Business Analysis
As it presently stands, Furniture 4 Offices (F4O) is a small organization with 2 full-time employees and a relatively small base of clientele. However, due to the rapid expansion of the client base, the company needs to come up with ways to improve its effectiveness. This may call for the employing of more staff or other viable means so as to ensure that customer satisfaction is guaranteed. F4O’s ability to serve its customers better therefore gaining their loyalty will determine how well the company shall perform in the future.
The business activities of the company include making purchases from supplies and subsequently delivering them to the customers at their respective locations. The organization also engages in the making of customized office furniture for its clients and refurbishing existing office furniture. Before the customers can make a purchase, F4O representatives show them brochures that contain samples of furniture and office designs. Owing to the high cost of brochures, the company cannot afford to leave them with the customers leading to disappointed clients. Solutions need to be found regarding this matter since dissatisfied clients are likely to disengage from future dealings with the company.
Competition Analysis
Furniture 4 Offices is faced with a number of competitors in the market who threaten to infringe on the company’s profitability by taking over its customers. As such, F4O needs to come up with measures to give it a competitive advantage over the other companies thus guaranteeing its survival in the office furniture market. Engaging the internet is bound to give the company a competitive edge since it will lead to better customer satisfaction thus leading to loyalty. In addition to this, the website can also be used as a means to increase the customer base of the business by marketing it even further off to new consumers. Despite the gains to be obtained from the internet, Jones (2008, p. 25) asserts that the internet should not be used as an independent business channel but rather together with the other traditional means.
There exist other companies that deal in office furniture that have also exploited the internet to further their business interests. The office supermarket is one such organization. This company utilizes the internet not only for advertisement purposes but also for making online sales. While this may lead to an increase in sales, it creates a lack of a personalized touch that F4O intends to keep with its clientele. Design-wise, the website is too crowded and contains too much information thus leading to the website visitor being overwhelmed by all the information.
Another company that has exploited the internet is the Cheap Office Furniture company (COF) in the United Kingdom. This website offers a wide range of furniture to a wide clientele base. In addition to the features that F4O proposes to implement in its website, COF also performs online sales but attempt to personalize its services by offering customers online accounts with the company. This form of online branding fosters loyalty and a feeling of trust among its consumers (Arvidsson, 2006). The structure and the design of the website is simple without being simplistic and easily appeal to the customers.
The Ch Workspace office furniture company in the UK also utilizes the internet to carry out its business. This website cares to give descriptions of its various categories of products so as to better inform the potential buyer. The website also offers refurbishment services just like the F4O Company does. In addition to offering these products, the company has a call center that caters to the needs of its customers. The CH workspace company also boasts of physical addresses and showrooms which a customer can visit if they need to. While the company does inspire the trust of the reader, its overuse of words makes it less versatile.
F4O can utilize the learn from the good features exhibited by the competitors’ sites and desist from the bad features so as to come up with a website that is most effective for the organizations’ needs. A good website will lead to the achievement of organizational goals and give the company a competitive edge.
Content Decisions
The development of a website for F4O is a feasible project. The need for such a project comes from the various needs that the organization has. The convenience and reliability afforded by the website will lead to the fulfillment of customer needs leading to the fulfillment of customer needs. The ease with which a customer can access the website and view the various products will no doubt enhance the customers’ satisfaction thus leading to him/her soliciting the services of the company in the future (Jones, 2008).
Due to the financial constraints of the business, the company cannot afford to issue brochures to prospective customers. This has led to disgruntled customers. The website will include graphics of the products that the company offers. This will do away with the need for expensive brochures. This is a possible undertaking as can be demonstrated from the other companies that have utilized the company to showcase their various office furniture products.
Communication is a key aspect in business and keeping in touch with the customers can lead to increased loyalty (Kalakota and Robinson, 2001). The website presents a perfect opportunity for the business to do this by sending occasional newsletters as well as offering a platform for customers to place their comments and commendations from past projects. This will lead to not only better customer service provision but also increase the customer base since other people who read the commendations may be attracted to ask for the same services from the company.
By listing its affiliate members, F4O will earn the goodwill of the other companies who may also list the company on their website thus expanding the market base of F4O. The customers will also benefit since they will solicit the services of these affiliate sites thus being saved the trouble of having to seek out the companies on their own.
- Site Map
- Home Page
- Office Products
- Desks
- Seats
- Boardrooms
- Testimonials
- Customers reviews
- Past projects gallery
- Furniture magazines
- Allied Services
- Building works
- Decorating furniture
- Office Stationery
- Interior design
- Contact us
- Company Information
References
Arvidsson, A., 2006. Brands: Meaning and Value in Media Culture. USA: Routledge, 2006.
Kalakota, R. & Robinson, M., 2001. E-business 2.0: Roadmap for Success. Addison-Wesley.
Jones, K. S., 2008. Business-to-Business Internet Marketing: Seven Proven Strategies for Increasing Profits Through Internet Direct Marketing. 5th ed. Maximum Press.