Consumer Specialty Products, Sales Over $20 Million: Folica.com and Musician’s Friend

SILVER: Ecommerce Channel

Folica.com

Folica, an online retailer of haircare merchandise, is all about making hair look its best. And it goes beyond what traditional haircare sites have to offer by including how-to centers, video demonstrations, and much more.

WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: Let’s start at the bottom: The footer does a great job of communicating trust-building messages and customer service. “Overall, the site has great architecture,” one judge said. “It’s very easy to find what you need.”

The breadth of assortment was correlated to the retailer segments. Video clips on product pages showcase benefits. Some videos played directly from the website, which one judge said was helpful, while other videos were shown from YouTube. “Everything about this site conveys professionalism and style,” a judge said. “Every element is clean and easy to use. It’s easy to find what you need, but also an enjoyable shopping experience.”

WHY IT DIDN’T WIN A GOLD AWARD: Folica.com‘s product descriptions could be longer, if only for SEO benefits. And the related items “are very static, not personalized,” a judge said. “Personalized upsells would work really well with this line.” — TP

SILVER: Ecommerce Channel

MusiciansFriend.com

Musician’s Friend is clearly in sync with ecommerce. The world’s largest direct retailer of musical instruments carries more than 70,000 products and digital downloads. Not only does it do a good job handling so many SKUs, the merchant also knows how to target customers online and engage them in its social media channels.

WHY IT WON A SILVER AWARD: The site integrates as much information into the product detail page as possible — without being confusing or overwhelming. “Reviews, blog, videos, warranty, buyer’s guides — you get all that info on one page here without having to leave the item page to look elsewhere,” a judge said.

Its value proposition is obvious from the home page and throughout the site. Customer support information is available from the header and global navigation, and that helps build a trusting relationship with the consumer.

MusiciansFriend.com also does a great job with its view cart. “Many merchants neglect that page and don’t think of it as a selling page. But you’re selling on that page with upsells at the top,” a judge noted. “Upsells at the top are unique; I don’t think I’ve ever seen them there before.”

WHY IT DID NOT WIN A GOLD AWARD: The product copy is lengthy and can be found below the fold. “I would suggest that MusiciansFriend.com test the product page template and validate its usability for maximum conversion rate,” a judge said. — TP