Hello everyone, this week we are going to be taking a look at a favorite business of mine, Johnny Seeds. They are a mail order seed company with magazine and online store options. They sell just about every kind of seed under the sun and make it easy to find organic and heirloom varieties. They have been operating since 1973 and are based in the state of Maine.
I would say that they do a good job of communicating on their website and social media platforms. They're site looks professional, is easy to navigate and has plenty of information. It is easy to find their phone number and contact information. The site is bright, colorful, inviting, and there are links to all of their social media pages.
Each platform's account is updated frequently, but not every day. It looks like they have a new post every 3 days or so. They respond to comments and have pleasant conversations with customers and people with questions. There is no negative energy in their posts or replies. There are no shortage of pictures or information about the business. Transparency goes a long way when researching a business entirely online, so I appreciate that about their operation.
The company website https://www.johnnyseeds.com/ has a bar at the very top with account login, registration, contact us, etc., but the very first thing in the top left corner is a disclaimer that they are 100% employee owned. This is a great way of putting your best foot forward. By letting consumers know that they value their employees and that they have a stake in the business customers can feel good about shopping with someone they can trust. Building trust is very important and difficult to do in the purely online world so another check mark for the company there.
The main banner of the page has categories of all their seed options, a search bar, and a photo slideshow front and center. Below that are some featured seeds, below that featured tools, and finally at the bottom of the links to find more information about the company and their operation. I believe this organization is effective and works well. For most large businesses, people expect to find the "contact us" link at the top and/or the bottom of the page, a search bar at the top left, and clear links or directions on how to buy their product. Well done on every point.
I think that Johnny Seeds does communicate an identity online. The "vibe" I get from them is that they want to be helpful and transparent, two of the most important things for me when I am looking into a company. I want to see that they interact with their customers, that they didn't just set up an online presence to be run by bots or no one at all. There does appear to be someone home and ready to field questions and concerns. On their YouTube page, the first thing you see aside from the beautiful farm imagery, is their "about the company" blurb, copy and pasted below:
"About the company: Johnny's Selected Seeds is a 100% employee-owned seed merchant and plant breeder, founded in 1973. The company headquarters are located in Winslow, Maine and its research farm is located in nearby Albion, Maine. Johnny's is committed to helping growers and gardeners succeed with superior seeds, tools, information, and service. Quality vegetable, herb, cover crop, and flower seeds, including a large selection of certified organic seed."
I love that they have this boiled down into just what you want to hear about them. Who they are, who they benefit, what they have and how to get it; everything you need to know. I appreciate that they let you know what their values are.
To improve, I'm not sure what I might suggest. Their pages all communicate the values and objectives of the company well. The one criticism I might have is that I couldn't find any product reviews on the website. Most sites that sell things will have an open and transparent review board of some kind. This can lead to issues and in my opinion does take away from the overall professional tone of the website, but it is a little strange to have no reviews available at all. To be fair though, their products are mostly seeds, the containers of which have germination rates and instructions. Not sure what other reviews I would need, but I could probably find them for these products elsewhere.
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