FireAwards Case Study
“We ventured into a web site on a ‘let’s see’ basis. It has now grown to 65% of our online business. Our web site is now vital to us and it’s the key to revitalizing and maintaining our revenue stream.” — Gary Barber, FireAwards.com FireAwards.com offers hundreds of varieties of plaques and trophies to commemorate the people who protect us. After 3 years of indifferent results online, Gary decided he needed a better way to showcase his hundreds of products and started doing his research. Reviews and client recommendations led him to Solid Cactus. On the front end, Solid Cactus not only redesigned the logo, heading and artwork for Fireawards.com, it gave Gary Barber something he desperately needed: a theme. “I don’t see anything like my site in the market,” says Gary. “Solid Cactus made us distinctive.” Solid Cactus also provided a Click to Enlarge feature, a huge help to shoppers. Navigation became easier with Breadcrumbs which allow shoppers to track where they’ve been. FireAwards.com also added the option of showing related products on pages where you’re reviewing other products of a similar type. “I consider this a navigational feature which is also invaluable to our marketing,” says Gary. The results showed up immediately. FireAwards.com saw their average order increase by over 25% after the Solid Cactus redesign. Conversion rates also soared, and Gary credits Search Engine Optimization. It’s made FireAwards.com more search engine friendly. “Our visibility went through the roof and stayed there,” says Gary. “This has helped our conversion rates. When you’re #1or #2 on every search list, you’re getting serious inquiries. People are more inclined to buy than just look.” The look of the site also helps. “When they get to us, we look professional. One thing feeds the other, and that helps our conversion rates too.” FireAwards.com also saw more return customers after their redesign. Gary says it’s a combination of Solid Cactus and his own approach. “We follow up with phone calls where necessary,” says Gary. “But Solid Cactus made the entire process easier for us and for our customers, and that brings people back.” FireAwards.com had their Solid Cactus redesign two years ago.Gary Barber said the investment paid for itself easily in a year. “Since then we’ve doubled in sales each year,” says Gary. “Our web site is now 65% of our business. In our town we’re another struggling storefront. Out in cyberspace we’re #1 on Yahoo! and Google search engines. The internet is our future, and we couldn’t have done it without Solid Cactus.” |