon in the area, situated on Main Street in the heart of downtown Chelsea, Michigan.

The idea
Merkel did not have an internet presence, which was becoming an issue as consumer shopping habits have started to change. The web-savvy consumer market is now doing much of their research on-line for high dollar purchase like furniture. Merkel wanted to attract these customers, as well as reach a wider geographic area. The web would help them do both. They can show off their store to internet users, and can catch the eye shoppers who may not frequent downtown Chelsea.

www.MerkelFurniture.com

The step up
When discussing the best approach to MerkelFurniture.com, we decided to start with an on-line showroom. The goal for this website is to bring more shoppers into the store because increased foot traffic should lead to increased sales. The website gives potential customers an opportunity to browse some of the products offered at Merkel from their home or office. By demonstrating that Merkel has what the customer is looking for, we hope convince them to take the trip to Chelsea.

Every month we have seen the number of page views per visitor increase, as customers are spending more time previewing the store from afar. By adding new products at least once a month, the website stays fresh and relevant. We have even added a new Outdoor furniture category that will hide during the winter months, when patio furniture is not in stock.

It's an extremely convenient, and confidant way to shop. Searching for furniture on the internet saves a customer time out on the road, but because Merkel is a local store, they also have the ability to evaluate furniture first hand. It’s the best of both worlds. Unlike pure web shopping, customers can see the furniture in person, and can talk face to face with the store. The site also provides customers with clear directions to the showroom, phone numbers, and a contact form.

Another important factor in the success of this site has been the coordination of promotions from the web and the print ads. To keep a consistent look between media, MS Datastep works with the stores existing marketing team and posts current advertisements. The website became an addition to their marketing plan, not a replacement for it.

A Pay Per Click campaign has proven to be an extremely cost effective way to drive traffic to the site, and give the store exposure to web shoppers. MS Datastep set up the campaigns and monitors Merkel’s Keywords, placement, and bidding budget. In addition, the print ads have the web address right on them, so newspaper customers can get more information.

The web is also an effective way to promote the interior design services available at Merkel. Here we can devote an entire page to the skills and services offered by the store's staff of interior designers. A small add in the newspaper doesn't have the room explain these benefits. It's mentioned right on the home page, but just in case they missed it, many of the category and product pages refer to interior design services as well.

Merkel is very happy with its first foray onto the internet, and as they discover more uses for this media, MS Datastep is there to help them develop new features to benefit the store and its customers.

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