Case Study - Memorabilia-UK.co.uk

Making a living from a hobby is many peoples dream. For Mark Riddle that dream became a reality when in 1999 he progressed his hobby of memorabilia and autograph collecting into a full time job..

Mark had built a strong reputation locally by selling authenticated autographs of actors, musicians and celebrities. As demand continued to grow he established a sales outlet at a local antiques outlet. Mark was keen to develop the business and realised that if he could get his autographs seen by a wider audience then he should be able to sell more. Mark contacted Concept Websites Ltd to discuss the opportunities available to his new business through the Internet.

"David White explained the process involved in getting my portfolio on line, and explained how essential to the success of the project it would be to achieve high search engine rankings. If someone is searching for specific autographs or memorabilia then it is critical that my site gets seen," said Mark.

A relatively straightforward site was constructed initially for the 50 or so autographs. The site contained digital photographs and scans of all of the autographs, along with descriptions and prices. There were sections covering authenticity issues, framing, mounting and the necessary contact pages. Concept Websites Ltd then began the promotion of the web site with Search Engines.

"There follows a definite pattern with new clients when their web sites are initially published on the Internet" said David White of Concept Websites Ltd. "We promote the site in all of the necessary areas under carefully researched key words and phrases. After approximately 6-8 weeks things really start to happen.
There is a gestation period from submission to initial ranking which we can accurately predict. Once the high rankings begin, traffic flows to the site and business begins for the client.

www.memorabilia-uk.co.uk now generates over 5000 unique hits every month.
"Obviously, not all enquiries result in sales, but this is the accepted nature of retailing", explained Mark. "However, we are delighted with the number of sales that we make every week from the Internet We have sent items literally all over the world and are currently experiencing a huge interest in Robbie Williams.

One customer found our web site by searching 'Giant Haystacks Autograph' and we were delighted to have the item in stock and forward it to him within 3 days of him actually making his search."
The web site is now in its third stage of development and is fully e-commerce enabled, incorporating a shopping basket facility and credit card payments on line. This means that Mark can sell his products as he sleeps!
A recent addition to the web site has been a bespoke auction written and developed in house by Concept Websites Ltd. Bidders can place bids in real time on autographs and are contacted by e-mail if a higher bid is placed. This is quite an exciting area that is being test marketed on the web site jointly by Mark and Concept Websites Ltd.

Back to Case Studies

E-MAIL

Search Engine Optimisation