We included a postcard with each shipment asking people to spread the word about CellarThief.
and we earned incredible customer loyalty. We still call mobile database some of our early customers friends today.
We got some initial traction and some initial sales. And then it was time to try to grow the business to the next level.
Like many small, self-funded
businesses, we had little money and some big competition. There were big online wine retailers and some new entrants into the market offering a deal a day on great wines. So, we had to figure out how to stand out, and we had to figure out the math of our business quickly.
Ultimately, no matter how passionate you are about a business idea, you need to figure out how to drive customers. And, with so much competition in nearly every industry on earth, you need to find a channel that you can win and own.
At the time, we simply couldn’t afford paid acquisition to view the full report and learn more, click here channels. Those channels were much more accessible back then, but our margins were slim… and, well, did I mention we were self-funded?! So, we had to find a channel that would allow us to build relationships with our customers and lead to regular, consistent sales.
We got great press, even
being named a “Hot 100” retailer by Internet fresh list Retailer (a big deal at the time). That press was great, but it was fleeting.
We would get a media hit, see some customers come in, and then two weeks later the traffic would drop off and we would have to get another media hit. It was tough and it meant our sales were out of our control.
So, we took a deep breath and looked at what was driving our sales. Most companies just don’t do that. They have their channels, they have their budgets, and they have their sales. And they just don’t put in the effort to understand where their best customers are coming from. We were the same.
