content + ux strategy · content + ux strategy: niche retailer becomes easy to find + ready to...
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Client: FootSmart / Industries: Health, Retail
Content + UX StrategyNiche Retailer Becomes Easy to
Find + Ready to Advise Customers
content-science.com
contentwrx.com review.content-science.com
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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The Client
FootSmart specializes in comfort footwear and lower body health. FootSmart
consistently ranks in the Internet Retailer 500, most recently as number 176. As a
multimillion-dollar online retailer, FootSmart has much at stake when considering changes to
their web strategy. So, when the retailer considered changing their approach to content, they
turned to Content Science to advise.
In this case study, learn about the FootSmart’s situation, our solution, and the results.
The SituationViewing content as a way to deepen its niche brand and credibility with “baby
boomer” customers, FootSmart recognized content as a tremendous opportunity for online
retail. Chief Executive Officer Alan Beychok had a vision for transforming its online catalog
into a complete online outfitter. As he explains, “When customers turn to us, we want to be
easy to find and ready to advise.”
After Content Science helped craft an initial content vision, FootSmart faced challenges
bringing that vision to life. FootSmart knew that useful, compelling content had the potential
to improve their merchandising and marketing by reaching customers in every phase of the
buying journey.
To turn this vision into reality, FootSmart needed to turn more of its strategic attention to
content. As a result, the retailer turned to us for high-end consulting.
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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Our SolutionContent Science dug deep into FootSmart’s business, market, and competition to uncover a variety of strategic content opportunities to better engage audiences. Our
consulting engagement began by talking extensively with CEO Alan Beychok, VP, Channel
Merchandising and Promotion Jessica Turner, and Senior Manager - Online Merchandising
& Promotion Lauren Schuman. We mutually decided that strategic analysis and planning
were in order. Our goal? To develop a roadmap that FootSmart could use for immediate and
future planning.
To start, we conducted an extensive analysis.
Analysis
We conducted a thorough set of analyses:
• Content Analysis: Providing a collection of qualitative audits, we analyzed the effectiveness of FootSmart’s current content.
• Competitive + Comparative Assessment: How does FootSmart compare to competitors?
• Customer Lifecycle Gap Analysis: How does FootSmart’s content address all phases of the customer lifecycle?
• Structure + Ecosystem Analysis: Where does FootSmart have content, and how does it work together as a system?
• Template Analysis: How does FootSmart organize, present, and surface content to customers?
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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What did we discover? A lot. For instance, we found that the FootSmart blog did not
have a distinct voice or clear attribution of an author. As a result, the content on the
blog lacked focus. Was it a health blog? Was it a style blog? Was it something else? The
blog’s lackluster performance, then, was not surprising. The blog didn’t resonate with
customers.
Our overall analysis helped FootSmart understand ways to make its health content more
credible and helpful, optimize content for discovery by search engines and social, and
structure content to make it “future-ready” for platforms like mobile.
To help make the more abstract aspects of the analysis clear, we included useful visuals.
Our Solution continued
Content modelingThe lifecycle for a
core FootSmart customer
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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Synthesis into Recommendations + RoadmapAs a consultancy, we rarely offer analysis and recommendations at the same time.
Strategic recommendations take deep thought. We don’t simply spout off best practices
as recommendations. Why? Because a collection of best practices is not a strategy.
FootSmart came to us for advice on how to make content work for their unique situation,
not a cookie-cutter solution.
So, we synthesized our research and analysis into a series of strategic recommendation
reports and a clear roadmap. We took time to consider different possibilities, develop
recommendations, and think through the impact of each recommendation on the others.
We also planned how to implement the recommendations realistically.
The result was a set of recommendations that complemented each other and worked
together as a roadmap. Our recommendations turned FootSmart’s challenges into
actionable opportunities. A clear roadmap outlined a plan to execute upon this strategy,
and emphasized getting the basics right before expanding into sophisticated, well-
maintained content
marketing products.
More specifically, we made extensive recommendations to change FootSmart’s approach
to areas such as
• Brand identity and voice
• Editorial, social, and product content
• Content architecture and navigation
• Content roles and responsibilities
Our Solution continued
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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Our Solution continued
Email Concept
Editorial roadmap
Architecture + Assessment Recommendations and Roadmap
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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Content Marketing Product Solution: The Footsmart Health Resource Center As an example of how our analysis, synthesis, recommendations, and roadmap applied
to a specific content marketing product, look no further than the FootSmart Health
Resource Center. This content marketing product improved the quality of FootSmart’s
content and helped educate FootSmart customers about their foot and lower body health
as they performed research before buying products.
Our Solution continued
The Footsmart Health Resource Center
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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We helped FootSmart achieve these goals through:
• Supplying FootSmart’s audience with relevant, accurate, and interesting content about foot and lower body health ailments. This content included easy-to-read explanations and articles, advice about home remedies, visuals, slideshows, and videos.
• Subtly highlighting connections between specific foot and lower body health conditions and FootSmart’s products without coming across as “salesy.” We worked on maintaining an educational tone about foot and lower body health ailments while more subtly providing links and next steps to further products—only if customers were interested, in the right context, and at the right time.
• Adhering to the persona of a Caring Podiatrist throughout the content to alleviate the doubts, anxieties, and trepidation of users looking for information about foot and lower body health issues. We worked hard to make sure all of the Foot Health Resource Center content sounded personable and approachable rather than dry and academic.
• Encouraging FootSmart to team with the Podiatry Institute to review and add a subject matter expert’s stamp of approval to all Foot Health Resource Center content. This subject matter expertise ensured that customers saw FootSmart as a trusted authority about foot and lower body health information.
Our Solution continued
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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The ResultsAfter we first helped develop FootSmart’s content vision, they gained some
results immediately. The C-level team felt they had a clear plan. Beychok noted at the
close of the project that the plan would “help us turn our vision into reality.”
Those results included more online brand awareness when FootSmart successfully
launched three niche blogs and grew its social followers. FootSmart became more
actively engaged with customers on social by sharing editorial content and responding to
questions. In addition, FootSmart started to see an uplift in online sales.
After FootSmart later struggled to continue implementing that initial vision, Content
Science helped FootSmart prioritize strategic content activities, plan activities against an
aggressive yet achievable timeline, and turn previously stalled content product ideas into
reality--along with developing some new ideas. The C-level team took immediate steps to
put the roadmap into action.
Lauren Schuman notes
By leveraging Content Science’s expertise, we were able to validate the
importance of some key initiatives and reprioritize these initiatives within
the organization. We have a much clearer direction of where we want to
move forward in regards to content as a result of our work with
Content Science.
In short, our recommendations continue to help FootSmart translate their vision and strategy into action. FootSmart’s executive management team and
department heads are now aligned around a common content vision and they clearly
see the content possibilities that await. Motivated to achieve the goals outlined in the
roadmap, the FootSmart team’s communication about content objectives has become
much more efficient.
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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The Results continued
As VP, Channel Merchandising and Promotion Jessica Turner explains
Success for FootSmart.com means improving content quality, customer
perception-and ultimately results. Content Science has provided the
framework for our team to organize and prioritize our content objectives,
solidify our brand positioning and engage in a meaningful way with
our customers.
By applying our recommendations to a content marketing product like the FootSmart
Health Resource Center, FootSmart experienced more sales and traffic than the previous
content. As a whole, the FootSmart Health Resource Center is making approximately an
increase of $17,000 in incremental sales each week, which is an extra 193 orders per
week compared to the previous content.
For customers, this foot condition content is now more useful, usable, and meaningful
when researching foot health topics. The improved content positions FootSmart as a
credible expert in foot health topics, both for ailments and wellness, and it improves the
company’s contextual merchandising of products.
These bottom line results were so impressive that FootSmart received
the “Best in Show” Award for its Health
Resource Center at the first annual
Customer Experience Recognition Awards,
beating out well-established companies
like Cisco.
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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The Results continued
The FootSmart Health Resource Center also took home gold at The Communicator Awards 2015 and the 2014 Davey Awards.
CERA Awards at Info Dev World
Besides giving the retailer a framework for content success, our
engagement led to additional opportunities for FootSmart to
promote their success and expertise. For example, we spotlighted
FootSmart’s progressive thinking in our top-selling book,
Clout: The Art + Science of Influential Web Content.
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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Why Partner with UsWhen you work with us, you can trust that we’ll turn your vision—whether it’s to be an
online outfitter or another kind of advisor to your customers—into reality through content.
We never lost sight of FootSmart’s goals. In the same way, we’ll focus unwaveringly on your
business goals throughout an engagement.
If you work with us on a high-stakes content strategy, you could gain benefits such as
Better communication on your team and among stakeholders about content.
A clear understanding of your current content situation, including the challenges and opportunities.
A strategy and actionable plan that give value both now and later.
Improved brand awareness and social engagement.
Sales uplift and fewer customer service calls.
A framework for evaluating content performance.
Industry recognition for your efforts.
Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers
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About Content Science
Sample Clients
We’re an award-winning content intelligence and strategy firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
We have advised the world’s leading brands, nonprofits, startups, and government agencies on making content make a difference to their goals.
Why Content Science? Because content is, indeed, a science. We study what works well—and what doesn’t—so you can make informed decisions about your content.
Our services include consulting, research, and training. Our focus areas include content analysis, content strategy, content marketing, user experience, and content systems.
Our subscription products include the innovative software ContentWRX, which takes the hassle out of understanding whether your content is effective. We also created the online magazine and training platform Content Science Review to empower you and your team with research, tools, and insights.
Our CEO is Colleen Jones, author of the popular content book Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content and frequent speaker.
Want to make your content work for your organization? We can help. Contact us to find out how. content-science.com/about/contact-us