What Claudia Did Next

What Claudia Did Next

It’s been 5 months since Claudia went on the Success Online course and she’s meeting her sister Sarah for a catch up.

When she arrives-late as usual!-Sarah is already sat waiting at table.

Claudia greets her sister and hands her a card that she made earlier.

‘Its just to say thank you for helping me get my website up and running’

Sarah thanked Claudia but protested that it was Claudia who had done all the hard work and made the fantastic cards.

‘If it wasn’t for you though Sarah I wouldn’t have a website. I hadn’t even thought about selling my cards online until you mentioned it. It was you who told me about the business workshop that Clear Learning ran on Success Online which got me started in the first place.’

Sarah asks how the business is going now she’s got the website up and running.

‘Well, as you know,’ replied Claudia. ‘After I came back from the course I started selling things on EBay whilst I had time to think about what I wanted from my website and how I wanted it to look. That’s going really well and I’ve had positive feedback from customers which shows against my name so potential customers know I have a good reputation and are more likely to order from me’

‘I was going to try and put the site together myself but as I was going to be taking payments and I’m not that technically minded I decided to get the experts in!’

Claudia paused for breath and then was off again telling Sarah about her website, her passion clear for anyone to see.

‘One of the people I met on the Success Online course had given me contact details of a web designer he’d used and strongly recommended him, so its all up and running now.

And you know how disorganised I am so I’ve got timescales and procedures in place in terms of when I’m on holiday, customer service and maintenance of the site.

I got some stats through the other day and its amazing what you can find out about how people move through the site and where they’ve come from and where they go after visiting my site. Due to that and customer queries I’m going to branch out and do other products. I’ve already started on my Christmas line aswell!’ Claudia enthused.

‘So I just wanted to thank you for opening my eyes up to a whole new way of running and promoting my business.’

‘That’s great,’ replied Sarah. ‘It’s not just me who you should be thanking. It’s the Success Online course you went on that turned things around, so it’s also Clear Learning you should be thanking.’

‘You know what, I think I’ll do just that’ Claudia said with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘After all I really have had Success Online!’

Claudias New Website

Claudia is bubbling over with excitement as she sits down with her sister Sarah at the coffee shop.

As Sarah had suggested she had attended the Success Online course ran by Clear Learning and once she had her coffee in place Claudia launched into what she had learnt the previous day on the course.

During the course the trainer had discussed with each person what would be the best web presence for their business and looked at who everyone’s potential customers were. Claudia told Sarah how she felt at ease in the course as it didn’t require any previous experience and there was a mix of people like her who had just started out but also a couple of people who already had websites and were unsure how to market and manage them.

Claudia had decided to sell her products via her website so there were regulations that needed to be considered and more importantly for her decide how she was going to accept payments.

‘Did you know’ continued Claudia, ‘that the 2 biggest online retailers are eBay.co.uk and Amazon.co.uk and I can start selling my gifts on there first whilst I work on getting my website up and running, plus Mothers Day and Easter is coming soon so I can captailise on that.’

‘Speaking of my website on the course the trainer looked at different websites and we had all discussed the pros and cons of each site, so I already have an idea of what mine will look like.’

Claudia went on to explain to Sarah how the trainer also went through some hints and tips on how to increase chances of being picked up. ‘I had no idea how websites were picked up or why they appeared in the order they do when you type something in Google and it was interesting to learn how that works.’ In addition to that Claudia learnt that she can actually track how people move through the site and where they came from, which gives insight into the customers.

‘Plus look at this,’ Claudia said as she pulled a bright orange book from her bag. ‘We got a workbook that’s full of things to consider, help resources and helpful hints. I’ve attached a list at the back of all the things I now need to do.’

‘I know it’s not going to happen overnight but I know now where to start and how to maximise and market my website- I don’t know why I didn’t do it earlier!’

Let’s leave Claudia to it and revisit her in a few months time to see how her website is going.

Time To Get Online

When was the last time you used the Yellow Pages to find a restaurant?

...or trekked down to your local tour operator to book a flight?

Most likely you searched online for these by using Yell.com or another online directory. It didn’t cost you any money, it was easy and most importantly, the results were immediate! Last year 53% of UK adults said they used the internet at some time in their lives to buy goods or services, with 78% of these purchasing online in the previous 3 months (National Statistics Omnibus Survey 2007).

If your business does not yet have a web presence, it’s time to get online…the web is more than 20 years old now! According to the Computer Industry Almanac, the worldwide internet has now reached more than 1 billion users, with the UK now ranking Number 6 for internet usage with over 35 million users. No matter how small your business is, the web has levelled the playing field. As long as you have the business support and processes in place, the potential is enormous.

Consider these benefits:

- A web presence will give your business visibility and exposure to potential customers
whenever it’s convenient for them
- Customers expect to find you online; it is seen as a sign of professionalism
- You can demonstrate your products and services online through photos and testimonials
- Promoting your site online will give you 24/7 marketing, all year round
- Retaining your customers is made easier through online marketing: informing them of
discounts, special offers and new products / services


Still not convinced? Think about it...by lowering your costs and making workflows more efficient, the web could actually save you money! Lots of businesses use the internet to source new suppliers, order materials. Others use their websites to take bookings and raise awareness, saving on staff and marketing costs.

Visit us next week for some tips to help you determine the best way for your company to establish their web presence!