ayrmer software :: case study :: mobile e-commerce website launched :: february, 2012
Last year we launched our first mobile e-commerce website for one of our long term clients. Best Cellars have consistantly been ahead of the game within their sector in selling wines and wine gifts online through their website bestcellars.co.uk back in the early days of the web. The website has, over the years, enjoyed a significant amount of success that the owners - Jonathan and Emma Richards - were keen to continue.
bestcellars.co.uk viewed on smartphones and mobile devices
Ayrmer Software analysed the website statistics and saw that an increasing number of visitors to the website were using smartphones and other mobile devices (including tablets like the iPad). This is in line with the global trend and is set to grow furthermore in the future.
The BBC recently highlighted - see Web economy in G20 set to double by 2016, Google says - that Google recently under took a global survey that projected that the web economy is set to double by 2016. The majority of this growth would be driven by the use of smartphones. They predict that by then 80% of people will access the internet using mobiles phones.
Studies show that 44% of smartphone owners search for products after seeing a TV ad and are more likely to purchase products and services making it increasing important for online retailers to ensure they are not getting left behind.
In light of these trends Best Cellars - who strive to remain at the forefront of innovation within their sector - asked us to update the design of their e-commerce website and develop a mobile version. This would give them multi-platform capability enabling them to provide a good user experience to all the visitors to their website, no matter what device they use to access it.
bestcellars.co.uk via desktop browsers
The redesign also included a restructuring of the site to improve the search engine rankings that has paid dividends with the website visitors increasing month on month on the previous year. The numbers of orders in the same period has also increased, which included orders from new customers via the mobile version of the website. The peak season - Christmas 2011 (November and December) - saw a further increase in visitors and orders that has continued into January 2012. This is great news for the business driving it forward into 2012 despite the recession. This year will see an increased use of their blogging platform that we integrated into the website alongside the various social media channels to encourage engagement with the customer base, whether they are website users or visitors to their shops in Ashburton and Chagford, Devon. Best Cellars see the importance of providing a multi-channel outlet for their products as the best way to survive and thrive in the current economic conditions.
Vince McConville - our Sales and Marketing Director - has also provided help with using social
media through sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn, enabling them to expand their reach using a
variety of channels.
Ayrmer Software are a specialist bespoke software development studio. If you would like to discuss how Ayrmer Software can help you with surviving and thriving please contact us.
