Hey, the Butler Did It
Enjoying Local Savings Courtesy of Web Majordomo Heybutler.com

Hey! Here’s a novel idea for a service-oriented business: Free gas. That’ll get anyone’s attention these days. The prospect of receiving a free gas card — at absolutely no cost — has people flocking to Heybutler.com, an online coupon service based in Solon.

Co-founders Darren Rose and Jonathan Schaefer use gimmicks such as gas cards and instant-win games to draw visitors to their website and to promote the vendors whose coupons decorate the site’s colorful pages. Rose and Schaefer, who previously held jobs in the mortgage industry, began to search last year for a business where they could feel like they were doing something good—while making money, of course.

A brainstorming session with some trusted colleagues led them to the idea of an online coupon service. But they didn’t want to be thought of as the Val-Pak of the Internet. They wanted their business to be unusual. And it most certainly is.

The partners let their imaginations run wild. What if every time a person clicked on a coupon on the website, he or she received points toward a gas card? What if there were online games in which people could win fun prizes like $5 or a Chick-fil-A sandwich and raffles for something more expensive, like a free season pass at a golf course? Certainly people would take notice.

There would have to be something enticing for the vendors as well. In addition to exposure on the site, each time a potential customer clicked on a coupon, an email notice would be sent to the vendor, creating a handy resource list that could be used for future marketing.

Last year, Rose and Schaefer went looking for vendors, offering them nothing more than a bright idea and the promise of a unique advertising and marketing opportunity. “We sold people a concept and asked for a $30 deposit,” Rose says. To add to the sales challenge, they purposely sought out small, independent businesses that might not otherwise invest in online advertising. This would be Rose and Schaefer’s niche: offering consumers coupons for the local shops and restaurants they might typically frequent, and giving retailers a chance to reach a broader range of potential customers.

Rose and Schaefer took this concept “live” in January. Today, Heybutler.com has about 1,000 active vendors who pay the company $60 a month or more for publicity on the site, in the company’s newsletter and anywhere Heybutler.com folks might be passing out coupons. Larger companies have also jumped on board. In addition to independent businesses like Santo’s Italian Restaurant in Middleburg Heights and Cuts ‘n Curls Salon in Solon, you’ll find advertisements for Discount Drug Mart, Outback Steakhouse and American Commodore Tuxedo.

The more vendors, the more profitable the company, Rose and Schaefer know, but they also recognize the importance of drawing large amounts of people to their site. “We’re still catering to the customers; we need them to be using the vendors,” Schaefer says. Heybutler.com currently averages just under 20,000 unique visitors each month. Coupon usage is at about 20-30 percent; Rose and Schaefer expect that number to rise as more people learn about Heybutler.com and spread the word.

To keep the numbers climbing, Heybutler.com regularly unveils new ways for site visitors to win money or prizes. On August 1, the company will unveil a $1 million sweepstakes, which will run through October 31.

Rose and Schaefer also work on name recognition. Contests where folks around Northeast Ohio can give their best “Heyyyyyy, Butler!” are ongoing. The company’s bold purple-and-gold van traverses the area, touting the business and sharing vendor coupons. Every time a first-time caller gets on the air with WTAM personality Mike Trivisonno, a recorded voice yells, “Hey, Butler!” after which Trivisonno adds, “dot com.”

“By branding the name, we get it into people’s heads,” Schaefer says.

Being visible in the community helps Heybutler.com to be seen as more than a faceless online business. It’s not unusual for some of the company’s 30 employees to be passing out coupons at various parades around the area. There’s even talk of a Heybutler.com festival next year. “We want to make a conscious effort to do off-line stuff,” Schaefer says.

Both he and Rose say they are committed to growing Heybutler.com while maintaining a firm presence in Northeast Ohio. “We want to be all over Ohio by the end of the year. Our goal is to be in a few more states by next year and to have a strategy in place for the rest of the country,” Rose says.

No matter how large Heybutler.com grows, the partners say this will be the headquarters. Schaefer uses Nike as an example. “They’re known around the world, but Oregon is their base,” he says.

There’s no time to talk global just yet. Heybutler.com is still in its infant stage, and Rose and Schaefer want to work out all the potential kinks before they expand. The first day that the company went live, someone printed enough coupons to earn a free gas card. Rose and Schaefer weren’t expecting anyone to reach that goal quite so fast. Now there’s a limit of six coupons per day. “You can scam us,” Rose says, “but it’ll take you two-and-a-half months.”

Rose and Schaefer trust that most people who visit Heybutler.com are doing so to have some fun, win free stuff and save some money with local vendors. As more people use the Internet as a shopping tool and seek ways to spend less, Rose and Schaefer hope Heybutler.com will serve as an invaluable resource. “Do all your shopping at Heybutler.com and get a half a tank of free gas,” Rose says.

Who could ask for anything more?

From Cool Cleveland contributor Diane DiPiero ohiodianeATnetzero.net

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