Touch of Class working on traffic, conversion and web exclusives

Touch of Class Catalog this year has clear goals-and clear plans for achieving those goals. The company’s three primary objectives are to increase traffic to TouchofClassCatalog.com, improve the site’s conversion rate and add more products that are offered exclusively on the web.

Touch of Class, owned by Parke-Bell Ltd. Inc., has a variety of tactics it has begun using to reach these goals, says Gary Bell, vice president of information services. The company, No. 242 in the Internet Retailer Top 400 Guide to Retail Web Sites, is:

• Expanding dramatically its portfolio of pay-per-click Google AdWords.
• Extending its presence to more shopping comparison sites.
• Adding site personalization tools.
• Testing and offering new promotions.
• Beginning the process of finding a site search and guided navigation software vendor.

Last year the company learned some valuable lessons that helped guide its 2006 plans. “We need to more closely monitor shopping comparison mall traffic, sales and costs,” Bell says. “And we must more closely monitor AdWord performance at a more granular level.”

Touch of Class Catalog online sales in 2005 climbed 57% over 2004 and hit $19.3 million, 35.8% of the company’s total sales. Web sales in 2004 registered $12.3 million, 24.5% of total sales.