content + ux strategy · content + ux strategy: niche retailer becomes easy to find + ready to...

Client: FootSmart / Industries: Health, Retail

Content + UX StrategyNiche Retailer Becomes Easy to

Find + Ready to Advise Customers

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Content + UX Strategy:Niche Retailer Becomes Easy to Find + Ready to Advise Customers

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The Client

FootSmart specializes in comfort footwear and lower body health. FootSmart

consistently ranks in the Internet Retailer 500, most recently as number 176. As a

multimillion-dollar online retailer, FootSmart has much at stake when considering changes to

their web strategy. So, when the retailer considered changing their approach to content, they

turned to Content Science to advise.

In this case study, learn about the FootSmart’s situation, our solution, and the results.

The SituationViewing content as a way to deepen its niche brand and credibility with “baby

boomer” customers, FootSmart recognized content as a tremendous opportunity for online

retail. Chief Executive Officer Alan Beychok had a vision for transforming its online catalog

into a complete online outfitter. As he explains, “When customers turn to us, we want to be

easy to find and ready to advise.”

After Content Science helped craft an initial content vision, FootSmart faced challenges

bringing that vision to life. FootSmart knew that useful, compelling content had the potential

to improve their merchandising and marketing by reaching customers in every phase of the

buying journey.

To turn this vision into reality, FootSmart needed to turn more of its strategic attention to

content. As a result, the retailer turned to us for high-end consulting.


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Our SolutionContent Science dug deep into FootSmart’s business, market, and competition to uncover a variety of strategic content opportunities to better engage audiences. Our

consulting engagement began by talking extensively with CEO Alan Beychok, VP, Channel

Merchandising and Promotion Jessica Turner, and Senior Manager - Online Merchandising

& Promotion Lauren Schuman. We mutually decided that strategic analysis and planning

were in order. Our goal? To develop a roadmap that FootSmart could use for immediate and

future planning.

To start, we conducted an extensive analysis.

Analysis

We conducted a thorough set of analyses:

• Content Analysis: Providing a collection of qualitative audits, we analyzed the effectiveness of FootSmart’s current content.

• Competitive + Comparative Assessment: How does FootSmart compare to competitors?

• Customer Lifecycle Gap Analysis: How does FootSmart’s content address all phases of the customer lifecycle?

• Structure + Ecosystem Analysis: Where does FootSmart have content, and how does it work together as a system?

• Template Analysis: How does FootSmart organize, present, and surface content to customers?


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What did we discover? A lot. For instance, we found that the FootSmart blog did not

have a distinct voice or clear attribution of an author. As a result, the content on the

blog lacked focus. Was it a health blog? Was it a style blog? Was it something else? The

blog’s lackluster performance, then, was not surprising. The blog didn’t resonate with

customers.

Our overall analysis helped FootSmart understand ways to make its health content more

credible and helpful, optimize content for discovery by search engines and social, and

structure content to make it “future-ready” for platforms like mobile.

To help make the more abstract aspects of the analysis clear, we included useful visuals.

Our Solution continued

Content modelingThe lifecycle for a

core FootSmart customer


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Synthesis into Recommendations + RoadmapAs a consultancy, we rarely offer analysis and recommendations at the same time.

Strategic recommendations take deep thought. We don’t simply spout off best practices

as recommendations. Why? Because a collection of best practices is not a strategy.

FootSmart came to us for advice on how to make content work for their unique situation,

not a cookie-cutter solution.

So, we synthesized our research and analysis into a series of strategic recommendation

reports and a clear roadmap. We took time to consider different possibilities, develop

recommendations, and think through the impact of each recommendation on the others.

We also planned how to implement the recommendations realistically.

The result was a set of recommendations that complemented each other and worked

together as a roadmap. Our recommendations turned FootSmart’s challenges into

actionable opportunities. A clear roadmap outlined a plan to execute upon this strategy,

and emphasized getting the basics right before expanding into sophisticated, well-

maintained content

marketing products.

More specifically, we made extensive recommendations to change FootSmart’s approach

to areas such as

• Brand identity and voice

• Editorial, social, and product content

• Content architecture and navigation

• Content roles and responsibilities



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Email Concept

Editorial roadmap

Architecture + Assessment Recommendations and Roadmap


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Content Marketing Product Solution: The Footsmart Health Resource Center As an example of how our analysis, synthesis, recommendations, and roadmap applied

to a specific content marketing product, look no further than the FootSmart Health

Resource Center. This content marketing product improved the quality of FootSmart’s

content and helped educate FootSmart customers about their foot and lower body health

as they performed research before buying products.


The Footsmart Health Resource Center


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We helped FootSmart achieve these goals through:

• Supplying FootSmart’s audience with relevant, accurate, and interesting content about foot and lower body health ailments. This content included easy-to-read explanations and articles, advice about home remedies, visuals, slideshows, and videos.

• Subtly highlighting connections between specific foot and lower body health conditions and FootSmart’s products without coming across as “salesy.” We worked on maintaining an educational tone about foot and lower body health ailments while more subtly providing links and next steps to further products—only if customers were interested, in the right context, and at the right time.

• Adhering to the persona of a Caring Podiatrist throughout the content to alleviate the doubts, anxieties, and trepidation of users looking for information about foot and lower body health issues. We worked hard to make sure all of the Foot Health Resource Center content sounded personable and approachable rather than dry and academic.

• Encouraging FootSmart to team with the Podiatry Institute to review and add a subject matter expert’s stamp of approval to all Foot Health Resource Center content. This subject matter expertise ensured that customers saw FootSmart as a trusted authority about foot and lower body health information.



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The ResultsAfter we first helped develop FootSmart’s content vision, they gained some

results immediately. The C-level team felt they had a clear plan. Beychok noted at the

close of the project that the plan would “help us turn our vision into reality.”

Those results included more online brand awareness when FootSmart successfully

launched three niche blogs and grew its social followers. FootSmart became more

actively engaged with customers on social by sharing editorial content and responding to

questions. In addition, FootSmart started to see an uplift in online sales.

After FootSmart later struggled to continue implementing that initial vision, Content

Science helped FootSmart prioritize strategic content activities, plan activities against an

aggressive yet achievable timeline, and turn previously stalled content product ideas into

reality--along with developing some new ideas. The C-level team took immediate steps to

put the roadmap into action.

Lauren Schuman notes

By leveraging Content Science’s expertise, we were able to validate the

importance of some key initiatives and reprioritize these initiatives within

the organization. We have a much clearer direction of where we want to

move forward in regards to content as a result of our work with

Content Science.

In short, our recommendations continue to help FootSmart translate their vision and strategy into action. FootSmart’s executive management team and

department heads are now aligned around a common content vision and they clearly

see the content possibilities that await. Motivated to achieve the goals outlined in the

roadmap, the FootSmart team’s communication about content objectives has become

much more efficient.


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The Results continued

As VP, Channel Merchandising and Promotion Jessica Turner explains

Success for FootSmart.com means improving content quality, customer

perception-and ultimately results. Content Science has provided the

framework for our team to organize and prioritize our content objectives,

solidify our brand positioning and engage in a meaningful way with

our customers.

By applying our recommendations to a content marketing product like the FootSmart

Health Resource Center, FootSmart experienced more sales and traffic than the previous

content. As a whole, the FootSmart Health Resource Center is making approximately an

increase of $17,000 in incremental sales each week, which is an extra 193 orders per

week compared to the previous content.

For customers, this foot condition content is now more useful, usable, and meaningful

when researching foot health topics. The improved content positions FootSmart as a

credible expert in foot health topics, both for ailments and wellness, and it improves the

company’s contextual merchandising of products.

These bottom line results were so impressive that FootSmart received

the “Best in Show” Award for its Health

Resource Center at the first annual

Customer Experience Recognition Awards,

beating out well-established companies

like Cisco.


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The Results continued

The FootSmart Health Resource Center also took home gold at The Communicator Awards 2015 and the 2014 Davey Awards.

CERA Awards at Info Dev World

Besides giving the retailer a framework for content success, our

engagement led to additional opportunities for FootSmart to

promote their success and expertise. For example, we spotlighted

FootSmart’s progressive thinking in our top-selling book,

Clout: The Art + Science of Influential Web Content.


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Why Partner with UsWhen you work with us, you can trust that we’ll turn your vision—whether it’s to be an

online outfitter or another kind of advisor to your customers—into reality through content.

We never lost sight of FootSmart’s goals. In the same way, we’ll focus unwaveringly on your

business goals throughout an engagement.

If you work with us on a high-stakes content strategy, you could gain benefits such as

Better communication on your team and among stakeholders about content.

A clear understanding of your current content situation, including the challenges and opportunities.

A strategy and actionable plan that give value both now and later.

Improved brand awareness and social engagement.

Sales uplift and fewer customer service calls.

A framework for evaluating content performance.

Industry recognition for your efforts.


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About Content Science

Sample Clients

We’re an award-winning content intelligence and strategy firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

We have advised the world’s leading brands, nonprofits, startups, and government agencies on making content make a difference to their goals.

Why Content Science? Because content is, indeed, a science. We study what works well—and what doesn’t—so you can make informed decisions about your content.

Our services include consulting, research, and training. Our focus areas include content analysis, content strategy, content marketing, user experience, and content systems.

Our subscription products include the innovative software ContentWRX, which takes the hassle out of understanding whether your content is effective. We also created the online magazine and training platform Content Science Review to empower you and your team with research, tools, and insights.

Our CEO is Colleen Jones, author of the popular content book Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content and frequent speaker.

Want to make your content work for your organization? We can help. Contact us to find out how. content-science.com/about/contact-us

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