1. Give the thousands of pipe enthusiasts who aren’t able to attend a pipe show the opportunity to experience one “virtually”.
2. Give the vendors participating in the site a boost in market awareness and increased traffic to their sites (and hopefully increased sales as well).

Since then, there have been several versions as technology advanced and my skills in website development improved.  But, with hindsight, my past “enhancements” actually made the visitor experience for both consumers and vendors far too complex.

That is not to say that the site has not been successful.

Through Google Analytics I have tracked consistent page view traffic in the thousands each month, with over 15,000 opt-in’s for updates collected to date.  For Altadis USA the site has offered free samples of pipe tobacco for over 5 years.  Response to this offer continues to run about 1,200 requests per month!  For McClelland Tobacco Company, the site provides an online catalog of products.  Views of their pages run about 2,500 per month and this promotion has turned out to be less expensive than mailing printed brochures.

Other clients have included: Peterson of Dublin, McBaren Tobacco, Iwan Ries in Chicago, and a number of pipe makers, dealers, and stores (both retail and online).

It is built around the concept of a Business Card Directory.  By displaying images of Business Cards that click to the vendor’s website, my original goals are achieved better than ever.  The cards are displayed by category which can be likened to an area of an exhibit hall of a show.  The individual cards simulate display tables at the show where the products of the vendor are available at the click of a mouse.

Another improvement is the way vendor promotions are priced.  To grow this Directory quickly, any legitimate vendor to the industry gets 1 listing for FREE.  There are additional paid promotional services available to:

• provide listings in multiple categories
• improve positioning within a category
• have a separate promotional page that can be search engine optimized
• include a presence on the home page (includes all of the options)

Comments from visitors have been very positive. They really like the ease of finding and exploring so many resources.  All vendors are encouraged to take a look and evaluate how this functionality might enhance their marketing plan. See How to Participate.

Cam Schutte, Webmaster