Case Studies
MSPA
Mystery Shopping Providers Association is a trade organization whose members use anonymous resources (mystery shoppers) to improve the levels of service offered by their clients. A single global website supports 3 independent sub-sites for North America, Asia, and Europe. Additionally, three different types of users will use this site: members who are mystery shopping companies; clients who are companies that hire mystery shopping companies; and shoppers who are independent contractors looking for work as a mystery shopper.
Our challenge was to create a website that had a single identity but catered to the unique needs of the 3 chapters and 3 groups of users. We created a variety of online services for each user group that all chapters can use. Read the details of each special service below:
The 3 types of users can easily find the section of the website that is relevant to them
- The MSPA created a shopper certification, verification and testing program to improve the industry by "qualifying" shoppers based on their knowledge of industry best practices. SurfMerchants worked with the MSPA to develop their online certification and testing program. Members' websites can test and verify their shoppers using the MSPA database.
- Members can bulk email certified shoppers to offer them work. If a mystery shopping company needs good shoppers in Boise, they can email all shoppers within a certain radius of Boise.
- To become a certified shopper, the shopper must pay to take their test. We created an ecommerce (shopping cart) option to process the credit card payments on the website before they take the online certification test.
- A central location, or knowledge base, of mystery shopping regulations was created to help the membership navigate them. Regulations vary wildly from state to state and country to country. The MSPA staff post legal information, industry resources, and related materials so all levels of users can benefit.
- A job board lists available assignments for shoppers. It allows shoppers to search for jobs in any given geographic area.
- We created private areas for certified shoppers. Here they can generate invoices for the mystery shopping companies they work for, create business cards to help them drum up more business, and print out their shopping certification certificates.
- The recruitment board is a feature that allows mystery shopping companies to add potential mystery shoppers to their database. This is an easy (and free) way to advertise for new recruits.
- News article management. The MSPA staff can instantly add new articles of interest to the website for the general membership.
Articles of interest are added to keep the membership informed of industry trends
- Live chat rooms provide a place for shoppers and mystery shopping companies to discuss the various topics pertinent to them.
- The MSPA website receives 100,000 hits per month. As an additional revenue stream for the organization, a banner ad system was built that allows the organization to turn these hits into $$$.
- Rotating ads allows for more ads in your given slots.
- Its client managed, so the MSPA staff can make any changes that are needed.
- We track banner ad hits and generate reports for advertisers
- The 5 advertising slots available are geared toward specific audiences — members, clients & shoppers. Advertisers can speak directly to their customers.