To compete with bricks-and-mortar stores, Ramler says a focus on customer service is vital.
“The number one key is to make sure you’re fully resourced and have a strong customer service team. We have live chat functionality on our website, so customers can jump on the chat and get an instant response from one of our customer service team, and we also offer 24/7 customer support,” he says.
“We’re also constantly monitoring the social media community and this gives us the chance to respond instantly to customers. We find a lot of our competitors don’t allow people to leave feedback on their pages, but we’d never do that because even if it’s a complaint it gives us a chance to respond.”
Milan Direct focuses its marketing efforts online and Ramler says he knows how every dollar has been spent and what he’s getting in return.
“For all of our customers we know which key words brought them to the site. There is no wastage in our advertising.
“Often in retail the business will know how 50% of the marketing is working, but won’t know what composes that 50%. We know exactly where the money is going.”
Since starting, the business has evolved as both Milan Direct and Kogan have experienced “exponential growth”.
“We just had an office in Carnegie and a tiny little table when we started out, and we used to share the office with Kogan, but now it’s too big,” Ramler says.
Despite its success online, Ramler says Milan Direct would never consider a bricks-and-mortar store.
“This would go against what Milan Direct stands for. We’ll be staying online; we’ve got the best prices because we don’t have showrooms. When it comes down to it, customers want the best prices.”
Ramler says his proudest moments are when he sees a “fantastic product” on the website which wasn’t there the day before.
“I used to find and put all the products on the site, but now I don’t. The business is growing on its own and I love seeing the great furniture and designs pop up on our shop,” he says.
“We’ve listened to the social media community and we’ve started to see a lot more Aussie designers featured on our site.”
For Ramler the business is 24/7, but he likes to intersperse his day with other activities too.
“I’m big into exercise and I try and play tennis after work. When you’re playing tennis you don’t think about work or anything other than beating you opponent,” he says.
“Often after tennis you’ll be left feeling really energetic and I will have lots of ideas. My girlfriend complains I’m never not thinking about the business.”
Looking forward, Ramler says Milan Direct will continue to expand and gain more market share globally, but will maintain its focus on the Australian market.
“That’s our priority because we’re an Aussie business, but we also want to launch globally into more countries where there is a big demand. So we’re looking to expand into others which we’ve researched,” he says.
The markets Milan Direct target are based on which are most likely to want their products.
“For the type of product we sell, you can see which countries are searching for your products the most. Outdoor furniture is searched more here than anywhere else in the world, but there is often an opportunity for Milan Direct to launch just one category in a country.
“For example, America has the world’s largest market for office furniture. Google gives you this information and we back it up with an internal understanding of what sells and what doesn’t.”
For aspiring entrepreneurs, Ramler recommends finding a niche and something you’re passionate about.
“So many people fall into business for the wrong reasons. Business is hard, it’s all consuming and it’s 24/7. Unless you love what you do, you won’t be able to get up on the bad days.”
