FoneHouse Postscript

Further to my last post about Mary Portas and FoneHouse, the following passage can be found on the FoneHouse website:

"At Fonehouse we are always looking to improve ourselves as a business, as a result we recently have been looking into redeveloping our in store customer experience and brand as a whole. That's why when leading consultant and television personality Mary Portas asked if she could work with us on this, we jumped at the opportunity.

Thanks to our combined efforts we have created a superior customer experience that culminates in our newly refurbished store in Angel, London (IsIington). The design incorporates the new brand, the Fonehouse values of a relaxed 'homely' atmosphere with impeccable customer service and even includes TV screens with live interactive content. With the concept due to be rolled out across the Fonehouse retail estate of 50 stores there has never been a better time to join the Partner Programme. If you want to become a Fonehouse Franchise Partner then complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible."

http://www.fonehouse.co.uk/MaryPortasSecretShopper/

It is now becoming increasingly acknowledged that digital signage can and does enhance the retail shopping experience.

Approximately 60% of buying decisions are made in-store.  Carefully placed, compelling and engaging sales and marketing messages, delivered in a dynamic way, can have a very strong influence on what shoppers place in their baskets.

An accepted rule of thumb indicates that a minimum 15% boost can be achieved by placing promoted items on a marketing screen.

These statistics show convincingly that the use of strategically positioned screens should be ignored at the retailers' peril.  The returns generated by a well-conceived network of sales and marketing screens cancel out the costs and increases revenue.

For further details on the screen systems available through Argent Ram Media, please contact Lorraine Baker on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com.

The Proof is in the Pudding...

Did any of you watch Mary Portas: Secret Shopper (Channel 4) on Wednesday 2nd February?

In this episode, Mary took on the High Street mobile phone outlets, those typically male bastions that revolve around the hard-sell and the up-sell.

"Secret cameras reveal them to be one of the least user-friendly retail environments on the high street. Staff bombard you with technical information that has little to do with finding the right phone for you - and you can't even try before you buy."

Mary's sights were set on FoneHouse, a largely-franchised business that has some fairly ambitious growth plans, but follows the pack when it comes to the trading style of its stores and the service offered by its staff.

By changing the interiors of stores to make them far more welcoming, encouraging dwell time and a far greater level of helpful customer service, Mary aimed to prove that FoneHouse could lead the way in which mobile phone stores treat their customers. Taking the Angel, Islington branch as the test site, the turnaround in perceived customer satisfaction levels were so great that the CEO of FoneHouse had no hesitation in deciding to roll out the new store designs to all new branches, and then re-design existing branches.

If you saw the program, you will have noticed that one feature that was very evident in the new design was the use of digital signage.

On the walls of the store, instead of racks of accessories in bubble packs, there were screens that displayed product information, deals and special offers. The use of these screens provides subliminal direct response sales opportunities without being perceived as the hard-sell. Staff are on hand to answer queries whilst customers are free to test real products, not replicas attached to the walls by a piece of string.

Old Layout

Redesign, showing the use of digital screens



The whole premise behind the redesign is to make customers feel valued, provide them with information that is relevant to them and allow staff the time to listen to what the customers want and then advise them accordingly - the essence of great customer service.

Digital marketing screens are playing an increasingly important role in this approach, as it allows companies to get their core marketing messages across in a non-techy, user-friendly and informative way, furniching customers with the right information for them to make the right choice.

At FoneHouse, Mary carried out a quick customer survey and when asked if FoneHouse would be their brand of choice prior to the redesign, 80% of customers said "No". After the refit, 97% said "Yes".

As a result of the refit, the Islington branch reported that new contracts and upgrades increased by a third.

The overall response was that the new style was welcoming, relaxed and provided a great environment.

What effect could a digital marketing screen have on your business?

To view this episode of Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, click here:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/mary-portas-secret-shopper/4od#3158376

For information on digital marketing screens, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396, or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

Social Networking for Estate Agents

There was an article in the Times on Friday 21st January entitled "OMG, it's perfect...I'll tweet you a link."

In this article, the effect that social media is having on the property profession is explored, and some of the findings are not new.

Susan Emmett, the article's author, talks about "research" as opposed to "search" and highlights FindaProperty as a website that features articles on the housing market as well as consumer guides.

Having been an estate agent in a former life, and advised many on the best ways to market their businesses via the internet, this idea of providing information is not a revelation. An estate agent's website is not just about featuring properties for sale and to let. The fundamental purpose is to gain the best property instructions in an area, and to be perceived as the best agent in the locality. By providing insightful information, you will be seen as being an expert, having a thorough knowledge of the specific factors affecting property prices and popularity. This, in turn, instils confidence and trust and any discerning vendor needs to have faith in you as a property professional.

Providing information on schools, shopping and leisure facilities, transport links and the like is the first step towards engaging with potential vendors and property purchasers. As a personal view, it projects the personality of your business and becomes an invaluable resource, enhancing your website and your corporate identity on many levels. Your insights are what makes you unique - a vital ingredient when it comes to standing out from the competition.

So, where does Social Networking fit into this picture?

As Susan Emmett identifies in her article, "Social networking sites allow portals to speak to "friends" directly, but also to advertise effectively and free of charge. Through Twitter, we know that Chantelle Gilbert "requested a house price evaluation on zoopla@6am, 5 estate calls by 10am!".

Emmett goes on to say: "By embracing the latest technology, property sites have permanently altered the rules of engagement between buyers and sellers, estate agents and customers."

This latest technology is the "new" way to extend marketing reach, and extending marketing reach is vital to the successful estate agent. Tepilo.com, Sarah Beeny's online property selling portal, sends out a Tweet as soon as a new property is added. When I was selling my own property, it was heartening to see that one of the first viewers came brandishing particulars printed off the Tepilo website.

Starting, and then maintaining the conversation with your potential clients is now becoming increasingly important, particularly if you want to be seen as the agent that offers something unique.

Argent Ram Media designs and develops website solutions for estate agents that help them explore the potential offered by Social Networking. For details, please call 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

Print Ad and Screen Ad - a Marriage made in Heaven

In these days of tight budgetary control, I am always urging clients to think creatively, and try new ways of marketing their business without increasing spend.

I would like to look, therefore, at the relationship between your print advertising and what happens when your customers visit your premises.

In Kent, we have a very popular weekly free publication called the Wealden Advertiser. Many local businesses advertise regularly in this, and other reagional publications, as they perceive it to represent good value for money. Certainly, over a period of time, there is no doubt that consistent visibility will generate enquires.

A 6cms single column advertisement will typically cost £40.50 + VAT per week. Over a 52 week period, this will total £2,106 + VAT, so not a small sum for the small business.

How many advertisers are able to track the return on that investment? To make it worthwhile, this advertising cost really needs to result in at least £4,000 worth of new business. If you do advertise in local publications, do you really know what business is generated as a DIRECT result of that advertisement?

I know that is being simplistic, as consistent advertising has other benefits: maintaining a profile, reminding existing customers that you are there etc., and this has great value.

But let's look at a low-cost addition to complement your print advertising.

Local, and indeed national advertising is about generating the enquiry. If you are a business with premises that are visited by your customers, what can you do to maximise end per head from those customers. At the end of the day that is what you want:

Profile - Enquiry - Sale - Customer Retention/Loyalty

From as little as £18.95 + VAT per week (so less than half the cost of your small weekly local advertisement) you could have a dynamic, direct-response digital screen in your showroom, at your trade counter or in your waiting room; indeed, anywhere where you need to engage with your customers and clients.

The printed advertisement has brought the customers in and the screen will maximise the spend-per-head opportunity.

Additional Sales:

“Just to let you know, Sheffield Central have just received the stock of the Fein MultiMasters. They have sold 4 already! Over £700 of extra, welcome sales thanks to it being promoted via the screens.“ Electrical Wholesaler

Customer Care:

“Our customers appreciate that we are far removed from the 'production line' world of the multiple optician chains; we provide them with a caring, professional service - personal attention that's combined with value for money.” Opticians

Increased Spend-per-Head:

"On the first day of playing our content in our waiting room we had four or five new enquiries into private treatments. It is a significant marketing tool for us.“ Dental Practice

Taking the Electrical Wholesaler above as an example, what would £700 of increased sales versus £18.95 weekly costs mean to your business?

For further information on digital sales and marketing screens, please call Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com.

Sesome Websites for Kent and Sussex businesses

Sesome stands for Search Engine and Social Media-ready websites. Developed by Argent Ram Media in conjunction with the Digital Media Hub at the University of Kent, these feature-rich website solutions are ideal for the small business.

Why?

To answer this question, you first need to ask what every small business needs from their website, and the main ingredients are:

• Bespoke design that reflects the identity of the business;
• Clear messages that show they understand their target market;
• Easy navigation so their clients and customers can get to the information they need seamlessly;
• Facility to update the content themselves.

Above all, the website needs to meet the requirements of the marketing acronym, AIDA:

• Grab the ATTENTION of the website visitor;
• Create enough INTEREST to keep the visitor on the site;
• Generate DESIRE; make the visitor WANT to contact you for further details;
• Have a clear call to ACTION. Make it easy for your potential customers to get in touch.

Once you have the website, you need to make sure that it can be found, and a Sesome website can help with your organic search engine performance.

• Developed to latest Worldwide Web standards;
• Accessible and compliant;
• Allows you to update content yourself, keeping the text relevant and fresh.

Sesome websites are also designed to encourage businesses to adopt social media as a way of driving traffic to the site and exploring the massive diversity of new routes to market:

• Blogs;
• Twitter;
• Facebook;
• LinkedIn;
• YouTube

A growing number of Kent and East Sussex businesses are enjoying the benefits of a Sesome website:

Sesome is developed by Argent Ram Media, and a website costs from £299.00 + VAT.  If you would like further information, please call 0845 009 5396 or 01580 761000.  Email lorraine@argentrammedia.com.

Websites for Estate Agents

Estate Agents have always been a very busy vertical market for us, and we have helped many to get more productive websites that in turn work on many more levels than their previous internet incarnations.

What makes an effective estate agency website? This is not a rhetorical question; it is an invitation to share thoughts and suggestions, as it is always good to know the direction that the profession is following.

Having been an estate agent in a former life, I have a fairly good idea of what any estate agency would like to achieve:

Gaining the best instructions, at the right price and on a sole agency basis = the best possible chance you have of selling those properties.

That is the simplistic equation, and there are many other aspects to successful agency. I was always one of those firm believers that estate agency was about building relationships and not just the hard and fast sell. Perhaps I am a dinosaur!

• Understanding that every vendor thinks their property is a palace, and being diplomatic and positive when it comes to advising on the best marketing strategies;
• Being able to present your arsenal of marketing weapons so that your commission always represents excellent value for money;
• Building relationships with both vendors and applicants so that they come to trust you and your judgement;
• Remembering that a new purchaser could become a vendor in a couple of years and will undoubtedly share any horror stories with their new neighbours; give them reason to share the pleasant stories and spread the word.

So, how do the above manifest themselves in a website?

1. Always understand your target market and the way in which you want your company to be perceived. This is vitally important if you want to attract the vendors of the properties that you want to sell.
2. Think hard about what it is that makes your approach unique. Why would a vendor instruct you as opposed to one of your competitors? Most agents advertise on Rightmove, in the local papers, in their office windows. What do you do that is different?
3. What information do you need to present to prospective purchasers to get them in the door of a property? Marketing is all about creating desire, so remember that when presenting properties. Your material needs to make applicants feel that they MUST view. Don't give too much away; tempt the applicant with the relevant and factual details, but in a way that encourages them to pick up the phone.

Getting the above right will make the development of your website straightforward. The technology allows your website to respond to the demands of your clients, but the art lies in seducing those clients with the elements that make you unique.

We would welcome any feedback from anyone involved in estate agency or property letting, so do please share your views.

If you would like any information on website design and development for estate agents, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com

How can you make your existing customers spend more money?

If you have customers coming to your premises, how can you encourage them to part with a little bit more of their hard-earned cash in these straitened times. As one of our leading supermarkets never fails to tell us, "Every Little Helps"!

As I am sure you know, marketing is about creating desire. The message you send to your customers, be it through product display, posters or any other type of merchandising, needs to make the customer think "I MUST have that". If they think "I'd quite like that" or "that looks nice, but..." then in this climate you aren't going to get a sale.

So, think desire. Consider your actual point of sale and the moment the customer comes to part with their money. I am sure that if you had the inclination, or it didn't look too desperate, you'd whip out your best-selling product and shove it under the customers nose, yelling "Buy this now".

A small screen, strategically positioned by your till, can subtly do this for you. Direct response advertising does work when it comes to persuading the customer to make the impulse purchase. A static display will not necessarily tempt, but an evocative, tempting visual marketing message, on a digital screen will achieve so much more:

“We have had excellent success basically because the product is promoted via our screens.“

“9 of our branches have sold over £27,000 of the product YTD, and because this tool needs to be demonstrated, the screens have been a perfect ‘tool’ for promoting and selling this product."

“A customer wanted some cable to be cut, and whilst waiting he saw the advertisement and bought the product. £26.10 for the cut cable plus an additional £179.00 for the Fein MultiMaster.“

“Just to let you know, our branch has just received the stock of the Fein MultiMasters. They have sold 4 already! Over £700 of extra, welcome sales thanks to it being promoted via the screens.“

Many of you may have noticed that Camelot have little 10" screens positioned above the Lotto tills in store. Why? They act as an eye-catching aide-memoire to remind queuing customers to buy their lottery tickets. If it works for them, it will work for you.

For details of Point of Sale digital screens, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com