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Adam Savage talks to Castleford-based dealer Mark Abrahams of Vision Guitars

A common move for retailers is to launch a website after establishing a physical shop, but what if you were to do it the other way round? Adam Savage discovered a fast-moving business in Castleford that did just that and continues to grow…

One of the main talking points at this year’s MI Retail Conference was that in order for retailers to survive in the current climate, establishing a good online presence has gone from being beneficial to essential.

As a result of this, many of the event’s attendees may have gone back to their shops and sat straight down at their computer to spruce up their dodgy website rather than their store displays. But Mark Abrahams of Vision Guitars in Castleford knew all about the crucial nature of the internet from the beginning.

The Vision story is actually a bit of an unusual one. The business started as an online-only service back in 2006, but rather than spending the next five years building solely on this, Abrahams did the exact reverse of the typical MI retailer by going from a website to a physical shop. Instead of struggling to cope, he found himself outgrowing the premises in a remarkably short space of time, prompting him to move into a larger building as soon as the opportunity arose.

While working at another store in Castleford, he found that there was a lack of guitar supplies in that area that met his personal requirements, which gave him the idea of starting up a guitar business of his own to cater for customers with similar needs to himself.

Some will call him crazy for not only unveiling a new store in such a tough period with a successful website already in place, but also for opening in an area with a fair amount of competition. Not only are there other stores in Castleford, but nearby Leeds, Bradford and Barnsley also offer a multitude of MI dealerships. Abrahams insists, however, that although it was tricky, he knew what he was doing.

“Setting it up was a challenge, but I’ve worked in retail for a long time – I’ve been in MI for 15 years, spending nine years at Academy of Sound,” he says. “Therefore I knew a lot of people and suppliers, so I was able to get started pretty quickly. I was able to open the shop just two months after leaving the store I was working at previously.”

Once again, after just a couple of years in the original store, Abrahams was already looking to take his business to the next level. With the size of the shop proving to be a major obstacle, expansion seemed like the most logical option.

“The first shop was not much bigger than a living room, but the reason for the move was to expand on the lines as well as just the space,” he explains.

Now, Vision Guitars is able to offer customers entry-level drum kits, along with PA and lighting gear – despite very much maintaining its guitar-related priorities – and there are also plans for entering the keyboard market currently in place.

Back in March when the expansion was announced, Abrahams highlighted the importance of ‘moving with the times in retail’. This might not be a groundbreaking comment, but when you look at just how seriously he takes online retailing – and the success he is enjoying as a result of his efforts – it becomes clear that this retailer is in a good position to advise those refusing to accept that being web savvy is the way forward.

“Some of the shops that have shut down recently didn’t even have websites and many of the others seem like they’re stuck in the 1970s,” comments Abrahams. “If you’ve got a site, you can’t just use it for selling. People need to try before they buy, so you need to use it as a way of attracting people in to your shop.

“I also ensure that I’m high up on the Google rankings, as it’s almost like a free form of advertising. Although it’s difficult to get a good spot on the search engines due to everyone competing for the same keywords, it’s the localised results where you really start to see benefits. I check where I am on Google every day and if I had the time, I’d spend an hour a day doing SEO (search engine optimisation) alone.”

To other dealers, the mere thought of checking your site’s position on Google as regular as this would be a complete waste of time, but if you look into just how many referrals to a website come from the world’s number one search engine, it begins to make sense.

Perhaps the most impressive thing of all is that Abrahams has done this almost singlehandedly. With just one other part timer as company, he now juggles the shop and the website – admittedly putting in some serious hours to do so – but the main thing is that it’s paying off.

So aside from the great website, what are the strengths of the physical store?
“We try to offer amazing customer service, we’ll set up guitars if required and generally go the extra mile to help with the purchase, all while providing top brands like Blackstar, Yamaha and Schecter,” he explains.

“We’re not just here to take your hard earned money, we also try to offer a service to the local community, whether it be supporting local schools and charities, arranging tuition or instrument repairs.”

As for the future, the owner has highlighted a few areas that could do with improvement, which is hardly surprising when you look at its rapid its progression up to this point. One gets the impression that although he is happy with his business, he’s always ready to start a new chapter.

“We’re always looking to expand our lines without going mad. As well as the possibility of entering the keyboard market, we’re looking at expanding our bass and acoustic offering,” he reveals.

You’ve got to admire his bravery. Many other dealers would have struggled to see the last few years through in Abrahams’ shoes, but a combination of dedication and online know-how have kept him on the right path.

Guide To Buying Guitars Online

Buying anything from online retailers can often be the most convenient and cost effective way of shopping, however, buying a Guitar online can be a very daunting experience for even the most experienced guitarists so we have put together a list of what we consider the most important things to consider when you are ready to Buy a Guitar Online.

1. Always buy from a real Guitar shop, avoid buying a Guitar from stores like Argos, Supermarkets,  Ebuyer etc, stores like these may be great for buying a cheap laptop, camera or flat pack table but when it comes to Guitars and other Musical Instruments these people know nothing about what they are selling you.
2. Check for returns / exchange policys. Remember all Guitars are different from each other, you could play 10 Guitars of the same make and model and they will all feel or sound different in one way or another, a good online Guitar retailer should offer a period in which you can return the instrument for a full refund or exchange.
3. Dont be frightened of asking for help! On any online Guitar shop there should be a telephone number you can call to speak to experienced staff who can help assist with your purchase or any questions you may have about an item you may be interested in.
4. Look out for package deals / bundles. So you're spending a fair amount on a nice new Electric Guitar and you would like a Guitar Case to keep or transport it in, some online shops offer discounted cases / accessories when you are purchasing the Guitar, you may save £10 on a case for example if you buy at the same time as the Guitar, the extra you are paying for adding the case on may also be enough for you to qualify for free delivery in which case you may save twice!
5. Is the Guitar set up and ready to play straight out of the box?.. Make sure the retailer you are buying from checks their Guitars over before despatching them, Guitars need to be "set up" every now and then. . a bit like a service on a car, this could mean checking the neck is straight, the intonation and action are set correctly or just that the strings are new, if you have to take a Guitar into a store to be set up this could cost you £30+

Here at Vision Guitars we are proud to say we offer all of the above so not only can we offer you a great Guitar at a great price but we can guarantee that when it gets to you its ready to play straight from the box!

Buy Electric and Acoustic Guitars Online

Schecter Guitars

We are Yorkshires biggest dealer of Schecter Guitars and currently have a great range in stock including the new Omen Extreme range with choices of fixed bridge or floyd rose and available in 6 and 7 string versions and all for around 300 quid!

Our stock of Schecter Guitars also includes the Popular Schecter Damien and Hellraiser models which feature EMG active pickups which are a perfect choice for modern metal music due to their tight, compressed and punchy sound.

Schecter Guitars are very popular with many of the worlds biggest bands including Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Synyster Gates who has his own Schecer Synyster Gates Custom Guitar which is built to Syn's exact specifications including Seymour Duncan pickups and pin stripe finish.

Schecter were founded in 1976 by David Schecter as a Guitar parts company, supplying high quality Guitar bodies, necks and parts. in 1978 Schecter started offering custom shop Electric Guitars available from selected specialist Guitar Shops, these guitars were usualy high end versions of Fenders Stratocaster and Telecaster designs and often refered to as the "Schecter Dream Machines". Mark Knopfler and Pete Townsend are amongst their most famous users.

New guitar shop now open in Castleford, West Yorkshire

Vision Guitars, the Castleford based Guitar and Musical Instruments retailers who sprung from nowhere just 18 months ago are set to open the doors of their brand new store on Albion Street, Castleford later this month.

Vision Guitars started life as a bedroom based Internet Company and opened their first store in September 2009. Now stocking equipment from leading brands such as Yamaha, Blackstar and Schecter the Castleford retailers are expanding into a new much larger modern showroom.

The new store will feature more Guitar related products and also will be branching out into other instruments and band equipment including Drums, PA and Entertainment Lighting.

"You have to move with the times in retail and we feel with the new store we have created a modern, relaxed family friendly environment unique to the area where you are welcome to spend as long as you like browsing or demoing the instruments on display, We're not just here to take your hard earned money though, we also try to offer a service to the local community, whether it be supporting local schools and charities, arranging tuition or instrument repairs. If we can help in any way, we are always happy to" says Mark Abrahams the store owner and local Guitarist

The new Vision Guitars store is located just 100m along from the current store at 12 Albion Street, Castleford and will be opening in the middle of March with an official opening day to be announced shortly after which will feature special one day only offers, competitions, demos and more.