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The OPTIMISE Fund is designed to help Irish small businesses improve their online presence and increase their use of e-commerce. The Fund was developed based on key findings of research undertaken for the Domain Name Industry Report 2010. The results of a survey of the .ie namespace showed that Irish businesses were slow to harness the potential of the Internet as a sales channel for their business. In fact only 66% of Irish businesses had any kind of website by 2009, compared with 40% in 2000. Of those 66%, only 21% had e-commerce functionality on their website, a marginal increase of just 3% since 2000.
The IEDR decided to establish the OPTIMISE e-Commerce
Website Development Fund for Irish SMEs and Micro-
Enterprises. The goal of the Fund is to raise awareness of
the fact that Irish companies could, and should, do more
to make their websites work for them. The Internet offers
Irish SMEs a 24-hour channel through which to increase
sales, profitability and market reach. The OPTIMISE Fund
was designed to help the successful SMEs to sell goods
and services 24/7 to a global marketplace online.
Each recipient received professional technical and
marketing support. These supports allow them to
begin the process of transforming their existing online
presence. The goal of the OPTIMISE Fund is to help drive
the winners’ websites into fully featured, transactional
offerings which are designed around their specific business
needs and requirements. Over 100 applications were
received for the OPTIMISE Fund 2012. Each application
was individually judged on a range of criteria including
their current business model, the potential for growth
and the perceived impact that the Fund would have
on their business. The judging was carried out by an
independent judging panel consisting of representatives
from the Small Firms Association (SFA), Chambers Ireland
and the Irish Internet Association (IIA).
OPTIMISEHelping Irish small businesses improve their online presence
Research undertaken by one of the providers of the
OPTIMISE Fund, Elucidate highlighted some of the
common barriers to growth of the winning companies
which are depicted in the chart below.
Common Barriers to Growth
32%
23%14%
9%
9%
4%
4%
5%
Lack of resources within winning companies
Lack of knowledge of how to use online to deliver business goals
Over ambitious in terms of setting business goals
Website didn’t effectively sell the business
Inability to strategically identify what gives them competitive advantage online
Poor articulation of business proposition or offer
The website was not visible online e.g. via search
Lack of knowledge of how best to serve clients online
Source: Research undertaken by Elucidate for the OPTIMISE Fund 2012.
The OPTIMISE Fund seeks to remove these barriers
wherever possible and allow the winners to successfully
grow their business by exploiting the online markets
that are available to them.
The following 15 Irish SMEs were selected as the
winners of the IEDR OPTIMISE e-Commerce Website
Development Fund 2012:
CateringEquipment.ie
Catering Equipment specialise in the supply and service
of catering equipment for hotels, bars, restaurants, fast
food outlets and delicatessens throughout the island
of Ireland. They offer a vast range of catering products
which include cooking, ware washing, beverage, laundry
machines, stainless steel manufacture, a full range of
industrial detergents and many more.
Catering Equipment wanted to use the OPTIMISE Fund
to allow them to sell their products online. To benefit
from e-commerce the company needed a website that
could display their vast product range along with the
detailed specifications for each product. This was a big
challenge and required extensive collation of data. The
OPTIMISE Fund enabled Catering Equipment to progress
the development of their website while also incorporating
a brand new, fully functioning online shop, something
which would allow them to transact online and grow
their sales.
DoolinCave.ie
Doolin Cave is a tourist attraction in the Burren Region,
Co. Clare and home to the longest free hanging stalactite
in the northern hemisphere. The site also includes a
farmland nature trail, cafe and a gift shop which offers
pottery made from the glacial clay of the cave. Highly
recommended on TripAdvisor, Doolin Cave is a fantastic
Irish attraction that offers a truly memorable experience
to all its visitors.
The OPTIMISE Fund revamped their website to show
users exactly what was on offer at the caves and to
display the many activities that were available to visitors.
We created new pages, a revised navigation system and
integrated social media into the website. Along with
this detailed research was conducted into specific target
markets for the business. Training was provided via
the Fund in the use of email newsletters, blogs, videos,
adwords and website analytics which allowed the Doolin
Cave team to actively target these markets and to
develop a coherent online presence and message.
DBSL.ie
Based in Dublin, DBS Print and Sign is a thriving printing
business which utilises the latest technologies to
specialise in short print runs at exceptionally competitive
prices. The company has an established base of offline
customers and provides unique printed solutions and
installations for high profile brands such as Paddy Power
and Eddie Rockets.
The OPTIMISE Fund worked to help DBSL develop
an online market for their products, with a particular
emphasis being placed on converting customers, new
and old, from placing orders via phone to their online
booking tool. In order to make this happen the Fund
allowed DBSL to define their online target market and
work to improve the websites’ SEO so that it would be
easier for new customers to find DBSL in online searches.
Training in email marketing was provided to reach out
to their existing client base and a website redesign was
proposed to modernise their online presence.
GagaBaby.ie
When Mairead O’Sullivan made a baby grow in the
Dublin colours for her new born she was inundated
with compliments from people they met who wanted
to know where they could buy their own. A business
idea was formed and after a lot of hard work GagaBaby.
ie was launched in 2007 to sell county-themed baby
wear to parents all over Ireland and beyond. Most of their
product ranges are made in-house which allows them
the flexibility to offer special and customised clothes
to their customers.
The OPTIMISE Fund helped GagaBaby to redevelop
their website to a more fully functional e-commerce
platform. Their purchase ordering system has been
rebuilt to allow the GagaBaby team to spend more
time marketing their products and engaging with their
customer base. Simply put, the website now works for
them and helps to simplify the order fulfilment process.
IFA-MS.ie
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) is an organisation
designed to represent the Irish farming community
and works to promote and protect the Irish agricultural
industry. The IFA has a membership of over 87,000 Irish
farmers which is served by 947 branches nationwide. The
Member Services division of the IFA offers members of
the association deals on products such as mobile phones,
broadband, laptops and more.
The Member Services website used the OPTIMISE Fund
to develop their website to offer their members an online
platform where they could avail of all the services on
offer to them. The website was developed on a solid
e-commerce platform which now enables the IFA to offer
their members the chance to buy products they need at
discounted prices from the comfort of their own homes.
MorrisOil.ie
Kilkenny-based company Morris Oil is the only family
owned oil importer in the South East of Ireland. For
over 50 years the company has provided households,
businesses, schools, factories and churches with oil. Morris
Oil employs over 30 staff and has 11 delivery trucks on
the road. The company pride themselves on knowing its
customers and understanding their energy requirements.
The oil market is a very competitive one and Morris Oil
sought to use the OPTIMISE Fund and e-commerce in
general to give them an advantage over their rivals.
To do this a highly-targeted Google Adwords campaign
was implemented and used in tandem with Google
Analytics to track and monitor their website traffic.
Furthermore the OPTIMISE Fund allowed Morris Oil to
investigate new ways of interacting with their customers,
for example a mobile version of the site was investigated
along with different online payment options. The Fund
also enabled a full SEO review of the website, which in
tandem with some improved usability modifications
to their content, has made it easier for Morris Oil
customers to purchase online.
Project51.ie
Project 51 is an Irish design collective based in 51 South
William Street, Dublin. The shop allows designers based
in Ireland to create and sell their products in a unique
environment. Opened in 2011, the shop initially focussed
on building its offline customer base. Their website was
designed to inform shop visitors about what they could
expect to find in store. The next phase for Project 51 was
to start selling online.
The OPTIMISE Fund worked to help them achieve this
goal by setting up their online shop. The main challenge
was to collate all of their designers’ products, and pictures
of said products in a stylish manner that was easy to
navigate by customers. Now people all over the world
can buy products from Project 51 online. This has opened
up an entirely new market for Project 51’s designers.
WaterfordTechnologies.ie
In 2001 Waterford Technologies delivered the first email
management software for reporting and analysing
vast amounts of email. The software provided new and
unique information about email usage. From this solid
platform the company has consistently developed and
increased their product offerings in the fields of email and
file archiving to position themselves as a leader in the
data management market and the only Irish developed
company in this field.
The OPTIMISE Fund developed a comprehensive online
strategy for Waterford Technologies. The strategy allowed
for the creation of a comprehensive website specification
which would enable the company to progress with the
redevelopment of their website while also engaging with
web development companies in a clear and transparent
manner. The online strategy included workshops,
benchmarking, competitor analysis, functional and design
requirements and the Fund also allowed for new content
to be created for the website.
ParadeRing.ie
ParadeRing.ie is an online thoroughbred catalogue
for buying and selling thoroughbred horses with a
clear mission of making the buying and selling of Irish
racehorses easier and more convenient for all parties
involved. The website allows breeders and trainers a
platform to sell their horses in a more cost-effective
and time-efficient manner. It is also designed to
help buyers source quality Irish horses easily and the
information provided on each horse includes photos,
guide prices and pedigree pages to assist the buying
process wherever possible.
ParadeRing.ie won the OPTIMISE Fund while the company
was still in the start-up phase so the Fund was utilised
to focus on providing the company with information on
their competitors and offering advice on their business
proposition through detailed market analysis. The Fund
was also used to help the website build deeper content
for its users through the use of a blog and various social
media strategies along with the implementation of a
comprehensive linking strategy. In addition to this the
Fund allowed ParadeRing to investigate and implement
monetization options such as affiliate marketing on their
website.
Opticks.ie
Opticks is an opticians with two locations, in central
Dublin and Dun Laoghaire, who pride themselves on
offering their customers the most advanced diagnostic
equipment, eye test and lens solutions in Ireland. Their
shops offer stylish contemporary ranges of eyewear and
their staff focus completely on providing their individual
clients with high levels of attention and quality in every
consultation.
Working closely with Opticks’ Graphic Designer the
OPTIMISE Fund allowed the opticians to build a new
website to better display their ranges online while also
allowing for online bookings and the sale of certain
products. Furthermore, the new website will allow the
Opticks team to be proactive with their website and
respond instantaneously to market demands online.
JustDance.ie
Founded in 2002, Just Dance provides dance classes
throughout Dublin. Dance forms include Salsa, Tango, Jive,
Pole Fitness, Waltz and many more. All classes are taught
by top professional instructors so clients can be assured
that they are being taught the real dances.
The company was heavily engaged in traditional
marketing methods such as the use of printed fliers and
this was absorbing a lot of their time. The OPTIMISE
Fund helped Just Dance to switch to online promotional
methods to allow for a greater reach and return on the
time invested in marketing activities. A survey of existing
customers was undertaken to guide all of the OPTIMISE
work and developments. The company established and
refined its social media presence and worked to develop
platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as bona fide
sales channels. Furthermore, design improvements were
implemented on the website and videos were created to
allow visitors to the site the chance to see elements of
the classes.
OideasGael.ie
Since its foundation in 1984, Oideas Gael has attracted
hundreds of participants to its highly acclaimed language
courses for adults and Irish activity holiday and cultural
programmes each year. Visitors come from all over the
world to enjoy a unique cultural education. Oideas Gael
continually seeks to enable its guests to participate fully
in the daily life of the Gaeltacht, while also promoting the
Irish language and culture to anybody who wants to learn
about it.
The OPTIMISE Fund helped to devise a web strategy for
Oideas Gael, and from that, created a web specification
to design and develop a website that would support
online bookings, along with improved customer service
and engagement. It will also enable them to showcase
their brand and provide easy access for all visitors to the
site to find out exactly what’s on offer from Oideas Gael.
TourAmerica.ie
One of Ireland’s leading North America tour operators,
Tour America provides Irish consumers with the best value
holidays to America. The company was founded 17 years
ago and Tour America has grown from a staff of 3 to
now employ over 50 travel enthusiasts. Customers are
looked after from start to finish, from before they book
to after they return. Everything that Tour America sells to
its customers is recommended from personal experience.
Tour America decided to use the OPTIMISE Fund to
upgrade their technical and online marketing skills and
knowledge base to bring them up a level that would
allow them to stay ahead of competition. In particular,
a portion of the Fund focused on providing training in
Google Adwords with a focus on increasing the ROI on
their existing budget through better optimisation and
an improved reporting set-up.
Sheridan.ie
Established in 1964 this family-run insurance business
employs 45 people in offices in Wexford, New Ross and
Kilkenny. Providing a full range of insurance services
including car, house, travel and health, Sheridan Insurance
operates a high-touch model where all of their customers
are assigned an individual member of staff to fully cater
for their needs.
Sheridan Insurance wanted to use the OPTIMISE Fund to
make their online presence their fourth office by bringing
their exemplary service and skills to the online market.
A full website review was conducted which allowed for
the creation and implementation of SEO in tandem with
an adwords campaign. The Sheridan marketing team also
received training in website analytics and the creation of
marketing e-zines.
FurnitureFair.ie
FurnitureFair.ie is one of Ireland’s leading online
Irish furniture retailer of quality furniture. Their
comprehensive ranges include dining furniture,
bedroom furniture, occasional furniture, mattresses,
bespoke sliding wardrobes, leather, fabric and custom
made sofas. Trading as Rossmore Furniture the company
has been in business for over 50 years, operating from
its offices and factory outlet at Latlurcan, Co. Monaghan.
The website FurnitureFair.ie was developed to allow
the Rossmore Furniture team to sell their products to
the online market in Ireland, the UK and beyond. The
OPTIMISE Fund allowed them to develop their online
shop and analyse their online payment system with a
view to making it easier for their customers to complete
their transactions online. The Fund also undertook an
in-depth research project into the scope for selling
furniture online with a focus on the definition of target
markets and strategies to improve sales.
Our Providers
The IE Domain Registry works closely with two companies who operate, implement and provide the services
of the OPTIMISE Fund on its behalf.
Elucidate is one of Ireland’s leading online strategy development and implementation companies. They work with clients
to help them utilise the web to support their business and organisational goals. This is done by researching, analysing and
identifying how people use the web and, along with Elucidate’s experience and the use of industry best practices, they
develop an online strategy to drive the business forward and deliver on goals.
Elucidate work with public and private organisations throughout Ireland to help them maximise their online
presence through a wide range of expertise and services including web strategy, research & analytics, e-marketing,
communications, web design, web content and web optimisation.
Software Design provides world-class professional services spanning all aspects of the software development life cycle.
The company comprises of a team of expert designers, developers and engineers. The company is dedicated to the
provision of professional software design and development services. With a client base including RTÉ, Ernst and Young,
Enterprise Ireland, Eirgrid, BT and many more, Software Design has a broad skill set and multi-faceted experience in
providing comprehensive solutions for their clients’ online needs.
For more information please visit www.w
hy.i
e/op
timise
IE Domain Registry Limited
Harbour Square, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Tel +353 1 236 5400
Email registrations@iedr.ie
www.iedr.ie
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