How Does a Company Build a Million Dollar Brand Online?

My jaw dropped when I received the following testimonial in an email from my client. Not out of surprise that it was accomplished, but more out of the seeming ease and expediency that it happened.

“Next Door SEO helped playingcarddecks.com from almost day one grow into a million dollar brand within 2 years.”

When I met the owner, Will Roya, in his Las Vegas office, it was clear that he is a focused and humble individual. He’s also a very smart business man and it’s a pleasure to partner with him in promoting his business. We talked in Jan 2018 about his plans to grow the company to $1 million and since then, he has systematically executed and succeeded with his plan.

How did he build a million dollar brand?

Let’s dive into some of the key elements of success for PlayingCardDecks.com in the ecommerce space.

Exceptional Customer Service

This has been the cornerstone of PlayingCardDecks.com’s 5 star reputation and growing customer base.  Out of all the business owners I have met and talked with, no one embodies the spirit of customer service into their daily practices more than Will Roya.  When I was visiting him in person, he shared his customer service philosophy which is clearly rooted in his experience with person to person sales.  His customer satisfaction guarantee is only the tip of the iceberg for the true value that he puts on listening, learning and interacting with his customers.

Niche and Product Selection

Will launched PlayingCardDecks.com in April 2017 as a way to move out of doing traveling road sales and magic shows. He is an established performer who is very tuned into his audience.  When he realized that playing card decks were selling well, easy to ship, collectible and growing in value, as well as unlikely to be returned, he saw an opportunity to make his mark in the market.

While some people pick a niche and grow a store, Will’s relationship with the industry is deep and established as he had made a name for himself long before moving into the ecommerce space.  It was already intuitive for him to talk with playing card collectors, magicians, and cardists about different decks, how they’re cut, how they handle, etc.  And that made it easy for him to fit right in on forums and with other industry influencers.

Another thing that Will is well aware of is the importance of bringing in fresh new products.   Not only does he bring in new decks every week, he’s also successfully launched over a dozen Kickstarter custom playing card decks, with each launch successively building the reputation and following of his brand. As his inventory and reputation have grown, so has his organic traffic from SEO, which is now one of his higher converting traffic sources.

In addition to the new products, he launched a monthly subscription box which includes prototypes, new releases and other specials. He is always publishing fresh content on his blog that is valuable and interesting for people who are both new to playing cards and deep into the industry.

Marketing Consistency

Every week since the beginning, PlayingCardDecks has been sending out the Tuesday newsletter with current promotions, new decks, blog post, and any other newsworthy items.  The consistency of the newsletter to his growing customer base continues to snowball sales as he offers amazing deals to repeat customers.

Other factors add into the consistency of marketing and brand recognition.  PlayingCardDecks.com consistently posts on facebook and instagram. Will has successfully established himself as an expert and added value in various industry forums which send quite a bit of business his way. 

He has also been able to establish relationships with influencers, but not in the way that many people think.  He’s found that “trust is earned, not bought,” and the most successful influencer relationships come from other people in the industry who know, like, and trust him.

As a result of some of these other factors, the biggest element of his traffic and new customers comes from ranking in organic search results, which has skyrocketed over the last two years.

Consistent Focus on the Vision

Over the last two years, challenges and growing pains popped up, as they will continue to. Will got through them and created solutions by staying true to his vision: “To be your #1 playing card supplier.”  From finding reliable in-house employees to software solutions for syncing inventory, every stage of growth has required diligence as he steers the ship.  While he keeps his mind open about new ideas and possibilities for growth, he’s not afraid to give them up and stay focused on things that are already working.

The success of PlayingCardDecks.com is no surprise based on the focus and dedication that Will Roya has poured into building the brand and delivering impeccable products and service to his customers.  There is much to be learned from his team’s success and it is a privilege to contribute to the success of a quality business like PlayingCardDecks.com.

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level, let’s examine the opportunity in your market.  

Click here to contact me or call 980-292-6777 to schedule a no-obligation, complimentary consultation.

I look forward to discovering solutions with you!