By james art Written by Abigail Guevara, Freelance Senior Content Writer
Some may still be unfamiliar with the term e-commerce even though they use it regularly. By definition, e-commerce is a commercial transaction conducted electronically over the Internet. One example of e-commerce, from a consumer perspective, is online shopping, which accounts for over 20 percent of retail sales and billions of dollars worldwide.
geekspeak Commerce is an e-commerce content development agency that has been operating for over 20 years in Whitby, contributing to the global success of e-commerce. Recognized with awards for his various achievements, geekspeak founder Isaac Vanzama was also recently nominated for the Peter Perry & Business Achievement Award through the Whitby Chamber of Commerce.
“The essence of our business is to help clients develop strategies and roadmaps for expanding their online presence. We create compelling content – copy, images and manage digital ad campaigns that drive sales across a wide range of our clients’ products,” explains Tricia Williams, Managing Partner, geekspeak.
In addition to content development, the agency offers unique services including 3D asset creation, web design and product taxonomy (organizing and classifying products into categories based on similarities to help consumers find products more easily when shopping online ). geekspeak’s services also include creating online accounts on major marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart and enriching content for products listed on high-profile client websites of retailers such as Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Staples Canada, McCain, Best Buy, and more.
Entrance to the ground floor
Isaac Vanzama, founder and chief strategist, started geekspeak in 2003. He was working as a freelance writer and successfully winning government contracts when he had the intuition and foresight to use his core skill set to start his own business, supporting the explosive growth of e-commerce retail.
“In 2010, when I joined the company, e-commerce was really starting to take off. We saw that this was a booming area of business and a lot of people didn’t know what it could be, but we saw a unique opportunity,” recalls Trisha. “E-commerce requires great content to sell products effectively, retailers need more than product code to promote and sell their products.”
According to Statista, 56 percent of items purchased online in the United States are returned because they don’t match their online descriptions. Product descriptions, details and images are therefore relevant. They need to be accurate and correct because product returns cost retailers millions of dollars in lost profits per quarter.
geekspeak helps prevent this from happening to their customers with content that clearly depicts products; thereby meeting consumer expectations and reducing returns to increase customer profitability.
geekspeak in Whitby combines innovation and community
Isaac initially chose to set up geekspeak in Whitby to be close to home, and it has proven beneficial in more ways than one. geekspeak’s current office is a unique space they own that was once a theater, then a nightclub. geekspeak renovated and transformed the building into a dynamic workspace with beautiful, eclectic art that inspires and a photography and content production studio for major brands.
The move to their current location is a milestone from renting space to owning their own building and symbolizes the company’s growth – expanding both its physical presence and capabilities.
Whitby’s local economic development team also introduced themselves and took an interest in geekspeak.
“Our interactions with Whitby’s economic development team have led to local events and opportunities that help us connect with Whitby’s business community while engaging in charitable events and community-led initiatives,” notes Tricia.
For example, geekspeak has been hosting exciting and innovative hackathon events for the past five years. They invited local developers into their office space to tackle and find possible solutions to various societal challenges, with topics ranging from environmental issues to health and wellness.
Participants spent 36 hours without interruption, napping and eating in between, brainstorming and building prototypes to tackle these problems. The collaborative spirit of geekspeak hackathons has encouraged innovation and positioned geekspeak as a technology hub, supported by the city of Whitby and confirming geekspeak’s role as a key player on the tech and business scene.
Manage yourself in a 24/7 online world
The world of e-retail never closes. There are no lights to turn off or doors to lock. So Isaac and Tricia make sure they find time to hang out, knowing they’ve made a capable team.
“The key is building and trusting a strong team, which we’ve built over time so that everyone can work smarter, not harder,” explains Tricia.
Staff can work both in the office and remotely — a hybrid work environment that everyone appreciates.
Evolving with the e-commerce landscape
E-commerce retail sales continue to grow and are expected to exceed $4.1 trillion in 2024, and geekspeak is well positioned to grow with them.
“We are committed to keeping up with current trends and trying to anticipate future ones,” notes Tricia. We are driven by innovation while maintaining our reputation as Canada’s e-commerce experts.”
One such innovation is geekspeak’s own content creation platform called “ginnie,” which uses artificial intelligence to help generate reliable product descriptions.
It’s this kind of forward thinking that has made geekspeak a trusted partner in the e-commerce space, helping their clients thrive in digital merchandising.
“We set out to be the voice of expertise in Canada when it comes to e-commerce,” says Tricia. “Obviously, Canada is a great nation with growing services, innovative tools and forward-thinking practices, geekspeak is already well-known in the industry, and we will continue to build on the momentum we’ve generated moving into the future.”
Innovation and Inclusion: Stories from Durham Region’s Black Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs and Professionals (DRAPBE Members) is a series of stories about thriving black professionals choosing to do business in Durham Region.