In The Media
Experts aim to turn browsers into buyers
Aug 20, 2008 — Detroit News
Any retail expert would tell you that a store's appearance needs to be updated every few years to keep shoppers interested.
E-commerce experts Scott Robertson and Steve Thallman say online stores face an even greater challenge -- retail sites need to change daily to engage increasingly savvy consumers.
"A Web site is a living, breathing thing," said Robertson, who with Thallman recently launched Grand River, an Ann Arbor-based Web design and development company.
Grand River works primarily with mid-tier retailers and manufacturers to develop some of the Web's most stylish and sophisticated online shopping experiences. In other words, not only do the sites look pretty, but they have the power to turn a browser into a buyer.
"Retailers are mature enough in this industry that they understand that consumers will visit their Web sites before they ever visit the store," Robertson said.
"Ninety percent of consumers go online to research before they buy. ... That makes it even more important to have your brand replicated online because millions of people a day can come and check out your Web site."
Grand River launched in early 2008, but clients already span the gamut. They include sports retailer Gander Mountain, shoe manufacturer Wolverine World Wide, personal-care products company Homedics and Mercy Health Partners.
Grand River looks for clients that have a multichannel approach -- people with a retail store, online shop and catalog sales. Robertson said. The firm can do everything from create a brand to e-commerce enablement to usability studies to see how customers are using a completed site.
Robertson said today's retailers are in a great position -- the cost of technology has dropped considerably. Now, even smaller guys with the right help can compete with Fortune 500 firms in terms of what they can offer online. Grand River also teaches its clients how to manage their own sites, helping them drive their online business.
Robertson and Thallman met long before the Internet was a twinkle in Al Gore's eye. They lived next door to each other in the Jackson area and attended high school together. They kept in touch during college and even worked at the same Chicago agency during the 1990s.
They formed a company that made banking Web sites; it was acquired just before the dot-com blowup. Afterward, they branched out into other jobs. Thallman worked for technology companies, including Internet security firm McAfee Inc. and content management software company Interwoven Inc.
Robertson focused on interactive and marketing firms, including Web marketing firm 3source Technology (which he co-founded) and e-commerce solutions firm Fry Inc., where he was manager of business development.
Over the past few years, the duo realized that there were few Web companies that catered to small to midsize retailers, helping them develop sites with more limited budgets. The timing seemed right, Robertson said, so they jumped back into business together.
"We're probably better friends today after two ventures than we were as kids. That's pretty rare," Robertson said.
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