Shortlisted for The Good Web Guide Website of the Year Award 2009,
Creatively Different Blinds has turned a rather run-of-the-mill product into a fun, modern and creative home furnishing. Its website is a pleasure to browse and use and demonstrates aptly the power of a good imagination. We caught up with MD Alistair Archer to find out more.
Explain your website
Our business model is based on making what has been a rather mundane product into an imaginative, bespoke interior-design item of furnishing. This has been achieved by offering the consumer, via the web, an eclectic range of fabulous designs, photographs and images from which to select for digital printing on to roller blinds, and, thereby, producing a Creatively Different Designer Roller Blind. Our Gallery comprises an unbelievable range of nearly 4,000 images licensed from a wide variety of sources, and increasing every month. Seeing is truly believing! We also offer an Image Search and Design service, where we endeavour to secure or design a specific image requested by the customer.
What’s your background?
Thirty-five years in Marketing, thirty of which were spent heading up a promotional-marketing agency, where the invaluable experience of understanding consumers and responding to their demands, has been paramount to the development of CreativelyDifferentBlinds.com, in an industry that has been very much production-, rather than marketing-orientated.
When did you launch the site?
The site was launched in May 2008, just as the economy started its downward spiral – perfect timing! But we have been surprised at the brand’s performance when one considers it’s premium price.
Who are your biggest competitors?
In our sector, we don’t really have any major competitors, but within the total roller-blind market there are several. There is no-one in the market place with as many images as we have under licence for printing onto roller blinds.
What is your greatest challenge?
Our biggest challenge is communicating our product concept and achieving greater brand awareness, and to educate the consumer to show how images printed on roller blinds can work with and without curtains. However, we are currently developing two concepts in roller blinds that we believe will offer consumers a completely new dimension in window-dressing, which has never been seen before.
Who is your business mentor and inspiration?
There are too many to mention, but talking to, and listening to, the consumer is an all important element in inspiring the way we respond to their requirements, and develop further the roller blind market.
What was the inspiration for the site?
It started from reading a consumer research article in the Daily Mail, which stated that the roller-blind market had developed significantly during 2000-2006, and that, for this momentum to continue, there was a need for manufacturers to take a creative approach to the development and manufacturing of roller blinds. In addition, it was clear that, by using digital printing, we could manufacture top-quality, individual, bespoke roller blinds to order.
How many visits do you have per day?
We have around 10,000-12,000 unique visits per month. The aim is to double or treble this within twelve months.
What is your motto?
Nothing is impossible, so never give up.
What makes CreativelyDifferentBlinds.com unique?
Apart from our totally unique business concept, we see ourselves as being totally consumer-orientated. We believe it’s all about offering the customer what they want, helping them at every stage of the process, and ensuring that they are completely satisfied with their purchase of one of our Designer roller blinds.
Where do you see the business going from here?
We plan to stay completely focused on Designer roller blinds by offering not only the largest range of designs from which consumers can select, but also introducing totally new concepts in how roller blinds can be treated, and how to make them have a WOW factor.
Visit
www.creativelydifferentblinds.com
23 November 09
