STETSONS NEW WEBSITE

[RBH]

Check out Stetsons new site.

http://www.stetson.com/

...... I like it.

 

[gtdean48]

Seems like a weak western line-up to me. Interesting website layout tho.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Thanks for the link Rusty...

This is part of their line up

Stetson Hotchkiss
Patchwork Plaid Cuban Style Cap

 

[Matt Deckard]

There is a clip of their CEO on CNN where she mentions that their dress hat sales far outpace their western. If his is true, it has to have changed in the last 3 years. I remember last time i talked to Stetson corporate in New York they were talking about how they were primarily a western hat company.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Matt the first impression I got when I entered their sire was total western hat wear. I had to traverse the site before I hit non western head wear. Normally, I would have left the site by the time I reached dress hats.

 

[besdor]

Matt, Hatco is primarily a western company. If the majority of Hatco's sales are dress, they are in alot of trouble. They have increased their sales of dress hats over the past few years but most of their production is westerns . This includes Stetso, Resistol , and Charlie One Horse.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[HATCO]

??? She misspoke??? Dress is the fastest growing yes that is true...

 

[Matt Deckard]

Here's Stetson's CEO. But I think she clumped in Western with dress... perhaps.

"The dress hat business is the strongest selling part of our business and the strongest growth in our business..."

Actually it was Fox Business.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/not-your-grandfather-s-stetson-17172967

I noticed she doesn't wear a hat.

 

[Belegnole]

It may be better than the previous site but is lacking in many ways. I don't like it.

 

[barrowjh]

No details -

Only the one picture of each hat, no details about brim width, crown height, fur content. I wonder if some of those are a rabbit/wool blend. Maybe it is because they are not selling retail from the site, so the details that we want to make a purchase decision would more likely show up on a retailer site.

 

[Andykev]

Not a great line up

Not one straw hat pictured...either dress or western.

The web site offerings are minimal. Product descriptions lack details.
Did you notice that the line-up of westerns include a lot of wool hats?

Be thankful we have some great references, vendors, and hatters here on the LOUNGE!

 

[HATCO]

It will grow...

 

[Quapaw]

Interesting concept as we approach 2010...

It will grow...

Is the company waiting to see if this world wide web thing gets traction?

 

[CRH]

Is the company waiting to see if this world wide web thing gets traction?

Snicker...

 

[marvelgoose]

It will grow...

Into what? My opinion is that we should kill it before it grows.

Some one said it and I'm going to chime in -- getting details about a hat online is like pulling teeth. Sometimes I have to visit SEVERAL retailers to see a hat in a particular color and don't get me started on crown height, brim width, ribbon size and other little piddling things like seeing the darn hat on someone's head. That last is the #1 request from all newbies on this site looking to buy a hat and none of the vendors have a clue.

Pity the poor webmasters for hat sellers. Getting information on the products from the owner is tough enough. You can often see that they have pulled data from the manufacturer. IF the manufacturer had enough sense to put up a specs page detailing their product.

Your site has precious little content. In fact, it has less content now than it did once upon a time. It used to be that if an advertiser didn't have much to say they'd create a jingle. These days they just toss up a flash animation. That is what you did.

Sure, you are trying to sell the sizzle. Make a "brand" statement. Great idea, wrong media. Use TV and Magazines for brand. Use the web like people use direct mail -- work like heck to get them to your site because ONCE THEY GET THERE they will read the whole thing.

People are very information intensive the closer they get to the buy. You're starving your customers at the most critical time.

Ok, Rant mode :rage: off. Hope you take that as valuable customer input.:eusa_doh:

 

[marvelgoose]

Maybe it is because they are not selling retail from the site, so the details that we want to make a purchase decision would more likely show up on a retailer site.

what the heck... one more won't hurt.

That model only works if the manufacturer takes the time to supply the retailers with display. You know, simple stuff like a pdf with hat information and pictures of the hats on actual people.

With digital distribution the way it is, this should be a no brainer. Nearly 50 hat websites out there all wanting to sell and advertise your product FOR FREE and you don't give them jack ola to do a proper job.

For now, I will treat the term Hat Marketing as an oxymoron.

 

[CRH]

...You're starving your customers at the most critical time.

...

That Nostalgia really fits your bill, marvelgoose. I didn't see one on the new website.

 

[HATCO]

#1 It's Stetson the "brand" website. I have zero control over it. It's owned by John B Stetson Company. It was created to feature all the products maufactured under the Stetson name. The product line up of hats will grow over time.

#2 Our website www.stetsonhat.com does have brim sizes along with all our hats as well as information on profile size availability and finish.

#3 AFAIK We don't get many requests from retailers or consumers on crown heights for dress hats.

#4 I like your idea of ribbon widths. I'll bring it up in future discussions.

#5 Every retailer receives a printed catalog. We supply disks of the same images in web size and print size to any retailer that asks for them. Each salesmen receives pdfs of the catalog that he can send out to customers.

#6 Putting a hat on a person's head and photographing it is quite a challenge especially since certain profiles and brim widths look best on certain face shapes. I want to wear high crown wide brim hats tilted to the side, but I can't. It's not right for me. I'd rather a "newb" go into a hat store and try on multiple hats to find the one that fits him best. To me a first time hat buyer shopping online is like shopping online for a pair of ski boots having never skied.

 

[marvelgoose]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I appreciate it very much.

#1 It's Stetson the "brand" website. I have zero control over it. It's owned by John B Stetson Company. It was created to feature all the products maufactured under the Stetson name. The product line up of hats will grow over time.

#2 Our website www.stetsonhat.com does have brim sizes along with all our hats as well as information on profile size availability and finish.

In other words, it is eye candy. You'd think they would at least give you a link. The stetson hat website is much better. Still, you only show ONE color of a hat. If someone goes that far you should DROWN them in data. Before they buy, people are information intensive. Anyway, what is the cost of a few extra bytes of jpg or type?

#3 AFAIK We don't get many requests from retailers or consumers on crown heights for dress hats.

#6 Putting a hat on a person's head and photographing it is quite a challenge especially since certain profiles and brim widths look best on certain face shapes.

Look around here. EVERYONE is asking that question on this board. You could take a tip from the old days and have artists draw the hats with the ideal face size underneath. Even better, describe the head sizes that the hat best fits. Go ahead, search for "noggin shot" and see all the threads dedicated to pictures of a hat for the benefit of a noob.

Those are your customers!

I'd rather a "newb" go into a hat store and try on multiple hats to find the one that fits him best. To me a first time hat buyer shopping online is like shopping online for a pair of ski boots having never skied.

Welcome to my world and a whole lot of other people.

There is one very cheesy hat shop in Atlanta - 250 miles north -- that carries Stetson dress hats. The nearest hat shop with a full line is Memphis TN -- that's an eight hour trip one way.

I am in Macon a few weeks ago and a shoe salesman asked me where I got my Nostalgia. Says that they have a few customers a week asking for dress hats and there is NO RETAILER. Unfortunately, he only knows shoes.

Things are so bad that I maintain a list of hat shops where you can actually try on a dress hat. We're up to fifty locations -- some states have nothing. If nothing else, PLEASE download the file http://www.merrillguice.com/hats and tell us who else is selling Stetson Dress Hats. Believe me, many of us would love the chance to try on a hat before buying it.

 

[Cigarband]

#6 Putting a hat on a person's head and photographing it is quite a challenge especially since certain profiles and brim widths look best on certain face shapes. I want to wear high crown wide brim hats tilted to the side, but I can't. It's not right for me. I'd rather a "newb" go into a hat store and try on multiple hats to find the one that fits him best.

Here's an idea you might bring up in future marketing meetings, rig up a Semi-tractor trailer into a traveling hat store, and send it out on a national tour. Outfit it with the full line of Dress and Western hats, and have it make a weekend stop in every state capital in the lower 48 over the next year. Publicize it well so that all of us with no real
Haberdasher in our area can try out the full range to see what fits us best. Make each hat sold on the tour a collectible in some way, numbering them, special imprint etc. Make sure to tie-in with any remaining hat stores in each state and refer each buyer to them for future purchases. And again, Publicize the hell out of it! Use it as a Flagship reintroduction of hat wearing to the Modern American Public. "Men, find the hat to fit your unique style." "Ladies, bring your Man up to date." "The Stetson Hat Tour is coming!" I can't wait!:essen: