Fair Measures Corporation: A Paradigm Shift in Online Business Strategy

In 2000, the company underwent a significant transformation, shifting its focus to cater to a broader audience. Initially, the company's primary target audience was human resource professionals and managers who sought their expertise for workplace training programs. However, they soon realized that they were overlooking a unique audience that was primarily accessible online.

Identifying the New Audience

The company identified this new audience through two primary methods:

• By analyzing the key search phrases that directed visitors to their site.
• By examining the content of questions submitted to the "Ask the Lawyers" page.

The analysis revealed that many visitors were seeking information on topics such as sexual harassment, overtime exemptions, internet email monitoring and privacy issues, and wrongful termination. Employers were interested in establishing policies and practices that would safeguard them against expensive lawsuits, while employees were keen on enforcing their rights.

Developing New Products

In response to this newfound audience, the company developed a series of instantly downloadable online guides and sample policies addressing these topics. These guides, available in Word, pdf, and html formats, are priced at $10 to encourage impulse purchases and come with a full money-back guarantee.

The most recent addition to this product line, the "Wrongful Termination Guide," was introduced in April and has since achieved a nearly 5% conversion rate in sales. This figure significantly surpasses the average 1-2% conversion rate typical of most e-commerce sites. The company uses real-time traffic analysis from Hitbox to refine the language and length of their selling pages to maximize effectiveness with each audience.

Lessons Learned

The introduction of these downloadable products has generated a steady additional revenue stream from a source vastly different from the company's traditional markets. This experience has taught the company several valuable lessons:

• Be receptive to new and diverse potential audiences for your online business.
• Regularly analyze your traffic - it can provide valuable insights into visitor needs that can be converted into new products and services.
• Continually monitor visitor response and experiment with different content approaches.

This case study serves as a testament to the importance of adaptability and innovation in the ever-evolving world of online business.

(c) 2001, Philippa Gamse