7 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
7 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Any Ideas/Suggestions For A Shopping Centre Website?

by Thomas
6 replies
Hello Warriors:

I'm currently doing a website for a small-ish shopping centre (30 shops) and have been asked if I could come up with something beyond a typical brochure-type site to tempt the merchants more (as it isn't being done directly by the shopping centre management and, thus, won't be supplied as part of their rental agreements. Strange, I know... but that's how it's happening.)


The ideas I've come up with so far include:
  • Adding a coupon system to the 'brochure pages', or on a seperate page.
  • Develop a VIC-type e-mail list to send offers/discounts/sales/etc. too. (Collection of e-mail addresses in-store is something that has yet to be discussed with the merchants.)
  • A very cheap way (about €50) to do a mailing to about 1,000 people working in the immediate vicinity of the centre directing them to the sign-up page for the above-mentioned list.
  • The use of the domain name and an e-mail address (storename@shoppingcentrename. com) in the merchants own materials.
Ok, the last one is a bit of a stretch but I'm all out of ideas (not that what I've come up with isn't far more than most such sites do!).

Can anyone suggest any additional ideas (or even give examples of other such websites implementing something more than brochure-sites)?

Tommy.
#centre #ideas or suggestions #shopping #website
  • Profile picture of the author Sean Kelly
    Hi Thomas, check out PigsBack.com.

    Its an online Irish service that offers coupons for many Irish stores and they have been online for a few years now.
    Perhaps you can do a joint-venture with them.

    Sean
    Signature
    http://javadocs.com - Javadocs
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159784].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Sean Kelly
      There is also a site MyHome.ie.

      This is a one-stop-shop for many different auctioneers in the housing sector. They're working together at this site to the common goal of selling houses.

      Sean
      Signature
      http://javadocs.com - Javadocs
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159792].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Thomas
        [DELETED]
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159841].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Sean Kelly
          Ha ha, lucky for me I'm in Brussels so I'm an hour ahead of Irish time ;-)

          Do the Liffey Valey shopping centre in Lucan have a website?
          They're always advertising on the radio.

          The problem is this: what is the USP that will bring visitors to the website?
          I'm thinking that coupons or points are a good way to go.

          It would be nice if we had the equivalent of the SRDS catalog in Ireland to get an idea on what Irish shoppers are buying in their droves.

          Sean
          Signature
          http://javadocs.com - Javadocs
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159858].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Thomas
            Originally Posted by Sean Kelly View Post

            Ha ha, lucky for me I'm in Brussels so I'm an hour ahead of Irish time ;-)
            So I am the only one then.

            Originally Posted by Sean Kelly View Post


            Do the Liffey Valey shopping centre in Lucan have a website?
            They're always advertising on the radio.
            They have. I actually stole a few ideas from them (and others) but don't tell anyone.

            Originally Posted by Sean Kelly View Post

            The problem is this: what is the USP that will bring visitors to the website? I'm thinking that coupons or points are a good way to go.
            Alas, that's something that hasn't really been articulated by anyone yet (including me). But I'm now thinking along the same lines too. However, I do have to balance that with the fact that many off-line shops seem to prefer brochure-sites over anything else.

            I think they like seeing themselves put "up there" and don't really seem to consider what their customers might want.

            Ah well... :rolleyes:
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159884].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Thomas
      Originally Posted by Sean Kelly View Post

      Hi Thomas, check out PigsBack.com.

      Its an online Irish service that offers coupons for many Irish stores and they have been online for a few years now.
      Perhaps you can do a joint-venture with them.

      Sean
      Hi Sean,

      I did think about something like PigsBack but it's a regional centre and at least 25 of the 30 stores are privately owned with no other outlets. Almost 100% of their business comes from within a 10 mile radius.

      For that reason, I'm not sure how receptive they (PigsBack) would be to any approach. I suppose I could ask anyway... I guess I won't know otherwise.

      Incidentally, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one on the auld sod who works ungodly hours.

      Tommy.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[159834].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Thomas
    Oh... testimonials about how wonderful they are. How did I not think of that?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[160557].message }}

Trending Topics