The founder of gift catalog Femail Creations, Lisa Hammond, had no intention of developing a Website. But the constant demand from her catalog customers wore her down, so in August, Hammond gave in and went online-and despite the lack of promotion or links, “we’ve been inundated with e-mail,” she says.
As its name suggests, Las Vegas-based Femail Creations sells gifts specifically for women. Products range from $5 candles to $300 pieces of jewelry. While Hammond won’t cite figures, she claims that online sales have exceeded expectations.
And beyond sales, Hammond says, the Web has been a great source of customer data. For instance, a recent online survey revealed that a large portion of customers-who are primarily upscale women in their 40s-were cat lovers. “So we added an entire line of cat-related products,” she says.
Hammond plans to add a “meet the artist” chat room to the site and updates about life “behind the scenes” at the catalog. She’s also looking at ways to promote the online catalog: “We just started pursuing links to other sites, such as that of the National Organization of Women.”