Tortus May Newsletter

May 14, 2008

That's A Lot of Dough!

When Papa John's entered the pizza industry in 1985, it faced national giants such as Domino's and Pizza Hut, as well as numerous local competitors. Many industry experts didn't believe they could grow profitably in such a saturated market - until they were recently proven wrong.

Papa John's, the nation's third-largest pizza delivery chain, announced an exciting milestone this past week: $1 billion in online pizza sales. "It took us seven years to reach our first billion in online sales, and at our current pace and growth rate it will take us less than three years to hit our next billion," said Jim Ensign, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Papa John's. At some brick and mortar locations, online orders account for about half of overall sales, Ensign said.

Papa John's is not the only business in the pizza industry going digital; their competitors were quick to jump onboard. Domino's introduced a "Pizza Tracker" earlier this year, which lets customers see updates on the progress of their orders. Consumers can find out when their pizzas are in the oven, when they've left for delivery, and even the first name of their delivery person. Domino's also lets customers place orders from web-enabled mobile devices, such as PDAs and MP3 players.

Pizza Hut, the most well-known pizza chain, also allows customers to order via text messaging and mobile web devices. Orders placed online have grown sixfold in the last three years. Pizza Hut will soon unveil a new method for ordering pizzas, the "Pizza Hut Shortcut," that they believe will be the fastest in the industry. Customers will be able to download a widget onto their computers that will let them place orders with just one click.

By adopting web practices as part of their overall business plan, Papa John's was able to bypass competitors that dominated the market for decades prior. If Papa John's can sell $1 Billion of pizza online and grow online sales at over 50% a year, it's safe to say there are no limitations when it comes to the power of the world wide web.

Is your web business plan ready? Contact us today to find out how the world wide web can help improve your sales.

Tortus Talk

Tortus welcomes Clarke Moore as a new Account Manager. Clarke spent 13 years in the floral industry before joining the Tortus team in April of 2008. He will be working with businesses in Franklin, Hampshire and Western Hampden County. Clarke can be reached by email or you can call him at 413-788-5080 ext. 237.

Upcoming Seminars

Social Networking for Business Executives

Wednesday, May 21st from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Learn about Youtube, Myspace and Facebook, as well as other social networks and trends. We'll answer your specific questions and show you the benefits of social networking.

Website Accessibility

Wednesday, June 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Learn all about website accessibility. We'll analyze your site and recommend navigation and usability improvements.
Bring your questions!

Both seminars will be held at the offices of Tortus Technologies in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Seating is limited (15 per seminar) and available on a first-come first-serve basis. Email us today to sign up.