Just three months after opening for business, Los Angeles online retailer Print Dogs is changing its e-commerce craft site to become a one-stop discount shop for the crafting community.
Starting in mid-December, printdogs.com will enhance its selection of craft supplies with how-to videos, bulletin boards, community chats and a monthly newsletter. Employees will be outfitted with cameras on their computers to send video replies to customer queries.
Print Dogs hopes such attempts will inject creativity and boost sales of ink and ink cartridges, specialty and traditional papers, colored and patterned CDs and a variety of arts and computer crafts supplies.
The mall will target different audiences for varying products. The site’s ink store will pitch for business from college students, crafters and home business owners savvy with online purchasing.
Print Dogs has drawn up an extensive marketing plan to drive business to its site. First will be targeted e-mails to buyers of ink and paper. The company will rent e-mail lists from list broker TargitMail for crafters between the 25 and 45 years old.
Following in quick succession are retail promotions to pull traffic to the site; a roadshow to college campuses and concerts to distribute product information and prizes; participation in trade shows; ads on crafting content sites; print ads slated for January; Internet and retail magazine reviews; and co-marketing with complimentary products and sites.
