Marketing Plan: Easyline.

com

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Executive Summary
Easyline.com needs a sound marketing strategy
Orgainziation seek profit by serving the needs of consumer

groups
Target customers are young to middle age with low to middle
income
Objective is to double sales in one year
Strategy

unquely identifiable and value impressive product

easy, convenient, and satisfaction-guaranteed service

Marketing mix focuses on product, pricing, promotion, and
distribution
Investment needed: $30.000
Payback period: 8.2 Months

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Introduction

Easyline.com is an online giftware store

Slow sales
Incur losses since open two years ago
Low visibility
Only linked through eBay auction site
Past strategy hinged on low cost sourcing
Owner experience in eBay selling
Owner good at website design
Easyline.com lacks marketing management

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis
Web-based businesses on the rise, replacing traditional

retailer
Big box retailers dominates the industry
Internet made information dissimilation easily
Consumer has bargain power and their demand changes

quickly
Market trends argues for target marketing and service

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

Consumers
Consumer market segmented
Cultural, demographical, enviromental factors influence

segmentation
Dimension of consumer value broadened
Identifying and marketing to target consumer group is key for
success
Internet consumers wants fulfillability
Internet retailers must pay attention to product presentation and
deliverability
Frequent internet shoppers look for entertainment
Holidays are important time for internet shopping
Small e-retailers are more nimble to meet changing demand
Consumers are increasingly accustomed to promotional pricing

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

Consumers
Table 1. Percentage of Internet Users in US, 2007
Total adults

71%

Geography

Women

70%

Urban

73

Men

71

Suburban

Rural

60

Age
18029

87

Household income

20-49

83

Less than $30,000/yr

55

50-64

65

$30,000-$49,999

69

65+

32

$50,000-74,999

82

$75,000+

93

Race/ethnicity
White, Non-Hispanic

73

Educational attainment

Black, Non-Hispanic

62

Less than high school

40

Black, Non-Hispanic

62

High school

61

English-speaking

Some college
81
78 Pew Internet
Source:
& American Life Project, 2007

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

Consumers
Table 2.

Online Spending by Product Category, 2005

Category

Q1 2005 spending
(millions)

Travel

$15,040

Computer / peripherals / PDAs

$5,599

Apparel & accessories

$2,588

Office supplies

$1,783

Consumer packaged goods

$1,182

Consumer electronics (X PC peripherals)

$1,018

Books & magazines

$834

Computer software (X PC games)

$689comScore Media Metrix

Source:

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

Consumers

contd

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

Supplier
Low cost country sourcing a growing trend
Retailer industry pay less causing labor shortage,

resulting in supply order volatility and longer lead

time
Reducing VAT (Value Added Tax), a chinese
government subsidy, impact vendors
Chinese factories may raise price
Third-party logistics companies can handle smaller
orders by consolidating orders from different
factories into containers

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

Competitor
Big box retailers such as Wal-Mart and
Amazon.com changed the American shops
eBay.com a prominent threat to small retailers
Hallmark and Lenox are just two examples
of numerous giftware companies
Giftware market are competitive and fragmented

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Situational Analysis

contd

SWOT Analysis of Easyline.com

Strengths
Cheap price;
Variety of choices;
Fast delivery and low shipping cost;
Targeting seasonal and special occasion
Simplicity.
Direct manufacturer contact
Ability to upgrade website at no cost

Weaknesses
Low visibility
Lack of scale
Market demand timing difficult
Small order quantity affecting
supply costs
Marketing budget constraint

Opportunities
Proactive suppliers marketing
effort
Rapid changing consumer demand
Increasing online shopping trend
Increasing use of social website and
community page
Possible cross promotional
opportunity with local stores and
non-competitor website
Nimbe response to demand change

Threats

eBay sellers are price competitive

Many giftware stores have online

selling capability

Shortage of supply or price hike

without long term contract

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Marketing Plan

Objective

Double the sales and become profitable within one year of

implementing
the marketing plan
Strategy
Provide customers uniquely identifiable and value impressive
gift products with online shopping service that is easy,
convenient, and satisfaction guaranteed.

Target Market

Young to middle age with low to middle income, including

college
students, young couples, working moms with young children.

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Marketing Plan

Marketing Mix
Product Strategy

price, uniqueness, variety, and packaging

Website Strategy
easy to navigate, visual experience, shopping
exerience, rich
content, customer assitance, security and privacy
Pricing Strategy

mark-up pricing, high/low pricing

Promotion Strategy

price discount and coupon download, attractive

website,

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Marketing Plan

Marketing Mix (contd)

Distribution Strategy

UPS service and local customer pickup, China

sourcing, third
party logistics
Marketing Research

1. Gift categories
2. Effective website marketing techniques
3.Suppliers and logistics

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Marketing Plan

Implementation and Control

Implementation
time

Tasks

Task Description

Deliverable Metrics

Responsible Party

May

Marketing Research

During the first month, marketing research on

giftware category, web techniques, suppliers and
logistics should be done to provide bases for
further plan execution

Product lists,
Supplier list,
web techniques report

Rebecca Zhang, Mrs.

Huang, Consulting
firm

Website marketing

Obtain program for easily monitoring Web traffic and study

where the traffic has been coming from.

Report of site traffic

Rebecca Zhang

Website Design

Develop website design plan; Determine resources needs;

Budget allocation;

Key function of Website , mission statement,

Keywords selection; General layout;

Mrs. Huang

Product planning

Plan type, quantity, price range of giftware to sell

List of products for sourcing

Website marketing

Continue to monitor web traffic and customer buying

pattern; Email inform existing customers of new website
and product planning and ask for feedback

Report of site traffic and customer feedback

Rebecca Zhang Mrs.

Huang
Rebecca Zhang

Supplier selection

Start contacting potential suppliers for product quoting;

establish communication channel; Arrange factory tour
trips;

A compiled list of product quotation; Email

and phone List of contact persons; Business
trip plan;

Mrs. Huang

Website Design

Finalize web design plan including detail features; Start

design process.

Front page layout complete; Main functions

works;

Mrs. Huang

Product sourcing

Supply agreement signed;

Mrs. Huang

Website Design

Select suppliers, establish logistics channel; Buying

products and packaging accessories;
Detail website design

Website working and ready for test;

Mrs. Huang

Website Marketing

Define search strategy, link strategy, and email strategy;

Keywords incorporated in website design;

Website URL submitted to key sites.

Rebecca Zhang

Website Design

Finalize website design; Begin testing;

Test successfully as measured by the criteria

of internet shopping service;

Mrs. Huang Rebecca

Website marketing and

product promotion

Test and monitor website marketing effectiveness; Enhance

marketing effort and improve site traffic. Solicit customers
feedback;

Significant site traffic increase; Positive

customer feedback;

Rebecca Zhang

June

July

August

Zhang

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Marketing Plan

Implementation and Control

Financial Forecast
Estimated initial investment:
$30,000 including consulting fee, technology cost, business travel,
marketing cost,
software cost, etc.
Current average unit selling price: $35
Current annual unit sold: 1000 units
Planned future unit selling price: $10 ~ $100 average unit price $50
Projected unit sales in one year: 2000 units
Revenue forecast
$100,000
Gross margin
50%
Gross profit
$50,000
Annual website maintenance cost:
$2000
Annual website advertising cost:
$2000
Other expense
$2000
Net profit
$44,000
Investment payback period:
8.2 months

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Summary
Marketing planning starts with market research
Implementation must take integrated approach
Single-minded focus would result in disconnection
between
customer needs, our financial objectives, and supply

management.
Website visibility is vital to internet stores
We want customers come to know our website
through
attractive products, competitive price, and
convenient internet
service.

Marketing Plan: Easyline.com

Reference
1. J. Paul Peter, James H. Donnelly, Jr., 2006, Marketing
Management Knowledge and Skills, McGraw-Hill
2. Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, 2006, The Web Marketing Checklist:32
Ways to Promote Your Website, Web Marketing Today,
http://www.wilsonweb.com/articles/checklist.htm
3. 1st Annual State of Industry Report, Giftware News,
http://giftwarenews.com/soti.htm
4. Infoplease.com,
http://www.infoplease.com/science/computers/demographics-inter
net-users.html
5. James Maguire, 2005, The State of E-Commerce: Online
Shopping Trends, ecommerce-guide.com,
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/news/trends/article.php/1182
7_3524581_2
6. http://www.websitemarketingplan.com/
7. http://business.gov/guides/advertising/