 An interview with Matt Lawson of ao.

com on how they develop their

customer experience
An interview with Matt Lawson of ao.com on how they develop their customer experience Matt
Lawson is Head of Conversion at ao.com. In this interview he describes how they have grown their
business through keeping the web experience focussed on the customer through constant feedback,
review and testing.

Today ao.com (Figure 11.1) is the UK’s largest online kitchen retailer, with over 4,000 large
appliances ready for Next Day Delivery. Their About Us promise page is one of the best I’ve seen for
showcasing the proposition and integrating customer feedback and social networking.

Taking such care with the About page may not be essential for established high-street retailers, but
is important for online pureplays and start-ups. We also like the way their masthead below the
navigation showcases their proposition. ao.com can no longer be called a start-up, with annual
turnover of more than £50 million. In fact, it was formed as part of DRL Limited in 2000, as an online
kitchen appliance retailer, by John Roberts, who remains CEO of the company today.

Today DRL also provides white label kitchen appliance websites for its big brand clients like Boots,
Marks and Spencer, Next, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Screw Fix, Empire Direct, Argos and B&Q,
including supply, distribution and customer care.

Q. How often do you review strategy? Matt Lawson, ao.com: Our overall approach to strategy is that
our actions focus on our objectives. The world and the way we work changes all the time so you
must be dynamic and flexible. If you are not dynamic and flexible, then you are going to fail; the
world is changing all the time so always keep as up to date and savvy as possible and I think you can
apply that to any decent business.

An interview with Matt Lawson of ao.com on how they develop their customer experience Matt
Lawson is Head of Conversion at ao.com. In this interview he describes how they have grown their
business through keeping the web experience focussed on the customer through constant feedback,
review and testing. Today ao.com (Figure 11.1) is the UK’s largest online kitchen retailer, with over
4,000 large appliances ready for Next Day Delivery.

Their About Us promise page is one of the best I’ve seen for showcasing the proposition and
integrating customer feedback and social networking. Taking such care with the About page may not
be essential for established high-street retailers, but is important for online pureplays and start-ups.
We also like the way their masthead below the navigation showcases their proposition. ao.com can
no longer be called a start-up, with annual turnover of more than £50 million. In fact, it was formed
as part of DRL Limited in 2000, as an online kitchen appliance retailer, by John Roberts, who remains
CEO of the company today.

Today DRL also provides white label kitchen appliance websites for its big brand clients like Boots,
Marks and Spencer, Next, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Screw Fix, Empire Direct, Argos and B&Q,
including supply, distribution and customer care.

Q. How often do you review strategy? Matt Lawson, ao.com: Our overall approach to strategy is that
our actions focus on our objectives. The world and the way we work changes all the time so you
must be dynamic and flexible. If you are not dynamic and flexible, then you are going to fail; the
world is changing all the time so always keep as up to date and savvy as possible and I think you can
apply that to any decent business.