myBekins

THE CHALLENGE

Transforming Sales and Marketing in a Traditional Industry

What do you do when your industry's long-established marketing approach isn't in synch with the largest segment of your target market?  That's the challenge Bekins A-1 Movers faced in trying to increase sales to 30 to 40 year olds.  Bekins traditionally used Yellow Pages advertisements as their primary means of marketing to this segment, however, 30 – 40 year olds overwhelmingly prefer using the internet to locate companies like residential movers.  Since no moving company in the industry was providing this level of service – if you were planning a move, you had to call during regular business hours to get assistance - Bekins A-1 needed a major website redesign that allowed customers to obtain estimates, schedule in-home proposal appointments, and even book their moves.

THE SOLUTION

Integrating Third Party and Proprietary Applications to Provide Industry-leading Functionality

	Providing Both Residential & Commercial Moving Estimates Online – an Industry First To develop an online estimate, customers are stepped through an easy to use software wizard we developed that asks them to detail the amount and type of furnishings they need to move.  We also integrated Rand McNally's IntelliRoute software which computes the distance of their move based upon the customer's starting and final destination points.  Findings from these two steps are then used to generate a cost estimate.
	Scheduling Online In-Home Proposal Appointments In Real Time – an Industry First Customers are able to schedule an in-home appointment with a Bekins sales representative over the internet.  During the development process, we integrated both Microsoft Exchange and Outlook.  When a customer makes an appointment request, the application first checks sales representatives' calendars for open slots, and then provides customers options for a meeting time.
	Booking and Paying for a Move Online – an Industry First By integrating the website with Bekin's own backend payment and truck scheduling systems, customers are able to both schedule and pay for their move online.
	Developing a Creative Design that Appeals to the Target Demographic Providing the functionality demanded by the target market was only part of our Web Advanced solution.  To improve sales among this key market of 30 to 40 year olds, we also ensured the site would be appealing from a design standpoint.  Our designers created a look and feel which enhances brand appeal among the target segment while preserving those elements that long time customers trust.  We established a connection with the segment by leading with stories of real customers with whom this segment can identify.