Today, we officially released a new feature called Bundles. These are curated collections of products that we have put together and offer at a discount. I mention this because bundles are a great example of what we are trying to achieve with MrSnuff.
Rather than simply marketing this particular change, I wondered if the more thoughtful snuffhouse members might appreciate a deeper insight into how they reveal our strategic planning for the site and the business.
The interesting thing about bundles is that, in their own small way, they encapsulate the three principles that have become my focus: Price, Selection, and Convenience.
Bundles are discounted (price), they contain a range of products (selection), and you can buy them all with a click or two (convenience). Swapping those around, let’s see how they apply more generally to our strategic planning:
Selection
This has always been MrSnuff’s strong suit; however, the range has been declining of late. With the loss of manufacturers to both government red tape and the transition to nicotine pouches, coupled with a focus on our core business, MrSnuff has seen its range of products contract.
This contraction has now stopped and we are once again actively expanding our product range. Carefully and methodically, we are adding new snuffs from different manufacturers, sometimes from difficult countries that require significant investment.
We are also expanding our selection of accessories that will be tested and considered before being added. We want as broad a selection as possible, whilst also maximising the quality.
Convenience
There are a number of factors that contribute to convenience. Selection plays a part; the more selection, the more convenient it is because you don’t need to make multiple orders from different sites. Shipping also; the faster, more reliable, and more transparent the pricing, the more convenient it is to order. But the most important factor is the user experience when shopping on the website. Poor design, ineffective search, slow loading speeds, incorrect pictures, and inaccurate descriptions are all inconvenient.
We have put significant effort into improving all these aspects of the user experience, primarily by stripping everything back and then building out from a core of simplicity. Technically, the sites (there are four, although you may only use one) have been transformed. Loading speeds are improved; the search has been overhauled; the product images have been optimised and properly categorised; buying is easier; stock levels are now shown; and so on.
But all this effort just gets us to the starting line because the real transformation is on its way. I intend MrSnuff to be not just a convenient sales channel, but a genuine service to the snuff community. I want our descriptions to be accurate, concise, and informative. I want each product to be backed by an independently sourced data specification that includes all the major points such as tobacco, grind, cure, adjuncts, strength, ease of use, tasting notes, independent expert ratings, independent expert reviews, aggregated community reviews, and more, so that you are not just making a utilitarian purchase, instead you are making an enjoyable, informed decision from a trusted resource. This is not a pipe dream, because while convenience is harder than selection, it is also just as important.
Price
MrSnuff’s Achilles’ heel has been price. For a long time, the prices were either wrong or usurious. When I first took over, I made the decision to address this issue aggressively, and whilst that improved things, many errors and anomalies remained. To fix this, we have initiated a second, global price review.
Supplier by supplier, product by product, every single price is being analysed and corrected. Only this time, there is a strategic difference. We are aiming for nothing less than to complete the triangle of price, selection, and convenience - by being the cheapest.
“We will not be beaten on price”; that will be our boast. It will take time to get right, but once we are there, we intend on staying there.
TL;DR
Price, Selection, and Convenience. Get these three things right, and you will be providing a good service. Optimise them fully, and you will be providing the best service. We at MrSnuff are nothing if not ambitious.
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