Computer Retailer Grows Quickly, Successfully on Web

Las Vegas NV - April 22, 1997

What started as a $25,000 a month company nine months ago in the owner's small apartment has grown to a $100,000 a month business. The company is Apex Micro International, which sells computers and peripherals on the Internet. And its president and founder Paul Anderson credits the Web and ICentral's ShopSite Manager software for his company's amazing growth. Apex Micro International can be found at http://www.2apex.com . Information on ICentral's ShopSite Manager software can be found at http://www.shopsite.com

"The Internet has allowed us to reach a huge audience while keeping our prices low," said Anderson. "I attribute our success to the growth of the Internet and our own ability to provide secure ordering. It allows those skeptics online to order from us without worry-and they can't beat our prices, which we can keep down because the Web reduces our overhead."

Apex Micro International literally had its start in Anderson's Orange, CA apartment and a $30,000 initial investment. "It took us six months to actually get on the Web. But we quickly learned the ropes and the apartment became more of an office than a home, so we moved to a 1000 square foot office in downtown Orange," said Anderson. "We have recently relocated again, this time to a large warehouse in Las Vegas. We now have three employees and plan to double our office space again in the next month when we hire another two employees."

Anderson says to date, he has invested $50,000 in Apex Micro International. The company sees monthly revenues of $100,000, 30% of which are online orders. "The remaining orders come from our toll free number which people find on our web site." Anderson adds that all of the company's advertising is done on the Web, with the exception of the recent addition of direct mail newsletters and catalogs. "We started out as a 100% Internet company, so we focus all of our attention there," he said. "We have worked hard to make the buying decision easier for our customers."

Anderson says offering user-friendly features attract customers. "Features like a shopping cart program and secure ordering capabilities have been a real boon for our business," he said. "Also, we have found that its important to keep our site updated. Software, like ShopSite, that lets you do that seamlessly is a real time-saver."

Anderson is constantly revamping his web site, with either price changes or adding different products. He then will submit his site with the new changes to the major search engines, even changing a few key words, to make it easier for people to search and find his products.

"There's a myth out there that people are no longer successful on the Internet," said Anderson. "I think that is not true. You just have to work smarter, and use the tools that are out there to help you do that."