The Cactus File
cactusfile.com is a site that markets books and magazines to people who grow cacti and other succulent plants as a hobby. It is owned and operated by Cirio Publishing Services Ltd to support our own book publishing activity. Although most people have at one time grown a cactus on their windowsill, the real enthusiasts probably number around 15,000 and are located in every country in the world. Although there are specialist book dealers who operate in this marketplace, 50% of the sales of The Cactus File publications are direct to enthusiasts. A web site that can reach this truly international marketplace is therefore essential.
The site is designed to be crisp, colourful and easy to use. The design compliments the subject matter. In addition to giving details of our publications, the site also features general information of interest to our marketplace that is regularly updated to encourage repeat visits to the site.
In this small and specialist market, the volume of sales does not justify the setting up of an online merchant account for credit card processing, so payments are processed manually using credit card details supplied by phone, fax or from our records. Facilities are provided, however, for customers to compile their orders online and either send them electronically or print them off and post or fax them. As both developers and operators of the site, we understand both sides of the business and this experience feeds through to the sites we develop for customers.
Contact
If you have any questions on web development as a result of reading this case study, please contact Roger Labbett, on 023 8084 9232, or email RogerL@cirioweb.com.