Introduce your business and tell us your story: How did you decide on what to sell, and how did you source your products?
I have been involved in sales and marketing of technology products for the media and entertainment industry for most of my career. MacVideo Promo is a "deal of the month" website aimed at offering exclusive, limited-time deals for these types of products. All of the products we supply are computer software applications that are delivered to buyers electronically. We source the e-goods directly from the software application developers.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
We launched MacVideo Promo via a "Holiday Bundle" that included a number of software applications. All of the participating software developers agreed to promote the bundle as affiliates - and this played a big role in a successful launch. Our e-mail subscriber list now includes over 50,000 names; most traffic and sales are generated via e-mail campaigns.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
We use FetchApp for automated delivery of download links and Serial Numbers; this app is fundamental to our business model. We use Enlistly to manage our affiliate program which is another on-going source of traffic and sales. And MailChimp for Shopify is very useful as it populates our e-mail list with related purchase information, allowing us to finely tune campaigns based on each customer's purchase history.
What are your top recommendations for new store owners?
There is no better way to grow your audience, gain credibility, and save money than through co-marketing with partners - including vendors, complementary websites, and even your customers. Consistently planning cross-promotions and nurturing an affiliate program can help you build a business that seems much larger than it actually is.