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E-commerce
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Content Marketing: Sans Online’s weapon against Zalando

Sans Online X Twinkle

Casual branded clothing

This article was produced in collaboration with Sans Online and Twinkle.

If you’re wondering which major clothing retailer has been running an online shop for the longest, there’s one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Sans Online, based in Rijssen in the Twente region, went online as early as 2008, with family man Tom Sans taking the helm. It was a pioneering role in which Sans himself had to learn the ropes of the web.

Thirteen years on, Sans Online has grown into a leading player in the e-commerce world, which – thanks in part to Digital Marketing Agency Traffic Today – continues to grow in terms of brand awareness, organic search rankings and orders. Here’s a glimpse.

Family business

Due to the coronavirus measures, all businesses are closed, including Sans’s two physical clothes shops in the heart of Rijssen, where it all began for the company. “My father (Herman, ed.) started out in 1987 with a small shop measuring 150 square metres,” begins Tom Sans, recounting his story from the canteen at the nearby distribution centre.

“My brother Nick (who runs the Sans and Sans Outlet shops in Rijssen, ed.) and I were 5 and 7 at the time. Even as a young lad, I was already helping to stock the clothes, and my mother supported my father in his work.” In 1992, the company continued to grow and began collaborating with franchisees who opened shops in places such as Nijverdal and Borne.

The move to the web

Back when Sans was still pottering about in the shop, he had absolutely no intention of taking over the business from his parents. But that outlook suddenly changed in 2006. “I’d been running a L’Esprit franchise shop for a few years, and when they launched an online shop, I started getting fewer customers in my shop. That year, my parents asked my brother (who’d just finished his studies, ed.) and me if we could draw up a plan for a takeover,” Sans recalls.

“A few friends and I started Sans Online back then. At the time, you could actually still buy URLs for popular search terms. That’s how we ended up right at the top of Google.”

Traffic Today

Initially, the Twente native ran Sans Online from his mobile phone, back when orders weren’t coming in as thick and fast as they do today. Soon, Tom’s brother’s wife joined in to organise photos, orders and customer enquiries.

Although Sans Online was doing well, Sans wanted to take his business to the next level. To this end, he got in touch with Steven Lubbers, director of Traffic Today. “He immediately came up with a few eye-openers that we’d overlooked. That energy really suited me,” says Sans. “Traffic Today is all about self-reliance, and Steven said: ‘If you don’t like it, just stop.’ I wasn’t used to that from an online marketing agency, as many agencies are very pushy from the outset.”

Senior Online Marketer Dominique Bouwmeester was put in charge of the project and immediately set to work on the quick wins. “In terms of SEO and content, there was still some ground to be made. We categorised the text and wanted to ensure that people arrived on the site more specifically via a particular keyword. By focusing on brands and product groups that align well with the product range, we’re getting the most out of the campaign. In addition, a weekly scan is carried out to check whether an update is needed, as the website is constantly being updated.”

Sans adds: “We really want to be a branded online shop for the over-35s. We don’t see the big players as competitors in this regard.” Bouwmeester picks up on this. “In terms of business operations, there’s no competition, but when it comes to SEO, there certainly is. It’s often said that you can’t overtake the big players, but thanks to our approach, we’re certainly on a par with companies like Zalando.” Sans nods contentedly. “When I’m on the phone with Dominique, I feel like I’ve found someone who understands me. They pick up where we left off. Those brainstorming sessions confirm the feeling that we’re on the right track, and that really adds value,” concludes Sans.

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