2 SECTION III . LAUNCHING THE BUSINESS You Be the Consultant A Total Makeover After Michael Lowe retired from his work as an attorney for Verizon Communications, he was bored and looking for a new challenge in life. His son-in-law, John Uselton, who had experience in the beverage distribution and hospitality industries, approached him with the idea of opening a gin distillery in Washington, DC. Distilling spirits requires a federal permit and is rife with regula- tions, but the determined entrepreneurs managed to work their way through all of the regulatory requirements and opened New Columbia Distillers, the first distillery in the nation's capital since Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitu- tion that ushered in Prohibition. To hone their distilling skil, Lowe and Uselton engaged internships at the Dry Fly Distilling School in Spokane, Washington. "We trained to the point where the opera- tors let us make entire product batches, " says Uselton. After returning to Washington, DC, Lowe and Uselton leased an empty warehouse and spent the next year instaling Stam MeChris for The Washington Pod via dory Image all of the infrastructure and equipment their distillery process re- quired. in a clever marketing maneuver, they decided to name Green Hat Gin by creating a Web site that has a look and feel all their product Green Hat Gin in honor of George Cassiday, who its own and that is completely different from the Web sites of made a successful career providing bootleg liquor to many Con- traditional spirits companies The design also is consistent with gressmen during Prohibition The dapper Cassiday, who actually New Columbia Distifers image, style. and personality. "We didn't set up an office in basement of the House office building and want to create just a dick, click, click site," says Jake Lefebure. later the Senate office building, was famous for the green fedora "We wanted something more fluid and smooth, in the same way he always ware. you would read a newspaper. We also knew a lot of users would Because each batch their company distils produces only be on mobile and tablets, so making it natural to those devices about 50 cases of gin, the supply of Green Hat Gin is limited, was the way to go." Despite the site's simple navigation and vin- which heightens the importance of the company's marketing tage look, its underlying mechanics are very much cutting edge efforts. The entrepreneurial duo and their wives, who also help The Web site is doing its job. Lowe says many customers who with the business, knew that their company's Web site would be viait the distillery say the company's spectacular Web site convinced a significant part of its success and that it had to resonate with them to see it in person. "Good design is no longer just cosmetic their contemporary tech-sawy target market, yet a also had to of 'making something pretty," says Pum Lelebure "Good design- reflect the nostalgic feel of the Prohibition era. Lowe and Useiton ers think strategicaly " used a small, local creative firm, Design Army, owned by copreneurs Jake and Pum Lefebure, to design the Green Hat Gin logo and 1, Is creating a Web site that reflects a company's "personal- Web site. The distinctive site features the look of a catalog from ity" important? Explain. the 1920s with a distinctive hat motif and includes sections about 2. What benefits does a brick-and-mortar business gain when Prohibition, the company, its namesake, its products, and the dis- its Web site becomes an extension of its storefront rather tilling process. In addition to its vintage look, it also includes fonts than just another marketing tool? that are reminiscent of newspapers of the era. Visitors also can sign up for e mail updates about new products, tasting tours, spe- 3. Visit New Columbia Distillery's Web site (www.greenhatgin cial events, and bottling parties, in which they can show up at the corni. What suggestions can you offer for improving the site? distilery and help bottle the latest batch. The site also includes Sources, Based on Mile Overturf, "New Colombia Distillers Makesa Home in Words." cocktail recipes that use gin (of course). The design team's goal was to emphasize the unique nature of New Columbia Distillers' columbia-distillers-mulors-a home in-ward-5; Stephanie Carma, A Site That Gors Thewa Smooth" Extirpameur, September 20113. pp 33-13. unprofessional, you're unprofessional, If it's cluttered, you're cluttered. If it's hard to work with you're hard to work with. By contrast, if it's well put together, smart, and easy to use, so is your company."Unfortunately, according to HubSpot's Marketing Grader. 72 percent of Web sites carn a failing grade, "A Web site is an engine that runs on remarkable content being pumped into it day after day." says one e-commerce expert. "The goal of a Web site is to attract visitors, convert leads, and delight customers. You business won't see those benefits unless you turn your