Plaza Too
Challenge:
Plaza Too, a high end shoe and accessories retailer headquartered in Larchmont, NY, called on Horizon Marketing Group to establish a search engine presence and improve tracking and reporting of customer conversions. The individual challenges of Plaza Too required a broad range of expertise and unique strategy development. When Plaza Too began its relationship with Horizon, the retailer had virtually no ranking in the search engines and faced significant challenges in the management of funds for an existing pay-per-click campaign. In addition, Horizon recognized the need for an improved website design to accompany Plaza Too’s trendy and fashion-forward collections.
Solution:
Horizon Marketing Group first looked at the client’s pay-per-click strategy and redesigned their campaigns to target small markets, searching for specific items. After competitive analysis and analysis of the existing campaign, we found that using more specific, unique search terms proved more effective in reducing Plaza Too’s cost per conversion. Landing pages were then designed to compliment their pay-per-click campaigns and to also improve natural search rankings though the optimization of the visible content and META tags. META tags were created for each individual product by assembling information from the product database dynamically. In addition to providing front-end solutions, Horizon also successfully integrated the Plaza Too inventory system with Google Base via RSS to further enhancing online visibly. The next piece of the Plaza Too puzzle was their website. As the client’s most important marketing tool, Horizon created a more attractive design that matched their brand image and then restructured the layout and customer interface to lead visitors from start to finish through the sales process.
Result:
Due to Horizon’s creative and powerful solutions, the search engine ranking for Plaza Too jumped from non-existent to having thousands of top-ten rankings on major engines such as: Google, Yahoo, Ask, and MSN. Horizon’s successful roll-out of the new website with optimized landing pages gave Plaza Too the online presence necessary to capture the markets they need to attract. Plaza Too experienced a very impressive increase in its conversion rate October 2007 to July 2008. In addition, the cost/conversion in the same period decreased by 76%!
Gerber Scientific
Challenge:
Gerber Scientific came to Horizon Interactive with a unique project. The objective was to demonstrate and visualize a groundbreaking new printer they were set to release. The printer, the Solara Ion was to be a disruptive technological advancement in its industry and early adoption was key in its release.
Solution:
Gerber's industrial engineers provided Horizon with drawings, 3D models, and photos of a preproduction prototype. Horizon worked with the 3D models extensively and used the drawings and photos as reference for color, texture and to gain an understanding of how the machine operated. With these resources Horizon Marketing produced an animated presentation that demonstrated the key features of the printer including:
- 360° views of the product
- Inner workings of the gantry
- Gantry in motion printing on a rigid material
- Roll print function
- Control Panel swivel function
- Ink refill station
- Cleaning and service of the print heads
- All before the first printer had rolled off of the assembly line.
Result:
The 3d animation Horizon created for Gerber played a key role in the release of the Solara Ion. Gerber gained both an internal and external jump in regards to marketing communications and were able to pre-sell multiple units before manufacturing had even begun.
CrabApple Whitewater Inc.
Challenge:
Crab Apple Whitewater challenged Horizon Marketing to develop ways to more effectively manage its pay per click campaign, search engine rankings, and online customer service. In an industry with strong online competition, Horizon was confronted with the task of identifying and incorporating geo-specific keywords to satisfy Crab Apple’s need to target customers based on location. In addition, Crab Apple brought their concerns to Horizon regarding the timed consuming handling of consumer inquiries via telephone by its reservations department. Horizon addressed all of these strategies in its development of effective pay per click campaigns and an online trip planner.
Solution:
Prior to Horizon’s work, Crab Apple utilized broad keywords that often attracted site visitors who were not located near any of its locations. To remedy this situation, Horizon Marketing Group re-designed Crab Apple’s pay per click campaigns by using geo-targeted keywords that would attract and retain higher quality leads more likely to make reservations. To accompany this campaign, Horizon created separate landing pages for each trip location so that customers can easily find information about whitewater rafting in their geographical area. Next, Horizon addressed the management of customer inquiries by designing a trip planner for the Crab Apple site that answers common questions and assists customers in making reservations. Finally, Horizon installed a “Tell-A-Friend” function on the website, through which customers can send invitations to members of their whitewater rafting party. Horizon’s initiatives allowed for customer interaction with Crab Apple and improved targeting of relevant markets.
Result:
As a result of Horizon’s online solutions, Crab Apple now uses geographically specific keywords to target and reach those internet users who are more inclined to become customers. Since September 2008, the successful implementation of a modified pay per click campaign has reduced Crab Apple’s cost per conversion by 95% and increased conversions by 1,280%. Furthermore, the online trip planner has allowed the reservations department to effectively streamline the trip planning process and manage consumer inquiries while increasing party sizes through the “Tell-A-Friend” function. Crab Apple plans to continue its relationship with Horizon through the management and execution of effective email marketing campaigns.
Home Depot Dumpster Rental
Challenge:
Home Depot Dumpster approached Horizon with the challenge of developing an online marketing plan for their dumpster rental program. Entering a market with heavy local and national competition, The Home Deport Dumpster Rental program was in need of an online presence to that would allow them to reach very specific group of target markets.
Solution:
Horizon Marketing Group started with the Home Depot Dumpster Rental website, www.hddumpster.com. The site was designed to establish Home Depot as a major provider of waste removal and temporary dumpster rental, taking visitors through a step-by-step process in receiving a dumpster rental quote, through scheduling a dumpster drop off. The Home Deport Dumpster website was optimized for top search engine ranking and visibility in the dumpster rental and waste remove industry.
Horizon then conducted competitor, market and keyword research to develop an effective strategy for reaching Home Depot’s ideal customer demographic for dumpster rental. Horizon Marketing Group used sophisticated geo-targeting methods in order for Home Depot to match Pay-Per-Click ads with targeted demographic profiles. Horizon then launched a strategic online media placement and comprehensive search marketing campaign. The strategy was designed so enable Home Depot Dumpster to zero in and attract specific groups at specific times in their life when they may need a dumpster.
Result:
As a result of Horizon’s online and offline work, Home Depot Dumpster received thousands of number one rankings on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other frequently used search engines for phrases such as “dumpster rental.” Between October 2007 and July 2008, Home Depot Dumpster’s experienced a 6900% increase in online conversions with a 588% decrease in cost per conversion.
Ultimately, Horizon’s successful execution of paid and non-paid search engine optimization to accompany geo-targeted pay-per-click campaigns gave Home Depot Dumpster a solid presence in the dumpster services industry that will give consumers convenient options and control for waste and debris removal from their homes or businesses.
Marriott Vacation Club
Challenge:
Marriott Vacation Club had a concern with customer satisfaction and repeat customers at their properties internationally. That’s where Horizon Marketing Group was able to assist. In conjunction with the Marriott Vacation Club it was determined that property managers were the ones that could have the most impact on how satisfied guests are with their stay.
Solution:
Horizon Marketing Group created and maintained a comprehensive online customer satisfaction survey. The surveys were distributed worldwide in multiple languages and contained several “branches” depending on how customers answered. Horizon built a robust reporting backend for Marriott executives to access critical performance data. Most importantly the reports were utilized by Marriott executives to determine property by property performance which was tied directly to the property managers compensation.
Result:
Although Horizon Group cannot take credit for the improvement in satisfied customers seen by Marriott Vacation Club guests, there was a noticeable improvement in property scoring. Property managers saw the tools as a great way of determining their own personal successes and look forward to feedback reports as part of standard operation procedure.
Subway
Challenge:
One of Subway’s biggest challenge is that it has a vast worldwide audience that includes 28,000 Franchisees, thousands of employees and hundreds of agencies. Their existing extranet was utilized as the hub for several types of communications resulting in “information overload” (e.g. links to everything for every type of user).
Additionally the extranet enabled access to multiple / disparate systems but required multiple logins. Usage of the site was declining and lacked a proper representation of the Subway brand.
Solution:
Horizon Marketing Group created a customized extranet for Subway Employees, Franchisees and Marketing Agencies that contained dozens of User Groups where login credentials drive specific website content and access. Additionally users now have Single-Sign-On access to several disparate systems.
Result:
- Customized Content based on User Group profile (shows most important items needed by each user right on home page)
- User Group profile dynamically populates tools and resources
- Usage doubled in first few months
Timex
Challenge:
Although Timex sells millions of watches per year; they had very little customer data. Additionally, Timex desired to sell more watches directly through their e-Commerce website
Solution:
Horizon Marketing Group developed a platform for capturing customer data via all website touchpoints (including Warranties, Web Store, Contact Forms and more. Additionally Horizon Marketing Group helped Timex develop a strategy for building more robust customer profiles to for better segmented email communications.
Result:
As a result of Horizon’s email campaign work, sales on the Timex.com website increase more than 25%. Additionally, the Timex list grew from 25,000 active emails to over 100,000 active profiles.