Coming up a winner: effective Web sites aren't just place holders. They are tools for sales, marketing and customer outreach

Pool & Spa News, May 23, 2005 by Julie Sturgeon

Sales from Olympic Hot Tub Co.'s Web site account for 15- to 17 percent of this Seattle store's annual business. But sales manager Don Riling's philosophy is a far cry from "Build it, and they will come."

Part of the challenge lies in the fact that customers have come to expect the latest and greatest from the company, which established its Web site in the early 1990s, beating even its spa manufacturer to the punch.

The firm wasn't just dipping its toes in the water with pretty photos either. The retailer sold products in cyberspace from the get-go.

So it's no wonder that colleagues consider Don Riling the industry guru when it comes to knowing the difference between an effective Web site and one that's merely taking up bandwidth.

For starters, this company farms out site development and operation, but treats the vendor like a member of its internal team. That is how Olympic ensures cooperation when it requests changes to the site.

"The No. 1 critical thing is that your Web site has to be continually up to date," Riling says. "If you're going to be in this realm, be responsible--and don't put out incorrect information. Both drive off customers."

To guarantee accuracy, each employee is required to troll the site regularly, searching for misspellings, broken links and old, irrelevant photos. Riling himself scours it a minimum of every three months.

Reaching out, virtually

The firm places great importance on finding ways to connect with its Web visitors. For example, an interactive button lets surfers request in-home consultations or arrange for water tests in the store. By selecting this option, people show that they've moved beyond the information-gathering stage.

Other creative features on Olympic's site range from a quiz tool that enables families to determine the right hot tub to a tongue-in-cheek page of poetry submissions and testimonials opining whether Washingtonians wear swimsuits in the privacy of their tubs. "Nude or Not Nude" has become the most visited page at the address.

In a true monument to detail, Riling and crew insist that the Web site visually reflect the company image. They use the same graphics and fonts that folks will find in the manufacturer's brochures, for a seamless and trustworthy touch. Then Olympic plasters the Web address anywhere it finds a surface: Yellow Pages ads, auction certificates, charity programs, newsletters, letterheads, invoices and service hang tags.

Still, Riling isn't content. His wish list includes developing a way to use the Web to automatically ship the sulfur ion cartridges to that program's members each month. He has plans to duplicate the store's wedding registry in cyberspace.

"Only about 25 percent of what's standing in my way is related to technology. The other 75 percent is manpower," he admits. "Whenever we do our overhaul, it takes a lot of eyes and hours to do it properly."

Tech tips

* Update your Web site regularly. If you want to instill trust and credibility, your site can't feature out-of-date or inaccurate content.

* Keep it interesting, fun and lively. Give shoppers unexpected reasons to visit and return.

* Promote the URL everywhere and often. It's not enough to say you have a site; you must let your existing and potential customers know where to go online.