DMSA Virtual Marketplace
The Denton Main Street Association (DMSA) is a nonprofit that works closely with the City of Denton to provide its residents and businesses with a community they are proud of. Since its establishment in 1990, the independent organization has hosted various events, fundraised for many initiatives, and promoted local businesses and tourism. In fact, without the DMSA, the city of Denton would not be in the wonderful condition it is in today.
The Challenge
Shop Downtown Denton from anywhere.
For over thirty years, Denton Main Street Association has worked diligently to make Downtown Denton a thriving and vibrant place to live, work and play! In 2020, the DMSA board decided to take their efforts to the next level by offering a virtual marketplace for its members. In this marketplace, members would host an array of their products, with the hope that longtime supporters of DMSA, former Denton residents with a nostalgia for their town, and newcomers would have new ways to discover and interact with DMSA.
But, how do we achieve this in a way that DMSA and its members could manage their inventory on their own? Would we need a new website?
The Solution
Shopify For the Win.
Shopify was the top contender in determining where to direct Denton Main Street. Given their robust membership, strong following online, and desire to host a virtual marketplace, we determined that Shopify was the best choice. Thanks to the library of freemium third-party apps, limitless newsletter, and built-in marketing features, we were able to migrate DMSA’s website from Squarespace to Shopify with relative ease. With a few(hundred) redirects, we managed to migrate a several-year-old site to an all-new platform, featuring a refreshed look.
The Results
Growth, Engagement, and a Stronger Community.
After a few rounds of beta testing, some quality-assurance purchasing, and several newsletters later, we successfully launched the new-and-improved site to the Denton community. In doing so, the marketing team behind this awesome nonprofit organization has increased their communication engagement with their audience by thirty percent, with growing success from their new marketplace. Now, over ten vendors and their fifty products are accessible by anyone looking to support local businesses in Downtown Denton..