Gary Nealon is the founder of RTA Cabinet Store and has built an 8-figure eCommerce business. Gary is also the owner of the Rox Group, a collection of eCommerce sites in the home improvement niche. Rox Group includes one of the largest online distributors and importers of kitchen cabinets in the United States.
They have been featured one over 80 shows on popular networks like HGTV, A&E, and many others. Gary has been featured on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000 as well as being listed as one of Philly’s 100 fastest-growing companies in the past 3 years. Gary also runs WineTrailAdventures.com and Nealon Solutions, which is a marketing company.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:18:22 — 89.7MB)
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [0:37] Jeremy’s introduction of Gary Nealon, founder of RTA Cabinet Store and The Rox Group.
- [1:44] What’s a must for sellers to boost sales?
- [3:39] When did you first consider direct marketing?
- [5:49] How do you get 78k people on a Facebook page about cooking?
- [7:43] How does the messaging differ when the customer is a contractor versus a homeowner.
- [10:25] How did you end up being featured on TV?
- [18:24] What’s the process like for the business?
- [21:02] The biggest mistakes people make on eCommerce.
- [23:41] How did you diversify?
- [28:39] What kind of follow up do you recommend?
- [35:08] Some of the tools Gary has created via his marketing company.
- [42:00] The trials and tribulations of a software company.
- [45:59] How to find the programs they’ve created.
- [46:47] The reality of hiring.
- [54:15] How do you know when to hire?
- [1:02:47] Adding personality to email campaigns and marketing.
- [1:04:44] The biggest challenge in the beginning compared to now.
- [1:07:35] How do you segment your day or your week?
- [1:09:07] What software is essential to your business?
- [1:12:06] Gary’s lead in story before he started RTA Cabinet Store.
- [1:15:05] What’s been the lowest and proudest eCommerce points?
- [1:17:22] The lesson you want to leave us with today?
In this episode…
After facing his share of struggles, Gary has built a hugely successful eCommerce business and is seen as a leader in the industry. From bankruptcy to 8-figure business, it’s clear Gary has been through many obstacles to grow his businesses to the level they are today. Throughout today’s chat, Gary shares the highs and lows, as well as the tactics that help him stand out from the competition.
Gary talks about the number one strategy that helped him take his businesses to the next level: getting to know the customer. He discusses why it’s essential to market directly to the avatar of the ideal customer, and how it made a huge difference in his business. Gary shares why direct marketing helped him turn the corner and truly begin to reach the customer, and how the strategy differs from homeowners to contractors to house flippers.
Gary goes on to discuss more about his marketing strategy and why it’s important to offer high quality free content in order to engage the community. He shares the mindset behind sharing free recipes on the Facebook page in order to target home owners and why he rarely posts an ad for the business. Gary also offers insight into the focus when dealing with contractors and house flippers, and how they connect with them.
In closing, Gary talks about his marketing company and how they came to create automation tools, software and apps for the business. He discusses the biggest challenges he’s faced throughout the growth of the businesses, and why today it’s all about staying ahead of the competition. In closing, Gary shares his high and low point, and a final thought for eCommerce businesses.
Resources Mentioned on this episode
- RTA Cabinet Store
- Wine Trail Adventures
- Data Feed Automation
- Viral Content System
- Olark
- Hootsuite
- MailChimp