This is a story about food. And how Web technology helped me sate a desire for short ribs. Oh, there is a marketing lesson in here too.

I was on vacation in Stowe, VT last week. The condo we stayed at had a full kitchen, and as was my desire, I spent evenings preparing meals for my wife and I plus our guests. One evening, I decided I wanted to make Braised Short Ribs with Sundried Tomatoes and serve them on a bed of Sardinian Fregola with Pancetta. All well and good, but where to find all those ingredients in Stowe, VT.

Turns out a small specialty foods store in town had the fregola, pancetta and sundried tomatoes. But finding the short ribs was another story. After driving around to multiple stores including the large Shaw’s in Waterbury, I realized I was carrying my Android phone…so a quick Google search of “Butcher Stowe VT” yielded Green Top Market in Morristown as the top native search result. A click to their very professional web page, a click on the address via Google Maps, and off I went to Morristown…about 8 miles north of Stowe.

Their website had headings for their Artisan Butcher Shop, a Wine and Beer Pairing Guide, their commitment to local farmers, organic produce…you get the point. When I got to Morristown, the store turned out to be tiny, but impeccably maintained, and carrying my short ribs along with other fine meat, produce, wine, baked goods…all at good prices.

All this in the middle of nowhere (Morristown is stop sign enclave outside of Morrisville…a small town itself).

This story embodies everything that experts teach about Internet marketing. Their search results helped me find them, the website presented a professional image giving me confidence in driving out-of-the-way to get to them, and their products paid off on my journey…encouraging me to spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, and now my blog. Millions of businesses of all sizes could learn from this simple example.

Oh. And the Vermont organic beef short ribs were exceptional.