The boss of a firm which specialises in wooden floors and doors says it is reaping the rewards of a decision to invest in digital rather than another warehouse.
A Wood Idea was formed in 2011 by husband and wife team Iain and Lorna Smith along with Andy Brown.
Since introducing a website in late 2016 the North East firm has posted record sales and is growing through a combination of SEO and paid tactics.
“We have a relatively small operation, successfully providing high quality joinery products locally to both trade and public. Considering future expansion, we looked at opening another warehouse in the North East with all associated costs involved,” said managing director Iain Smith.
“On reflection, we felt if we could find an alternative that utilised our present resources, this would be a less risky strategy.
“Digital has allowed us to expand nationally in a short period which we feel could not have been achieved with the same budget using other marketing methods.
“We have also noticed an increase in sales through our showroom, which we can only attribute to awareness accomplished through our digital marketing.
“Although digital is relatively new to us we are confident it represents the future for our business and we are excited to see what this brings.”
Smaller enterprises often neglect online business opportunities: just last year it was reported that 49 per cent of organisations do not have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy.
“You have to put a digital strategy in place as a goal without a plan will always just be a pipe dream,” continued Smith.
“You need to be able to track your progress and highlight any weak points as you drive your business forward.
“You can also allot yourself monthly budgets to test new techniques and establish the approach that best works for you.”
Smith says producing quality content such as videos and blogs – as well as establishing a social media presence – can help build a relationship between your business and your target market while your website “is your shop window to the world”.