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Marketing for the Successful Alpaca Breeder
few years ago, we read an article in the New York Times about alpaca breeding in the North East. Extolling the virtues of a better, simpler lifestyle focused on raising these loveable fuzzy creatures, we devoured the article and promptly went online to find all we could about alpacas. Our enthusiasm was promptly diffused when Google produced only a handful of links about alpaca breeding. The year was 2000.
Fast forward to 2005. Type "alpaca" in any search engine and the results number in the thousands. What happened?
Like many small business owners and entrepreneurs, alpaca breeders have become wise to the power of the internet as a marketing tool. Add to this the fact that alpaca breeding is hot in the United States, with more than 4000 alpaca breeders registered with the Alpaca Owners and Breeder's Association (AOBA), it is easy to see the explosion of web sites dedicated to all things alpaca.
Anyone interested in alpacas and alpaca breeding today will find no shortage of information about alpaca breeding, fleece preparation, shearing techniques and a whole host of alpaca related topics.
Why are so many alpaca breeders using the internet to promote their new businesses? The answer is simple. Our story is not unique. When asked how new breeders learned about alpacas and the alpaca industry, most people report that they used the internet to do their research. So if you want to be seen by the best prospects, people who are truly interested in learning about alpacas, you must be "on the internet."
But is being "on the internet" enough? No! Look at all of those thousands of returns in the search engine results and you see pretty quickly that some farms appear more often at the top of the listings. Click on almost any of the links, even the ones towards the top of the search listings, and try to use the web sites you're brought to. You'll learn quickly that simply "being on the net" is not enough. Stated in frank terms, if a site is hard to use, you won't use it. And neither will your eager, alpaca researching prospects. This article is not an exhaustive manual on how to increase your "search engine rankings" nor is it a primer on fancy "HTML" tricks. This article is about the power available to you, the small business owner, made possible because of the internet. That power does not come from the technology though.
Surely the internet is a technical thing. It involves computers and coding. Look at the "source code" of any web page and you'll see a mish-mash of numbers, slashes and dashes. It is not for the faint of heart! The power of this thing called a web site however does not come from the technology that makes a web site possible. The technology is important, but it is not the whole story. Far more important than the latest coding or hottest "browser" is the power of a web site to attract and retain customers. As a small business owner, your main goal with any marketing tactic is not the thing itself. It's not the stylish ad you print in a magazine. It's not the great brochure you produce. And it's definitely not the sexy TV commercial you make (ok, keep dreaming). And no, your goal is not a web site. Your goal with any marketing tactic is an increase in customers coming to your farm. It is an increase in your ability to sell more of what you want to sell.
Your goal with any and all of your marketing, whether it involves the internet or not, is to create a relationship with new clients and enhance the relationship you already have with your existing customers.
The real power made possible through the internet is relationship building. Your web site should be a relationship building center. Using the power of the technology to help attract and build relationships is the single best reason for you to have a farm web site. Using a web site to tell potential customers who you are, what you do and how you are going to help them get what they want is job one. In marketing speak; we're talking about building your brand. Define who you are, and make it very clear how you can help a prospect reach their goals through your products and services. If you take only one thing away from this article, take this. Marketing is about helping your clients get what they want. If you do, you'll get what you want. Start your web site development project with this aim in mind and your web site, and your business will be a success.
Just as we did after reading the New York Times article, your customers are flocking to the internet to get their questions answered. Your goal should be to provide those answers in as many ways as you can. Being a solution provider is a sure way to build your customer base, and your website has more capability to be a solution center than any other marketing tactic available today. In short, the real power of the internet is to create relationships with your customers by allowing them to get their questions answered. If you can make a web site that answers prospect's questions, you will engender a real sense of trust, which is the foundation of any meaningful relationship.
Make your site an answer center
Your web site homepage should tell visitors immediately what you do and why they should care. The good news is that most websites do a poor job of making this clear. Cluttered with flashy graphics and meaningless "cool" things, many websites just don't explain what the site is about. Think about the user of your site. Put yourself in their shoes and try to think about what they are looking for. Offer simple easy-to-read text that says how you can help them answer their questions.
Make your website reinforce your brand
Your website must support your identity and enhance your brand. What does your company stand for? Make your site look and feel like it is part of all the other marketing materials you produce. If your site looks completely different from your other marketing materials, such as the brochure and stationery you distribute, you may confuse your clients and site visitors. It may not be apparent to them that the web site they’ve come to is yours, the very same farm that distributed the previous marketing they’ve come across. All your marketing materials need not be identical, but it must be readily apparent that they are related and from the same farm. Practicing this sort of consistency will help you to create a strong farm “brand” which stands out in the public’s mind. Of top importance is your logo. It should always be used consistently. On your web site, it should be prominent and present on every page of your site.
Create a "membership" or "fan-club"
Prospects have needs they want filled. Make your site is a place they want to return to, and in fact, join. This does not mean you need a "subscription" feature. Give customers a way to sign up for news and updates. Allow prospects to learn more by giving you permission to help answer their needs in the future through emails and newsletters. Let prospects know you're interested in helping them, and that you'll provide updates and notices about events or sales, which may be helpful to them.
Publish an e-mail newsletter
Having a brand-centered web site is great, but you must rely on people taking it upon themselves to visit it. Offering a free e-mail newsletter allows you to build a database of subscribers who are specifically interested in what your brand represents. Best yet, being able to deliver your message by e-mail puts you in control of the frequency with which your audience is exposed to your brand. Repetition is crucial. Make it possible for recipients to send newsletters to their friends. This type of "viral" exposure is one of the most powerful benefits. Think about it; are you more willing to open a message from your best friend? Your friend knows you and knows what you like. If she finds something interesting on the internet and wants to share it with her friends, your brand and your business gains a terrific boost.
Become a resource
Keep customers coming back by giving them lots of answers. Your web site can have a great deal of content. Articles on specific topics can help to answer their questions and keeps customers on your site longer. This provides you an opportunity to show more "related" topics or "cross-sell." Don't throw everything you know about alpacas on one page. Create categories and sections that deal with select topics. This allows customers to take in and digest material at a reasonable pace. One great side benefit of having many pages about specific topics is enhanced search engine placement or ranking. A web page that is specifically about a single topic, for example, alpaca fleece preparation, is great for search engines because they can determine clearly what the page is about – fleece preparation.
Make your farm name the same as your domain name
Many farms rely on third party market places for their only web presence. Web hosting companies often offer inexpensive websites but the URL is something like: yahoo.com/~MyAlpacaFarm. You want customers to remember your name, not Yahoo's. Reserve a domain name that is as close to your farm name as possible. AND make sure your email address uses the same domain name. Having a website at www.MyAlpacaFarm.com and an email address of MyAlpacaFarm@aol.com does not leverage the brand name recognition you are striving for. Keep it simple, make your site and your email address the same: www.MyAlpacaFarm.com and jane@MyAlapcaFarm.com.
The internet is one of the most powerful parts of any marketing program. Leveraging the power made possible because of this amazing technology will change the way you do business and will change the way your customers think about your company. Developing a strong user-focused mind-set when creating your web site will increase your brand awareness. Using the internet as a means of helping your potential customers to find answers to their questions will bring greater share of business to your farm. Remember, give your customers ways to find what they want and you'll get more of what you want!
BreedWorks:
BreedWorks resulted from the teaming of husband and wife, Hazen Reed and Susan Muther. Prior to BreedWorks, they both had individual careers developing award winning visual communication systems for both fortune 500 companies and small businesses. The formation of the company combines their expertise in visual design and digital technology with their knowledge and personal experience in Alpaca breeding. BreedWorks is based in Central New York, 15 minutes from their alpaca farm, HaSu Ranch Alpacas.
For more on these topics contact Hazen Reed or Susan Muther at BreedWorks info@breedworks.biz.
Written by By Hazen reed and Susan Muther
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