Westminster Group says new website has been instrumental in expanding marketing operations

Security technology specialist Westminster Group (AIM: WSG) repoerted an 89% increase in online enquiries and a 62% increase in online sales since it launched its new ‘Generation 2’ website in April 2009. According to Westminster, the website has achieved nearly a threefold increase in the average visitor number compared to the previous website, based on record unique visitor numbers in January 2010.

“The new web site has been instrumental in supporting an ever growing network of agents and clients with updated product and solution information”, Westminster chief executive Peter Fowler commented. “It significantly extends our reach, enquiry turnaround and client engagement in a very effective and scalable way whilst demonstrating our breadth of products and services to a global market 24 hours a day”.

According to Westminster, the new website’s visibility is much improved, with 41 of its products ranked number 1 on internet search engine Google. For example the company notes that its products achieve the top rankings in searches for Baggage Scanners, Diver Detection, Pipeline Security, Fire Alarm Testing Equipment and Mine Detection Equipment. Furthermore, Westminster said that 241 other products also appear on the first results page of leading search engines.

Westminster said the ‘Generation2’ website is now considered one of the largest security/defence websites of its kind. The website’s performance is key to achieving customer awareness and emphasising the importance Westminster plays in delivering information to the international security market, the company said.

“Our representatives in target markets are often working in hostile environments with inconsistent postal and delivery systems.  We are now able to deliver significant volumes of information which can be updated instantaneously and can respond to changes in client specifications without significant inconvenience, delay and cost”, Fowler added.

Westminster noted that the expansion of its global marketing operations was one of its goals when listing on London’s AIM market in June 2007, it and has been making considerable progress in this area. In January, the company’s Westminster International division appointed a dedicated sales director in response to the significant increase in enquiry levels and new orders since 2007.

The higher level of activity also resulted in the opening of two new offices, in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur, and the appointment of further agents.

Moreover the company’s ongoing commercial progress can be evidenced by a number of significant contract wins since the turn of the year. Most notably, in January Westminster entered into a four year framework contract with the UK Ministry of Justice to provide security services for UK prisons. At the time CEO Fowler said the prestigious long term contract represented a valuable endorsement of the company’s standing in the security industry.

Also in January, the company’s RMS Integrated Solutions subsidiary won a new contract worth £100,000 to provide a range of security services to the Upper Academy in Basildon, UK. The contract was the second Basildon Academy job awarded to RMS, following the successful completion of its contract for the Lower Academy. The deal involved the provision of Fire & Intruder Alarms, Disabled Refuge and Disabled WC warning systems throughout the development.

Westminster Group plans to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2009 on 15 April 2010.

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