It’s always good to see how internet marketing affects different companies and industries. Here is an interview with owner of Everything Dinosaur.

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How would you describe your company and its mission?

Everything Dinosaur is a small business in a niche collectibles market. We specialise in the sale of dinosaur and prehistoric animal related toys, models and merchandise. Working alongside schools, museums, exhibitions and other educational bodies, Everything Dinosaur aims to supply accurate, exciting, imaginative prehistoric animals to help fuel a passion for model collecting, understanding about life in the past, make learning fun and to assist young people with their education.

How long have you had a website and what is its main purpose?

The domain names were registered around twenty years ago, over the years, our websites have changed and evolved. The main commercial site, our on-line retailing website, Everything Dinosaur was launched in 2005, it allows us to sell our products world-wide. The website has changed to reflect developments in on-line retailing, the current version was launched in February 2017, part of an extensive investment programme to help future proof our business and to enable further expansion.

Does the site work for you? i.e. deliver the benefits you were expecting?

Jan Klin & Associates Ltd were involved in the planning and development of the new website from the get-go. Working closely with our account manager we were able to set out clear aims and objectives for the new site. Throughout the development process and into the building phase, the close working relationship we have with Jan Klin & Associates Ltd enabled us to remain on track and within budget. We have seen an increase in total visitor numbers and continued sales growth. The functionality of the site has been much improved, it is easier to make changes, it is more responsive to our customer’s needs and it has enabled us to significantly improve the visitor experience.

What is your online marketing strategy? – which methods do you use to attract potential customers?

We work across several social media platforms and we have encouraged two-way communication with our customers in what is a competitive but essentially a niche market. With a background in teaching, we have also been able to utilise our considerable knowledge of the school curriculum to help to meet the needs of teachers and this has resulted in the establishment of a separate specialist teaching themed website, which is also managed by Jan Klin & Associates. A key aim of Everything Dinosaur is to help educate and disseminate knowledge about fossil discoveries, palaeontology and dinosaurs in particular. To this end, we have built a substantial blog presence, a site which contains nearly 4,000 articles. This important company resource is also managed by the same account manager. This helps to ensure consistency in our communication and plays a key role in raising brand awareness.

How does your online activity mesh with your offline marketing?

Offline marketing is a relatively small proportion of our overall marketing budget. When we do use other marketing communications tools such as print media, the focus is on creating/maintaining brand awareness and directing the audience to our on-line presence, although of course, we do offer a variety of contact options to potential customers.

How much business do you do on the web?

Although Everything Dinosaur has a number of revenue streams, income from its teaching work, our wholesaling operations, supplying educational organisations and such like, in terms of retail, the commercial website is responsible for almost 100% of all our revenue from sales direct to customers.

What is the single biggest lesson you have learned about your web activities?

Planning is essential and there are no short-cuts to success. The digital world never closes, customers and prospective customers expect a prompt response to their queries and inquiries and you have to put in the time and resources to enable your company to respond swiftly to the market’s changing needs.

Can you imagine life without a website?

No.

How have you found working with Jan Klin & Associates?

One of the key ingredients to running a successful company is to build a close working relationship with those organisations that supply products and services to your business. We have worked with Jan Klin & Associates since the formation of our company, initially on search engine optimisation and link building but as our confidence in the company has grown, we have given them a bigger role in the development of our business. Jan Klin & Associates are now responsible for the management for all our websites and we view this organisation as a key partner in the strategic development of Everything Dinosaur.

How have Jan Klin & Associates helped you?

They have a very professional approach and Jan Klin & Associates have been quick to respond to our needs and a changing marketplace. One of the key benefits to our business, is that we have been able to retain the same account manager over several years. This person has gained a thorough understanding of our company and how it operates and importantly, this has enabled us to forge a strong working relationship.