Nick Dutton, Managing Director of Door-Stop, shares his thoughts on winning the ‘Best use of Website’ at the CMA Awards 2013.
We’re delighted to have won the ‘Best use of Website’ at the CMA Awards this year especially as it’s the 4th CMA award we’ve won with MRA Marketing’s help.
Most of our business – 97% – is done online, so it’s important our website is efficient, user friendly and helpful to customers. Since we started in 2008 we’ve offered customers online ordering in less than a minute. Customers can select any combination of door, glass, furniture and finish for manufacture and guaranteed delivery in 3 days. But we’re always looking to improve so in 2012/ 2013 our aim was to boost sales and profits further by giving customers greater control over their accounts, enhancing the customer experience to promote brand loyalty and to help grow their own sales. We came up with a series of web-based measures designed to improve the overall experience for existing customers and gain new ones, and also to help our customers sell more doors.
To enhance the customer experience we came up with a series of initiatives. In January 2013 we added ‘online order history’ so customers can easily check what they’ve ordered, re-order favourites and see what’s selling well. Then in March we launched the facility to change orders, with instant confirmation of the changes. Orders can be changed up to two hours before we make the door. It’s available 24/7 and it’s confirmed instantly, so there’s no doubt about whether the message has been received.
In May we introduced our online customer service centre. This allows installers to search for answers to any specific problem. The customer can go online at any time and let us know of any issues they might have – they can post pictures too, if it helps. As with the order changing facility, 24/7 access and instant confirmation and tracking means that once entered, the customer doesn’t need to worry about whether the matter has registered: Door-Stop customers know how and when any issue is followed up.
We’ve also released two of four planned videos explaining ‘the Door-Stop difference’, showing new website features so customers can take full advantage of the services available.
To help our customers sell more we launched several initiatives. The first was the Door Designer app for smartphones and tablets, allowing installers to use the camera on their phone to photograph their prospect’s home then superimpose an image of their chosen door so they can see how the new door will look. We also made the Door-Stop brochure available as an app for smartphones and tablets so installers can flick through the high-res images and zoom in. Then there’s a Key Points system where customers can earn points with every purchase and use them to ‘buy’ posters, dropcars, sample cases, colour swatches, brochures and even personalised websites.
The 24/7 Sales Manager, a web plug-in, is our latest initiative. It gives customers their own, branded version of the Door-Stop configuration which links directly to Door-Stop and allows customers to take orders and payment online. Installers can set it up on their websites in minutes, and then sell online immediately. It gives them complete control and does the job of a full-time Sales Manager, 24/7 for only £300 a year. Customers who’ve taken it have seen their sales increase by an average 44% on a like for like basis.
