The company is currently pushing its presence online, and to this end the SME - with help from developers at web design agency T2 - has launched a new website. Tekpak has also started a blog and opened up a channel on YouTube. "We are just throwing out as big a net as we can to try and catch potential opportunities. We want to be seen as a progressive company and progressive manufacturer, one that is at the forefront of our industry," says Marketing Director Imelda Kehoe.
Winning business
Tekpak's revamped website, launched in June this year, is the focal point of the company's online marketing strategy. Through the new site, web surfers can access videos, download catalogues, view case studies, subscribe to a newsletter, read a blog and contact the company.
T2 handles the technical aspects of the website, such as tailoring flash animations, but Tekpak's own staff update the site using a content management software tool. The website has proven a big success, and Tekpak is about to close a EUR150,000 to EUR200,000 contract with a new client - a deal which Kehoe attributes directly to the online revamp.
"We did have a website before but it was just bits added on here and there and there was no cohesion to it, so we completely revamped the website. The main objective was that it would be a dynamic showcase for the business, so if we do a new project we put video footage, pictures and everything up online," says Kehoe.
Prior to launching the new site, Tekpak's web presence did not rank highly in Google's search results. Now, some 47 percent of visitors access Tekpak's website via a Google search for terms like "packaging line manufacturer". This is important for the company as it means potential customers, who have never heard the name Tekpak, can more easily find the SME.
"That is what we didn't have before - our website wasn't coming up on many searches because we hadn't really been updating it in any meaningful way. T2 have an SEO specialist there and we talk to them regularly. They are going to come in and do some training with our staff so that everybody can be up to speed," says Kehoe.
Tekpak also markets its site - and by extension the company - using Google Adwords (a pay-per-click advertising tool) and it runs search engine ad campaigns in its target markets. The SME also keeps track of which keywords and campaigns are effective and how people are accessing its website with Google Analytics (a web analytics tool).
"We check with Analytics every two or three days to see that our ad campaign is running efficiently. We can see who is looking at our website and where they are coming from. It is giving us real-time data on our website and where it is ranking in terms of search engines," says Kehoe.
Choosing the right tools
While Tekpak's website forms the core of its online presence, the SME also uses a number of other e-business tools. The company has a YouTube channel, where it uploads videos of its products for clients to see in action. The firm plans to push this online channel as a way to communicate with clients, and potential clients, around the world.
"The format for YouTube means that anybody can access that from wherever they are in the world. You can send them a link via email and they can see a real working example of what you do," says Kehoe.
Tekpak also recently started a blog, where its staff offer their opinions about things like industry exhibitions. "The purpose is to give a bit more of a personal aspect to the business. It gives other people - suppliers and end-users - the chance to ask us questions and to send in any observations to us," says Kehoe.
Tekpak has also started a company newsletter that goes out regularly via email. It includes case studies and tips for those in the industry. After the last edition, Tekpak saw a spike in traffic to its website. "We could see, looking through Google Analytics, that on the day the newsletter went out there was a huge increase in traffic because people were clicking on various links in the newsletter," says Kehoe.
Tekpak is planning several other e-business strategies. The SME wants to improve the catalogue download section of its website and facilitate a way for clients to log in and access specific documents. It also wants to tie in its CRM software to the website so staff can work more efficiently.
There are some e-business tools Tekpak has chosen not to use, however. For example, Kehoe points out that micro-blogging service Twitter would not be appropriate for the business at present. "You have to do whatever is specific to your industry. You have to pick the tools that you think are going to suit you, rather than jumping on the bandwagon and choosing something that is new just because everybody else is doing it," she says.
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