Hugh Chappell - Running Successful Online Businesses From The Online Business Makeover - 12/03/2012

1. Running Successful Online Businesses
Running Successful
Online Businesses
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

2. Running Successful Online Businesses
About Me
Perfectionist
If a job’s worth doing then it’s worth doing well
A total believer in product excellence
Hard Working / Workaholic
Self-motivated
Passionate
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

3. Running Successful Online Businesses
Conveyor Belt 1 – Employment (27 years!)
1976 - Johnson Matthey PLC
(Analyst Programmer, Computer Section Supervisor, IBM and ICL
Mainframes)
1979 - Apple Computer (UK) Ltd
(Sales Consultant, Sales Manager)
1985 - 2003 Taxan (Europe) Ltd
(Sales & Marketing Director and Deputy Managing Director)
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

4. Running Successful Online Businesses
Conveyor Belt 2 – Entrepreneur! (5 years)
2003 – TrustedReviews.com
(Owner/Managing Director)
Sold to Time Warner / IPC Media – October 2007
2005 – bit-tech.net
(Owner/Managing Director)
Sold to Dennis Publishing – October 2008
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

5. Running Successful Online Businesses
Conveyor Belt 3 - Angel Investor and Advisor (3 Years)
2009 to Date - Net Communities Ltd
(Chairman & Shareholder)
2010 to Date - Lovestruck.com
(Executive Chairman & Shareholder)
2011 to Date - ParkatmyHouse.com
(Director & Shareholder)
2010 - 2011 - Time Out Group
(Non-Executive Director)
2011 to Date - Markco Media Ltd
MyVoucherCodes.com
(Non-Executive Director)
2011 to Date – Dennis Publishing Ltd
(Non-Executive Director)
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

6. Running Successful Online Businesses
What is success?
Definition of “success”
• the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
• the attainment of fame, wealth, or social status.
• a person or thing that achieves desired aims or
attains fame, wealth, etc.
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

7. Running Successful Online Businesses
What makes a Business Successful?
• Provides excellent products and services.
• Contributes to economy of the country.
• Creates employment.
• Makes a profit!
• Produces a return for shareholders on the
assets employed.
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

8. Running Successful Online Businesses
Comparing a successful business with chair?
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

9. Running Successful Online Businesses
Comparing a successful business with chair?
TrustedReviews.com & bit-tech.net (online publications) - 3 Legs
Technology (web), Premium and Original Content, Sales
Lovestruck.com (online dating) - 2 Legs
Technology (web/mobile), Marketing
MyVoucherCodes.co.uk (online vouchers) - 4 Legs
Technology (web/mobile), Content, Sales, Marketing
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

10. Running Successful Online Businesses
Accurate Business Plan
• Definition of Key Performance Indicators.
• Revenue - the most difficult bit!
• Costs - the easy bit!
• Avoid the Business Plan based on a fixed percentage of revenue growth each
month (reality is very different).
• February has 28 days! (21.78% growth required to grow by 10%).
• Factor in Seasonality.
• Measure daily and monthly (detail). Adjust (both up and down).
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

11. Running Successful Online Businesses
Accurate Business Plan
Unbelievable
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

12. Running Successful Online Businesses
Accurate Business Plan
Believable
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

13. Running Successful Online Businesses
Accurate Business Plan
What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPI)?
Lovestruck.com
• Marketing - Ruthless Measurement of Return on Investment.
• Traffic (Visitors, Bounce Rate, Pages per Visit, Page Impressions).
• Registration, Profile Submission, Profile Approval.
• Subscription (1, 3, 6 and 12 months).
• Subscription renewals.
• Pricing, Initial and Lifetime AOV.
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

14. Running Successful Online Businesses
What’s in a Name?
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

15. Running Successful Online Businesses
What Makes A Good Website
1. Quick to Load.
2. Simple Design.
3. Easy to Navigate.
4. Effortless to Use.
5. Updated EVERY day!
6. Has No Broken Links or Errors!
7. Produces Original and Quality Content which is Relevant.
8. Effective interaction with social media.
Ultimately a Good Website is one which is “Compelling”, providing Value to the
Audience and so draws them back again and again)
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

16. Running Successful Online Businesses
What Makes A Good Website
A Proper Understanding of Technical Requirements:-
• Programming
• Design
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Hosting
• Statistics (audited)
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

17. Running Successful Online Businesses
How important is Sales (Revenue)?
“Nothing happens until someone sells something”
Thomas J Watson, Entrepreneur and Founder of IBM
Brilliant ideas, innovative/remarkable products, great websites, the best
systems and procedures have little meaning if there is no revenue to pay
for them.
Everything inside your company depends upon one thing, your ability to
attract and retain customers.
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

18. Running Successful Online Businesses
SUMMARY
Why are the business I have worked with been successful?
The Product
The People
Strong Management
Sales Excellence
Discipline (working hours, punctuality, tidy office)
Meticulous Budgeting and Accounting, Ruthless Control of Cost
Staff who enjoyed their job, were passionate and wanted success
Teamwork (no us/them)
Timing
SHEER BLOODY HARD WORK
(7 days per week)
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

19. Running Successful Online Businesses
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND SUCCESS IS….
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

20. Running Successful Online Businesses
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND SUCCESS IS
US
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012

21. Running Successful Online Businesses
THANK YOU
Hugh Chappell
Fresh Business Thinking - March 2012