A few years ago, former New York cab driver and postal worker Ricardo John a decided he wanted to go into business for himself. The idea of selling online—especially to Hispanic people—looked promising.
"It was just one of those days when you were looking for financial freedom," he says.
With the help of his sister-in-law he set up Roxiesshop.com, a site that sells customized products ranging from puppy toys and products for moms to beach towels, picture frames and other gifts.
Search, he realized, would be the most effective way to draw in traffic.
John notes that keywords such as "unique gifts," "customized gifts," "baby shower cakes," and "puppy training pad cakes" often appear on the first page of Google listings. Even better, they're all organic.
"I'm not pay-per-clicking for anything," he says.
Why this particular product lineup?
"I did research on the products on Google and I just realized there was a demand," he says.
In addition to SEO, the company has done some trade shows, as well as e-mail and small-scale direct mail targeting parents, gift buyers and dog owners, mostly to Hispanic recipients in California, Texas, Virginia and New York.
On top of that, the company is using public relations, such as promoting its second annual baby shower contest through Hispanic PR Wire.
Since its founding, Roxiesshop.com has pulled in revenue of approximately $200,000.
Going forward, John plans to expand both his marketing and product line, having just been granted a patent for the "Beach Buddy," a tote bag fashioned from a large beach towel.
