Skylight Media (commercial website developers) are long time members and supporters of the GCA. They are a go-to supplier for many publishers looking to get online. We fired off some questions to Simon, ahead of the GCA Conference, which is being sponsored by Skylight Media.
Skylight Media has become a close ally and reliable partner to the greeting cards publishing community over the last 12 years, with the GCA and us working together to share knowledge and support. We are focused on members and the association, where our technical and marketing knowledge have become vital components in many publishers’ own success.
How long have you been a GCA Member?
We’ve proudly been members of the GCA since 2009, having worked with The Art File family initially on their first Trade (B2B) ecommerce website. One thing led to another and we became famous for our technical capabilities, care and support, being recommended by the GCA and many other GCA members; most of our business comes through referral from satisfied customers.
What services do you provide that would be of interest to GCA members?
We help GCA members to sell to trade (B2B) and direct to consumer (DTC), most often within the same website, nationally and internationally, single and multiple currency. We are known for our transparency and absolute dedication to clients’ needs, with legendary support beyond project launch. Additionally, we are Shopify experts and you can benefit from a hugely flexible and reliable cloud-based ecommerce platform with countless features and additional apps to make selling online a dream. We also provide additional support in marketing, ad spend management, social media exposure and strategic planning for both marketing and operations.
Why are you so good at what you do?
The three most important aspects to any prospective client are that we:
- Ask the right questions
- Listen to the answers
- Keep our promises
This means every project we produce is the result of understanding clients’ needs, the extent of creative input, the peculiarities of their data, even their own language and culture. Ask any one of our clients and they will tell you this. The proof is that we have produced over 40 projects in the greeting cards sector, as well as crossing into gift and homewares, though we also have a highly diverse client base beyond, into Europe, the Far East and USA.
Are there any innovations in your field that you want to share?
The major breakthrough is Omni-channel commerce. This is the successful connection of all selling channels, e.g. social media, Etsy, Amazon, into one management area, vastly reducing administrative burden and task duplication. It’s all about efficiency these days! This, along with integration with accounts, streamlining, trade customer user experience and a number of important features that help them buy with ease. Additionally, the peculiar needs of trade customers is where we are specialists. Yes, technology is always changing, but whatever your needs as a publisher, we will have encountered them either in your field or in others and will be able to help you; just ask our other clients!
Who would you like to meet at the GCA Conference?
Simon will be interested to meet businesses that ask questions, are interested in learning but need a helping hand to see through some of the complex decisions needed in driving efficiency and improving marketing returns. Simon states, “Many of our clients are established and we have many proven examples of taking them into new growth, improved efficiency and sustainable marketing”. Simon is also a chartered manager, a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and recently completed his MBA, which really adds power and understanding to his experience.
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