In addition, they use the term artisan to Imply that these products were handcrafted. However, the FDA does not have strict regulations on what it entails to have a natural, organic, or artisan product. Additionally, the Association for American Feed Control Officials (AFC), provides guidelines to what is acceptable and ethical in the manufacturing and marketing of all pet foods; however, this agency does not regulate or test facilities and products to ensure a company meets these guidelines. Because of this, the state Is left to ensure ethical behavior In pet food processing Is carried out.
Some states are better than others; however, realistically they do not have the resources to ensure pet-food and products are safe for our pets’ consumption pettifog. AFC. Org). Pawing’ Around Town, can errant the ingredients in our pet food are all natural and organic. These, along with all of our product offerings are handcrafted from people who love your pets as much as you do. This unique selling point, along with an excellent e-marketing strategy will ensure that these top-notch products reach our target markets.
I believe that those who are more inclined to eat organic food are also more inclined to buy it for their pets as well. Since this industry also has strong growth, I do not want to exclude it from my target audience Just because there is insufficient data and research to determine the market potential. Until I can gain more data, I would like to team up with organic food affiliates and ruse low cost, low risk marketing strategies to this market segment until I am able to gain more knowledge of the link between what I like to call “organic eaters” and their pet counterparts.
Competition Direct Competition As the pet industry market continues to grow, it will become more and more saturated with competition. It is difficult to isolate my direct competition, as they will most likely be small businesses that offer similar organic products as I do. The brick and mortar stores will be scattered throughout the US and though those will not be as easily accessible as a Wall-Mart or a Petcock, they are still a potential threat to any equines I may conduct in that area.
I also must be aware of online threats, as there are other smaller online businesses similar to mine. It is very important to provide a unique selling point, strong CRM, and an excellent e-marketing strategy to differentiate this business from such direct competitors. Indirect Competition Petcock and Pederast, both of which have an in-store and online presence, are strong contenders. However, their product line offerings differ then mine in that they offer a more traditional and less personal approach to business.
Their biggest selling point s price. By utilizing larger suppliers and manufacturers, they are able to buy and sell cheaper than my company. However, they lose quality in their products, as the main goal is mass production and lower price per value. Wall-Mart and Target are contenders as well. They use the same pricing method as other chain pet supply stores; however, they are able to bring convenience to the customer as s/he can pick- up pet supplies while also buying other household items.
To differentiate my business from theirs, I will need to manage pricing very carefully. It is expected that I’m still ATA good price point (including shipping), so I am able to retain customers. I must also advertise my home delivery service to battle convenience of these stores and appeal to my target audience. Specific Marketing Strategies Customer Relationship Management For a business to be successful, it must obtain new customers and retain current customers. One of the best ways to do this is through a great CRM system.
A CRM system can help business gather information from existing customers and help reach prospects (or potential customers). For example, when a customer places an order wrought my website, I will ask basic questions such as: name, address, age, and gender to assist in gathering information regarding demographics. To entice them to comeback (as well as gain further research information), I’ll ask them to provide the name, breed, and birthday of their pet to provide special offers and coupons.
In addition, I’ll provide additional offers for their next purchase as well ask them if they would like to receive a quarterly newsletter on new pet trends and other interesting pet information (included in the newsletter will be a special offers section). A CRM yester will also allow both consumer and myself to track their order. Once I receive notice the order was delivered, I can contact the customer via email to ensure the product was received in an acceptable condition and to ask the user if there is anything else they may need.
It is important to me that the “feel” of this e-mail does not seem automated and provides a personal and unique touch for each person. For example, if the customer filled out the form listing their pets’ names, I would include a sentence or two with those names in it wishing them lots of love and attention or mentioning something about how “Charlie” will love the product they Just purchased. This strategy is only a small example of the potential capabilities of CRM. CRM systems can do much more than what was listed above, they play a big part in how a company can measure success as well (which will be discussed, later on in this paper).
Social Media / Affiliate Websites Social media is a great marketing tool if used optimally. Though, Backbone and Twitter are still popular and a great resource, my focus will be on test. Com and Pinsetters. My target audience will most likely enjoy more artistic and homemade reduces. Pinsetters is the wholly grail of homemade and DID tips and tidbits. People often stumble upon floggers who they end-up loyally following. If I can find a pet guru flogger or even Just a non-pet organic and natural eating flogger to reference and talk about my site, I can build relationships with this niche market.
Test. Com is a site for small businesses (online and brick and mortar) to gain visibility from potential customers. It’s the online equivalent of a small strip of shops that one would casually browse while on vacation, similar to that of Galena, IL or Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. I plan to run promotions and contests through Backbone as it is still an excellent source of marketing, but I believe my niche market is more easily targeted through Pinsetters, test. Com, and floggers that range from pet fans to Just general organic and natural eating fans.
Content Marketing Content marketing plays a large role in search engine optimization strategies. If my website is easy to navigate, provides current information, and provides a breadth of products and information while still bringing simplicity to the website, then I believe the Google line-up since I’ll contend with large corporations like Petcock and Pederast, UT I can improve my chances by designing a website that will appeal to organic search. Key search words hidden in the meta-description and throughout the site are helpful, but they are not sufficient to ensure higher traffic rates into my site.
Hopefully my social media/website affiliate strategies will generate more traffic and thus increase my organic search results. It is also important for me to ensure my content is relevant, personable, and easily obtainable. Since my suppliers are true artisans and hand-make all products within the site, I would like to provide a quick bio on each of them as well as their pets. In addition to product offerings, I would like to start a blob regarding pet care and new trends. If my customers trust my judgment and see me as a credible resource they will most likely trust my products and services.
I truly want to bring a personal touch to the website and with online interactions with my customers. The website design should be simple and easy to navigate. I’ll avoid the things I find disconcerting in my experience as an online shopper such as, links not changing after you have viewed the page, a new window opening after every “click,” slow processing times, too much white space, etc. The website should be intuitive, interesting, and relevant. Measuring Success One of the benefits of modern technology is its ability to accurately gather data, which can essentially assist in measuring the success off company.
Google Analytics Google analytics is a cheap (free) and efficient way to ensure your company is following the right guidelines to improve its search engine optimization. Google analytics can tell you what key search words utilized most by your consumer. For instance, if the highest search work for pet products is “pet food,” then the analytics footwear will tell you how often it is searched as well as related keywords. You can use this information by ensuring these words are located within your website. This is just one example of how Google analytics can increase your SEE ranking.
They also provide you with the guidelines to increasing your ranking as well as analytical information for your website and what its status is within these rankings. Google is still the leading search engine; however, other search engines such as Binging and Yahoo use similar guidelines, so if they were ever to surpass Google, your website loud not lose much traction (backscattering. Com). Customer Relationship Management Systems CRM systems allow you to connect and build relationships, but they also allow you to track and record information.
For instance, if you notice that there are an abundance of orders coming from a specific geographical or demographical area, you may want to do more research on the category and see if you can target other similar markets and audiences. It is also a great way to get customer feedback via surveys, product registration pages, or contact us pages. CRM systems can track purchasing habits such as months where purchases and sales peak or months of low order volume) to determine seasonal changes.
Social Media Tracking Traumatic is a great analytical tool that instantly scans social media to see what will search all social media websites, including, but not limited to, Backbone, Pinsetters, Twitter, Tumbler, Mainstream, etc. ). It then pulls all of this information to one central location, so you can see which campaigns and strategies of your competitors seems to working best and then compare them to your practices. In all of my marketing positions, I was told marketing is copying others and trying to figure out how to do meeting better than someone else.
If you can begin to scan competition early, you may be able to change your strategy to counter your competition enough to make a difference. SOOT Analysis A SOOT analysis is a classic way to measure success that has been around before the age of technology. By isolating your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can plan and prepare future strategies to ensure you sustain business. With the emergence of technology, trends have been added to this analysis. Technology rapidly changes the way in which we market to our consumers.
Technology develops so quickly (mobile technology, blue tooth, etc. ) that marketing needs to monitor these trends to determine which will benefit their business. Some trends may not be worth pursuing either because they will die out as quickly as they entered the market or because they do not make sense for the business and its market. Measuring success is an essential part to maintaining successful business. If I can utilize the above tools as well as keep an eye for more efficient and better tools in the future, I can be more flexible in how I manage my business. Conclusion
Pawing’ Around Town provides excellent service because we care as much about your pet as you do. We understand that your busy lifestyle makes it difficult to provide your pet the best care, and so we deliver handcrafted products and food by excellent artisans right to your doorstep. Our website and brand messaging only emphasize the above belief. Our extensive research on our target audience, prove we know who are customers, the potential they have on our business, and how to meet their needs. It is important for us to give them all of the convenience of online shopping hill providing the personal touches off brick and mortar store.
To do this, we realize the important role technology plays in reaching our customer (new and existing) and retaining all relationships with them. We are always looking to better the customer experience. We are aware of trending technological advances, such as: mobile technology and APS, and responsive website design. As the business grows, so will our technological offerings. Pawing’ Around Town’s integrated marketing strategy, its flexibility to absorb/adapt to relevant new technology/marketing trends, ND its unique selling point, will make it a successful and lucrative business.
