FarmGateVintage - SWOT

Strengths

- The website is responsive: it works on mobile and on the computer with equal performances. It’s also user-friendly because everything is clean and well organized. Information is clear. The website is, of course, add-free.

- Since September 2017, customers can directly buy from their online shop and it’s a very good point to build customer trust and relationship.

- They have linked their social medias to the website: product pictures are on Pinterest and their Instagram is promoted as well.

- There is also a small blog available with a few articles which can help the visitor to get into the brand.

- The website displays customer reviews which are well-known to be an important factor checked by consumers before a purchase.

- They have already a presence on Google Adwords, which means they are aware of the importance of the Search Engine Optimization (and they are ready to invest even more).

- According to their “Shipping & returns” webpage, they can ship everywhere in the world and quite fast in Europe and in the UK.

- They are easy to contact, a page is dedicated to these informations and there is everything: a contact form, an address, the phone number, the email address…

Weaknesses

- Their Adwords policy look too centered on the vintage segment when they could increase their potential audience and maybe appear on a wider set of terms. This can make them appear and give ideas to people who are looking for house items but didn’t think of the vintage stuff.

- There is no subscription available on the landing page: this is very important to get in touch with the visitor, as soon as he arrives on the main page. With this method and if done well and smart, they could have obtained tons of email addresses of people interested in vintage goods. It then let you the chance to contact them and can lead to a purchase easily.

- We have troubles to really understand the point of keeping a long list of sold out items. If it’s to give ideas on what customers can order as personalized goods, it would be great to have this indicated and maybe linked to a contact form instead of just displaying “SOLD OUT”.

- Shipping time can be very long for US customers and it must be solved if the company wants to completely integrate the American market.

- There are no interactive customer reviews: the five stars are just a picture and so it’s hard to believe in it. Every comment should give a grade and the overall average should evolve according to them. And even if the company controls the reviews, it would make it more authentic.

Opportunities

- New technologies can be used to help customers to judge the products, even if they are far. For example, we can imagine the use of virtual reality to film products in 3D and then being able to see them, like in real life, but on the computer (or with a specific VR headset). A mobile app can also be implemented if the company find a utility for it.

- Social medias are very important nowadays as they are very trendy and offer free/low-cost promotion. Farm Gate Vintage social medias can be improved

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