“We decided that we needed a name that would allow us to become a leader in the category – highly relevant, and trustworthy. We acquired the Cookies.com domain name in 2009.”

Interview by Kelsey Meyer of The League of Innovators

Drew Sharma, Co-founder of Cookies.com, DigiVentures, and Founder of ClickVentures, has a vision to make gourmet cookies the gift of choice for consumers and businesses nationwide. His newest venture, Cookies.com LLC is a gourmet gifting e-commerce company that was founded in 2010.  Drew, along with partners Stan Sandberg and Lindsay Ervin Sharma, started Cookies.com to create the ultimate online destination for superb quality cookies, brownies, cakes, tarts, and more.  What makes Cookies.com impressive is the easy-to-use website backed by first-class customer service.

Cookies.com is not Drew Sharma’s first experience building online companies.  His other ventures include DigiVentures and ClickVentures.  Both holding companies own and operate dozens of online businesses in a variety of industries.  Some of these online businesses are CarInsuranceQuotes.com, CDRate.com, HealthInsuranceQuotes.com, PrinterInk.com and, of course, Cookies.com. Later this year, Drew will be launching PartySupplies.com and TravelInsurance.com. Previously, Drew successfully founded and sold a number of companies including MerchantAccount.com, InkCartridges.com and Mindfire Interactive (a search marketing agency).

MO:
Cookies.com is very user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing website.  I am interested in the fact that you decided to position the website as tailored for personal and corporate gift giving.  Can you walk us through the process of acquiring the domain name, and explain which came first, the idea for the company, or acquiring the name?

Drew:
Absolutely. For the past several years, we have focused on acquiring strategic domain (and website) assets that encompass large and high growth market opportunities.  As we examined the gifting category, it became clear that there was an opportunity to create a gourmet substitute to flowers.  While there are a number of large companies involved in the gourmet gifting industry, we could not identify a “Zappos” or clear web-only winner – especially one that focused mainly on cookies and other baked goods.  In addition, when sending corporate gifts to clients and partners over the last several years, we found the experience to be somewhat disappointing.  Given this background, we decided that we needed a name that would allow us to become a leader in the category – highly relevant, and trustworthy.  We acquired the Cookies.com domain name in 2009.

MO:
The assortment of product on Cookies.com is very impressive.  Do you have partnerships with a variety of suppliers, and if so what is the screening process like for a supplier to get their treats on Cookies.com?

Drew:
We currently have partnerships with five suppliers, and go through a strict screening process prior to adding new suppliers. In general, we strive to work with partners who make high quality products that consistently taste and look great. Also important is the ability to fulfill orders in a scalable fashion, which is critical when it comes to e-commerce.

MO:
I understand that customer service is something Cookies.com prides itself on.  Can you explain what makes your customer service superior to the competitors?

Drew:
We’ve all had bad experiences buying products and services online. Bad service is generally a signal that you don’t care about your customers, and our goal is to make each customer know that we sincerely care about them and their purchase. In the gifting industry, the majority of products are sent to a recipient who did not make the actual purchase, so our customer deserves peace of mind that the product sent represents the sender and occasion in a positive light. Our philosophy on customer service isn’t complicated. We simply aim to be helpful and friendly to our customers and to proactively make any “wrongs” in the customer’s mind into a “right”.  In our minds, each client should have a positive start to finish experience when dealing with Cookies.com.

MO:
With your other companies, DigiVentures, and ClickVentures you hold many domain names.  Can you tell us about your favorite online business you are involved in?

Drew:
Across all of the categories that we are involved in, I have to say that Cookies.com is my favorite company. The great thing about Cookies.com is that sending gifts to friends, loved ones, and business associates is generally a fun and positive experience. This in turn creates a more relaxed energy for our company when dealing with customers in both sales and support. What wouldn’t make you feel good about seeing a grandmother send cookies to her grandson to congratulate him on winning a soccer game, or seeing a company send out thank you cookie bouquets to their valued clients? With some of our other companies, transactions may be driven more by price, which makes it a less personal experience.

MO:
Acquiring, developing, and selling domain names is an interesting, and sometimes risky business.  Can you explain what your biggest fear, or challenge was when first delving into this industry?

Drew:
When first delving into the industry, my biggest fear was the risk factor around the large dollar amount that we had to spend just to acquire a raw domain name that encompassed a large industry/category. Getting your mind over the fact that most of these types of domain names start at six and seven figures is a challenging thing the first time around.  However; if you take a long-term view and have goals to build a large company, those dollar amounts in hindsight aren’t as scary, and you realize how much less capital you need to keep that brand relevant. It also helps to see so many success stories across various industries, such as Hotels.com, Diapers.com, CarInsurance.com and so forth. Our long-term goal is to build each of our current and future brands into a high growth success story.

MO:
I thought I would save the most serious question for last.  What is your favorite product sold on Cookies.com?

Drew:
This is the toughest question so far! We literally have thousands of delicious products. Currently, it would be a toss up between our caramel dipped fortune cookies and our chocolate dipped Oreos®, but next week it may be our delicious mini bites.