Recently John Wm. Macy’s Cheesesticks, a manufacturers of high end baked snacks, announced the launch of its new interactive website. The site can re-size itself to the visitor’s laptop, computer, tablet or smart phone for the best possible user experience. An interactive website encourages users to become more active and participate in various aspects of business campaigns.
According to a recent press release, Vice President Tim Macy stated, “We wanted a cleaner, more beautiful site with better navigation, greater interactivity with consumers and an easier online shopping experience.” He added, “In a nutshell, we wanted visitors to have more fun. This called for a complete rebuild, which led us to a new web host and developer, new software and a new ecommerce solution.”
The updated website consolidates three separately hosted sites into a unified site. The site is based on the cutting edge open-source Concrete5 content management system along with Shopify’s popular ecommerce platform for use of use. An increasing number of businesses are using these platforms to create website that can be accessed from any device to accommodate customers who use mobile devices for browsing and shopping.
An advantage of implementing an interactive website is the ability for customers to access necessary ingredients via smart phones while they are at the market. The website incorporates the company’s blog and recipe sites. The blog includes weekly articles on dining, cocktails, lifestyles and entertainment. The site has a totally rebuilt recipe section with colorful photos that features entrees, appetizers, desserts and wine pairings featuring the company’s gourmet snack items.
When consumers find a recipe they like, the new live Twitter feed on the home page makes it possible to tweet directly from the site. The Where to Buy page uses innovative geo-location software from Donde.io to find nearby retailers for the company’s products. The idea is to help consumers find what they want in less time. It also helps consumers get what they need on-the-spot by simply searching for it through their smart phones and mobile devices. Marketing experts are encouraging businesses to appear in local searches and offer geographic info to help consumers find what they want at a certain location.
Adpartner, Inc. designed the new websites. The creative agency has worked with the company for years. Development was done by its new hosting partner, Web Instinct. For over a year, John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks has been working on a marketing makeover that started with new retail packaging in 2013 as well as an overhaul of the company’s social media presence. Updated advertising campaigns were developed to reach out to consumers who access the Internet through various devices besides the traditional computer or laptop.
Many gourmet food websites are starting to harness the power of the mobile market. According to Responsesys, almost two-third of consumers who subscribed to mobile marketing last year indicate they made a purchase as a result of receiving a pertinent mobile message. Reaching out to this growing target market is one of the leading marketing goals for businesses ranging from gourmet food companies to clothing stores.