Client Interview Series: Applejack Hospitality

If you browse our case studies and testimonials, you’ll notice that we strive to develop a true relationship with our clients during the process of branding and building their website. We also recognise the project as a significant financial investment from which the clients should be able to see tangible returns in the near future. And we work hard to sustain that ROI through our monthly maintenance plans. In short, we at SGD are all about our clients, so instead of telling you about them, we decided to let them speak to you themselves!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be presenting a series of client interviews where we ask about why they chose SGD, what they like about their website and monthly plan and what changes they’ve seen since launch. In this instalment, we’re talking to Ben Carroll, owner of Applejack Hospitality Group.

SGD: Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself and your business?

Ben: Well, I own Applejack Hospitality, which operates four leading restaurants/bars in Sydney: Bondi Hardware, The Botanist Kirribilli, SoCal Sydney and The Butler Potts Point. In addition to food and beverages, we offer accommodations and live entertainment.

SGD: Why did you start shopping for a web design company?

Ben: I needed a website for a new venue that I was opening, The Botanist Kirribilli.

SGD: What were you looking for in a new website?

Ben: I needed a modern interactive website that was easy to update back of house. It also had to represent the restaurant with a cool design.

SGD: What was your experience like with the website design process?

Ben: James and the crew are a pleasure to work with; you feel like the only client. And the process from conception to going live was surprisingly swift. That’s why we’ve had SGD design all four of our venue websites.

SGD: How have these websites benefited your business?

Ben: Every website allows us to increase our database for event-driven marketing (EDM), sell gift vouchers, accept online reservations, showcase menus and much more.

SGD: Have the new websites seen a return on investment in terms of new enquiries, sales, or bookings?

Ben: Yes, absolutely. For example, we get 500 hits per day on The Butler Potts Point and our EDM database has grown to over 4,000 people.

SGD: What is the single biggest positive change you’ve seen in your business since launching the new website?

Ben: The views, subscribers and sales are great, but we really like the fact that we don’t have to have someone man the phones at the restaurants. We can just direct customers straight to the website, which has everything they need.

SGD: What features do you like most about your new website?

Ben: We love the ability for customers to make reservations and purchase gift cards right on the site. It saves us time and money.

SGD: How often do you update your site and what are your most frequent changes made? Is this process easy?

Ben: Yes, it’s easy to update back of house. We tend to do so every couple of weeks, from adding new items to the food or beverage menus, to updating the gallery or the press page.

SGD: Finally, what made you choose SGD? Would you recommend SGD to other members of your industry?

Ben: A friend of mine recommended SGD and after my experience I have recommended many other friends to jump on board with this killer crew.

SGD: Thanks for taking the time, mate. We appreciate it.

Ben: No worries, glad to do it.

Check back next week for another client interview and you’ll see that Ben’s experience is not unique among our clients. If your business could use a new website and/or a new brand, please drop us a line! The initial consultation is free, with no obligation. What do you have to lose?