N.J. farmers turn to new way of marketing: Web sites -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.01.2007 THE NEW JERSEY FARMER By Tamara Jean Scully AFP Correspondent More local farmers are finding that a Web site may be the best marketing tool for their money. A notable few, as far back as the late 1990s, jumped onboard and featured their farms and products on their own Web site. This mass advertising could reach anyone, anywhere. Just type in “farm fresh produce in New Jersey” and up would pop a handful of farm Web sites advertising fresh New Jersey produce. Today, more of the state’s farmers have chosen to have a Web presence. Some have their own Web sites, while others use services such as Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) or the NJFB online directory to list information about their farm. The Internet can serve as a “cyberspace flyer,” advertising the farm at a lower cost and over a wider demographic than any print ad can do. This visibility, agreed many local farmers, has led to an increase in traffic at their farm stands, pick-your- own fields or on-farm events. It has also, they agreed, caused some changes in the way in which the business operates. Greg Donaldson has had a farm Web presence for several years. His Web site ( www.donaldsonfarms.net ) regularly receives visits from potential customers in the urban areas of eastern New Jersey and New York City. He has noticed that weekends at the farm stand, especially during the PYO season for strawberries, have become primarily the domain of these out-of-area consumers. Locals, he said, visit during the week to avoid the crowds. Donaldson feels that the increase in business has been fueled by the Web site. But he recognizes that the downside of increased foot traffic from people not accustomed to farm etiquette has brought its own share of problems along with the extra income. He now hires security during his busiest weekends. “It’s definitely brought people in,” Donaldson said of his Web site. “It is definitely more cost-efficient” than print advertising. Sun High Orchard (www.sunhigh.com) in Randolph was one of the first farms in the area to go live with a Web site. “I can remember the first day it went online. Web sites (for farms) were unheard of,” Brenda Bostrom said of Sun High’s launch. “I would say we get more phone calls from the Web site than from any print advertising. You are reaching everybody, everyday, all year long,” Bostrom said. She, too, has tapped the large urban market via the Web site, but hasn’t had any major issues. “The Web site is a live store. Have the same atmosphere on the Web site as you do in the store,” Bostrom advised. “It’s a marketing tool. If you are not going to do it right, don’t do it at all.” Doing it right on the Web involves not only having a functional, attractive site that represents your farm’s mission, Bostrom and Donaldson both said, but involves answering inquiries, updating the site to current crop conditions and events and using the site to educate consumers in advance about what to expect during a farm visit. The basics of the farm — directions, hours, crop availability, atmosphere and overview — should be clearly stated. Current photos, which should change regularly, keep people interested. Ren Giliberti, of Bear Creek Berry Patch in Green Township, has had a live Web site since 1998. “ I’ve always felt that for our type of operation the Web site was the absolute best money spent on advertising,” he said. Bear Creek (www.bearcreekberries.com) is primarily a PYO farm, and the Web site regularly attracts customers from several hours away, Giliberti stated. With a survey function on the site, he is able to collect customer’s demographic information as well as to get feedback on their farm visit, expectations and preferences. The Web site is also used to educate customers about the rules of the farm, how to pick berries and how the crop is affected by the weather. Updating the crop conditions several times a week proved to be an effective way of communicating with the farm’s customers, Giliberti said. Donaldson agreed that time-sensitive crop updates are important to a well-run Web site. While the updates do take some time, they also make for happy customers. Giliberti and Donaldson prefer to make updates themselves, while Bostrom feels that hiring a company to do so is better for her farm. Either way, the site must be constantly changing, informative and accurate, they concurred. E-mail is another consideration when establishing a Web site. Donaldson has solved the problem of redundant questions by having “generic responses” that he or his staff can just “click and send” rather than having to answer each one individually. A pre-made letter, which is sent via e-mail, goes out to any field trip inquiries. Sun High Orchard no longer utilizes e-mail, due to the volume of questions and the lack of time to respond, Bostrom said. She prefers to handle all communications via the telephone. Giliberti said he felt that the time invested in e-mail, which amounted to about 30 minutes/day, was worth it. All three farmers reported an increase in phone call volume which they contributed to their Web sites. Building an ongoing relationship with today’s customers can be accomplished efficiently and economically with a farm Web site. Educating customers about the farm and marketing farm products and services can be easily done with a Web site. Creating a Web site — or hiring someone to design it — takes an initial inve