About Cafe Racers United
Reinoud Tjallema MSc (Motorcycles United)
How the story began...
“I wasn’t in it for commercial gain but really to help other people with a passion for motorcycles. Next to my full-time job I invested at least 20-30 hours a week –purely because I liked it. I think that’s why the community has grown rapidly and has remained very authentic.” Motorcycles United, the current name of the company, now has several channels, with an audience of more than 300,000 followers and members.
‘Time for a one-stop shop’
In 2014 he launched Caferacerwebshop.com, which now receives orders from all over Europe. “If the whole customer experience is excellent from start to finish, growth follows automatically. That’s why, for instance, every one of our customers receives a personal note with his or her order. Regardless of the country we write it in their local language. Constantly improving the customer experience is always top of mind at Caferacerwebshop.com.”
‘An app improves the customer experience’
Another motive for the app was to improve the mobile experience. “The possibilities for continual improvement are limited in a browser-based mobile webstore. Apps are much more user friendly and I really saw an app as adding value to the customer experience. “
After an initial conversation with another app developer stalled, Reinoud met with JMango360. “The personal approach appealed to me a lot. That’s how I treat my customers — with good communication and great service. ”
‘You shouldn’t even look at in-app revenue in the first year’
Despite that long-term view, Caferacerwebshop.com’s results have skyrocketed. The app is available in three languages (English, Dutch and German) and pulls new users and sales from all over Europe each month. While most orders originate from the Netherlands, the app’s growing reputation in Germany is fueling more downloads and in-app sales.
Even more important for Reinoud is that customers find the app “super smooth” and “super fast”. “We are the only web store in the motorcycle business that offers such an app, and that is appreciated by the community. Focusing on quality means we stand out from the crowd.”
‘Tapping the power of community’
Moreover, a community provides an excellent sounding board. “You can ask your target group for feedback directly and you can drive enthusiasm and co-creation. We often ask customers for a photo, a description of how they used the part and whether they want to share the story via a blog or their own social channels. It creates a ‘rumor around the brand’ and results in a more engaged community who are happy to share their thoughts with you.”
What will Reinoud’s focus be for the next coming months? “We just launched a complete new design for caferacerwebshop.com. At this new design we’re going to spend even more time on providing better information, customer experience, and cooler products. Customer experience is everything!”