Twenty years into the year 2000 was marked by an unprecedented worldwide event.  For the past three years the global pandemic forced us to isolate ourselves from the world and adapt to a new reality. I hesitated to write about the epidemic because I realize we are all tired of hearing it mentioned.  However, I believe it is comforting to ponder that it is behind us and it is important to recognize the business innovation that was created during the challenge.  

In less than three years, company’s small and large have found creative ways to overcome the obstacles and thrive.  For example, we seamlessly remained connected through virtual meetings on Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.  People discovered the importance of work life balance and companies have created flexible polices that allow remote and hybrid work options for their employees. In addition, online shopping exploded. Businesses forced to shut their real doors to prevent the virus from spreading opened virtual doors and delivery services so their customers could still buy the produces they needed.  The pandemic was unbearable on many levels.  However, it demonstrated how resilient human beings and the businesses they’ve developed can be.

The last three years has made the Tansley team work hard to develop innovative technical and creative solutions to ensure our client’s businesses thrived. For example, when the pandemic arrived in Quebec, Claudine Péclet, owner of the Laurentians shoe store Escarpins et Vilebrequins was forced to close her popular store due to government restrictions. She did not have an active online store so our team had to quickly develop a robust ecommerce site with a sustainable Digital Ecosystem so she could continue to serve her existing customers and expand her offerings in other locations.

The project began with a redesign of her logo, brand narrative, and identity package. We felt the best way to strengthen the loyalty of existing customers and to attract new customers was to tell her story.  She was born and raised in the area and built her store from the beginning.  She has a passion for helping people look good and feel good by finding shoes that accomplish both.  After developing the branding we built a new online store using WooCommerce and WordPress technology.  We then developed a company newsletter to communicate her brand narrative and promote her products.  Finally, we updated her social media channels to reflect the new brand narrative and developed a content creation strategy to begin sharing her story.

In one year, Tansley helped Claudine increase her online revenue from zero to nearly twenty thousand dollars. The following year, 2021, her physical store opened and the online revenue surpassed the previous year.  Below are a few highlights from our collaboration with Claudine during the pandemic:

• In 2020, 31,600 users visited the Escarpins and Vilebrequin online store and the visitors continued to grow.
• In 2021, we implemented an SEO strategy on Google that attracted 74% more online store visitors and less than $1000 was spent on advertising.  
• In 2022, she received the same number of orders but the overall value of the orders increased by more than 12%.
• Since the launch of the newsletter in 2020, 638 contacts have been added to her database and 40% open the monthly content.
• Claudine’s Facebook and Instagram audience accounts for 50% of her total online store visitors and continues to grow each month.

We believe 2022 will be another profitable for Claudine.  We are currently working on a strategy focusing on Google advertising for the fall-winter season under the guidance of Mathieu Guérin, our Chief Technology Officer.  

Claudine is just one of many of our clients that invested in critical online innovation to ensure that her business would not be hindered by the pandemic. You can read the article about another valued client, Sapin Chez Michel, who we helped establish a robust online store so they could easily sell and deliver Christmas trees during the holidays.

We all hope the pandemic is behind us.  However, more challenges will surface as inflation creeps to new highs and the possibility of a recession looms.  Instead of letting the anxiety of uncertainty get you down, try to see the challenge as an opportunity to innovate, evolve, become more sustainable, and ultimately guarantee your business can last.  Whether you need to streamline processes, increase sales, improve service accessibility, or find new way to evolve your business, we invite you to contact Tansley to learn how we can develop innovative solutions that make your company resilient to the challenges ahead.