For motorcycle riders and enthusiasts, RevZilla provides “everything but the bike.” They started out in 2007 as a little shop in South Philly. Today, they’re a thriving e-commerce enterprise operating out of an upsized Navy Yard office. They ship motorcycle parts and accessories all around the globe and in 2016 generated more than $100 million in sales. In the midst of this “hyper-growth,” says director of performance marketing, Chrissy Starkweather, RevZilla has stayed true to their passions: motorcycles, customer service and technology.
“Everyone here geeks out over something,” says Chrissy. “A vast majority of us are motorcycle riders and tech geeks ourselves, because that’s what we do here.”
“Digital marketing really propelled our business forward and enabled us to scale.”
Chrissy Starkweather, director of performance marketing
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From the beginning, digital marketing has been central to RevZilla’s e-commerce growth, with the majority of their marketing budget going to digital. They use AdWords, Google’s advertising program, and Google Shopping campaigns to connect with customers in both the U.S. and international markets.
“The reason why we’re able to grow and invest as much as we do in AdWords is because it’s one of our most productive channels,” says Chrissy. They also have a YouTube channel where they share lifestyle content, tutorials and bike reviews. With over 6,000 videos, 300,000 subscribers and 100 million views, the channel has been “critical for building and supporting a really broad and engaged motorcycle community.”
RevZilla’s marketing efforts include “a healthy mix of Google’s organic search, YouTube, and AdWords,” Chrissy explains. “They’ve been significant drivers of business overall. And we know this because we also use Google Analytics to see where our customers are coming from.”
RevZilla has 230 employees.
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RevZilla is “a decade into the game,” but they’re still consistently growing at a double-digit rate. They serve over a million customers annually, and their workforce has more than doubled in the last three years alone.
“It’s pretty amazing to be a part of such rapid growth,” says Chrissy, “and it’s still the same company I signed up for.”
As the business expands, so does their capacity to build community—not only within the motorcycle world, but in Philadelphia at large. Their philanthropic projects range from computer science education to supporting local charities. And with more community partnerships in the works, RevZilla’s growth will continue to stretch far beyond the company itself.
For more information on the RevZilla case study, visit https://economicimpact.
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