Middlesbrough FC unveils new e-commerce site from Visualsoft

Middlesbrough FC has unveiled a new e-commerce site, selling kit, merchandise, sporting equipment and other fashion items – with a personalisation service soon to be added – created by Visualsoft.

The site is the first in the sports arena for the North East based e-commerce agency, which specialises in the retail and fashion industries.

As well as buying merchandise and souvenirs, supporters of the club will soon be able to personalise their football shirts with sleeve patches, names and numbers.

The site is supported by Visualsoft’s Enterprise+ Shared Success service, which incorporates ongoing marketing services across search engine optimisation (SEO), conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and social media, as well as the website build, hosting and maintenance.

This model is a commission-based solution, whereby Visualsoft’s fee is based on a small percentage of online sales generated by the new site. In return, the club receives a wide range of platform and performance-based marketing services.

David Duke, COO at Visualsoft, said: “Sports retail and football clubs are a new market for Visualsoft and we’re thrilled to be moving into this area – the fact that Boro is a local club to Visualsoft’s headquarters is the icing on the cake!

“The opportunities for online marketing to drive website traffic are really special in the sports sector because you’re working with a really loyal fan base, and of course there are regular matches and player signings to drive engagement. Sporting clubs are really starting to take online marketing and e-commerce seriously, recognising that they are powerful ways of simultaneously driving interaction and generating new revenue sources. We’re hoping that this will be the first of many partnerships with football teams and other sporting clubs.”

Jo-Ann Swinnerton, head of retail at Middlesbrough FC, said: “Visualsoft really understood what we were trying to achieve in terms of reaching out to our fans, making the most of the great relationship we already have and generating new lines of revenue through online sales. The company has a really dynamic and creative approach to ecommerce, and is helping us find new ways of driving traffic to the website, as well as generating sales once those browsers arrive. We’re looking forward to continuing working with Visualsoft in the months and years ahead.”