At the beginning of 2021, you embarked on a mission to rebrand an established brand. In hindsight, do you feel this was the right decision?
P.A.: It was necessary in order for us to launch our own international expansion. We measure this by numbers, specifically by the number of people actively searching for the Dexfinity brand on the internet. After more than two years, we are at the same numbers as the original brand was after twenty-five years, so we are very satisfied.
How did you manage to grow from a local online marketing agency to a company that helps clients with marketing in thirty-two countries around the world?
P.A.: Two words: determination and perseverance. We didn’t want to do everything for everyone. In the narrow segment of companies that sell online (e-commerce), we hit the ceiling of the category, and the market, very early on and we needed to look further, beyond borders. Sometimes the initial driver is the realisation that it’s a pointless battle for one small market, by which I mean Slovakia, and for the same customer. Other times it’s not wanting to be held hostage by the economic and political situation of one country. Simply put, the desire to grow and to do business more freely forced us to overcome all kinds of boundaries.
What specific steps did you take?
P.A.: We started looking for clients and launching sales abroad for those clients where it made sense to do so. We made sure that the website or online store was correctly set up to sell in the new country, and we prepared a marketing strategy to help them acquire their first customers and achieve the target revenue. We looked for clients with fine-tuned domestic processes such as purchasing, product delivery, customer service, logistics and stable financing. It wouldn’t have been possible without a solid background. Client after client, we grew in tandem with their successes. Some have since developed into long-term partners with whom we are building long-term strategies for the years ahead.
Google has chosen you as the only Slovak company for its exclusive program for international expansion (IGAP). What value does this bring to your clients?
P.A.: Our primary focus is maximising the effectiveness of marketing and advertising in Google Ads. Nowadays, this means linking advertising across Google search, YouTube, Gmail, mobile, maps and social media – basically the entire online space. In marketing, everything is connected to everything. Marketing is your megaphone, allowing you to shout out to the world, “Buy me, I’m the best!” But it’s also the big ears that must listen and push feedback to improve the product and customer experience and service as a whole. We are delighted to benefit from the support, know-how and human resources directly from Google’s European headquarters in Dublin which we can apply to the client’s needs.
What kind of support would that be, for example?
For one client, it might take the form of a fix for a technical problem with ads not displaying properly, which, if you traditionally have to deal with it for days or weeks instead of hours, will generate a loss for the business. If the ad isn’t running, you’re not selling. For another client, a huge value-add might be analysing the competition and customer behaviour, testing the usability of the website and evaluating the overall customer experience with the purchase. Our broad international team and the direct support of people from specific markets is priceless.
What makes you stand out from the competition? Why should a brand choose you?
P.A.: Our specialty is foreign expansion and international marketing. We support a number of our clients with selling in as many as fifteen countries at the same time. We are a Google Premier Partner for the seventh year in a row and are one of the top online marketers in all of Europe. Thanks to this, we also have access to exclusive Google export tools, with which we can select the appropriate market based on real data. We can estimate product demand, compare country economic indicators, segment growth, estimate advertising costs, and evaluate customer behaviour. Every failed attempt to expand into a given market is money down the drain. With our consultations, we strive to minimise the risk and increase the chance of success.
Are there any benefits for clients with whom you have long-term cooperation?
P.A.: Through real-world experience and innovative tools, we are able to work with our clients to achieve their goals. Therefore, we offer long-term partners the possibility of commission-based collaboration, where they pay for our services in line with the results achieved. Marketing agencies often bill according to how much media money flows through them or the hours they “clock” on a client. We are forged in the world of e-commerce. It taught us to measure “everything.” This kind of collaboration requires the highest quality on both sides. We select our partners with great confidence in their abilities and the sustainability of the business.
You work with powerful brands such as BioTech USA, IRISIMO, Zajo, Northfinder, MALL and Panta Rhei. What benefits did your team bring them?
J.A.: A universal, “goal-oriented mindset”. Working with Dexfinity is results-oriented. Clients can count on the marketing to work. When it doesn’t, it hurts us just as much, if not more, than it does the client.
Do you need help?
Have you got a high-quality product that you would like to get out into the world? Make use of our know-how, exclusive export tools and close partnership with Google. Together we will turn your ambitions into reality.
