CLIENT:
A leading manufacturer of coating thickness measurement equipment.
CHALLENGE:
The competing factor in the hand-held segment of the coating
thickness measurement market is price. The gauges themselves are
all very similar in functionality and performance. The price of
these units had been driven so low that the sales reps, distributors,
and other channel partners were not very interested in selling them.
In addition, off-shore competition was putting a significant squeeze
on price and profit margins.
SOLUTION:
MarketSense recommended a direct marketing approach that featured
an e-commerce capability as the centerpiece. Their product line
consists of twelve items, making a high-end database of these products
unnecessary. They simply required something to facilitate the order
taking, tracking, security, and credit card information.
To keep costs low, we used an open-sourced e-commerce product to
build an online template. We manipulated and designed within the
product's parameters to meet the client's requirements, tailoring
it to the categories and product breakdowns that were necessary.
Additionally, an administrative function was developed that would
allow the client to easily make changes and additions to the products
available in the store.
RESULTS:
Having an online store for their products not only makes the
sales process more cost efficient for our client, but it also enables
them to execute direct marketing promotions that drive their audience
to their web site with online discounts and special promotions that
can be instantly received. This whole strategy has breathed new
life into a product line that was once slated for elimination.
|
