Marketer Cillian Barry has given himself nine months to establish online retailer Babyelephant in Britain. In the first of nine monthly articles, he explains how he got started

In 2008, nine months after the birth of our first child, my wife Maeve launched Babyelephant.ie. The baby and the business have done well since then. Now with the second baby due this weekend, I have kindly/ foolishly offered to take over the marketing of her business and she has kindly/ foolishly accepted.

Baby Elephant is a website offering organic and pampering gifts for mums-to-be, new mums and babies.

I will be business-sitting Baby Elephant for the next nine months and during this time will launch it in Britain (my working name for the campaign is ‘‘9 Months to Impress my Wife’’).

My efforts will be documented through a monthly article here. Given online advertising’s claims of accountability I’m surprised by how reluctant most advertisers are to share campaign results so on this campaign we will share our targets, our results, the campaign spend and our successes and failures.

With a monthly marketing budget of €2,500 we are aiming to reach a level of 200 sales per month within the next nine months with an all-important target of 40 per cent of new customers coming back to buy from us. In Ireland, the average spend per sale is €68. It is not quite a Guinness-sized budget but Britain is tough and if we do those numbers it will give us a sustainable and scalable export market for Baby Elephant. Each month we will give an update of our numbers, good and bad.

In the last month we have been at testing stage for the new website (www.babyelephantuk.com) which cost us €2,800 to build. Part of this was funded by an ebusiness grant from the DLR County Enterprise Board. We have also been well advised by Chris Chapman, a Dublin-based online marketing consultant, making sure that we are well set up on Google for natural search optimisation and British Adwords. Over 50 per cent of our Irish sales come through Google, so we need to make sure this is working to the best of its ability for us in Britain.

With the baby on the way, we needed to turn Maeve’s home office and workshop into a playroom so we recently appointed a Dublin based fulfilment company, Data Conversion Direct, which now looks after all packaging and posting. It took a while to find a company that she would trust but after meeting them and talking to several of their existing customers she is happy with the choice.

They charge us a small fixed monthly cost plus a fee per item packed and posted and it means Maeve is less likely to go into the office while on maternity leave. We’ve also been applying our marketing plan. For the launch to work we need to pay very close attention to the marketing cost of each sale. Online marketing is very competitive in Britain so each click will cost us more and the conversion rate from site visit to sale will most likely be lower as the consumer has more choice.

To avoid losing a lot of money we will be selecting certain direct response activities and measuring the return on investment for each. A simple spreadsheet will be kept showing the sales and cost for each source of website traffic.

This information is freely available through Goal Conversions at Google Analytics. To start, we will be focusing on Google Adwords, Google Natural Search, Affiliate Marketing, Facebook, PR and e-mail activity.

There won’t be time or budget for iPad apps, Foursquare and Augmented Reality.

While paying closest attention to our direct response marketing activity we know that much of the babyelephant.ie success is due to the brand and the loyalty it has among its customers so we need to maintain the same high standard across product, packaging, design and customer care. In a rare moment of extravagance we just spent €595 with Absigns.ie for Baby Elephant branding to be applied to our brown 1979 Mercedes. We decided that given the cost of petrol we might as well try and have it pay its way.

During the four weeks of testing the new site, there have been seven British sales so we have a bit of way to go! Next month we will let you know how sales are going and detail our Google experience, whether our search engine optimisation has worked and see if we are making or losing money with Google Adwords.

In the meantime, check out www.babyelephant.ie or www.babyelephantuk.com.

September Shoes – Birdies and Bees!

 We have just recieved these very cute Birdie and Bumblebee  new baby shoes  from Green Baby – natural, soft, chrome free leather shoes ideal for new baby toes! Only €24.  To add to our animal range of rompers  and birdie Baby Art -  the perfect new baby present!

Baby Elephant Loves
This month we are just loving the great ideas on BabaBooty.com

September Gift Ideas
Spoil a new Mum with Udderly New Mother - divine pampering Cowshed treats for Super Mum or Mum to be with everything she needs to relax as a Mama in Waiting. Baby is well looked after with lots of organic cotton babygros, blankets and sleep bags in our Baby Gifts range from €33 at www.babyelephant.ie.

We are now delivering to the UK  by courier for only €10!

If you haven’t already be a pal and join us on Facebook for a 10% discount!

Check out the latest issue of Maternity and Infant Magazine who are liking the new Pick & Mix section allowing Mamas to be to pick up individual maternity products such as the calming Gravida Mama Mio Candle to soothe the senses.

Treat a friend to an organic pregnancy gift - for mother to be from the revitalising Cowshed or the wonderful Mambino Organic Maternity skincare range.

Or simply spoil yourself to some calming pregnancy products from

Vital Touch go on you deserve it!

Infant Style

What are the best dressed babies wearing this season? Practically anything from Baby Elephant’s latest collections. The organic cotton romper suits come in a range of motifs including super cute ladybirds, frogs and Breton stripes. The Butterfly Pillow box, which includes this printed romper and reversible hat costs €36 and next day courier deliver in Ireland is only €5. Get it at www.babyelephant.ie.

The Fix, Sunday Tribune 4th July 2010

Baby Elephant is delighted that Summer is here we have added lots of exciting new products to our new site including baby’s first art, a new animal range of Butterfly & Ladybird Rompers and some very cute Nautical Rompers for the little sailors out there!

 
Summer Offer
To celebrate the launch of our new products we are offering all our friends 10% off until the end of July please use this discount code at checkout SO10.

Summer Gift Ideas
There lots! Spoil a new Mum or Mum to be with one of our new Mama Mio Sets - suitable for every stage of pregnancy and beyond from €33 or treat Baby and (Mum and Dad!) to a good nights sleep with a beautifully cosy Organics for Kids Sleeping Bag, soft organic cotton lined with lamby fleece in fun Froggy, Butterfly or Ladybird print for only €44!

Alternatively you can now create your own hamper in our Pick and Mix section or just treat yourself or baby to some nourishing organic skincare products.

If you haven’t already be a pal and join us on Facebook

“Our judges were in raptures over the Body Oil, the Cellulite Cream and Body Shaper in the range and couldn’t choose a favourite – all of the moisturising products were awarded top marks on hydration delivery, they smelt divine, absorbed swiftly and our judges were shocked that this body care range has been the secret preserve of pregnant ladies for so long. ”

Coming soon – www.Babyelephant.ie will be offering more Mama Mio products that can be bought individually for pre and post pregnancy! But for now if you want to treat a Mama to be check out the Mama in Waiting Hampers.

May Day call for Mums to Be!
With 20% off this May rescue a Mama to be’s skin by treating her to something special from our Mama Gifts range offering organic and therapeutic products from addictively indulgent Cowshed, Mambino Organics and Mama Mio. Prices start from €44 and this May we are offering all our friends 20% off simply key in this code at checkout MD20

Lots for new Mamas too

Spoil the new Mama and baby with a thoughtful hamper of restorative and delicious products for Mum and beautiful organic cotton rompers and natural skincare for the new little lamb at www.babyelephant.ie or create your own unique hamper by calling us on 01 2048790.

If you haven’t already be a pal and join us on Facebook

We are very excited about getting our beautiful new stock up on the site - Nautical and Animal prints from Organics for Kids and Art by Aliette  in a few weeks but we couldn’t wait to share it! So heres a preview….

 PAMPER BOXES

€44 and €105 order online at www.babyelephant.ie or call 01-2048790.

With Mother’s Day approaching and the birth rate rising, here’s a nice idea for a new mum or mum-to- be.

Irish company Babyelephant have put together some beautiful hampers for mum and baby to enjoy. Choose from the Pamper Box for expectant mums (with 100% organic products), or perhaps select the Cub, which has relaxing and restorative products for new mums as well as a beautiful organic cotton babygro and hat set for the baby. The hampers come in eco-friendly packaging with a personal gift card.

Spoil Mum to be this Mother’s Day by visiting Mama Gifts on www.babyelephant.ie  and pamper the Mother to be with organic lotions and potions and nurturing treats from Mambino Organics, Cowshed and Mama Mio.

Or treat the new Mama and baby with a thoughtful gift this Mother’s Day with  relaxing and restorative products for  Mum and beautiful organic cotton babygro and hat for the new little cub at www.babyelephant.ie or create your own unique hamper by calling us on 01 2048790.