Online Communication, Business Assessment

The company I chose to research is a local coffee shop in my area, Black and Brass Coffee Roasting Co. The shop originally opened in Honesdale, PA, but has since expanded to two other location in Hawley and Lake Ariel, PA.

The company currently uses three social media platforms as a way of effectively communicating online. With roughly 11k followers on Instagram, this seems to be there most used and effective form of social media. Posting once to every other day about new specials and promotions or just changes in hours. Keeping their customers informed seems to be a huge focus for the company. At the top of the company website consists of the header, where you can find the company logo as well as the website menu, allowing visitors to easily navigate the website. In the middle of the website is the main content, containing the shopping cart button, product search, images and descriptions of product, and the company's mission statement. At the bottom of the page is contact information, company socials, return to shopping, and a mailing list. The setup of this website is "typical" when it comes to websites. Which I think is a good things because it is self explanatory and easy to navigate, which is what a customer wants. It is easy for them to log into the website and find exactly what they are looking for without any hassle.

The business does form an identity online, however I don't think it is as effective as their real identity. The company effectively uses their online socials and updates their news tab on their website for current updates. They also allow online orders to reach customers near and far, and have a public email available for access. However, from what I know about the company, word of mouth is their most effective form of promotion. It is a local company that has just began expanding in the past few years, and I think they are moving in the right direction in online communication. I don't think any changes need to be made right now in how they communicate online because of the size of the company. With more growth, expanding socials is a must, but for right now, I think the company sits in a comfortable position.