Guest comment: Could better web marketing have helped save Woolies?
- Added:
- Nov 27, 2008
As Woolworths goes into administration, Steve Dart from High Position examines if the high street retailers’ web strategy could have contributed to its downfall...
As the MD of one of the UK’s largest independent web marketing companies, I was not surprised to hear that high street favourite, Woolworths has been the latest victim of the crunch after getting itself into £385 million of debt.
As the credit crunch continues to bite, sales on the high street are slumping, whilst sales on the web are soaring. As we become a nation of penny pinchers, we are more than happy to search online for a cheaper alternative to goods offered on the high street.
Many high street retailers are just not switched on to web marketing. Unless potential new customers know the website address, they will typically look for products or services using a search engine such as Google. Woolworths, along with many other major retailers, is nowhere to be seen in searches such as ‘DVDs’ or ‘children's clothes’.
With over 40 million people connecting to the internet every day in the UK, over 75% of web users never even get past the second page. High Position has successfully worked with a number of high street names including LloydsTSB, Hillarys Blinds and Sony Europe to deliver search engine marketing, boosting traffic to their websites and sales through its online stores.
Could the new technology of web marketing have helped save historic Woolies? Search Engine Marketing is the missing link in the marketing mix. Whilst website design is important, it makes little commercial sense to spend fortunes developing websites that won’t shift your pick ‘n’ mix.
by Steve Dart
Managing Director
High Position