Launching an ecommerce website is a natural progression when businesses opt to sell their products online.  Realizing a geographical limitation of having a storefront only, small business owners see limitless possibilities of the internet and open their market to a much wider audience. What about the business owner that skips the storefront and goes right to the wider audience?

This is Part 2 of our interview with The Butcher Block Top owners, Christopher and Shirley Keele.  This is also a part of our “Just Doing It” series where we show how small business owners are already using the internet for their business.  If you missed part one, read “Customer Service is Still Alive Online” and see why they are worthy of a two-part post.

Christopher and Shirley Keele began building band-saw jewelry boxes, picnic benches, and patio furniture for friends and family. When they built and sold a cutting board, then another one, and a third one, they realized there was a market for custom wood creations. In October 2007, they filed for a business certificate and started selling their products online.  They listed their cutting boards and end-grain tables and then began receiving requests for butcher block countertops – their most popular product today.

With regard to their made-to-order creations Shirley points out, “we do not buy butcher blocks and cut them down as most of our competitors do. Selling custom sizes and being sure that your product is your own is very important.” It stands to reason as setting your product apart amongst fierce competition is the way to stake a claim online.

Chris and Shirley have maintained their website themselves, having had basic internet experience only. Getting qualified traffic to their website remains a top priority.  Currently, most customers find The Butcher Block Top through search engine results. As of this writing, The Butcher Block Top ranked #1 on Google for butcher block. That’s a pretty impressive standing.

The Keeles also run promotions such as “10% off first purchase” and discounted shipping rates from time to time.  Sometimes it comes down to giving the customer a little more in order for them to choose your products over a competitor’s.

For the Butcher Block Top Company, the best part of selling online is the potential of reaching millions of customers without the overhead of a brick and mortar store.  Selling through their ecommerce site has given them the flexibility they need to build their business while also maintaining a family life.  Many traditional entrepreneurs don’t have that luxury.

But it’s not always easy.  Without a storefront, Shirley says there’s no way for her customers to see and feel the beauty of their butcher blocks. “Senses play an amazing role in what a person does or does not purchase. Consumers are cautious about buying online.” What does this say to the business owner trying to sell their products online?  Cater to the senses you can, the rest relies on visibility, content and trust.

As noted previously, opening your business to the internet also means opening the business to far more competition.  Keeping ahead of the competition plays an important role in any online marketing plan and Chris and Shirley are off to a good start.

So what’s ahead for Chris and Shirley?  They’d like to embrace Social Media, which we at ODX Fusion obviously endorse.  They’d also like to spend more time on their blog, which they use to educate their customers on their butcher blocks. Finally, remaining high in search results for their targeted keywords is an ongoing task.  All these are top-notch strategies for building a successful business by selling online.

To sum it up, Shirley and Chris are very pleased with the progress of their Butcher Block Top ecommerce website.  Through their constant diligence, they stand to increase sales and grow their business.  To the businesses hesitant to sell their products online, Shirley offers this:

“Do not be intimidated by your fears – grit your teeth, knuckle up, and face them. You will be amazed at what you are capable of achieving when the fear of the unknown is not a factor. Just do it!”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

Special thanks go to Christopher and Shirley Keele for taking the time to be interviewed for the “Just Doing It” series.  Visit their website @ www.thebutcherblocktop.com.

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