383 Media Powers e-Commerce Solutions for Software

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

New Hacienda Tenant Uses Custom Personalization Engine to Increase Sales

The software sales model has changed dramatically since the days of buying diskettes in a box at a brick-and-mortar retail store. Now a predominant channel is direct-to-the-consumer online delivery, and a robust e-commerce infrastructure is essential.

That is the business of Hacienda newcomer 383 Media. According to founder and President Mandeep Taunk, the company provides global marketing and e-commerce solutions to software publishers, giving them the ability to take orders online and process them via domestic and international payment options.

While the online distribution model has become ubiquitous, 383 Media operates in a clearly defined niche market. "We serve a narrow target audience-software vendors who develop titles in the area of PC optimization like security, utilities, and back up-mostly products for computer help," Taunk relates.

One of 383 Media's core benefits is its personalization engine, which helps vendors raise their conversion rate by 15 to 30 percent. The engine collects marketing data about consumers from the front-end, tracking details like their demographics and how long they stay on the site. The data is analyzed, and when the user comes back to the site, the engine structures the web pages to appeal to that cohort. For example, consumers in the 18 to 24 age category are more price sensitive, so they receive different promotions to make the purchase more financially attractive.

Other customized sales-boosting tools can be deployed as well, such as a follow-up email to a user who registered at the site but did not make a purchase. "We send a message that says something like, 'Hey, we missed you, what happened?' Sometimes our clients can get a 10 to 15 percent jump in sales as a result of these communications."

Taunk launched 383 Media in January 2011, spending the time to take a deep dive into client needs and assemble the best menu of services that would "resonate with the market." Entirely self-funded, the company built its team gradually, growing to four by the end of its second year. This year the roster is up to nine locally, and 22 in India.

At 2,200 square feet, the spacious new office, at 4683 Chabot Drive, gives the team some much appreciated elbow room. "We only had about 800 square feet in our previous facility, and with eight employees there, space was really tight."

The company name and logo, which consists of a stylized sunburst, are both a play on a technical term for the power of the sun. "The sun is 383 yotawatts of energy," Taunk says. "That's how powerful we want to be for our customers." For more information, visit www.383Media.com.

Photo: 383 Media president Mandeep Taunk, second from right, with his Hacienda team.

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