ZEBRA COMMUNICATIONS


Investment in ICT has allowed Zebra Communications to respond to
changes in its market, expanding into profitable new areas, integrating
its processes and providing high levels of customer service.

Best practice in:    Technology 
Sector:              Internet
Size of firm:        5 employees
Location:            Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Website:  www.domaincheck.co.uk
          www.zebrahosts.net
          www.collocation.co.uk


OBJECTIVES

Zebra Communications started life as a web design company.
However as the business developed, the company's founder,
Nick Collins saw that domain name sales and hosting would
become a big growth area and redrew Zebra's business strategy
accordingly. To increase the company's customer handling
capacity, he began to channel investment into improved sales
and customer service technology.

The company has since developed its own sales and contact
database, which stores information on the sale of domain
names. It handles the details of 18,000 customers, generating
automatic renewal reminders and targeted cross-selling emails.
To provide a more focused customer-experience, the company
has three websites - each catering to different areas of its offer
and the different audiences that they are likely to interest. It
thinks this is a better way to segment customers rather than
taking a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. The same back-end system
supports all three, allowing the company to run three separate
brands with little increase in costs. Should a visitor arrive at the
wrong site for them, cross-links drive them to a more
appropriate offer on a different site.

Zebra's use of ICT has created a flexible business model that
can readily accommodate partnerships and new offers. For
example, using its hosting service as a base, Zebra sells market
leading anti-virus software under an exclusive licence and is
partnering with a Norwegian Company to offer remote back-up
and data recovery facilities - products that have real synergy
with the Zebra offer.


THE BENEFITS

The sales and contact database has been a major generator of
sales leads - allowing Zebra to abandon offline advertising.
And, without the company's integrated processes, which
automate many administrative functions, Nick estimates he
would have to employ an extra person - a significant cost in a
business of only five people.

Technical support costs have also been drastically reduced,
while Zebra's broadband connection has cut communication
costs and provides the infrastructure for the company's
partnerships.

Zebra's multi-brand strategy means that up to 80% of sales now
come from Zebra's three web sites.


THE CHALLENGES

Companies can experience difficulty in familiarising staff with
new working practices. Nick's solution is simple: hire good
people and encourage a culture that embraces technology and
the changes it brings.


THE LAST WORD

To get the most from technology, businesses mustn't overlook
the importance of training.

"We've put most of our staff onto Learndirect courses," says
Nick. "They're very good and it allows staff to do the training
when it's convenient for them and us."

"Continuous investment in IT is essential to maintain
your position in the market."


NICK COLLINS - COMPANY FOUNDER