Eden Platform by Preation
CED Member Profile
Contact: Aaron Houghton
Title: CEO
Phone: 1-800-371-5998
Email: email link
Address: 2635 Meridian Parkway, Suite 200, Durham, NC 27713
Website: http://www.preation.com
Company Boilerplate/Description of Product or Service:
Number of Employees: Seven
Public/Private: Private
Industry Type: Website Marketing Optimization
How did your company start? Where did the idea come from?
Preation was started in 1997 as a website services agency. In 2003 Preation invented and launched iContact, now the industry leading email marketing tool for small businesses. In 2008 Preation created Eden Platform, the first website content management system to automate search engine optimization for small businesses.
What makes your product or service unique or stand out among your competitors?
Eden Platform is the only website content management system that does search engine optimization for you. Other content management systems claim to be SEO friendly but they still require the user to have an established expertise in website development and search engine optimization in order to take advantage of their SEO features. Eden Platform allows users with no technical or web marketing expertise to optimize their websites for the search engines by displaying prioritized step-by-step instructions directly within the website editing interface.
What motivated you to turn your idea into a company?
We created Eden Platform because we believe that small businesses deserve more results from their websites. For years search engine optimization services have been provided by high-priced consultants pushing long term contracts. Because of this SEO has remained out of reach for many who need it most including small businesses and entrepreneurs with a dream of acquiring new sales and opportunities in a cost effective manner online.
Where do you see your company in the next 5 years? How can CED help you get there?
In five years we hope that Eden Platform will be a leading provider of website content management and website optimization services to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and marketers. We are partnering with CED to help North Carolina’s entrepreneurs get more results from their websites.
What tips, resources or suggestions do you have to offer to potential entrepreneurs?
Take advantage of the scale and efficiency that the Internet brings to your new business. Try Internet marketing earlier instead of later. Search engine optimization is a cost effective acquisition marketing technique and it is most effective when it is maintained steadily over time. To use Jim Collins’ Flywheel Metaphor from Good to Great, small, consistent pushes early on add up to create significant momentum and over time the flywheel seems to move and accelerate on its own. The same is true with website marketing. Start early, start small, be consistent and over time you'll generate a steady and predictable flow of prospects through your website.
