The challenge: Boost organic search traffic and sales
Respected online retailer Plow & Hearth came to Brandpoint in 2011 with a problem familiar to many: how to get more traffic and turn that traffic into sales? With a large inventory of products for the home, hearth, yard and garden, the company needed a strategy for their main site and also a customized approach for three separate divisions: HearthSong and Magic Cabin (creative, wholesome toys) and Wind & Weather (weather-related gifts, items and instruments). The company wanted more visibility for their site via organic traffic, and they hoped to attract and retain additional visitors for a meaningful length of time, and in doing so, increase their sales.
The solution: High-quality, search-optimized content
Brandpoint proposed a new content strategy that involved increasing the amount of optimized, descriptive product information for categories and individual products and also adding appropriate meta tags. All content was written with the goal of attracting and engaging visitors, so they would linger on the site longer, and therefore be more likely to make a purchase. Each division was given a specific “voice” to differentiate it from the other brands, while a consistent overall style capturing the organization’s personality was maintained for the company as whole.
The results: Increase in site visitors and revenue
The new content strategy for the Plow & Hearth website produced the following results:
- Visits to category pages increased by an average of 183 percent
- Visits to product pages increased by an average of 28 percent
- Product pages viewed per visit increased an average of 15 percent
- Average time spent on each product page increased by an average of 53 percent
- At the category level, new visits increased by an average of 58 percent
- Revenue increases ranged from 11 to 53 percent across all of the divisions
The summary: High quality content = better visitor experience and increased sales
By adding a significant amount of high-quality, optimized content, Plow & Hearth was able to attract many more new visitors who found the site via organic search. Once they got there, consumers lingered because the detailed content held their attention longer, and made it easier to locate those items that most interested them. The additional product descriptions helped focus visitors’ attention on the product pages, which is where most online sales happen. Plow & Hearth’s goal to improve their visitors’ experience through increased content created an online experience that was welcoming, informative and fun – a true reflection of their brand.
