WINNIPEG – Good websites aren’t as simple as they look, said a panel of Manitoba women entrepreneurs.
The five women who spoke at the Manitoba Farm Women’s conference Nov. 7 said they all had someone design their businesses’ initial website. But eventually they wanted to take more control of what appeared on the internet.
“The problem with having someone design your website is that every change you have to go back to the designer and pay for a change,” said Headingly, Man., shortbread baker Sherry Desilets.
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“So we’re in the process of converting so I can make those changes.”
Desilets, a farm woman and bookkeeper, became a partner in a shortbread business owned by her neighbour Gwen Todd.
Using a recipe from Todd’s Scottish grandmother, they held taste testings and trade shows. To build their operation, they built a commercial kitchen at Headingly, which opened in May.
Their website is intended for grocer wholesalers and retailers, but if the average consumer lands on it, www.mcgarvashortbread.com explains the business story and lists locations where the product is available.
Desilets noted that the internet traffic is sometimes confused with her business getting many contacts from people researching the McGarva family tree. She has a personalized licence plate with the word McGarva and has found that people will follow her until she parks and then ask if they are related. Some end up buying her shortbread.
“You never know how you’re going to get your customer.”
BSE forced a marketing change on Laurelly and Lyndon Beswitherick’s cattle farm. They began selling their own freezer beef in 2004, along with products from their small market garden and specialty food items made by other Manitoba farmers.
This has grown into a retail outlet called Bison Boutique located in MacGregor, Man. Products are also available via direct marketing from the farm’s website www.b2cattleco.com.
Beswitherick said after the borders closed, everyone went into direct farmgate marketing and put up a website. Their farm is two hours from Winnipeg but the couple decided to target city dwellers because they had more income.
The Beswithericks deliver packages geared to the size of city freezers and deliver right to their Winnipeg customers’ doors.
“We didn’t want to sell beef to Joe down the road who was getting it from his cousin Jack, probably cheaply.”
Beswitherick said because this was their business they wanted to control the information on the website to make it relevant to the consumer.
“They didn’t need to know how many animals we have, or our acres, but they need to know how they’re fed.”
The couple also doesn’t show pictures of their cows outside in winter because that would surprise a lot of city people who don’t know it’s a common, natural practice. Instead, their pictures show cows belly deep in green grass with calves at their sides.
She urged farmers with websites to research their competitors and see what features they like that suit the business. She also said it is good to get listed on other company or business websites through links.
To keep current, they no longer list their product prices on the website.
“If customers are interested, they’ll contact us. Ninety percent never contact us again, but 10 percent will, especially once they realize they can trust these farmers and the meat is tastier. They then tell their friends and family. So one internet sale usually translates into two or three,” said Beswitherick.
Designing their own website was also a step taken by two sisters, Heidi Herrod and Jodi Kosman, who run a Winnipeg business called Gingersnaps Photography & Design.
The three-year-old business started with a website created by a friend but it was slow to pop up on the internet and it was difficult to keep it fresh. So after six months they bought a template system from Blue Domain.
Herrod said that allowed them to post pictures each day from their photographic sessions, which created a buzz with clients who loved seeing instant results.
Two weeks after a shoot, they post a slide show that clients can access with a personalized password to look at the best 30 shots.
“Moms can view it at 2 a.m. when their babies are awake,” said Herrod.
Having control over their website means the two mothers can show a portfolio of their photo styles and list prices. Clients don’t waste time and come with a positive attitude because they already know they want Gingersnaps’ style.
The next step is to develop a blog to create a relationship with repeat customers. A blog, which will be like a letter with tips on products, is also the next step for Kathryn Gompf and Brandi Parnell and their maternity and baby clothing and gift shop.
They opened their Winnipeg store called Anticipation … Expecting Style in February. They have emphasized comfort while shopping, with big chairs, washrooms and water coolers in the store and wide aisles roomy enough for strollers.
They also launched a weekly stroller walk and this winter plan monthly classes such as making bath items or how to do massage on infants. They launched their on-line store in May.
“We try to create a venue to let you know about Kathryn and I and what we believe in. The website has a monthly newsletter often with a recipe or craft or activity. We find more and more people sign up on the website to get our newsletter.”
Parnell said rural customers often find products on the internet available only in the United States. They contact the Anticipation partners who will bring it in and ship it by mail.
But constantly looking for ways to improve the website has meant a big drain on their time, said Gompf.
She said customers also find the products cheaper on other websites that are on-line only, with no bricks and mortar store.
“We need to educate the customer about overhead and ask whether they will buy on-line sight unseen or come to our store to see it.”
They are considering reducing the number of products featured on their website and may offer seasonal sales on bundles of items to increase sales.
