Homescapes Carmel

In the ever-expanding world of e-tailers, how does a high-end, brick-and-mortar store adapt its niche identity to a vehicle designed to serve the masses? Such was the dilemma for Homescapes Carmel, a specialty shop in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, which initially perceived marketing on the Web as “counterproductive” to its storefront business.

“When items are one-of-a-kind, artisan or imported, a small business such as ours doesn't have the inventory or staff to complete and sell directly on a worldwide scale,” explains Thompson Lange, buyer and co-owner (with brother Beau). “Our customers need to touch, feel and evaluate product for themselves.”

To combat this drawback, the site focused on specific images and pieces of information, which were highlighted to represent the store's products and services. In addition, a travel blog detailed the “lighter side” of the importing business — a unique way to speak to the customer.

Even so, HomescapesCarmel.com experienced some of the more common problems associated with outsourcing its design and maintenance. Blogs weren't done in real time, as text had to be e-mailed to the store's Web master and then reformatted with changes.

By bringing the site in-house, thanks to the re-design of new Web master (the Langes' sister) Keri Marion, HomescapesCarmel.com was reborn both as a marketing tool and an interactive service. Blogs and photos could now be updated in real time, which enabled customers to see product being considered for purchase in China or Indonesia.

When the store was nominated for (and won) an ARTs award, the task of gathering information for a presentation fostered a new way to re-launch in a more current format, one that Lange says “keeps in style with the brick-and-mortar store — rustic and earthy but with a contemporary vibe.”

Marion organized and combined sections to simplify the user experience, and enhanced the design with graphics that highlighted in-store events and seasonal product previews. Customers could then be contacted whenever there was news to share. “To make it easy to draw these customers in, we have links back to HomescapesCarmel.com,” says Lange. “Customers are only one click away.”

Thanks to local media reports on Homescapes Carmel's innovative marketing, the store was able to use dollars set aside for advertising to bring in new merchandise. As a result, both 2005 and 2006 were the retailer's highest grossing, most profitable of 10 years of business, amassing $2.5 million in sales.

And Homescapes Carmel's popularity continues to grow. Last year, the site averaged 4,000 visitors per month, and more than 63,000 hits per month. Instructional tips and videos have since been added, and a new service educates users on the benefits of home staging to sellers with homes on the market.

Lange is confident that the site will continue to make a name for itself within the online retail community. “When a site reflects the aesthetics and philosophy of a store, then it can stand out and survive in a world of Crate and Barrel and Amazon.com,” he says. “There's room for all of us.”