Budgetext Web Site Given 3.5 Mice

www.budgetext.com

Thanks to the University of Arkansas’ presence in Fayetteville, education is the city’s biggest economic engine. Budgetext Corp. makes a lot of noise in that industry’s vendor sector, but it’s a fairly well-kept secret when it comes to receiving local notoriety.

The firm’s stealthy operation is partly intentional and partly a function of its sales strategy. Budgetext markets itself to grammar and high schools and colleges and universities in all 50 states. The text book and education materials distributor sells to both public and private institutions, relying heavily on an extensive network of field reps to do the leg work.

That’s why Budgetext has made Internet and Intranet use the backbone of its communications system. The firm’s site administrator said the internal Intranet system, which our reviewers did not have access to, has made the company much more efficient.

Account executives in the field use the Intranet to submit and review weekly call reports. Information is transmitted back to the home office, where the firm can keep a close accounting of its sales activity.

It also enables them to download usable programs from the Web to help with their products’ time-sensitive pricing structures.

Budgetext’s site administrator said www.budgetext.com averages 300-500 hits per day depending on the season. The Internet site debuted in the mid 1990s and underwent its first major upgrade two years ago. Prior to that time, the site was almost completely static.

Now it’s a fully functional e-commerce site for customers who have applied and received approval to shop online with Budgetext.

Our reviewers understand that the company puts more emphasis on customer service than the look of its Web site, but overall we found the look fairly ho-hum. All of the hyperlinks were fast and easy, but a little sharper look for a company of Budgetext’s size is probably in order.

The “contact us” link was especially informative, and Budgetext’s support and sales people all responded quickly to e-mail inquiries. We have every confidence that the firm’s customers get the same treatment.

We were especially impressed to find that the site offers an interface for online shipment tracking through UPS or FedEx. From the warehouse to the Web site to the school house, Budgetext appears to be booking.