
eCommerce Podcast
205 episodes — Page 4 of 5

How To Navigate The Complexities of Generative Content and Copyright
Are you lagging behind in the world of generative AI tools? Join us on today's episode as we explore the complexities of generative content and copyright with a true data scientist - Matt Ranta from Nimble Gravity - who knows the power of experimentation and iteration! Learn how your business can accelerate growth and productivity by utilizing these tools. Don't let fear hold you back, instead learn how to use these tools to your advantage. ABOUT MATT:Matt Ranta, a digital dynamo and Head of Practice at Nimble Gravity, revolutionizes Digital Transformation, E-Commerce, and Strategy for clients ranging from startups to billion-dollar giants. Tackling diverse industries like healthcare, DTC clothing, and endangered species protection, Matt's expertise propels businesses into the future with data science, digital strategy, and cutting-edge e-commerce solutions. With his team at Nimble Gravity, Matt redefines success by transforming the way organizations operate and excel.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Generative AI can be used to create massive amounts of SEO friendly content and accelerate growth for e-commerce businesses by generating articles, blogs, product photography, and more. Using a short prompt, the AI generates content in seconds, saving time and money while increasing productivity.Artificially generated content may be penalized by search engines like Google, so businesses need to find the right mix of using AI and human editing to create unique and factually accurate content.The use of generative AI for written content is currently the largest area of application, and it can replicate a brand's tone of voice and values. Nimble Gravity utilizes generative AI usage regularly for tasks such as content creation.They use data science to extract insights from an organization's data quickly and iteratively, combining industry expertise, technology, and mathematical algorithms to output models around customer interaction and foot traffic for marketing messaging and placement modification.Smaller eCommerce businesses can utilize productized data science platforms and conduct regression studies in Excel or Google Sheets, to understand their data and create hypotheses. Being a data scientist is more about being curious and willing to experiment with data.Matt says that the biggest opportunity that e-commerce entrepreneurs are not taking advantage of is AB testing, which can increase the outputs of their e-commerce operation. Even if their website doesn't have enough traffic, they can still do lo-fi testing and iterate to see if they can increase their conversions.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Winning the eCommerce Game with AI
Do you feel like your online shopping experience is lacking? Are you tired of being recommended the same products over and over again?Tune in to today's episode of eCommerce Podcast where our special guest Alan Gormley from Shopbox shares the secrets for your retail business to achieve success through the power of AI. In this episode, we explore how AI is revolutionizing the e-commerce game and creating personalized experiences for customers. From curating products to understanding price elasticity, discover how AI can change the way your customers shop online and help your business win big!ABOUT ALAN:Meet Alan Gormley, the mastermind behind Shopbox AI! With a superhero's cape made from 25 years of AI and retail wisdom, Alan swooped into the eCommerce arena to level the playing field. His mission? To arm David-sized retailers with Goliath-beating AI tools, opening a world where every retailer gets a shot at the big league!Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Shopbox AI creates a unique store for each customer that comes onto a website, aiming to level the playing field for all retailers and put the store back at the center of e-commerce. The AI helps retailers by understanding a customer early and building a path for them to feel serviced, get suggestions, stumble across stuff, and naturally buy more items at times even more expensive.Alan advises that e-commerce retailers start selling through service and create a unique store per customer rather than managing their store like they manage a shelf. By introducing AI technology such as a curated homepage and creating a personal shopping space for each customer, retailers could make everything about the customer and ensure they don't go back to a generic store competitor.The strategy is to constantly draw customers deeper into the website in order to increase conversion rates, similar to how shop assistants guide customers in physical stores. The focus is on inspiring customers and suggesting better products to create value, rather than just providing easy access to products with lower prices.Alan also discusses strategies to improve the customer experience in e-commerce, including the use of an AI shop assistant to help customers quickly find interesting products, curation of a variety of products with context, and a fuzzier approach to cross-selling by showing related items earlier in the shopping process rather than at the end. These strategies aim to create a better overall experience for the customer and ultimately lead to increased sales.AI can help eCommerce websites combat the long tail problem by showing customers products from their favorite brand that they may not have considered before. He emphasizes that AI can enhance the customer experience without requiring website changes, as AI can dynamically suggest products based on merchandisers' inputs. Additionally, he warns against vendors who claim to offer automated AI solutions, as AI still requires human input and intelligent data analysis.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

The Art and Science of Acquiring Shopify Businesses
Want to cash out your Shopify store in weeks instead of months? That's the promise today's guest on the eCommerce Podcast is making.Tune in to this week's episode where Matt is joined by Fabio Savi from Everstores - the one-stop-shop for acquiring and operating Shopify businesses. Fabio shares the secrets to their bold promise and the art and science behind it all. You wouldn't want to miss out on this conversation!About FABIO:Fabio is the rockstar ex-banker who's now leading the acquisitions team at Everstores! With lightning-fast turnaround times, Fabio and his team can snag Shopify stores in just a few weeks! And with a data-driven approach to every aspect of the process, from acquisition to due diligence to operation, there's no doubt that Fabio and his team are the true rockstars of the industry. Plus, with some of the smartest data scientists and machine learning engineers in the game, the process is guaranteed to be both smooth and transparent.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Everstores is a technology company that uses its tech stack to acquire and integrate Shopify stores and provide a unified dashboard for merchants to manage their operations.They prefer certain verticals such as pets, mother and baby, and mental health, but consider investing in any store if there is a promising investment case thesis. However, certain categories pose operational and legal challenges that may make it difficult to advertise and internationalize.Fabio discusses their inside-out valuation methodology in acquiring Shopify businesses, which includes the use of two models: customer behavior and customer acquisition cost. They focus on businesses with a high customer retention rate and profitability on a base level before factoring in other costs. They prioritize finding a business with a great product-market fit and community.When acquiring e-commerce businesses, Everstores focuses on maintaining the original brand voice and running the business in the same way as the owner did. They do not tie the owner into the business post-acquisition and do not require them to stay on as consultants or restrict them from starting a similar business in a different space.The common mistakes that business owners make when selling their business are not running the business while focusing on the exit and focusing too much on crafting a story around what the buyer can do with the business.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Behind The Brand With Mason
bonusIn this special Spotlight Episode, we take a break from the usual deep dive into specific e-commerce topics, and instead, shine a light on "Mason", a company that's making waves and doing some pretty impressive work in the world of eCommerce and AI. Kaus Manjita, the founder of Mason joins Matt to talk about how the company that was launched amidst the pandemic in 2020 has been growing steadily for the past three years and how they leverage powerful systems and technology to help smaller brands succeed!ABOUT KAUS:Kausambi is an award-winning founder and serial product builder with 16+ years of building products for commerce enablement. She’s also a passionate customer evangelist who strives to make tech simple for everyone to get benefitted from. In her personal life, you'll always find her in the midst of people - entrepreneurs, developers, marketers, brand makers, designers... over coffee, on zoom, on Instagram, or via podcasts. Earlier in her career, Kaus has worked at IBM Commerce, Myntra, Paytm across Atlanta, SFO & India. She now splits her time between Toronto and Bangalore, and leads a global team of makers at Mason.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Mason was created to simplify the powerful systems used by large corporations and make them accessible to solo-preneurs, brands, and entrepreneurs to empower their sales and revenue goals using technology.It is an online commerce platform that aims to eliminate the middleman and connect brands directly with consumers through discovery and engagement, helping consumers find what they love at the right price and time and assisting sellers in selling better.Mason uses AI to simplify and optimize decision-making processes to help connect shoppers with the right sellers and products at the right time while taking into account various data signals.Mason's technology has helped small e-commerce businesses increase sales and improve customer engagement through personalized and non-intrusive reminders and discounts.No-code is a movement that simplifies complex technology, giving subject matter experts the power to create apps and run their businesses on their own terms, making it easier and faster to test new ideas and strategies.Kaus says that future of shopping lies in personalized experiences for consumers, enabled by technology like generative AI and no code, with an emphasis on understanding the shopper on the other side.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Subscriptions That Stand Out: The Nuances That Separate Great Experiences from Mediocre Ones
Did you know that the number one reason customers cancel subscriptions is because they get too much product?Tune in to this week's episode of the eCommerce Podcast where Matt is joined by Ben Fisher from Rodeo to talk about how to make your subscriptions model stand out from the rest and give your customers the best experience while retaining them for a long time. We delve deep into the main problems associated with standard subscription models and how brands can address these concerns and improve the overall subscription experience. You do not want to miss this episode!ABOUT BEN:Ben started his entrepreneurial journey as a kid in Maine and later worked at a tech startup during the first Dot Com boom. He co-founded CartHook - a checkout optimization platform for DTC ecommerce brands that has processed over $1 billion on behalf of merchants. He now runs Rodeo, a platform that offers personalization features to maximize customer retention and lifetime value for 8-figure DTC brands that utilize subscription-based models.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Ben discusses the importance of a good customer experience, specifically with subscriptions. He emphasizes that brands should consider the nuances and individual consumption patterns of their customers, and offers a solution called "on-demand" reminders that give consumers more control and eliminate the concern of getting too much or running out of a product. Convenience is key in consumer subscriptions and figuring out the most convenient method for each individual is important for maximizing customer lifetime value. Brands can offer questionnaires or check-ins to tailor the subscription to individual preferences rather than assuming everyone needs the same subscription model. Reminder emails or texts leading up to the desired replenishment period can also be helpful in simplifying the subscription process for customers.Ben discusses the different subscription options offered by the company, including a standard subscription, on-demand feature, and one-time purchase option. The on-demand feature allows for convenience and eliminates checkout friction while still allowing for upsells and cross sells. The segmenting of customers and addressing their reasons for canceling or skipping subscriptions also helps to retain customers and offer a better-suited program for their consumption style. If the customer wants to delay the next purchase, they can select the snooze feature which suggests pre-filled periods of three to five days, one week, and other options to remind users that they may be running out of the product soon and would they like to order some more? However, some users can explicitly choose a date and sometimes even up to three months in advance.Ben & Matt explore the perks of subscriptions and how to add value beyond just getting subscribers. They discuss the importance of thoughtfully designing membership programs, offering benefits like free shipping, members-only pricing, and individual subscriptions, and the risks of discounting subscriptions too much and attracting the wrong customers. The focus is on providing the best experience for each customer and creating a healthy, sustainable subscription model.Matt talks about a a subscription he signed up for which he had forgotten about and was charged $1000 without warning. Ben explains that if the company had been proactive with their onboarding process and personalized their messaging, they may have been able to retain him as a customer. A bad experience can leave a negative impression on a customer.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Discovering The Human Element Behind The Numbers
Do you want to build long-term customer loyalty and a sustainable business? Tune into today's episode of Push To Be More as our special guest, Monica Sharma-Patnekar reveals her top tips to help you do that. Learn how building customer relationships and consistently translating it into all aspects of the business can help your business stay ahead of the curve. ABOUT MONICA:Monica is an eCommerce brand mentor & consultant, a purpose-driven (digital) brand, marketing & strategy professional with 17 years of global experience building brands. She’s worked across diverse sectors and companies from Fortune500 to scale- & start-ups.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Monica emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual human beings behind the numbers in e-commerce, building long-term relationships with customers, and creating purpose-driven brands for sustainable and profitable businesses.Getting to know your customers through deep dive customer interviews is key to understanding their core needs, wants, and desires. This understanding leads to shifts in mindset and helps businesses add value and deliver what customers really want. Monica discusses the importance of having conversations with customers and understanding their desires, behaviors, and experiences to improve business outcomes. She also suggests recording the conversation to take notes and pick out snippets that can be used for marketing purposes.Businesses should make an effort to talk to their customers on a regular basis to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences. Monica recommends doing this on a monthly basis, involving different teams within the company to maintain consistency and stay ahead of the curve.While customer personas based on actual customer conversations and understanding are helpful, going into too much unnecessary detail should be avoided. Instead, focusing on the core desires of the customer and avoiding building in personal assumptions is key to developing effective customer personas.To find out the desires of customers, brands can ask for customer stories to get unique insights into what really matters to their customers and what emotional elements are involved in their decision-making process. This can help brands tailor their messages and products to better meet the needs of their customers.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Source Products Worldwide And Save Millions
Are you an entrepreneur looking to expand your business and find new suppliers? In this episode, Sebastian Herz from Zignify joins Matt to talk all things product sourcing. Tune in to discover how to source products for your website, common mistakes to avoid while sourcing products globally and save millions of dollars on your product purchasing cost. Whether you're just starting out in eCommerce or have a business already, you won't want to miss this episode of the eCommerce Podcast .ABOUT SEBASTIAN:Sebastian Herz is an eCommerce expert with a wealth of experience dating back to 2014. He has successfully launched two brands that are now available in popular retail outlets such as Kaufland, Globus, Rewe and Saturn, and has sold over 500,000 products across various platforms including Amazon, Shopify and Retail. Sebastian not only helps other sellers source high-quality products, but also guides them through the process of reaching wider audiences, including TV shopping and Big Box Retail.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Sebastian started his career in industrial automation and decided to start his own business after 12 years of working. He started sourcing his own products in China and eventually began helping other brands with their sourcing needs through word of mouth. Zignify Global Product Sourcing has now helped thousands of sellers get their brands ready for sale.If you are a new in ecommerce, before sourcing products for your online business, you need to decide whether you want to focus on making a profit or building a brand from the heart. You should also figure out where you want to source products from and decide whether you want to learn the process yourself or outsource it.Sebastian explains that the bigger the niche, the more competitors you will have, while digging deeper into a smaller niche can result in higher prices but require more certifications. Finding the right place to sell your product is key, just having a website is not enough, and knowing how to attract customers is crucial.For existing brands, Zignify helps find additional products that can be sourced, potentially from outside of China, to improve sales and reduce costs, particularly for top selling products, which can result in significant savings for a business. The focus is on quality while also increasing revenue and bottom line savings.When sourcing products globally, it's important to contact multiple producers, compare prices, and do quality control on your samples and mass production. It's also crucial to check the background of the suppliers to ensure they are legitimate producers and not trading companies, as well as speak the local language for effective communication.When sourcing products, common mistakes include not getting enough proposals, not checking quality control enough, and not having enough patience when sourcing outside of China where there is no Alibaba. It may take multiple attempts to contact potential suppliers, and smaller potential customers may be overlooked by suppliers who prioritize larger customers.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Use Content To Connect With Your Community
Are you a content creator or a business owner looking for ways to connect with your audience? John Roman from BattlBox joins Matt in this episode of the eCommerce Podcast to share valuable insights from the tremendous success of his own business and on creating & testing content that resonates with your audience that you won't want to miss. Tune in now to discover the power of content in building strong, engaged communities.ABOUT JOHN:Meet John Roman - the CEO and Co-Founder of the electrifying BattlBox Group, home to three explosive brands: BattlBox, Carnivore Club, and Wanlow. With a whopping $30M eCommerce subscription portfolio, this group is all about building strong content and community - so much so that they've even landed their own Netflix show! The excitement doesn't end there, as The BattlBox Group was recently acquired in October 2021.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:John discusses his involvement in the creation and development of BattlBox, a subscription box service for outdoor and survival gear. He initially became involved as an investor with the intention of providing business advice, but his involvement quickly grew until he eventually joined the company full-time.BattlBox initially used YouTube influencers to build their brand on the platform, but later discovered a paying customer with a successful YouTube channel who became their full-time content creator and helped them build a community of like-minded individuals who loved their product.The Battlbox YouTube channel and subscription box business focuses on creating content that connects with consumers by educating and entertaining them about the outdoor adventure lifestyle, fostering a community through a Facebook group exclusive to active subscribers, and emphasizing the importance of brand connection. John suggests consistently posting short-form content and testing different types of content to find what resonates with your audience. When you find that one video or type of content that gets more views, double down on it and create variations to continue testing. Don't give up and believe in your content, even if it takes time to see success.Content marketing is effective for top of funnel engagement but does not convert at the same rate as paid targeted traffic. However, it still provides value and allows for remarketing and segmenting to convert highly engaged fits into customers through traditional e-commerce methods. Additionally, content marketing can lead to search engine optimization through proper descriptions and hashtags on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.John explains how their team is constantly working to keep their content fresh and meet rising expectations. They have found a helpful tool in chat GPT, which has given them ideas and even helped them come up with better questions for their content. Chat GPT is being used to leverage faster and stronger content creation, saving them hours in the process.The key takeaway from the conversation is to diversify lead sources and not rely on a single platform or area for customers, while also doubling down on successful campaigns and overselling to capitalize on victories.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Maximize The Efficiency Of Facebook Ads For Your Business
Are you struggling to make your Facebook Ads work for your business? Tune in to today's episode of the eCommerce Podcast where Marin Ištvanić from Inspire Agency joins Matt to talk about all things Facebook Ads. In the last 12 months, Marin has spent over $30 Million on Facebook ads, and today he’s going to share some of his go-to Facebook ads strategies and learnings as well as some additional tips and tricks to help you do the same. You don't want to miss out on this one!ABOUT MARIN:In the past 7 years, Marin has gone from freelancer contractor to head of performance at Inspire agency. He leads a boutique agency working with a handful of selected clients while providing service for paid social. Besides the agency, he’s a partner at a few in-house brands he helped scale and exit. He’s also 2x GeekOut speaker and 1x Affiliate World Asia speaker.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The biggest misconception when using Facebook ads for e-commerce stores is thinking that optimizing for add-to-cart or traffic will lead to sales; the optimal conversion goal is always sales. Additionally, in order to effectively use ads, a well-established product market fit and proven offer and funnel are necessary.Maximizing the efficiency of Facebook ads for your e-commerce store comes down to focusing on a proven market with a good offer, using psychological and marketing tricks in your advertising, and prioritizing your creative, messaging, and targeting based on different levels of sophistication and awareness in your funnel.A unique identifier in Facebook ads creative needs to provide tangible benefits such as saving time, money, or improving effectiveness compared to competitors. To find people who could create user-generated content (UGC) for your business's Facebook ads, you can reach out to creative agencies or search for UGC creators on Instagram or Twitter. The cost of UGC creation ranges from gifting a free product to $5k per video, but it depends on your strategy for using the content in your ads.According to Marin, the best way to stay up to date with the latest trends in Facebook advertising for e-commerce and media buying in the D2C space is to join the Twitter D2C community where people are constantly sharing and providing value. He highly recommends being on Twitter for those seeking to grow their store and connect with other professionals.Choosing a Facebook ads agency requires looking for proof of competence, specific deliverables, communication, and a good bedding in period of a few weeks. It's also important for the client to have a pro market fit and spend at least 1K per day on Facebook ads. Transparency and a comprehensive plan are crucial for success.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How Subscriptions Improve Customer Experience
Have you ever wondered why subscription businesses like HelloFresh and Netflix are so successful and why should you consider having a subscription model for your ecommerce business?Tune in to this episode of the eCommerce Podcast as Chris George from Subsummit uncovers the secrets of businesses that have nailed customer satisfaction through subscription models and how you can use subscriptions to take your ecommerce business to the next level!ABOUT CHRIS:Chris George, the unstoppable serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched and managed seven businesses and sold two is the mastermind behind the wildly popular Gentleman's Box and hosts The Subscription Podcast - available on all podcasts channel. Chris regularly supports emerging brands by investing in and mentoring individuals and companies that lead with purpose over profit. Also the co-founder + CEO on Subsummit.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Subscriptions are becoming increasingly popular because they provide convenience and allow customers to use things as they want, which is what the next generation is looking for in a shopping experience. This trend is causing more and more e-commerce brands to adopt subscription models.To differentiate from companies like Amazon, e-commerce businesses should consider providing an exclusive product or building a relationship with the consumer through subscriptions that consistently provide value and result in predictable income and higher valuations.Subscriptions have a high upfront cost for customer acquisition, but the lifetime value of a subscriber can be significant if they stay on for an average amount of time. Brands with successful subscription models aim to build a habit within their consumer, and those that do can see customers staying on for years.Target the right customers and understand their profile to offer something of value in a crowded subscription market. Despite competition from big names like Netflix, marketers can provide more value by targeting individuals' passions and needs.Chris believes that a beauty company starting today should prioritize building a subscription model first as it offers a low-cost marketing tool and higher customer value compared to one-off purchases. Subscription can work alongside traditional e-commerce, but Chris recommends being subscription-only.Subsummit is the world's largest event for all consumer subscriptions, focusing on helping entrepreneurs and subscription-based businesses build better subscription-based companies, with a huge expo hall, multiple track rooms, and speakers ranging from NBA to Time Magazine. The event covers everything from how to start and grow a subscription business to retaining customers and international expansion.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How Personalization Can Turn Your Ordinary Website Into an Irresistible Sales Platform
Eric Melchor from Optimonk joins Matt Edmundson in this episode to share his insights on website personalization and how to make the most of it to improve customer experience and increase sales!ABOUT ERICEric Melchor is a personalization geek, mediocre tennis player, and Texas expat living in Romania. His background is in identifying ways to increase customer lifetime value through video and web personalization as well as partnership marketing. In addition to being the personalization ambassador for OptiMonk, he also hosts a podcast called Innovators Can Laugh where he learns from innovative startups in the European tech scene.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Eric started out with Bonjoro, a company that segmented videos into industry categories. With Optimonk, he created a system that personalized the experience for each user thus improving the overall experience for global visitors.Personalization can be a powerful tool for website owners, increasing conversion rates and engagement. One way to personalize the user experience is to use a conversational pop-up that asks questions about the visitor's preferences. This allows you to segment your visitors and serve them content that they are interested in, which can lead to increased sales.Optimonk seeks to create micro engagements on websites in order to increase customer value optimization. These micro engagements can take the form of providing relevant content based on a user's individual behavior or preferences, or simply engaging with them in a friendly way. If you are running a small e-commerce store, try to save abandoned carts and offer discounts to encourage people to return. Using a nano bar at the bottom of your website to collect emails and tying the headline on your landing page to the ad copy of your Facebook ads and Google paid media ads are some great strategies to increase sales.Other quick wins for personalization include messages for returning visitors and images of a visitor's home country flag with a welcome message.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

What Is Amazon Doing And What Do Amazon Sellers Need To Know
Amazon is always changing and evolving their platform, so it can be hard to keep up with what's going on. But don't worry because we have you covered!Jon Tilley from ZonGuru joins Matt Edmundson in this episode to talk all about what Amazon is doing and what Amazon sellers need to know.ABOUT JONJon Tilley is a successful entrepreneur & Amazon thought leader. After 15 years working as an account director & strategist for some of the top global digital agencies, Jon started his Amazon journey in 2014 launching multiple successful private label brands, and soon after launching ZonGuru, an all-in-one software toolset for Amazon Private Label Sellers.ZonGuru continues to launch tools ahead of the market, and use data driven techniques to help its customers create and run successful Private Label businesses on Amazon.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:ZonGuru has evolved to cater to new customer types, including enterprise brands and agencies that manage Amazon brands for their clients. It is focused on efficiency, quality, and scalability, which resonates with experts in the field. The company is doing more outbound marketing and sitting down for demos with potential customers. Private label sellers are still a massive part of their audience.Jon believes that there are still amazing opportunities for small-scale businesses on Amazon, both in the US and internationally. To be successful, entrepreneurs need to be dialed-in to data and understand how to use it properly. They also need a good launch strategy and processes in place to prevent them from going out of stock. It is important to note that competition from bigger brands with deep pockets is fierce, so choosing the right market is key.Jon talks about their Global Niche Analysis Report, which helps to assess a niche market. He says that it is possible to look at successful markets in the US and bring them to international markets. It is also possible to look at saturated markets in the US and see if there are opportunities there.Most brands now have an Amazon division focused on pushing their products out onto the e-commerce platform. Google is favored by Amazon because they understand that there is money to be made off of sponsored ads. However, smaller players can still compete by driving traffic from other platforms to their storefronts.Matt and Jon discuss the opportunity for Shopify agencies to become Amazon specialists. While there is potential in this area, businesses need to be careful not to spread themselves too thin. Jon has created an accreditation course for agencies which covers operational aspects of running an Amazon business.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Boost Your Ecommerce Revenue: Strategies to Increase Your Average Order Value
Are you struggling to find ways to increase the revenue for your E-commerce business? Join us for this episode of the eCommerce Podcast where the entrepreneur's best friend, Greg Writer shares his tips and tricks to increase your AOV, create upsells and cross-sells, and leverage discounts and promotions to drive more sales. Get the tips you need to maximize your profits and take your business to the next level.ABOUT GREGGreg Writer is known as the go-to guy for entrepreneurs who need advice. He's been around the block for over 35 years, doing everything from corporate finance to sales and marketing. Greg's made big bucks in eCommerce, using the same strategies he shares in his seminars and keynotes. Nowadays, he's running the show at Launch Cart, a SaaS eCommerce platform that he founded himself.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Greg has been helping entrepreneurs and inventors for 40 years, and is known as the "entrepreneur's best friend" due to his extensive experience in investing and raising capital for companies, as well as the wisdom he has gained from both successes and failures.Matt and Greg discussed the founding of Launch Cart, an e-commerce platform designed to help entrepreneurs and celebrities monetize their businesses and build wealth through asset protection and brand equity.Greg shares about his vision of building a platform that includes a drop shipping marketplace (Source and Sell Marketplace) and banking as a service with blockchain to help entrepreneurs run their businesses more efficiently.Greg highlights strategies to increase Average Order Value (AOV) for e-commerce stores, such as adding images, trust seals, countdown timers and scarcity timers to the checkout page, offering order bumps on the checkout page with digital downloads or discounts for buying multiple items, and offering more of the same item that customers are already ordering.The use of upsells and down sells to increase customer orders and maximize profits, with the potential to convert 10-30% of customers post checkout.Greg talks about the importance of split-testing and optimizing the customer journey, and the importance of incorporating emotion into product marketing in order to make a lasting impression.How the use of reviews, video recordings, postcards, and emotional storytelling can help increase average order value when selling products online.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

What's Working Right Now With Google and YouTube Ads
If you're wondering how you to market your business with Google and YouTube Ads and start generating some leads and sales for your business, you don't want to miss this episode.Brett Curry from OMG Commerce joins Matt in this episode to talk about some of the latest trends in Google and YouTube Advertising so you can get the most out of your campaigns.ABOUT BRETTBrett is a seasoned entrepreneur, digital marketer and podcast host. He leads an 8-Figure ad agency of Google, YouTube and Amazon marketing rockstars. Brett is also the father of 8 children, and a basketball coach.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:YouTube has 2 billion active monthly users, making it a great platform for e-commerce entrepreneurs. There is a perceived barrier to entry when it comes to testing on YouTube, as people don't know how to go about doing so. Creative is important on YouTube, as the video needs to be interesting enough to get someone to click.YouTube is a good platform for both demand generation and capture. Remarketing to already existing customers is also an effective strategy on YouTube.On YouTube, videos as short as 30 seconds can be used for awareness, while longer form videos such as one to three minutes are better for conversions.Videos over 3 minutes long may incur a cost from YouTube, yet they could still be effective if they convert well.When it comes to ROAS, Google is typically higher due to being closer to the purchase than YouTube. However, it's important to remember that YouTube feeds other campaigns and its role should not be overlooked.Once a user clicks on your ad and is taken to your landing page, they need to feel like they are in the right place, with a headline that is congruent to what was seen in the video. Additionally, there should be more selling on the landing page, outlining benefits and features as well as video and social proof.Brett recommends building out a strong bottom of the funnel with search, shopping, and remarketing on the Google side first. Start testing a lander with Facebook before moving to YouTube with a minimum budget of $5-10K per month. A customer acquisition cost of $50-100 should be anticipated for direct conversions.Google Performance Max is a single campaign channel that encompasses all Google channels such as search, shopping, display, discovery, YouTube, and Maps. It replaces Smart Shopping for eCommerce brands and encourages advertisers to focus more on creative like images, product listings, and optimized videos.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How the Merger and Acquisition Landscape Is Changing And What It Means For Your eCommerce Business
The merger and acquisition landscape is constantly evolving and it can be tough to keep up with all the changes. Whether you're thinking of selling or buying a company, you need to pay attention to these changes because they could impact you in a big way.Ben Leonard from Ecom Brokers joins Matt in this episode to talk about the big changes that have taken place in the M&A landscape and what business owners must do to build their brands. ABOUT BENBest known as the founder of Beast Gear, Ben Leonard is the classic millennial entrepreneur. He built a business on a laptop, in a cupboard, in his spare time. The difference? Ben grew an international 7-figure business and successfully exited after three years; the business holy grail! Naturally, people started to ask him for help in selling their business and thus, Ecom Brokers was born. Ben has been a previous guest on the show talking about how to scale and sell your own Ecommerce business.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:2022 has been a difficult year for small business owners. Costs have been rising and sales has been falling. More and more people are getting into entrepreneurship and it’s not just more competitors but the competition is better. So as a business owner, you have to think about the long-term and build more of a sustainable brand.The risk appetite of most buyers has dropped. So that means it's not a seller's market anymore. There have been fewer deals and the deals that have been done have been done at lower-than-expected prices compared to last year. The multiples have gone down. So, the value of businesses has dropped, particularly for a weak brand. ECOM Brokers was founded to help E-commerce business owners plan and execute their exit and to improve not only the experience of the seller but the buyer as well. For some businesses, it means selling very soon and for others, it means working together for a year or two to get ready to sell their business for a deal that is appropriate for them and that matches their goals.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Grow Your Business Using Email Marketing Strategies
Are you struggling to find new and effective ways to grow your business? Look no further than email marketing! In this episode, our expert guest, Tom Kulzer, shares the most valuable email marketing strategies to help you attract new customers, engage with your audience, and drive growth for your business. Tune in and get ready to learn how to use email marketing to take your business to the next level!ABOUT TOMTom Kulzer is the founder and CEO at AWeber, the leading email marketing and automation platform for small businesses, where he is actively involved in the company’s strategic direction, growth and evolution. Over the company’s 24-year history, Tom has nurtured AWeber from a small start-up to a robust organization, that has enabled over 1 million customers to grow their businesses, all without public or venture funding.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:AWeber is an email marketing platform that enables small businesses around the world to be able to send communications out to the people that requested them. They are the automation behind communicating with your subscribers. Email has remained one of the top investments for businesses from a return-on-investment standpoint through the years. When done right, it is highly profitable, allowing you to connect with your users in ways that you just can't do across social and other platforms.Another major benefit of email is that you own your audience. Email is more transferable, more ownable, has longer term economics and email subscribers are worth far more than Facebook or Twitter followers.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Exploring The Possibilities of Generative AI
AI is changing the world as we know it and generative AI is leading the change. Max Sinclair from Ecomtent joins Matt in today's episode to talk about the amazing possibilities of Generative AI and sheds light on the most popular Generative AI system right now, ChatGPT.ABOUT MAXMax is CEO and Founder of Ecomtent, who are revolutionising how E-commerce sellers create content with Generative AI. Prior to founding Ecomtent, Max spent 6 years at Amazon. Here he worked on the launch of Amazon Business in the UK, the country launch of Ecomtent in Singapore, and the launch of Amazon Grocery across the EU. Throughout this time, Max worked directly with 100s of sellers of all sizes across many categories, and saw the pain of creating content for Ecommerce first hand.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Generative AI is a new wave of Artificial Intelligence that can produce entirely new content such as images, videos, texts and code. It differs from deterministic AI which uses data sets to answer questions or classify objects. Max started Ecomtent to use this technology for e-commerce sellers in order to help them create content more efficiently.ChatGPT uses something called Generative Adversarial Network which consists of two networks: a generator and discriminator. Although useful, Chat GPT should be used cautiously as it only generates text sounding correct but not necessarily accurate. Matt and Max discuss the implications of AI on creation. They explore how chat GPT can be used to write a book with a single prompt, as well as its potential applications in other industries such as law. Max stated that while it is terrifying, technological advances have been beneficial for humanity throughout history and should not be feared. Ecomtent is creating product images and lifestyle images using generative AI. The ambition is to create optimized descriptions, bullet points and A+ content as well as lifestyle imagery that would not be generated again exactly the same if given the same prompt multiple times over.Max explained their vision statement, which is "unimaginable creativity" with limitless personalization. He added that generative AI can create code as well, which will lead to a future where people just have to say “build me a website” and the AI will do so smartly with all permutations taken into account. Max suggests that new e-commerce persons use chat GPT to analyze reviews on competitors and understand customer preferences. Secondly, Max suggests generating a list of 100 search phrases/keywords related to the product as well as optimizing bids on Amazon or Google based on that list.Max has used Chat GPT to discover a unique writing style. He recommends using this technique when creating blog posts, making them more entertaining and engaging. Natural language translation is another application of Chat GPT as it understands the key themes and concepts in order to create new phrases and synonyms for other languages.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Create A Frothing At The Mouth Email List With Plain-Text Emails
In this episode, Christian Simovic joins Matt to show you how to create a frothing at the mouth email using nothing but plain-text emails. A lot of people think that you need fancy software or HTML coding skills to create an effective email campaign, but that's not true. You can get great results with simple text-based emails if you know what you're doing. ABOUT CHRISTIANChristian Simovic is a plain-text email marketing specialist. He prescribes daily emails for his clients, and sends out daily email marketing tips via his email list. His clients have ranged from small organic skincare brands to reality TV stars.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Copywriting is applying the fundamentals of salesmanship and understanding the psychology of why we buy and then applying that to the written word. From a psychological point of view, a plain text email is a much better approach because it helps build a personal one on one connection. Also, from an email deliverability standpoint, if you have images and newsletter kind of themes, they are likely to end up in the promotions tab, or worse the spam tab. When writing daily emails, you can't just be pure sales. If you're writing fun, informational, and more importantly, entertaining content that segue into a product, you really can't go wrong with daily emailing. Just plain text emails, they could be various lengths - short question, 300 to 500, some 500 to1000 words depending on the kind of content you're sending out, that resonates with your audience and engages them. The PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) approach is great for writing plain text long form marketing emails. If you spend all of your time knowing everything about your market, the problems, their pains, what they want, their slang, their little jokes, then writing daily emails or just writing emails in general becomes very easy because you understand your audience and what they want to talk about.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Why SEO Is Not Just About Search Engines But Better Websites
Have you ever wondered why some websites seem to skyrocket up the rankings while others struggle to stay on the first page? It's not just about tricks and manipulation — optimizing for SEO requires a deep understanding of how to build better websites that offer an unforgettable user experience. Kevin Wiles joins Matt Edmundson in this Episode to talk about all things SEO. ABOUT KevinKevin is a passionate technical SEO lead with a career history of working with big household names across New Zealand & United Kingdom.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:SEO is not a dark art. It is just a methodical approach to understanding how Google works and what guidelines they give. It has been mis-sold in the past by statements that are not factually correct or slightly tweaked to push an agenda.It is much tougher to compete at a national level for things like car parts or mot against bigger brands, but where you can win as a smaller brand is understanding what that search actually returns.Creating less content that is well researched and comprehensive will be more effective than lots of low quality content. This is because people are looking for authoritative sources of information that can provide detail and answer all their questions in one go.From an SEO point of view, some strategy points to consider hitting are: understanding what is on the PDPs (Product Display Pages), making sure there is enough detail, and to go after supporting content. A missed opportunity that many people face when it comes to product page SEO is not thinking about longer tail keywords that have lower search volume but would return a product that the user is more likely to buy.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How AI and Consumer Behavior Can Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment
What if you could reduce shopping cart abandonment and increase sales? Learn the secrets of AI and consumer behavior to boost your online sales in this new episode with our guest Valon Xhafa on How AI and Consumer Behavior Can Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment! ABOUT VALONValon previously worked as an AI scientist at Google and at other research institutes, developing sophisticated AI techniques and algorithms. Valon is always looking for innovative methods to use artificial intelligence to improve the online shopping experience at Behamics.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Shopping cart abandonment is when a consumer visits your shop, adds products to the cart but leaves without purchasing the products. This is a major concern for eCommerce business owners because statistically 70% of consumers who added something to the cart, abandon it. There are several external and internal factors to cart abandonments. At Behamics, Valon and his team mainly focus on internal factors because these are factors that one can actually impact and improve to prevent cart abandonments. Internal factors comprise of Behavioral & Technical issues.AI not only predicts whether the consumer will abandon the cart but can explain why they choose to abandon the cart. If a consumer leaves the website without making a purchase, it will cost the business more money to try and bring them back through emails etc. It is far more cost-effective to interact with the consumer while they are on the site and to be able to intervene and prevent things before they happen. For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Develop A Creative Strategy For Your Brands' Advertising
Get creative with your brand's advertising! In this episode Colby Flood shares his insight on how to develop an innovative and effective marketing strategy. Discover the tips and tricks for designing creative ad campaigns that will get your message across to the right audience. ABOUT COLBYColby founded Brighter Click in 2019 to create an education-first agency that focuses on performance and proactive communication led by education. Hired the first team member in 2020 and saw 300% growth in the next 12 months. By 2022 they managed over $20 million ad spend for their client and the agency has 7 full-time employees. Brighter Click helps eCommerce companies 2-3x their current Facebook marketing performance. The only agency that leads all communications through education.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The three levels to Creative Strategy – CMO, Graphic Design, and Research. CMO is the person that is setting the USP, the buyer personas, the messaging that goes across all channels. The next level is the actual graphic design work where you would look at the brand guidelines, making sure you fully understand the USP. And see how you can match your brand voice/identity to different levels of the funnel. And then start doing research on the brand and also your competitors. Colby says, “A creative is what people are seeing for the ads. So that could be influencer content, that could be graphics, video production, or even PR to put into your actual ads. Whatever is going in that 1080 by 1080 or 9 by 16 square for people to look at. I would say put 10% of your budget focused on that.”Brighter Click is an agency that is focused on creative strategy. They work with clients to provide paid media strategy and production as well as paid ad management. For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

[Bonus Episode] How to Use eCommerce Cycles to Deliver What Matters Most to Your Customers
With so much information easily accessible, it can be tough to decipher what will help you improve your eCommerce Business. When first starting out in eCommerce, it's not easy to determine where to begin with everything that's available; as a result, many entrepreneurs never get their business off the ground.And if you're like me and have been at this for a while, we run the risk of using methods from last year that are now outdated while our competition grows utilising new innovations.💡 - enter eCommerce cycleseCommerce Cycles are a way of looking at eCommerce that takes into account the ever-changing nature of the industry.By understanding the different stages that eCommerce goes through, you can better adapt your business to suit the current trends and stay ahead of the competition.Join me in this Live Event training to learn how you can use eCommerce cycles to propel your business growth in this rapidly changing industry.During the webinar, we’ll cover:⚡️ What are eCommerce cycles⚡️ How they can help your business to GROW by adapting your business to suit the current trends.⚡️ How to understand what YOUR customers want and need⚡️ How to use eCommerce cycles to DELIVER what matters most to your customers⚡️ How to get ahead of your competition by using tried and tested techniquesExpect lots of takeaway tips and tricks that are easy to implement and can achieve the best results.Links from the event:Matt Edmundson - www.mattedmundson.comAurion Digital - www.aurion.digitalecommerce Cohort - www.ecommercecohort.com

How To Increase Your Customer Retention: The Ultimate Guide
Attention all business owners! Are you looking to increase customer retention? Look no further because we've got the ultimate guide to help you unlock the potential of your business. Learn how to maximize customer satisfaction and get the most out of your customer relationships with Brandon Amoroso!ABOUT BRANDONBrandon is the founder and CEO of Electriq, a DRINKS company that scales brands with profitable e-commerce models built from innovative proprietary methods. Powered by the freedom and individuality of the Gen Z mindset, Electriq has fueled over 35 in-house specialists in a range of growth-focused strategies, including email/SMS marketing, SEO/content marketing, paid acquisition, and web design/development.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Having sold his ecommerce agency to drinks.com, Brandon shares his experience of transitioning from CEO to working within a larger organization. What started as an accidental involvement in customer retention turned into a focus for the entire company; they stopped doing anything related to paid acquisition in 2021.Brands need to start with the basics when building a retention program and not try to do everything all at once. Brandon talks about how Klaviyo can help brands segment their data more granularly.Ecommerce entrepreneurs should focus on customer retention by utilizing email and SMS flows. Subscription programs can be beneficial for long-term customers, but it is important to offer a try-before-you-subscribe option.SMS marketing is a different and more personal communication channel than email and even has an outsized return compared to email. To get started, brands can create a segment of their best customers in Klaviyo and invite them to a VIP SMS subscriber list. Text messages that work well are authentic, fun, cheeky, and have personality from the brand.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

The Amazing Benefits of Augmented Reality Marketing for Ecommerce
Are you ready to discover the incredible power of augmented reality marketing for ecommerce? The future is here – find out the amazing benefits of utilizing AR technology for your business today with guest Rich Watson.ABOUT RICHRich Watson is a strong force in Augmented Reality Marketing and one of the leading voices behind it. He has spoken all over the world about the future of eCommerce and how it will be brought into Web 3.0. Rich has over 8 years of Facebook ad media buying experience, and he is an avid believer in the potential of Non-Fungible Tokens (not pictures of monkeys but the technology behind it) and the metaverse.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Augmented Reality (AR) can be defined as upgrading your immediate surroundings with digital assets. AR is something that comes in front of you overlaying the environment that you’re already in. Whereas, virtual reality (VR) is essentially an entire environment that you're stepping into.The importance of understanding the connection between AR and what the technology is key to businesses build a relationship with their customers, retain them and attain a better marketing performance. Augmented Hype helps brands and agencies leverage AR for their marketing by focusing on what their main bottlenecks are, and then creating a bespoke AR experience to harness their goals and objectives.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Why eCommerce is Challenging (And How to Make It Work For You)
eCommerce is growing rapidly, but it's also one of the most challenging businesses to be in. In this episode Eric Youngstrom joins Matt to talk about why eCommerce is so challenging and how we can make it work for us.ABOUT ERICEric is the founder and CEO of Onramp Funds, a purpose-built financing platform for e-commerce brands. In less than two years, since its founding, Eric and the On-Ramp team have raised over $40 million in seed funding and have helped dozens of e-commerce SMBs get off the ground.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Every small business merchant is faced with a challenge when it comes to having the necessary capital to order that next round of inventory or their credit card has maxed out. They can't run an ad on Google to drive that next sale to their Shopify store. And just struggles to keep the wheels turning. E-commerce currently makes up 16-17% of retail and is expected to continue to grow. There is regional differentiation in e-commerce adoption, with the UK being 2-3 times that of the US. The key difference is geography - it is easier to ship within a smaller area. Omni-channel retailers are becoming more prevalent, but digital only retailers can still be successful.The golden rule of business is to treat the customer how you would want to be treated in that same situation. A lot of e-commerce businesses fail because they treat their customers like just another number rather than a real person. Instead focus on doing things that create loyalty from customers and builds your brand. eCommerce and mitigating inflation in the current economic environment.The importance of knowing the fundamentals of your business' finances.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Grow Your Business With Growth Driven Advertising On Amazon
Growth driven advertising is a phrase we often hear but what exactly is it? How can it help your business? And more importantly, how do you get started? Ryan Flannagan joins Matt in this episode to show us how to use growth driven advertising on Amazon to grow our businesses.ABOUT RYANRyan Flannagan is the CEO at Nuanced Media. He has spent more than 15 years in eCommerce, multichannel digital marketing, and third party marketing places. He's worked with hundreds of companies to establish best practices, focusing on the 20% that produces 80% of the revenue, the Pareto principle.Ryan is a passionate thought leader in the eCommerce industry. He has been interviewed and quoted by Buzz Feed, Modern Retail as well as many other news outlets. He is a professional speaker, blogger and has contributed articles to 20+ 3rd party publications.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Selling your product on Amazon is not what it used to be five years ago. It’s getting more and more competitive on a weekly basis. We're seeing more aggressive ad spend and a maturation of the market. Essentially the old method of just managing pay per click and not looking at data or segments etc. is just not enough anymore. The Pareto principle applies to Amazon as well. And sometimes it could be like 2% of your catalog is making 98% of your revenue. Therefore, it becomes essential to focus your efforts on those revenue making SKUs or ASINs so as not to lose the competitive advantage. If you have a product that's doing over $10,000 to $20,000 of sales for your website, it's probably time to really start looking at it.Nuanced Media is a boutique agency that won't work with you unless they can win for you. They are about more value driven based and helping people be successful on the Amazon platform. Ryan and his team use several different software suites to test, review, launch, build out, including keyword tracking and a variety of things to help you achieve growth driven advertising on Amazon.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Bring The Magic Of Disney To Your Customer Service
Do you want to create a magical customer service experience for your clients? In this episode, Vance Morris joins Matt to share his seven keys to turning your customer service into an amazing experience for your customers.ABOUT VANCEVance Morris is the Service & Marketing Strategist at Deliver Service Now Institute. He is a former Birth Control Factory Security Guard turned Disney Leader, turned Bankrupt Out of Work Executive, turned Carpet Cleaner, turned Successful Entrepreneur. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Deliver ServiceNow Institute is all about creating experiences for clients. They use the term “Disnify”, which is creating experiences out of the mundane. Every business has tons of things that are mundane that they need to do day in and day out to keep the business running. Disney has just created experiences out of each one of those touchpoints and so can you!Vance has come up with 7 Magic Keys to Disnifying your customer service. They are namely, creating the wow experience, focussing on the details, the employee experience, your service standards, the environment that you have your employees working in, the process and the magic of bringing it all together.Vance believes that with a little bit of care and thought, any business can create Wow experiences for their clients. Taking inspiration from some of the principles he learnt from his time at Disney, like anticipatory service, linertainment etc. he developed his 7 keys to Disnify your Customer Service. He says, if he can implement Disney style service in a carpet cleaning service, anyone can!For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Why You Need to Offer Productized Services
Offering productized services is a great way to make money while keeping your clients happy. In this episode, Rick West joins Matt and explains what productized services are and why you should offer them to your clients. You'll learn how productized services can help you streamline your business, provide better customer service, and make more money.ABOUT RICKRick West is the CEO and Founder of Field Agent. Field Agent connects brands, retailers, and agencies with customers across the country and around the world to help you win at retail. His platform harnesses smartphones across the country, bridging the gap between you and your customers.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:If you're a B2B provider of services, there's no way that you can put your services on Amazon or Shopify. So, Rick and his team developed Plum, the first B2B marketplace with a cart where you can click, answer a couple of questions and go to a cart and check out with a cart just like you would Amazon or any type of retail, B2B engagement and buy their services. The barriers to any B2B services provider in productizing their services are usually time and tech resources. Rick’s team comes alongside and helps them by doing the tech lifting and concept lifting to create products and gives them a place to place these products, which is plum shop.A checklist is a great tool to productize something even without the technology and what marks the difference between a great and mediocre sales call.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Can you massively increase perceived value or is it just American Hype?
A lot of people think that they need to massively increase the price of their product in order to make it more valuable, but that's not always true. There are a lot of ways that you can manipulate the perception of your product to make it more appealing and increase sales.Norm Farrar, the host of the popular Amazon podcast, Lunch with Norm, joins Matt in this episode to unpack whether perceived value can really be increased significantly or is it just an American Hype? ABOUT NORMEntrepreneur and businessman Norman “The Beard Guy” Farrar stands at the forefront of the economic mega-machine known as Amazon Marketplace. As a leading expert with over 25 years of product sourcing, development, and branding expertise, Norm is an advisor to many and is the host of the podcast Lunch With Norm, a Live Interactive Podcast For All EntrepreneursThroughout his career, Norm has sold over 100 million dollars in sales between his own products and services and the opportunities he has brokered for clients. Today, in addition to running a diverse catalog of companies including AMZ Club and PRReach (The world’s first video press release company), and he focuses on guiding individual sellers, brands, and manufacturers to worldwide dominance on Amazon, Amazon Podcast, and top-earning sales sites.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Perceived Value is the customers' evaluation of the merits of a product or service, and its ability to meet their needs and expectations, especially in comparison with its peers. It is the overall customer experience from the second that they're typing what they're looking for into a search field.With any business venture, you need to have the resilience and become the authority figure to really succeed and grow. But you also need to build your brand’s perceived value so that people want to keep coming back to your brand and your products.It begins with competitor research and finding out what you can do to make your product stand out and what makes your product more value adding for the customer every single time and just doing it consistently.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How to Decide if Amazon is Right for Your Small Business
Many are turning to Amazon as a way to start and grow their business because (when done correctly) it can be a really lucrative set up. But is Amazon the right platform for your business? Adam Shaffer breaks it down to help you make the decision.ABOUT ADAMAdam Shaffer is a technology pioneer. He has found success helping Amazon sellers through his company’s proprietary technology, services, and distribution platform. Ultimately, this has helped clients navigate the most complex waters of the largest E-commerce site in the world. Adam is also a pioneer in direct marketing and digital ecommerce of technology products and solutions to both consumer and commercial markets.When he’s not working, you’ll find him spending time with his wife and daughters.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Amazon is by far the biggest marketplace with $620 billion of merchandise getting sold in the US per year. For brands, in many cases, it's by far their number one channel. It's evolved quickly over the years and continues to. And so, you need to be really good at everything on Amazon, if you want to succeed, because the rules do change from time to time.Another key aspect to success on Amazon is Inventory Management. You need to always be shifting product up to Amazon and don't run out of stock. You definitely don't want to be overstocked. Nobody wants to have too much inventory and not turning it enough. But if you work your heart out with competitors to get somewhere on the ranking, you don't want to be out of stock on your product and all of a sudden lose all that ground.Phelps United is a third-party seller and an eCommerce brand accelerator. They help brands navigate and grow on the very complicated, but potentially lucrative channel, which is the Amazon channel and other marketplaces. They help brands with their Amazon strategy by doing a quick analysis of the marketplace and work on making sure that the content is just awesome and tells a great story.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Join The Creator Economy
The creator economy is booming, and there are plenty of opportunities for those who know how to join in. In this episode, Tomer Hen joins Matt to talk about the creator economy and the best practices for successfully launching a personal consumer brand. TOMER HENTomer Hen is a serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the Digital Marketing industry. During this time, he founded the first mobile marketing school in Israel, created the first Israeli Mobile Marketing Summit, and has spearheaded notable campaigns with leading fortune 500 brands, including Amazon, Audible, and Mastercard. Backed by his expertise and a growing portfolio, Tomer was recognized as one of Forbes’s 30 promising entrepreneurs under 30. In 2011, Tomer founded MobCo Media, a user-acquisition and performance-driven intelligence company. With over 500 campaigns in more than 160 countries, MobCo has cemented its position as a front-runner in the ad tech space.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Today, the world is becoming more and more authentic, and people are looking for authenticity. We have an interesting mix of technology and the internet. And self-expression and authenticity are the keys to unlocking this Creator Economy. The most successful creators are those who are themselves.There’s a huge difference between selling a product and building a brand. People choose to go after a brand because they believe in what that brand stands for and that it serves them in a unique way and makes them feel special and cared for.Creator Economy is about finding a community you want to serve and building a brand around them and not vice versa. It is not about making money. People are very sensitive about why you do what you do. And when you realise it's all about who you serve, and not what you sell, then that's the main advantage for your brand.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Scale Your Business With The Right Talent
Hiring is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to scaling your business. Without talented people in place, hiring efficiently and finding top-notch talent proves challenging--to say nothing about what happens if they don't get along or have different skill sets that prevent them from working well together! In this episode we'll be talking with Yoni Kozminksi who can help you avoid these pitfalls by sharing his insight, processes and systems to find the right talent for your business. ABOUT YONIYoni Kozminski is an entrepreneur and business consultant with over two decades of experience in scaling businesses. Over the years, he has helped develop digital strategies for some of the world's biggest brands, including Mercedez-Benz, Mastercard, Sony, Medtronic Diabetes, Mondelez International, and more. His experiences eventually led to the creation of Escala and MultiplyMii - two companies that help businesses achieve massive growth. Besides being an awesome entrepreneur, Yoni is also a seasoned podcaster! His 'Successful Scales' Podcast is centred on questions related to growing, selling, acquiring, and scaling a business and what comes with it. If you're looking to take your business to the next level - you don't want to miss out on his wisdom!Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:To build a business that stands the test of time, you have to invest in your culture and delegate accountability to your people instead of tasks. One of the number one mistakes that people make when building processes is they take a bottom-up approach, but it’s looking on the high level and understanding how everything integrates inside of your business that will help you succeed in building out an effective process. As soon as you get to the level where you start to feel stretched, that's when you should start enacting some of these processes, but you want to actually get to them sooner rather than later. Starting with a Word doc or an Excel spreadsheet and simply defining everything might be a great place to start. You want to build more time in your day so that you can focus on the things that are going to have the most impact in your business and in your life. When you look to build systems in your business, you must first consider where you are investing your time and then understand where you can give ownership and accountability. The perfect system is one that brings perfect harmony between people, process, and technology. Enjoying listening to our conversation about scaling your business with talent :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Your Questions About Black Friday Answered
Black Friday is coming up and a lot of people are wondering what the best way to take advantage of the sales is. This bonus episode is going to answer all your questions about Black Friday so you can be fully prepared.ABOUT CHLOEChloë Thomas is a globally recognised eCommerce marketing problem solver. Author of several bestselling books, keynote speaker, and host of both the award-winning eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast, AND Keep Optimising Podcast.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:There's a movement against the big blanket discounts that only last for 24 hours and things like this. Everyone now feels like they have permission to create the promotion that works for them. And then the second side of it is, as an industry we have got much savvier at organizing the operations side of it - changing the postage methods, changing the messaging on speed of delivery, working with our couriers, our 3PLs, our own inhouse warehouses - to be ready and to manage that bump when it comes.Black Friday doesn't have to be for everyone. If you've got good reason not to do it, don't do it. A good reason could be that it doesn't fit with your brand or it doesn't fit with your sales model or that you only have limited stock. There is a big customer intention to spend money on that day, whether you run an offer or not. So you will probably see a sales uplift even if you don't do anything. Use social proof to build and retain customer loyalty. Social proof comes in so many different flavors. You've got the overall score of the site; you've got actual quotes from actual customers to put in places. You can also take some control over what appears on the homepage and what is on your emails by including place that you've been featured or where you've been quotes. Tell your story too - how long you've been around, how many orders you've shipped, how many happy customers you've had. Reveal the humanity behind the business.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Build A Fulfilment Infrastructure That Will Scale With Your Business
Running a business that relies on delivering products from warehouse to customer can be daunting, especially when your company is growing quickly. In this week’s episode Harry Drajpuch talks about ways to build a scalable fulfilment infrastructure and avoid the common pitfalls. ABOUT HARRYHarry Drajpuch is the CEO of Amware Fulfilment. He's a 30+ year logistics industry executive with a breadth of experience in executive management. In his previous role as COO of Amware Logistics, he was responsible for technology and the performance of eight nationwide fulfilment centers. Prior to that, Drajpuch was President and CEO of Weber Logistics, where he had full P&L responsibility for 15 distribution centers and a large regional truckload fleet. He also served as COO at third-party logistics provider Kane Is Able.When he's not shaking things up in the boardroom, Harry will be likely off flying his plane - he’s an instrument rated pilot too!Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The eCommerce industry has changed drastically over the years. It’s a volatile industry and as an eCommerce entrepreneur, you have to adapt to the customer’s growing expectations in terms of speed of delivery, quality of service, product customisations/personalisations, etc. The ability to adapt with the changing demands of the customer will help you differentiate yourself in the marketplace and stand out from the crowd.The pathway to success begins with the right people. You have to ensure that the people in your organisation and those that you hire have the right attitude. Be selective in your hiring, look for people that want to do something a little bit differently, that see it as a challenge, and are willing to put themselves in the customer’s shoes to ensure they deliver excellent service, every single time. And then create a positive atmosphere that walks the talk, that supports and appreciates them. As your business grows, you must think about whether or not you need to outsource your fulfillment and what it’s going to cost you. Outsourced companies are a little more efficient and when you outsource, you generally save money and you can scale very quickly. Once the back-end is taken care of, you can focus on getting your message out to people to buy. Enjoying listening to our conversation about fulfilment infrastructure :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

It’s Time You Knew the Environmental Impact of Your Product
In a world where people are increasingly conscientious of the environment, it is important to be aware of the impact your product has. In this week’s podcast, Austin Simms joins Matt to help us explore the different ways our products can reduce our environmental impact and make an effort to become more sustainable.ABOUT AUSTINAustin is the co-founder of Dayrize. After 20+ years spent working in senior positions at major corporations like Nike, Philips and Brooks Running, Austin had a desire to use his skills to address climate change. With a strong commercial background, he believed that putting the power in consumers hands was important to make real change. He recognized that the first thing that consumers needed to make positive change was access to information to make better decisions, which is why he started Dayrize to make impact assessment transparent for business and consumers. Enjoying listening to our conversation about the environmental impact of your products :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How AI Is Changing Shopping: Product Recommendations
Shopping used to be about finding what you wanted at a price that suited your budget. But with AI-powered product recommendations, the process has become much simpler and more enjoyable!In this episode we chat with Oliver Edholm who tells us how this technology is changing both consumers' shopping experiences as well as businesses'.ABOUT OLIVEROliver Edholm is the Co-founder and CEO of Depict.ai. At 15, Oliver dropped out of high school. At 16, he moved across the world and hustled his way into an ML research position at the National University of Singapore. At 17, he founded Depict and joined Y Combinator to revolutionise the way we discover products online. Now at 19, Oliver leads a team of 35 employees at one of the most cutting-edge Ecommerce startups in Europe.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:If you want to get started out with AI, your traffic and the number of SKUs that you have must be at a reasonable level before AI makes sense for you. Several 100 SKUs and probably a couple of 1000 people at least visiting your website. The more the data, the better the AI tends to be the rule of thumb. Depict can work with more sparse data sets, which have less data. Product information is incredibly useful when recommending a product like going to a physical retail store and asking the salesperson for advice. Almost all existing recommender systems ignore that. Depict can apply incredibly smart image recognition algorithms, understanding subtle patterns, which was impossible a few years ago, but is now possible. When combined with the user data, it can generate really good results.There are a lot of buzzwords around AI and many people exploit that fact. The way to avoid gimmicks then is to become really good at asking yourself, what problems do I need to solve and does the solution actually solve this problem? And then don't care if it uses AI or not. Simple solutions tend to work surprisingly well, a lot of times. Enjoying listening to our conversation about AI product recommendations :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How A Successful Entrepreneur Learned What It Took To Succeed
Entrepreneurship is one of the most difficult things to do well, but it's also incredibly rewarding. You'll want this episode for all your entrepreneurial needs because in today’s talk with Omar Zenhom he shares some valuable lessons that any entrepreneur should take note of as they start their own business or grow an existing company!ABOUT OMAROmar Zenhom is the co-founder and CEO of WebinarNinja. He founded the company in 2014, and it has since grown to become one of the world's leading webinar platforms. Over a million people have attended a webinar on WebinarNinja, and it has been named as one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in 2018.In addition to his work at WebinarNinja, Omar is also the host of The $100 MBA Show. With over 2,100 episodes this iTunes Best of 2014 podcast has been downloaded over 197 million times and ranked as a top business podcast in over 30 countries. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:In the modern digital world, it’s easy to think that you need to copy someone else to be successful. The danger with that is you can end up being just another guy and not really making any difference. Running a business is hard work. So, when you are building one, find something that you really enjoy and run it in a way that works and makes sense for you. When it comes to content marketing, there's so much opportunity. Teaching is the new selling and there are so many ways to turn your eCommerce store into more than just a store. It's a community, it's a movement. People are just excited about what you have because you're not just showing them the product, you're showing them how it fits in in their life.Blogging is still one of the most powerful ways to get traffic to your website because of the power of SEO. Even though we're in the digital age with video and audio, text SEO is still the most powerful way for people to find you. People don't just go from “I don't know anything about your product” to “I want to buy it now” instantly. There is a process of education, there's a process of them envisioning themselves and their lives with your product.Enjoying listening to our conversation about successful entrepreneurship :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Successfully Grow Your eCommerce Empire Through Acquisition
This episode is all about learning how to use acquisition as a growth strategy for your business.A lot of people think that the only way to grow a business is through organic growth - but that's not true. You can also grow your business by using acquisition as a growth strategy for your business and there are a lot of different ways that you can do this. In this video, Matt is joined by Stephen Speer and together they explore the topic of business growth through acquisition. They discuss what it means for a company to grow by acquisition and some of the key benefits and considerations involved in this type of growth.ABOUT STEPHENStephen Speer is the founder and CEO of Ecommerce Lending. He has over three decades of lending experience, and has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs achieve business success through acquisition. Stephen is an ecommerce leader, guest speaker, and M&A instructor. With his firm, he has funded over 350 transactions totaling over $400 million- making them the top lender in the country in this very specialized niche.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:If you have an eCommerce business, you should definitely think of growth by acquisition. When you buy a business, it’s already been brought to a certain level and with the right business acumen you can really catapult the business and continue to grow. And if you're able to grow a portfolio of similar businesses, running them the same way, ultimately it can be a great way to grow and succeed.Usually, sticking to your lane and buying businesses you’re familiar with and running it roughly the same way is a great way to ensure success. Through leverage financing, smaller businesses can even acquire larger ones, as long as the buyer has the right business acumen.As much as acquiring an eCommerce business is a great idea, it is not really a straightforward process because there are a lot of moving pieces. At Ecommerce Lending, Stephen and his team help build a team around their clients to ensure they do have post acquisition success. They’re not just a lender, but offer a lot of ancillary services to help their clients succeed post acquisition.Enjoying listening to our conversation about growth through acquisition :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

The Secrets to Retaining Customers With Email Marketing
If you're like most business owners, you know that customer retention is key to your success. In this episode, Daniel Budai joins Matt to talk about the secrets to email marketing that will keep your customers coming back for more.ABOUT DANIELDaniel always had a knack for business, but it wasn't until he started learning about marketing and e-commerce that he truly found his calling. As a former geology student, he never would have guessed that he would end up owning a 7 figure marketing agency, Budai Media. But Daniel realized early on that most eCommerce business professionals lacked the skills to implement emails professionally. And that's why he founded Budai Media with the sole purpose of helping eCommerce brands build strong relationships with their customers.These days, Daniel spends most of his time drinking Americano and running Budai Media and , but when he's not working you can find him playing basketball or spending time with his wife and two kids. He loves Americano and travelling around the globe. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The Budai Media helps eCommerce businesses with direct response marketing such as Email, SMS, and Messenger marketing and loyalty programs focusing on customer retention. If you're in a business that thrives on repeat customers, then tracking metrics such as average days between transactions is quite important. If you are a big brand with a big list of subscribers, tracking metrics such as RFM can give you valuable insights and help you segment your customers into various categories. Tools such as Reveal or Metrilo can help you with that.Building a solid Email flow and introducing your brand to your customers is a great way to increase Customer Retention. Also, don’t just offer discounts, but come up with creative ideas such as offering a sample product, hosting a Facebook Live, running a great customer loyalty program, or even providing live consultations to your top customers. Enjoying listening to our conversation about email marketing :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How to Take Product into Direct Marketing
Wanna learn how to take your product and turn it into a successful direct marketing campaign? This episode is for you!A lot of people think that direct marketing is only for big businesses, but that's simply not true. You can use these techniques with any size business. So whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for years, listen to this episode and start generating more sales using direct marketing.Cody Bramlett joins Matt on the eCommerce Podcast to discuss how any business (no matter its size) can take a product into direct marketing. Cody talks in depth about what this process looks like for eCommerce businesses. ABOUT CODYCody Bramlett is the founder of a multimillion-dollar nutritional supplement empire. After years of struggling as a personal trainer and gym owner, Cody's life changed when he solved his father's chronic inflammation problem with his own custom-formulated products. This empowered Cody to start growing his company, Science Natural Supplements, to help other people get pain-free, lose weight, and overall just feel great about themselves! As a result of starting and scaling Science Naturals, Cody now also teaches other driven entrepreneurs how to profitably start, scale, and sell their own nutritional supplement brands through his coaching and mastermind called, Supplement Millionaire.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:If you have a great product, you can start generating more sales by using long form sales pages, which can either be text or video, that’s telling a compelling story of how your product has transformed people’s lives. And the way to you can drive traffic to this page is using affiliates. Joining different community groups and coaching programmes can help you find the right affiliates that work for you.You will need quality writers to make your content stand out and to do that you must find out what you want and why. Once you have your product, you can then look at pages that are doing well and reverse engineer them. The people who visit your site do not know you or your product. So you want to build friendship and give them a great deal to build their trust and confidence in you.Cody has built a programme called Supplement Millionaire and teaches people how to launch and build a direct marketing, affiliate-based supplement brand or health brand in that space. He helps a huge plethora of people from diverse spaces start and build a health or supplement business online.Enjoying listening to our conversation about direct marketing :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Customer Experience Before, During and After the Sale
In this episode we’re going to talk about the importance of customer experience and how you can improve it before, during and after the sale.Customers are more savvy than ever before and they know what they want. If you don't give them what they want, they'll go somewhere else.Adam Pearce joins Matt to explore how to give our customers an amazing experience that will keep them coming back for more.ABOUT ADAMAdam is the co-founder and CEO of Blend Commerce, the eCommerce Customer Experience Agency. Adam and his team have worked with over 200 Shopify retailers to help them provide memorable customer experiences that drive growth in revenue and profit. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Customer Experience is the overall experience that a customer has with your brand even before they click on your website till the point where you make your very final sale. So, it’s not just their experience while making a purchase but before and after the purchase as well.A good Conversion Rate doesn’t necessarily mean good Customer Experience. It gives a very narrow view whereas what’s important is the Customer Lifetime Value. You can increase the lifetime value of a customer by avoiding gimmicks and increasing value additions by creating more touch points to understand the customer better and helping them understand you and your products better.Personalising your homepage, improving the navigations, and adding a great search feature are some effective ways to improve your customer experience. Being smart with your emails, conducting quizzes or surveys to help you understand your customer better and then offering services that’s tailored to their specific needs or interests goes a long way in ensuring customer loyalty and lifetime value.Enjoying listening to our conversation about customer experience :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Choose A Winning Product Idea Every Time
Looking for a winning product idea? You're in luck! In this episode, Tim Jordan joins Matt Edmundson on the eCommerce Podcast to share foolproof tips for choosing a product that will make you money. So whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game for a while, these tips will help you find a winner every time.ABOUT TIMTim Jordan is the Founder of Private Label Legion, a community of sellers and entrepreneurs who come together to share ideas, impart knowledge, and create a solid network. He is a well-known Amazon seller, host of the AM/PM Podcast, and Chief Growth Officer at SellersFunding.Tim sells on both Amazon and Shopify and is currently working on a crowdfunding project which he is documenting to share his path to success with other entrepreneurs. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Finding the right product to sell is crucial to ensuring a profitable online business. Earlier, it was believed that the way you sell a product on Amazon is to go and see what everybody else is selling well and replicate it. But that approach has problems. The smarter way to go about it is to start looking at Keyword Search Volumes and to realise that it’s not products that sell on a marketplace, its keywords. There's inspiration everywhere, online and offline places that you can go to for product ideas and look for the trending items. You take the product idea, find the keyword that relates to it, check keyword demand, or keyword search volume versus competitive product demand. And then you start to find those products that people are looking for.Software tools such as Seller.tools, Marmalead etc. can help you with product research and finding keyword search volumes of different products. You can also check out Private Label Legion, which is a community of sellers and entrepreneurs who come together to share ideas, impart knowledge, and create a solid network.Enjoying listening to our conversation about winning product ideas :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Everything You Need to Know to Take Over With Subscription eCommerce
You've seen those websites that offer monthly subscriptions and thought "Hey, I could do that too!". But what's the secret to getting people to keep paying every single month?In this episode with Evan Padgett you’re gonna learn everything you need to know about subscription eCommerce. How it works, why it's important, what tools are out there- all of that good stuff. If you're looking for some way to make money with your marketing skills then this is a great place to start!ABOUT EVANEvan Padgett is a 20-year ecommerce veteran with experience in subscription commerce. As the COO of Stealth Venture Labs, an ecommerce marketing firm, he works with brands like Crocs, HelloFresh, Factor 75, and MUD\WTR. When he’s not taking over the world with subscription eCommerce, you’ll find him hanging out with his kids or playing video games. But his true love is American football - he’s a diehard Denver Broncos fan!Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Subscription commerce or Recurring Revenue Models guarantee you downstream revenue from your consumers, at the expense of either product or service. So, anything that provides recurring revenue, where customers are basically engaged in a relationship with you, opt in or opt out, that creates a predictable, forward looking revenue model. It doesn't matter what you sell, with a little bit of thinking, there is always something that you can do to create a recurring revenue model out of it. But it cannot be lopsided, it must be a win-win for both the business and the customer.Some of the great ways to do that is to engage with your customer through non-sales communications, talking about your company, talking about the brand you're building, the impact you're trying to make in the world. So have engaging, non-sales driven content, organic Emails, SMS, and curate the whole experience for the customer, making it something that feels special. Stealth Venture Labs is a performance marketing agency that work with clients ranging from the Crocs, Hello Fresh, Factor 75 to small brands just trying to venture out into advertising, on any platform that can be managed behind the screens, such as META, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat etc.Enjoying listening to our conversation about subscription eCommerce :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Better Work With A Digital Marketing Agency
EIf you're like most business owners, you know that digital marketing is important. But working with a digital marketing agency can be tricky- especially if you're not sure what to expect. In today’s show Robert Giovannini joins Matt to talk about digital marketing agencies and how businesses can get the most out of their relationship with them. ABOUT ROBERTRobert is the CEO of Ironplane, a full-service eCommerce agency specialising in platform design, development, and digital marketing. He brings 20+ years of eCommerce, website development, and team leadership experience to his role at Ironplane. Robert is passionate about helping companies sell online. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:There comes a point in your eCommerce business where its grown big enough, or you want a level of complexity to your site, or you want it to be bespoke, and you want to develop beyond the boundaries of your current platform. So, when you're getting into platforms, and if you have any level of complexity, you want an agency that has chosen a few things to get really good at.Ironplane have made their mark when it comes to dealing with clients that have more complex needs, whether its integration or branding. They’re a Magento and Big commerce shop, and they also do custom for clients that don't fit into either of those categories.When working with an agency, mismanaged expectations can lead to a lot of problems. Clear & timely communication is the way to make it work as well as knowing your business goals, what you’re trying to accomplish and who your stakeholders are. That way you can find the agency that best works for you and caters to your specific goals. Enjoying listening to our conversation about marketing agencies:-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Make The Most Of Your EU Expansion Strategy
ELooking to expand your business into the EU? In this episode, Andy Hooper joins Matt to discuss how to make the most of your expansion strategy and tips for succeeding in new markets.ABOUT ANDYAndy is the CEO of Global E-Commerce Experts, has been successfully expanding e-commerce brands into new markets for over 15 years. An accomplished specialist in e-commerce, Andy now works with companies around the world providing comprehensive gateways and solutions to new markets, especially US-based organizations transitioning into Europe. Starting from the ground up, Andy has carved out a niche inspired by his own experience and success of growing an organization’s profits through e-commerce. With an infectious energy for success, Andy leads a team of professionals in all aspects of e-commerce. With fulfillment centers in the UK & EU, the Global E-Commerce team provides hassle-free end-to-end solutions that have helped 1000’s of sellers capitalize on the multi-billion dollar UK & EU markets. When not working, Andy can often be found enjoying sailing, cycling, and kayaking with his friends and family on England’s south coast.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Global E-Commerce Experts essentially started by solving the problem for overseas sellers expanding into Europe. They worked with around 2000 clients that they’ve expanded, and doing that across lots of different services, be it compliance, or logistics or account management, they came up with a pathway looking at what successful clients were doing and what the data was telling them, bridging that gap to make it easy.Andy has developed seven basic steps for a success pathway to expand into Europe - market research, compliance, marketplace, 3PL, promote products, website and growth.Market research is all about understanding the size of the market, and that your products are relevant to be sold in those areas and product sourcing. Compliance comprises of product and business compliance aspects. Marketplace is about identifying what's the best marketplace for you to launch on. 3PL or a third-party logistics operation is required to store, fulfil, rework, or return your goods. To promote your products, you need to have a great marketing strategy that generates traffic. If you get switched off from a marketplace, you need to be able to sell your products somewhere and so it’s essential to build your own website, which would allow you not just to sell in your own country but anywhere. Finally, growth or scale is about identifying what additional marketplaces you can sell on to capitalise on everything you're doing to take it to the next level.Enjoying listening to our conversation about EU expansion:-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

How To Use SMS Marketing for eCommerce
ELearn how SMS marketing can help your business in ways you never imagined. In today's episode you'll see how easy it is to connect with customers and increase sales using this powerful communication tool. ABOUT TADEJCo-Founder of CartBoss, a text messaging solution for recovering abandoned carts. Former developer now focused on running day-to-day operations and achieving long-term goals for the company. Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:99% of people open text messages and 93% of text messages are read within three minutes. This makes text messaging a powerful tool in marketing. SMS marketing works great in most countries and every business should definitely consider taking advantage of it.There are different types of text messages for marketing. For example, abandoned cart text messages, post-purchase text messages, Winback text messages, newsletter text messages etc. The abandoned cart text messages convert a lot faster than other marketing text messages.With a simple 2-minute integration and their top client getting a Return On Investment of around 7000%, CartBoss provides a super efficient and easy text messaging solution for recovering abandoned carts. Enjoying listening to our conversation about SMS Marketing:-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Should You Sell On Multiple Online Marketplaces? | Jesse Wragg
Is selling on multiple online marketplaces the right strategy for your business?These days, it seems like everyone is selling their products on multiple online marketplaces. But is that really the best strategy for your business? In this episode, Jesse breaks down the pros and cons of selling on multiple online marketplaces and understand what it takes to successfully sell on multiple marketplaces. ABOUT JESSEJesse is Co-Founder & Managing Director at eCommeleon. He helps online retailers and D2C brands to navigate the eCommerce jungle. With a particular focus on marketplaces and international expansion, Jesse helps online sellers to determine which marketplaces in which countries offer the best opportunities for expansion.With the help of the eCommeleon software and team, Jesse uses his expertise to help implement scalable marketplace expansion plans, for experienced and novice sellers alike. Jesse's mission is to make it as easy as possible for online sellers to expand their businesses into new markets - because when businesses grow, everyone benefits.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The advantages and disadvantages of selling on multiple online marketplaces which include a variety of different platforms on the plus side but equally it can be difficult to keep track of inventory and sales across all the platforms.If you are looking to reach a wider customer base and streamline your operations, then selling on multiple marketplaces may be right for you. But if you are looking to focus on a single channel, or to expand your operations into other countries or regions, then you may be better off focusing on just one marketplace. As with any business decision, it is important to carefully consider the pros and cons of selling on multiple online marketplaces and make the choice that best aligns with your individual goals and needs.Enjoying listening to our conversation about Multiple Online Marketplaces :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.Show sponsor: eCommerce Cohort - a lightweight membership group with guided monthly Sprints that cycles through all the key areas of eCommerce designed to help you deliver eCommerce WOW. More info at www.ecommercecohort.com

How To Level Up Your Search For The Ideal Influencers | David Perry
How do you know who the best influencers are for your business?In today’s video you’re going to hear all about brand and influencer partnerships and how to find the perfect influencer for your company. Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular ways to market products on social media, but it's not always easy to find the right person or people for your brand. We're going to go over a few ways that can help make finding them easier so let me show you how it's done.ABOUT DAVIDDavid Perry is the CEO of Carro, a new e-commerce partnership network. With over 30K Shopify brands using the service, Carro helps brands gain attention, sales, and new customers by partnering with other brands in the network. Sony PlayStation acquired Perry’s previous company Gaikai to establish leadership in the future of streaming video games from the cloud - a service called PlayStation Now.Perry is no stranger to success; he has been one of the driving forces behind some of the most innovative gaming technology to date. His work on Gaikai has helped shape the future of gaming as we know it. We can't wait to see what he does next!Here's what we cover in this episode:Influencers are often better at identifying which brands their followers will enjoy than the companies themselves. To get around this problem, Carro was developed to match influencer popularity with customer preference by analyzing large volumes of social media data .The platform, Carro was built to help influencers discover new brands and products they love through personalization. Brands are able reach out with their insights on different demographics in an authentic way that would make them feel special- which leads into one of today's top discussions: artificial intelligence (AI) versus human interaction!Influencer marketing is changing and now leaning towards social commerce as followers are becoming eager consumers who want access any given moment. Today many people may be able to get away with posting product selfies without being too pushy but this will eventually lead to a more diverse group of people interested in purchasing from an influencer because they get a a full view of the product by engaging with the content. Enjoying listening to our conversation about Influencer Marketing :-)For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.Show sponsor: eCommerce Cohort - a lightweight membership group with guided monthly Sprints that cycles through all the key areas of eCommerce designed to help you deliver eCommerce WOW. More info at www.ecommercecohort.com

Ep 98#99 - You Probably Don’t Need A/B Testing
If you're like most people, you've been told that A/B testing is the way to go. But do you really need it? And if not, what should you be doing instead? Oliver Palmer sits down with host Matt Edmundson to talk about A/B testing for websites or sales pages and why you might not actually need it. Oliver Palmer is an Experimentation Practitioner and a Conversion Rate Optimisation Consultant. He works with organisations to demystify experimentation and the MarTech stack and better understand how to integrate with the bigger organisational picture. Links to other platforms where this podcast is available Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify

Ep 97#98 - LinkedIn Events - How to Get the Most Out Of It
LinkedIn Events is a powerful way to connect with other professionals, but many people are unsure of how to make the most of it. Patrick Collins joins Matt to talk about the value of LinkedIn events and how if done correctly can help generate leads for your eCommerce business. Patrick Collins has worked with startups for the past 10 years helping them to build the tech infrastructure across lead generation, sales, account management and hiring to scale to become global companies. His own startup ProspectLabs.co which is a B2B lead generation software went from 0-27K in the first 13 months, and startups that he has advised have raised over 40Million Euros over the past 3 years. Patrick's expertise is getting startups to have a data driven approach to sales mixed with a focus on world class customer support as the key driver of sales. Sometimes nicknamed 'The Wikipedia of software' Patrick knows the right tech stack to integrate your whole business so that there is focus on efficiency and effectiveness with all activities and avoiding wastage of time, resources and budget. Links to other platforms where this podcast is available Apple Podcasts Stitcher Spotify