April, 1998

The Iron Works (Stockbridge, MI) is launching a second, all-new Web site at http://topgrill.com – but not closing the original http://ironworks-gasgrills.com Web site from which it sold more than a half million dollars worth of deluxe stainless steel gas grills in 1997.

That could make it one of the smartest or dumbest players on the World Wide Web, admits its President Paul Faaborg. "I’m the first to admit that there’s nothing wonderful about our original site," Faaborg says, "except that it surprised the heck out of us with the sales that came in through it. So we made a belt-and-suspenders decision that no matter how the new Top Grill site turns out – and it’s really turning out beautifully – we’re going to keep both sites going and see how they each do at bringing in sales."

Many pages on the new Top Grill site takes a novel-to-the-Web long-copy approach, reminiscent of an effective advertising style that gained fame in the 1970s. The emphasis is on information with discussions of cooking styles, grill physics and the merits of various metals, for examples. The company’s dozens of grill models are explained, presented and priced, including several special savings offers. There’s a Company Store with books, accessories and goodies that any griller can appreciate. There are sections on recipes, grill lore and fun facts, and contests. There are special sections for reporters and for prospective dealers.

But Faaborg doesn’t extend e-commerce to include taking orders for grills. "We’re in the high end of the marketplace, from about a thousand dollars to more than thirty thousand dollars, and that’s really something we think calls for some discussion or correspondence between our customers and us – well, usually me. So," he explains, "we offer phone numbers and fax numbers and an e-mail button, and we design our Web forms to give us information about a customer’s preferences, not orders for specific model numbers."

The Iron Works makes some of the most expensive gas grills on the market. They use welded stainless steel construction, offer more burners than any other brand, offer more cooking area than any other brand, and offer the biggest side shelves in the industry.

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