NFIB

Go Fetch More Money!
06/ 12/ 2002

by Shannon Scully

Learning the new trick of selling online was worth it for booksellers Larry and Charlene Woodward, who have saved thousands since launching their Web site, www.dogwise.com.

But there’s a catch: keeping up the site takes more time than they anticipated.

Before launching an e-commerce component to their catalog sales company in 1998, the Woodwards spent $250,000 printing and mailing catalogs to customers four times a year.

"Now we don’t even mail a catalog, because--luckily--our customers want to buy on the Internet," says Larry Woodward, whose Yakima, Wash.-based company specializes in hard-to-find books on dog behavior and training.

Customers often seek advice on the wide selection of books before they buy. Switching to online selling hasn’t hindered customer service, he says. After browsing the site, lots of customers still call the toll-free number to place their orders.

"Some people still just feel more comfortable calling us," he says. "If they have more detailed questions, our customer service people will walk back to the 4,500 square-foot warehouse to find a book."

Moving to an online catalog forced the Woodwards to come up with new marketing techniques.

"Customers no longer had catalogs in their mailboxes four times a year, reminding them to order our products," says Woodward.

Now when new books are published, Dogwise sends customers personalized e-mails using software that ensures messages only go to people who have ordered books about similar subjects or authors.

"Customers love it, and we sell lots of books every time we send a batch of emails," Woodward says.

Before email, Dogwise sent postcards between catalog printings to announce new books.

"While a postcard costs me about 25 cents to produce and mail, email is free. That’s the beauty of the Internet," says Woodward.

But having an e-commerce site doesn’t make doing business easier, he says.

"While having a site is well worth the effort, you might be surprised how much time it takes to manage a Web site properly," says Woodward, who constantly updates the homepage and writes new product descriptions.

"Despite the new tasks a Web site brings, for us, selling on the Web is worthwhile, not to mention necessary."

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This article originally appeared in the June/July 2002 issue of MyBUSINESS magazine.

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