Cigar Industry and the Internet -- Who gets it, who doesn't

Here's a news flash to the cigar industry -- the Internet works!

Especially for potential customers.

In researching cigars I have enjoyed to get the inside dope on their products, what I found was damned-near appauling in what some companies consider their "Web presence."

Face it, in a word of mouth world of marketing, having a clear and informative Web site is a minimal requirement. Having one that is attactive and current is essential.

What amazed me most in my search was that the companies whose products are held in the highest regards by the industry have Web sites that look like they were done on a Commodore 64.

GET WITH IT!!! The cigar industries demographics are people who enjoy the finer things in life. People who think nothing of spending several hundreds of dollars on a product THAT THEY BURN!!! They are people who are in the know. Captains of Industry. Difference Makers. Game Changers. How can you possibly speak to them if your Web site is busted?

Some understand the importance of Web presence and their sites are fountains of information. No small wonder that these companies are emerging and turning potential first time customers into long time customers.

What makes a Web site important in this context is that it gives the customer a feeling of knowing the brand. On a Web site, you can see what a company is doing, what items are making their way to the shops, accolades from the industry, etc.

And how easy is it to slap your Web address on anything -- cigar boxes, the label, all the promotional materials. You don't see that from the industry and once that happens, those companies can expect to see higher returns. Unless of course, they maintain the status quo on their site design.

Who gets it

Zino by Davidoff - The "cool" music and flash features have nothing to do with why I love this site.

First off, it's easy to read and viewers don't need to scroll a lot on the site. The nav bar on the right hand side is organized and uncluttered. When a viewer clicks on Crown Series, the center of the display changes much like a PowerPoint presentation. Again, no need to scroll down. The viewer then has the capabilities of selecting a variety of cigars to learn more info on each smoke. Again, no disruption, no changing pages, no scrolling down. Specs are given beneath a short and sweet narrative of the product. The viewer can then choose to see the presentation or learn about the cigar blends. They whet your appetite and then let you know what to expect when you go to your favorite smoke shop to purchase.

But most important -- they maintain a brand identity that isn't bouncing all over the place. I found the site informative way before I was impressed with its technical coolness. Big thumbs up.

Oliva - Not only is Oliva hot in the shops, but its simple and elegant Web site is informative and reader friendly. There is a true brand consistency throughout the site and pages don't jump around. Readers will appreciate the level of detail the content goes into interms of their products, no matter if they are smoking Olivas or Master Blends. Pictures speak a thousand words and by seeing the different sizes accompanied with the tobacco information and some tasting notes in such a clear and concise layout, customers know what they will be getting themselves into.

The site is deficient in one category; a tasting notes section is said to be coming soon. Readers don't like seeing "coming soon" or "under construction" so they should consider removing and make a decent size splash on their homepage once this is ready.

Who doesn't

Rocky Patel - Cigars rated "Best of the Best" by the 2004 Robb Report -- Web site has to be rated worst of the worst by the Doormatt Report. Disorganized, difficult to read, and definitely does not reflect the quality of the cigars or Mr. Patel's importance to the industry. Rock, you say it yourself in the homepage:

"We take great pride in offering you some of the finest cigars in the
world."

Mission accomplished, but dear Vishnu your site looks like a 4th grader did it with a Tandy. Must I use my mouse to chase down the fast scrolling "events" icon, only to find out that the page is "under construction?" It's like playing a video game designed in the 80's. You are too good for such a lackluster Web site.

Arturo Fuente - First off - Cigar Family dot com? Was Arturo Fuente dot com taken? You make the Opus X series, the cigar that first gave the Cubans a legitimate reason to sweat.

Side note: I remember the first one I smoked, a good friend of mine gave one to me right before Christmas from his father's humidor. It was like holding a bar of gold in my hand.

How on earth can anyone get that feeling when you have a ridiculous cartoon opening up your homepage, which has absolutely no brand presence. Where's the Fuente logo on the homepage? You have to click on "our cigars" in order to see it.

Lots of scrolling + lots of page changes + black background and fuzzy product pictures - a true brand identity = a terrible Web site.

What's worse, Fuente's new print ads are genius -- I am thinking of the picture of Ernest Hemingway getting off the plan for Fuente's Hemingway line of cigars. Where's that type of creativity on the site?

Altadis USA - Montecristo. Romeo Y Julieta. H. Upmann. Juan Lopez. Royal Jamaican. These are names every cigar smokers has come to learn and love.

Their Web site on the other needs a lot of love. I give them credit, they were the first site to ask if I was of legal tobacco consumption age, so maybe those youth smoking prevention programs are working after all.

After that, this site is a disaster. Three collumns filled with clutter. Lots of scrolling, lots of clicking around.

And then there's the cheeseball radio ads. Make sure you turn the speakers way up to hear this. And this. And don't forget this.

Oh wait, one more - this one takes the cake. I may never be able to purchase a Montecristo Platinum again. "Oh yeah baby, when I go platinum, I go platinum all the way." Who the HELL are you marketing to?

Altadis deserves some credit; this site has the most information on cigars of sites I have seen, perhaps too much. But overall, site needs a lot of work.

As I explore this subject deeper, I will certainly give some insight on other Web sites, some improvements I have noticed, and some suggestions to those sites that are hurtin'.