The Art of Science

In July 2002 — about six months after installation was complete — Ward’s launched its new Web site. While its previous site was purely informational, Ward’s new site functions as a sales tool, allowing the cataloger to take advantage of the burgeoning online sales channel.

Also as a result of its new e-commerce capabilities, Ward’s has noticed that its client base is expanding. While teachers still comprise the core customer base, random leads from search engines have brought in new groups of customers not involved in education. “Something we previously considered to be ancillary sales became a substantial part of our orders,” explains Kommeth.