The recession has impacted many trades, some positively but sad to say some negatively. The pub trade is an example of an industry sector which has received more that its fair share of doom and gloom. Last year, it was announced that pubs were closing at a rate of five a day with the British Beer and Pub Association declaring alcohol sales level reached their lowest since the 1930’s.
However, where there’s a cloud – there’s a silver lining!
With many organisations looking to cut their costs to save their businesses, the focus of many business executives turned to the internet. Online advertising revenue began to increase as organisations became fixated on marketing themselves online. The fact that the internet was cost-effective, allowed access to millions of customers and could be used to engage with customers personally was fully being realised.
This is what Les and Heleena Ivall had realised too. Both Les and Heleena owned the John O Gauntt Inn in Sutton which had been known as a real-ale pub for over 37 years. Having been faced with the gloom of the credit crunch both Les and Heleena decided they needed to attract a new type of customer. It was decided that it was time to increase the pubs exposure as a venue that was synonymous with folk music and could serve as a local club within the community.
Lucky for them one of their regulars was none other than Activ Web Design’s John Holden! In no time at all, John had promised Les and Heleena a website that would not only increase their exposure but would also be able to attract new customers, take bookings online and increase their sales.
John created a website that was content rich which included menus, newsletters, testimonials, gallery, bookings page and so much more local information. This was a very exciting time for the traditional pub in Sutton who were about to see their first ever website. The results were in – statistics had shown that the website had received over 250 unique visitors in its first month alone.
Les Ivall was thrilled with the Activ Web Design “Within a week of going online we had a booking for a birthday lunch with 19 guests, from someone who didn’t know we existed until finding us on the web”
The Activ Web Design promised to make money – The John O Gauntt has increased sales by receiving online bookings and attracting a new target market.
The Activ Web Design promised to save money – The John O Gauntt has online menus and promotions saving money on printing and postage!
The Activ Web Design promises to save time – The John O Gauntt now has a list of people that have opted in to receive regular updates on what is going on at the pub.
The result – Les is convinced “Its a fantastic business building tool”.
To see the website which has helped Les and Heleena to make money,save money and save time click here.
