Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherry Zarske.
sherry, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In college, I knew I wanted to do 3 things. 1. Become highly computer proficient, 2. Own a business 3. Become fluent in Spanish.
In 1993 I spearheaded the sales initiative for Houston Chronicle Interactive, now known as Chron.com. Needless to say, I nailed computer proficiency and well Marketing Depot has been in business since 1999 which leaves me only to work on mi español.
I started Marketing Depot with only $800 and a strong desire to succeed. Over the last 19 years, we have grown to over $2,000,000 in revenue and looking forward to growth.
Has it been a smooth road?
Needless to say with only $800 to start, there were many bumps in the road. We had to be very creative with solving problems. Not to mention the industry we had chosen was cannibalized by an entirely new industry – the internet.
I left the Chronicle to start a telephone directory business. I knew it was a career set back, but I also knew it was temporary. Twenty years ago the place to market was the yellow pages. My strategy was to create a customer base and then convert the customer base to an internet product when the time was right.
Ten years ago, we closed our last directory and changed to a digital agency. I soon discovered the problem with that was there are 2 types of digital businesses. Quantity or quality. We very quickly came to understand that the amount of hours required to successfully do successful online marketing that quantity was not an option. We decided that quality was the only way to go. But the next challenge was how to hire top-quality employees.
People who thought like me, and were willing to go the extra mile to ensure the services we provide work and deliver results. It took a few years of exceptionally hard work, and growth but we did it! An in-house team of programmers, designers, copywriters, and SEO strategists who are solely focused on results and ROI (return on investment). Ten years after reinventing our company, things are getting easy again.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our greatest accomplishment is the business we generate for our clients and our Google partnership. Not everyone can earn a partnership, and we work hard to keep it. Our partnership allows us access to Google that can be much hard to come by for other agencies. Also, some of the partnership benefits tie in very well with one of our core values. The value of education. We pride ourselves in being teachers. We believe that if we teach and educate that when a business comes to us, they will be our partner in their digital marketing.
Online marketing works best when the owner is involved and understands what they are buying. They don’t have to become geeks but understand enough to make educated decisions. We teach for American Standard Aces Supply and American Standard Shearer Supply as well as Fort Bend County Literacy Council Entrepreneur Class,-and University of Houston Bauer College for Small Business. But our proudest moments have been co-speaking engagements with Google. Teaching business owners about Google products and how to grow using digital marketing.
There are so many companies selling silver bullets and overnight online success that it makes it very challenging for a business owner to know who to trust with their digital marketing. We believe our relationship with Google and our willingness to help any business owner whether they are our client or not, sets us apart.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is a great place to run a business. I’ve always said that if you can’t make it in business in Houston, you can’t make it in business. Being the 4th largest city in the U.S. you can definitely find business, even if there is a ton of competition. For us, winning the Google All-Star award has helped set us apart and now business comes much easier than the startup days.
It may take a little creativity and a little sweat equity but the business is always there. The city offers a large population of skilled employees and many marketing options to help astartup grow.
Pricing:
- Average Website: $2,500 (free with SEO program)
- Average Monthly Search Engine Optimization Program – $850-$1,500
Contact Info:
- Address: 1678 West Sam Houston Parkway North
- Website: MarketingDepotInc.com
- Phone: 713-457-1460
- Email: sherry@marketingdepotinc.com
- Instagram: Marketing Depot Inc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingDepotInc
- Twitter: @mktgdepot
Image Credit:
Tiffany Cantu, Lisa Todd, Jarron McCubbin
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
