Interview with Richard McKay of McKay Flooring Ltd.

One person who has seen first hand the advantage of a consistent, well-managed online presence is Richard McKay of McKay Flooring Limited, the UK’s largest independent wood flooring company. We spoke to him about his experience of using social media marketing as a powerful tool for improving his business and networking with clients and new contacts.

E-FLOORS: When did you first start using online social media to market your company and what was your initial strategy?

Richard: We first started using social media in early 2008. We were keen to improve both our offline and online marketing and continually noticed references to Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, LinkedIn and blogging. We then opened up accounts on these and other social networks to establish how they worked and how we could perhaps leverage them for business. We also set up our first blog and learned about RSS feeds and feed readers. It was quite confusing at first but we then started to piece how these tools could work for us. It was pretty much a case of just getting stuck in - initially there was no firm strategy on social media. More a case of suck it and see.

EF: Many in the industry whom I have apoken to cite time as a major excuse not to develop a more intensive internet marketing presence. How do you find the time?

R: It was quite a labour intensive task at first. I was happy to work into the small hours building up our presence online as the social media space seemed quite natural. Eventually our web analytics reported increased hits to our website. The fact that you can measure the effectiveness of online campaigns is a huge plus. We use Google Analytics (it’s free) to track our website statistics. Furthermore you can see progress on Twitter and Facebook in terms of the number of people following your company. Currently we don’t try and ‘fit it in’ to our work routine. We have prioritised social media and online advertising due to the healthy returns we’ve had in sales and increased brand awareness. We feel there’s a lot of potential in developing our brand and sales online over the next 3 to 5 years and therefore will be allocating resources to these areas.

EF: Are there any particular challenges posed by the flooring industry when it comes to online marketing, web sales etc.?

R: Yes there are a few challenges.... If you sell branded wood flooring online you are instantly compared on price to your online competitors. Also customers like to touch and see the product before they buy which is why we offer a free sampling service. In a large twist to how things were (are) a website is no longer just a brochure site for your showroom or product. We are increasingly thinking of our showrooms as back up to our website. Having a network of showrooms throughout the UK supporting our online shop looks like a good idea....

EF: Aside from purely selling, why is it so important to make maximum use of the internet to market yourself? How does social media etc... help with branding, brand awareness and customer loyalty?

R: Although social media involves time it is cheap compared to traditional media like newspapers, TV and radio. It is also measurable and is where the customers are. Customers who are researching a product or service will do so online. If they repeatedly come across positive mentions of your brand it will help build trust and they are more likley to make a purchase. When we first signed up to Twitter I thought it was another broadcasting medium for us to shout about our products and services. However we now see the true value of Twitter as a tool for listening into and contributing to the conversation. This helps us build relationships, trust and customer loyalty. Social media isn’t a quick fix approach - it’s gradual.

EF: What apps and tools do you recommend for people who are considering improving their company websites and/or blogs?

R: Simply having a brochure website isn’t enough in this social media age. It should really have a blog and link to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Blogging is important because it enables non techy people like me to update the site with company news, case studies etc. It is also important for attracting organic search via keywords and links. Other sites I’d recommend are LinkedIn, Scribd (an online repository for articles, product brochures, etc.) and Google Reader. The site that I absolutely couldn’t do without is Google Reader which is an RSS feed reader. For years I wondered what the small orange button on my internet browser was for. Rather than have to individually visit all the important websites you visit every day you can subscribe to them via Reader. Combined with Google Alerts you can use this to extract leads, get updates on your competitors and discover mentions of your own brand. Really very powerful in a format akin to email.

EF: Has your business improved noticeably since you started employing a solid online marketing strategy and general online presence?

R: Yes - sales are up due to a targeted pay per click campaign supported by our website, blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts. Still work to be done but early signs very encouraging.

EF: Why do you think so many flooring companies have yet to take advantage of the world of opportunities offered by the web?

R: I think that it seems daunting due to the initial investment in time and having to learn ‘the internet’. Fortunately since the social media boom these tasks can be outsourced to the many social media and marketing companies. Rather than embracing these new technologies and seeing what works and what doesn’t some companies shy away from this increasingly important space. No time like the present I say!

MCKAY FLOORING CAN BE FOUND...

On Twitter / @mckayflooring
On Facebook / McKay Flooring
On their blog / http://blog.mckayflooring.co.uk/
On their sister blogs:
http://bauclic.co.uk/
http://clydeflooring.co.uk/
http://floorcrunch.co.uk/
Company Site / www.mckayflooring.co.uk