Site Insight
What’s wrong with this site?
Last week we kicked off this column with a behind-the-scenes look at American Giant’s Web site. Started by Bayard Winthrop in February 2012, the company sells high quality, American-made sweatshirts not through retail stores but rather online. This presents the challenge of marketing a sweatshirt based on quality that cannot be touched — relying instead on the power of photography and story telling.
The post focused on American Giant’s decision to invest $35,000 to replace its site photography only months after the site went live. Looking for feedback, we ended the column with a few questions about whether readers believe the company made the right call.
In this follow-up Mr.Winthrop shares the results of the upgrade to the photography and site content. He believes the changes had the following impact:
o The value of an average order increased by 34.5 percent. Before the photo refresh, the average visitor to the site spent $100. Post refresh, the average visitor spent $134.50, a huge increase.
o Visitors who left the site after viewing the home page declined by 5.2 percent. Because e-commerce is the company’s sole channel to reach customers, American Giant values every person who comes to the site. Updated, the site has been able to engage more of those potential customers.
o The percentage of customers who actually buy something — the site’s conversion rate — grew by 13.9 percent.
As an interesting twist — businesses and great movies always have their twists — American Giant garnered some outstanding reviews for its sweatshirts in early December, resulting in the company selling out all of its inventory and starting a waiting list for March deliveries. The above results were achieved before those reviews were published.
Readers of my first post left comments that suggested a number of interesting questions that I posed to Mr.Winthrop:
You sold out of clothing. How did that happen?
I was worried I had actually overbought — and we know that excess inventory can sink a company quickly. When the press hit, we sold out in a matter of days. Planning is an art, not a science when you first start. We are working diligently to replenish inventory as fast as possible. In fact, I am at our fabric-cutting facility right now.
What did you think of the reader’s suggestion that you are spending too much time on photography and not enough on other aspects of the site, such as search-engine optimization, zoom functionality and even the site’s speed?
That is fair but it is a question of focus. The first 18 months is about building a great product. The best way to launch a brand is by building loyal customers, which is done by building great products, pricing them right and taking care of your customers. We will get to optimization and other marketing wins but right now it is about the product.
You also got some comments about whether your clothes are cut properly for Americans, including a mention of a term that was new to me: “The Banana Republic Syndrome.”
I believe Banana Republic is an example of a company that got fit right. Look how successful they are, the customer base they have developed. We designed fit around our core customer. The obligation of the brand is to put a stake in the ground around who our customer is — and to stick to it. We can’t win them all but we can be consistent and communicate about it. We offer measuring instructions and an unconditional return policy and free shipping both ways. Try two sizes and two colors and return the ones that don’t fit.
Who are your core customers?
They are 25 to 35, live in an urban setting, active but not an athlete, sporty, not couch potatoes, not into the European slim cut. We cut a little bit on the relaxed side. We are a flattering fit for a guy carrying five to 10 extra pounds.”
Would you like to have your business’s Web site or mobile app reviewed? This is an opportunity for companies looking for an honest (and free) appraisal of their online presence and marketing efforts.
To be considered, tell us about your experiences — why you started your site, what works, what doesn’t and why you would like to have the site reviewed — in an e-mail to youretheboss@abesmarket.com.
Richard Demb is co-founder of Abe’s Market, an online marketplace for natural products that is based in Chicago. You can follow him on Twitter.
Article source: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/why-american-giant-re-designed-its-web-site/?partner=rss&emc=rss
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