Posted by Doug Caverly

The BigCommerce $35,000 Ecommerce Makeover Contest has come to a close, and the winner is a company that manages to recycle material, make fashionable bags, and help animals: Gorilla Sacks.

BigCommerce described the victorious organization by stating, “[G]rand prize winner Gorilla Sacks converts retired billboards into one-of-a-kind messenger, market, tote and sling bags.  The company also donates 10% of its profits to Gorilla Haven, whose mission is to help make every captive gorilla’s life as enriched and natural as possible.”

Nice, eh?  That last fact alone might even justify awarding Gorilla Sacks the top prize pack, which is supposed to include a professional store redesign, a Google AdWords audit from one company, and a marketing consultation with another.

But Mitchell Harper, co-founder and co-CEO of BigCommerce, observed, “Gorilla Sacks is already a successful online and offline retail business, and her recycled products and commitment to helping gorillas resonate with today’s eco-minded consumers.  With a professional and full-featured ecommerce website, Gorilla Sacks can easily grow their business even more, getting the site found by search engines, better serving customers, and completing more sales.”

Many of the company’s practices are probably worth imitating, then, and not just its commitment to supporting animals.  After all, even if only a few companies can win contests like this, many more can be successful.

Other places to look for ecommerce inspiration should include the four runners-up: CoastCityStyles.com, KettleBellsUSA.com, LatinPopShop.com, and OverTheMoonRibbons.com.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 11:07 am and is filed under News. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About the Author: Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.