Online Audit Sula Vineyards Executive Summary Sula

www.sulawines.com
The website is a standard transactional e-commerce website where Sula Vineyards acts as an e-tailer
It is compatible with all major browsers and has one html file which most browsers can multithread (websiteoptimization.com, 2013)
The homepage appears to be very text heavy and the multitude of images also gives it a cluttered appearance as it uses a broad and shallow scheme
For search engine optimisation the site content is embedded
However there is detailed information about products which is easily accessible and this supports business for consumers wishing to purchase products offline and is valuable for directed or undirected information seekers and directed buyers Corporate Website of Sula Vineyards<br>

Corporate Website of Sula Vineyards (contd.) The content in the website can engage users for a long time and help increase stickiness of the site
The website offers provision for customer feedback and e-mail offers. All useful contact information and telephone numbers are clearly displayed
There is however lack of videos, download-friendly images and any user generated content
Though shoppers can place orders, they cannot add items on the basket<br>

LinkedIn profile The LinkedIn page is relatively well established compared to its market competitors
There are 883 followers and 190 employee profiles
The company logo is displayed but page lacks details and pictures
Sula Vineyards website address is given on the profile page
There are many informative outlinks directing towards various related blogs<br>

Twitter Handle The introductory presence is to the point showcases brand image of Sula Vineyards well
There is a periodic flow of tweets with just above 4500 followers
With quality retweets, the wine giant also maintains interactivity with its online followers
However, with absence of a background image, its online presence is seen as hampered
The author is of the opinion that increase in usage of hashtags would benefit in search results of the firm<br>

Facebook presence Just like Twitter and LinkedIn, Sula Vineyards’ facebook page too exhibits intense interactivity
The company description is displayed well
Also, a vivid description of variety of wines offered by the winery is displayed on the page
The page has 17,743 total likes
There is a constant display of wide array of pictures making the page highly presentable<br>

Recommendations for future Interactive Media Strategy Sula Vineyards’ position on the brand perceptual map is plotted using interactive media strategies of the main competitors against level of interactivity and the range of products offered
The winery has an edge over its competitors owing to its extensive product range but falls short on the grid of interactivity with its stakeholders
There is evidently a scope for Sula Vineyards to engage in various interactive activities online, one of them being social media
Though it is ahead of its close competitors on the basis of its product offerings it lacks considerably in engagement with its stakeholders
The interactive tools used by the giant are very basic and in the current dynamic landscape of digital interactivity fall short of delivering a consistent message encompassing its brand values of innovation and development<br>

Perceptual Map Recognized Non-Recognized Limited product range High product range<br>

Scope for Digital Communications Plan Embrace social media more dynamically - Let the brand not only speak by shout
Improve website functionality and facilities such as shopping basket, further travel information to the vineyard and stay details
Use SEO and search engine advertising (as-words) on major search engines - Let’s sell the brand and not just exhibit it
The homepage should be decluttered and images should be embedded
Photographs should be changed periodically and current offers/schemes displayed on homepage
Current videos and ads can be included to make the website appear interactive and not one dimensional<br>

Scope for Website Usability Reduce total page size to minimize download time
The external script size is over 20K which is relatively high and should be reduced. For scripts placed at the head of the document, http compression can be used for JavaScript
Replacing graphic text with styled text will eliminate unnecessary http requests
Add wish-list to shopping options
Add online special offers, user contests and competitions and online sales promotions. All of this will tell the consumer what he cannot but offline, thus increasing the value of online communications and increasing in-person traffic
Advantage or membership card offered online only<br>

Website Interactivity and Transparency Healthy recipes
Discussion boards
Articles on wine benefits
RSS feeds
Updated press section with updated brand news and campaigns
Ask for feedback and once received act opno it to show users you are listening
Use permission marketing to send e-mail offers, newsletters to consumers<br>

Enhancing Social Media Presence Blog, blog and blog. A company blog is needed at the earliest
Increase Youtube presence. Make official videos of products offered
Connect with subscribers with comments
Share user stories and feedback
Generate goodwill towards the brand by sharing more knowledge of wine industry in India
Develop mobile apps of its own<br>

Evaluation and Monitoring Online surveys will be beneficial as they would be something first of its kind in India
Use mouse tracking experiments to deduce what users are motivated to click and what appeals them
Engage in website usability testing at regular intervals
Take measures in crisis planning if negative sentiments are encountered [it may be highly likely considering conservative approach towards liquor market] by simple sincere efforts to counter negative publicity<br>

Evaluation and Monitoring Monitor overall social mentions for positive sentiments
Log files can be set up to corporate website to monitor site traffic and stickiness
Use of web analytics and heat-mapping is also recommended to know what the user seems most interested in on the site<br>

Thank You<br>