Similar to filling in an application form, or washing the car, you have to be in the mood to write a blog – one of those moods when you can talk to yourself aimlessly and it feels like the perfectly ‘normal’ thing to do. It’s a Friday afternoon, and today is one of those days.
As this is my first unguided blog post, I feel that I should give you a little introduction about myself, who I am, what I study, where I am doing my placement etc… you know, the expected.
So, my name’s Emma, I’m a Business & Management studies student, and I am currently seven months into a 12-month placement with Freemans Grattan Holdings (FGH). Some of you may remember the ‘Freemans’ or ‘Grattan’ catalogues from when you were younger, similarly to the Littlewoods catalogues, these were books that our parents used to love delving into during the Christmas season for gift ideas and such. Many years on FGH has grown and developed and now has eight unique brands under its belt, each allowing you to shop via catalogues and online.
Online is where my job-role comes into play, I am hired as the ‘web-shop intern’. My team (the web-shop) deals with all things technical concerning three of the brands’ websites with the key aim of acquiring and retaining customers via making their online experience with us the best it can be. From email and homepage building, online analytics to web-site development we carry out all things ‘geek’… but don’t worry I won’t bore you with the details.
As the intern my main tasks revolve around search engine optimisation (SEO), this involves writing content for three of the brands in order to optimise them in the eyes of Google so that we gain a high position on the search pages. As we all know Google is the metaphorical God of the e-commerce and online world, hence to please this giant of a company is always in our best interest as marketers.
I also spend a wealth of my time looking at the online analytics information of the websites, analysing the customer journey and generally trying to improve the websites for both our benefit and for the user (I think it’s best I hold back on all the details, I don’t want you gaining a ultra-boring perspective of me). But in-case you’re interested in the brands that I work with, here they are:
- www.curvissa.co.uk – The ‘plus size’ brand
- www.witt-international.co.uk – The ‘older’ brand
- www.bonprix.co.uk – The ‘younger’ brand
Here’s where I call it an end… well until the next time I feel like talking to myself, and now that the introductions are over the ‘more interesting’ posts can begin….