EMUCoupon
About the Company
EMUCoupon was created to provide Australians with a platform offering the latest discount codes and shopping tips for online purchases. Unlike similar websites that often target global audiences, EMUCoupon focuses on Australian retailers and has built a dedicated community of savvy shoppers. In addition to saving money, the platform regularly publishes helpful shopping tips to educate users on smart spending. Over time, the business has grown into a team of 17 in-office workers and 4 remote employees, maintaining a 16% annual growth rate since its inception.
Elice's focus on community and inclusivity also extends to smaller Australian retailers, particularly those operated by women or ethnic minorities. The company highlights these businesses, ensuring that their unique offerings are available to consumers across the country. The platform's user base continues to expand, with thousands of visitors daily benefiting from both deals and tips.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for EMUCoupon came to Elice Max while studying at the University of Queensland. As a Boston native adjusting to life in Australia, she quickly realized how expensive living in the country was. To help alleviate her financial burden, Elice began exploring side gigs like copywriting and online marketing. During this time, she noticed the lack of online discount platforms in Australia, unlike in the U.S., where such platforms were abundant. After surveying fellow students and conducting research, she discovered significant demand for an Australian-focused discount platform, with over 85% of respondents expressing interest in such a service.
Motivated by these findings, Elice and her business partner invested $4,500 into launching EMUCoupon. Although starting a business was exciting, it also meant cutting back on personal expenses once again. This entrepreneurial spirit was driven by the realization that Australians needed more opportunities to save money while shopping online, making the platform a valuable resource for consumers.
Creating the Company
Building EMUCoupon from the ground up involved careful planning and dedication. The first step was selecting a business name and securing a domain that would resonate with Australian culture. They settled on EMUCoupon, inspired by the emu, a symbol of resilience and adaptability. Operating out of Elice’s apartment for the first six months, the company gradually grew and eventually moved into an office space. The initial team consisted of a web developer and a digital marketing executive, who helped shape the online presence of the business.
Managing the financial side of the business was one of the early challenges. Rather than hiring an accountant, Elice enrolled in online accounting classes to handle the company's finances independently. Learning about trademarks and other legal aspects of working with retailers and brands was another hurdle she had to overcome. Despite the challenges, Elice was determined to develop a strong foundation for the company.
Launching the Business
The launch of EMUCoupon was driven by a strong focus on online marketing and SEO. The website was developed using WordPress, incorporating a coupon plugin to support the platform's primary function of offering discounts. To ensure the site's success, the team worked hard on optimizing its performance for search engines, addressing technical issues like broken links and indexing errors. The company also established a blog featuring content on smart shopping and saving money, further engaging users.
Email marketing was another key strategy, particularly when it came to securing partnerships with retailers. Since EMUCoupon operates on an affiliate model, it was crucial to convince retailers to collaborate and offer commissions for successful conversions. In the early stages, many business owners were hesitant to partner with EMUCoupon, but over time, as the platform demonstrated success in driving sales, retailers became more willing to negotiate commissions.
Earnings
EMUCoupon's monthly revenue has grown to $30K, with traffic increasingly coming from international markets like the USA, UK, and Israel. Although the platform initially focused on Australian retailers, the team recently began capitalizing on traffic from other regions by launching paid marketing campaigns and creating dedicated country-specific pages.
The success of EMUCoupon has also enabled the team to renegotiate affiliate agreements with retailers, resulting in higher commissions from conversions. In addition to traditional retailers, the platform has expanded its offerings to include popular digital products, further boosting earnings. This growth reflects EMUCoupon's ability to adapt and evolve, positioning the company for continued success in the future.
