The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Jay Myers is one of the co-founders of Bold Commerce. He has a long history in ecommerce and uses that to help build some of the best apps on Shopify. Currently he heads up marketing at Bold, and works very close with the product team. With 22 apps in the app store, and a staff of one hundred, Jay Myers and the Bold Apps team has learned a lot about ecommerce. Jay had some online retail shops that he built on the Shopify platform, but Jay wished they could do a little more for him. After all, Shopify is a brilliant, efficient, and easy to use platform for selling your goods, but Jay wanted to do more. Big surprise. He wanted to market directly to his shoppers while they were on his website and make more sales. Lucky for Jay, Shopify allows developers to create plugins, add-ons, and applications and put them in their App store for all to use. But Jay also found that most third party developers were creating apps for managing the back end of your store and nothing really existed to help market products on the front end, help customers buy more, and help retailers sell more. So Jay called up a couple friends of his who were very well versed in eCommerce software design and pitched them the idea of building some apps for his store that they could then also put in the Shopify App Store and provide to other store owners. These gentlemen became the ownership team of the Bold Innovation Group, Shopify's leading app developer. With tens of thousands of app installs, Jay has learned firsthand what makes some stores succeed. In this episode, we learn what separates successful stores from the rest of the pack. — Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS — Learn: Learn why the most successful sites have only a few SKUs. Why the most successful stores figure out a mathematical formula on how to market. How to turn your angriest customer into raving fans What are the future big opportunities of ecommerce? Links: TUSP Exclusive: Get any Bold App free for two months Recommended reading: Hug Your Haters https://twitter.com/jasonnmyers https://twitter.com/bold_commerce Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

Email marketing can be HUGE for ecommerce stores and online retailers. Problem is, most companies do it wrong. Or they just don’t do it at all. Joining us to unpack email marketing is John McIntyre. John McIntyre is the founder of ReEngager, a done-for-you ecommerce email marketing agency. ReEngager helps ecommerce companies increase total sales by 15-30% with email marketing. He is the host of The McMethod Email Marketing Podcast, one of the highest-rated marketing podcasts on iTunes. John has a knack for getting world-leading marketers, copywriters and entrepreneurs onto his podcast, and this has lead to the wild success of the show. Since 2012, John has helped thousands of business convert more customers online by implementing a variety of email marketing and email copywriting strategies. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Learn: How to set up an abandoned cart sequence that works How to keep an email list warm and gradually move them closer to making a purchase What to expect from email marketing John #1 tip for The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Links: https://www.ometria.com/ http://www.reengager.com/podcast/ http://www.themcmethod.com/category/podcast/ Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

"We all have the currency of time that we can't get back, so where do we invest it?" Nate Murray is the founder of Merchline. Merchline is "Official Online Storefront Fulfillment Provider & Screenprinter to the band/artist/apparel line industries." Started in 2001, Merchline now operates a whopping 42 Shopify storefronts on behalf of artists like Skrillex, Christina Perry, Reach Records, and more. Nate has taken the DIY ethic and applied it with astonishing success to his business. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Learn: The mindset that empowers Nate's success Why to stop analyzing and start shipping How to combat the Amazon Effect Nate’s #1 tip for The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Links: http://merchline.com/ https://twitter.com/everynewday https://unicornfree.com/just-fucking-ship/ Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

One of the most misunderstood aspects of any online business is SEO. (And that’s for several reasons that I could do an episode on alone but I won’t.) Instead, we talk to a guest that I’m honored to have, Rand Fishkin Rand Fishkin uses the ludicrous title, Wizard of Moz. He's founder and former CEO of Moz, co-author of a pair of books on SEO, and co-founder of Inbound.org. Rand's an unsaveable addict of all things content, search, & social on the web, from his multiple blogs to Twitter, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, and a shared Instagram account. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Learn: Why Wikipedia talks about his mustache How he would market an ecommerce business Which is more important: on-site SEO vs backlinks How should eCommerce stores deal with duplicate content? Is performance important? Why four star reviews are better than five star reviews The ​_one_​ piece of eCommerce SEO misinformation out there you need to know Rand's #1 tip for The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Links: Rand blogs at https://moz.com/ Rand will answer your questions on Twitter: https://twitter.com/randfish Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

We talk with Eric Bandholz of Beardbrand on how we went from community to business. Growing slowly and organically at first, and eventually blowing up into a bearded sensation that's sparked copycats and inspired thousands. "At Beardbrand, we're trying to change the way the world views beards." Eric is a self-described "husband, father, entrepreneur, world traveler, ancap, designer and founder of BeardBrand." Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Learn: How to use content marketing Why to focus on improving your customer's life better Why to help your customer become a better version of themselves FirstName’s #1 tip for The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Links: http://www.beardbrand.com/ https://twitter.com/bandholz Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

"If I was 95 and selling toys, would I be happy? Yea!" -Chris Tsang on finding your passion Chris Tsang is the founder of Mindzai, a designer toy store and toy design company. Chris started his company in his bedroom 3 years ago and has since grown his business into 2 brick and mortar shops in Canada and now expanding into the US Market. In addition, after 2 successful Kickstarter campaigns, he’s moving quickly into toy manufacturing and wholesale distribution. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS We discuss... Why you should go to conventions The importance of email lists Why to sell to existing lists Why not to make your emails overly polished Why you should think about making your own product The personality traits of successful entrepreneurs Contact Info: http://www.mindzai.com http://facebook.com/mindzaicreativeshop http://instagram.com/mindzai Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

Jake Starr, a 12 yr veteran firefighter, always enjoyed making his own gear by hand. He worked with leather and fashioned gear that included backpacking hammocks. After joining the Louisville fire department, Jake’s need to create handmade goods would not go extinguished. A few years ago his department was getting ready to replace older hoses. He asked his Chief if he could take some of the discarded hoses to create iPad sleeves and explore other ideas. After working long shifts at the Firehouse, he would head home and put in work from behind a sewing machine. Learn: How Instagram Photography and a great story fueled his marketing and growth How small-scale manufacturing can lead to large scale profits When to source a US Manufacturer Dealing with copycats and following your passion Links: Check out http://www.RecycledFirefighter.com and be sure to to follow @RecycledFirefighter on Instagram. Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

"We don't know anything about marketing." That's what one entrepreneurial couple with a successful niche store and growing community of brand evangelists told me. They may think they know nothing about marketing, but they're actually doing everything right. This is one of our favorite episodes because it's jam-packed with great advice from regular folks. Lizzy and Spencer both quit their day jobs work full time on Stitch People. With two books already out and several more in the design queue, Stitch People is becoming a common name in the contemporary cross-stitch market. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Links: Check out Stitch People online: http://stitchpeople.com or follow them on http://instagram.com/stitchpeople and http://facebook.com/stitchpeople to see what authenticity in marketing looks like. Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

Richard is the brains and the stomach behind The User Is Drunk, a site set up a few months ago to help people learn just how their site looks to a drunk person. Here is his process: Richard gets drunk, looks at your website, and tries to give advice about how it could be better while he pretends to be a normal user. Richard and I talk a bit about his story and what you can do today to make your site just that much better for drunk — and, more importantly, sober — users. More about Richard Littauer: He's a developer, UX designer, and digital nomad. His clients include the MIT Media Lab, Hubspot, and VWO. Currently, he lives in Boston, and enjoys writing and reading emails and haiku. He writes a weekly newsletter, available on his website at burntfen.com. Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Show Links http://theuserisdrunk.com/ http://burntfen.com/ https://tinyletter.com/richlitt http://drunkusertesting.com/ Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

Our topic today is using lead magnets to triple your email opt-in rate! An important topic because every online entrepreneur is in the business of list building. But that old opt-in form in your footer won’t collect much of anything these days. As marketers, though, we evolve with the times, and our tactics evolve, too. We began to offer free products such as e-books, courses, checklists, and videos for anyone who signed up to our lists. These are called lead magnets because they attract leads. And it worked. Joining this episode is Neil Patel, founder of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg, QuickSprout & Hellobar. Neil was named one of the top 10 marketing experts by Forbes, called a top influencer by the Wall Street Journal, and was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama. See Neil's best performing lead magnet (and subscribe yourself) at http://neilpatel.com/blog/ Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS Free Guide I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com

To build a sustainable ecommerce business, getting customers to buy should only be the start of a much longer relationship. Retaining customers (and turning them into brand evangelists) is the secret of revenue maximization that the big boys have known for years. Ross Beyeler of Growth Spark joins us today to discuss how to achieve prolonged success with your Shopify business. You'll learn the 5 Stages of Customer Retention: Support Loyalty Advocacy Analytics Automation And the best tools to capitalize on those stages. A graduate of Babson College, Ross Beyeler has been an active entrepreneur in the technology space since 2005 with experience ranging in digital marketing, business development and strategic management. In 2007, Ross co-founded For Art's Sake Media, Inc., a technology company servicing the art industry, where he led the organization through its seed funding, team building and product launch. In December 2008, Ross went on to start Growth Spark, a design and technology consultancy focused on helping eCommerce and B2B service companies become more efficient and more profitable. Since it's founding, Growth Spark has completed over 225 projects and led Ross to a 2010 nomination as one of BusinessWeek's Top 25 Entrepreneurs under 25. Ross can be reached through http://growthspark.com/ or Twitter: https://twitter.com/rbeyeler Show Links: https://apps.shopify.com/help-scout https://apps.shopify.com/sweet-tooth http://www.olapic.com/ https://apps.shopify.com/klaviyo-email-marketing https://apps.shopify.com/lumiary https://apps.shopify.com/nosto-personalization-for-shopify

Alex O'Byrne recently launched the new Negative Underwear website, which took an astonishing 100 orders on the first day alone, followed by 7000 unique visits in just 5 days. A fantastic achievement that any ecommerce entrepreneur would be thrilled with. Alex pulls back the curtain and discusses the strategies necessary to achieve those results... and they're surprisingly grassroots. Alex O'Byrne is a Shopify Expert and co-founder of the UK's top-rated e-commerce agency WeMakeWebsites. He speaks regularly on the topic of marketing and e-commerce for design-led retailers and organizations such as the London College of Fashion and Startup Weekend. His agency, WeMakeWebsites builds beautiful and effective online stores for creative retail companies. Show Links: http://wemakewebsites.com/ https://twitter.com/alwaysmaking

Diana is an authenticity driven entrepreneur who is constantly seeking, creating, developing, growing and learning. She is passionate about business, personal development, wellness, travel, spirituality, productivity and maximizing her time and life to live exceptionally across all facets: faith, relationships, business and health. Being very unsure of her career path in her youth, she became even more unclear after completing law school. Pushed to find her passions she started her first company Tiny Devotions Inc. after taking a sabbatical in Bali post-graduating. Being keen to identify niches – Diana literally started an industry with her company selling mala beads and intentional accessories. Now with hundreds of competitors, Tiny Devotions founded in 2009 is still the innovative leader in the space. Having come from a very entrepreneurial family, the buzz of business, startups and deals is part of her DNA and a constant adventure no matter where she is in the world on her extensive travels with her husband. Hear our journey and the lessons she's learned along the way. Show Links: http://www.tinydevotions.com/ http://www.dianahouse.com/ https://twitter.com/dianahouse_ PS: I want to send you a sample chapter of Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Get it at http://ecommerce-bootcamp.com/

I owe much of my business success to my Mastermind group– I credit being in a mastermind with boosting my revenue 10x. So what is a Mastermind, how do they work, and why or how should you join one? To answer that question, Kai Davis and Jonathan Stark join Kurt to discuss their own mastermind experiences. Jonathan Stark is a mobile strategy consultant who helps senior executives transition their business to mobile. Jonathan is the author of three books on mobile and web development, most notably O'Reilly's Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript which is available in seven languages. His Jonathan's Card experiment made international headlines by combining mobile payments with social giving to create a "pay it forward" coffee movement at Starbucks locations all over the U.S. Kai Davis is an Outreach Consultant in Eugene, Oregon, who helps bootstrappers, product creators, self-funded startups, and single founder companies grow their audience and promote their best products and content. He connect with influencers and finds opportunities to expose your best products and content to their audience. Show Links https://mastermindjam.com/ https://expensiveproblem.com/ http://doubleyouraudience.com/

The year is almost over, and that means one thing: time to get your books in order! With running a business, you already know you need to stay on top the accounting that goes along with running a store. Joining us in this episode is Donnie Cooper of LessAccounting, to discuss why and how to make bookkeeping nothing like going to the dentist. You'll learn: The difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper (and when to use each) Why you want a bookkeeper What's a minimum viable company When and how do you owe taxes What to do when you're late on taxes Why not to ignore the IRS The secret to success: outsource anything you're not great at and why you should "just take next steps." If you'd like to automate your accounting with a real life bookkeeper, reachout to Donnie at http://lessaccounting.com/autopilot

Joining us is friend and colleague Keir Whitaker. Keir works at Shopify as their Designer Advocate. Like us, he's also had a lot of side projects. In this episode we discuss: What's a side project, why have one? The importance of projects. I have many, some worked, most didn't, and all were lessons learned Using Shopify to launch an MVP and validate a side project. How despite all the advances in technology, good business is still about personal relationships (and conferences are the fast track to those) Sign up for Keir's newsletter at: http://keirwhitaker.com/newsletter/ (Oh! And check out Kurt's new website --> http://kurtelster.com/ and while you're there, join the Insider's List, we've got some exciting things coming up you won't want to miss.)

Want to stop competing against Amazon and everyone else? Consultant Philip Morgan will teach us how to use hyper-specific positioning to make that happen. In this episode, you'll hear how to position your business in a way that leads to higher conversion rates and better customers. Get Philip's free crash course on positioning - https://philipmorganconsulting.com/free-positioning-crash-course - Though focused at dev shops, the knowledge is still useful. (Oh! And check out Kurt's new website --> http://kurtelster.com/ and while you're there, join the Insider's List, we've got some exciting things coming up you won't want to miss.)

Joining our episode is special guest Paul Jarvis, a self-described freelancer evangelist who teaches creatives & freelancers how to make their businesses work on their own terms. Paul's worked with companies like Microsoft, Yahoo and MTV, plus entrepreneurs with massive digital empires, including Danielle LaPorte, Alexandra Franzen, Marie Forleo and Kris Carr (and a whole bunch of amazing folks in between). He applied what he learned in his web design work to writing, and grew his audience from zero to releasing a bestseller, just a year-and-a-half after writing his first book. His words now appear in every major business publication and reach over 100,000 people every month. Those are the numbers and facts. But, Paul's goal isn’t to earn millions or become a bullshit thought leader; it’s to do work that matches his internal compass and provide real value. Defining success on his own terms has made him who he is, and that's what we're going to discuss: the importance of finding your authentic voice and using it in your business. Sign up for Paul's Newsletter at https://pjrvs.com/signup and join 16K+ others reading his weekly articles about freelancing, life and creativity. (Oh! And check out Kurt's new website which was inspired by Paul's! --> http://kurtelster.com/ and while you're there, join the Insider's List, we've got some exciting things coming up you won't want to miss.)

"A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising." - Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO Why doesn't everybody do referral marketing, then? Why isn't it more popular? Because referral marketing is notoriously hard to execute properly. It requires a significant investment of time, energy and resources. It requires commitment. It requires a quality product that's worth talking about. It requires great incentives, effective communications, and the system has to be functionally watertight, or you'll have unhappy customers. In this episode, we talk with ReferralCandy CEO Dinesh Raju how to get it right. He shares what he's learned from running thousands of referral programs for merchants, retailers and businesses of all sizes, across all verticals. We'll discuss every single detail, from the incentive structures to how to effectively communicate them to your advocates. Add A Refer-A-Friend Program To Your Shopify Store: http://pages.referralcandy.com/InterviewPodcast.html Oh! And check out Kurt's new website --> http://kurtelster.com/ and while you're there, join the Insider's List, we've got some exciting things coming up you won't want to miss.

If you've ever run a Shopify store you've almost certainly taken a stroll through the Shopify App Store and installed some of the Apps on offer. But what are Shopify Apps, really? And how can store owners make sure they pick reliable, well-developed Apps that provide a measurable return on investment? In this episode we talk to Gavin Ballard, founder at Disco and author of Mastering Shopify Themes and Mastering Shopify Apps, about all things Shopify Apps, including: The "problem first" approach to finding Apps that deliver value; How to evaluate the reliability and quality of Apps in the App Store; Two things to watch out for when taking on board App recommendations; The benefits of having a custom application built, and how to find a professional developer to build it. If you enjoy this episode, USP listeners can grab a FREE copy of Disco's Shopify App Handbook, which covers the above material and more, from https://www.discolabs.com/handbook/?code=usp. Links: Mastering Shopify Themes: http://gavinballard.com/mastering-shopify-themes/ Mastering Shopify Apps: http://gavinballard.com/mastering-shopify-apps/ Useful Gifts: https://www.usefulgifts.org/ Screenflow: http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm

We've got a mini bonus episode for you on getting your store ready for the holidays! The holidays are a stressful time. Your in-laws fly in for a long visit, the weather is lousy, you spend more than you anticipated on gifts, and you can feel yourself coming down with a cold. For 72 hours or more, your life turns into a bad sitcom. Oh, and if you're reading, you're probably also a retailer. On top of the personal drama, you’re facing a single day that may make or break your entire fiscal year: Black Friday. That’s actually why it’s called Black Friday. It’s the day that a retailer’s books go from red (operating at a loss) to black (operating at a profit). With the holidays around the corner, let's talk about how we can make the most out of the holidays with the highest degree of success – and the lowest degree of stress. So tackling a full-site redesign in October is probably out of the question. While it might work, it’s too risky. Instead of gearing up for a huge project, let’s focus on some quick wins that you can implement to prep now to prep your store before Black Friday and the holidays.

After a brief hiatus, we're back with season 2 of TUSP! Last month, I spoke at The Double Your Freelancing Conference that took place in Norfolk. It gave me the opportutinity to pick the brains of a lot of great people, and now I want to to share that information with you. In this episode, Kai Davis, who spoke with me at the conference, joins me to discuss what key takeaways we got from the conference. You'll learn the mindset shifts we uncovered at Double Your Freelancing Conference from our fellow speakers. You'll be inspired to take action, apply a new direction to your own businesses, and strive for productivity and focus. You know, all the things that make you more money. Links: Kurt's DYFC Retrospective The Traffic Manual Website Teardowns

Have you wondered why your store doesn’t get more conversions? There are two types of businesses: 1) the kind that intimately understand their customers, and 2) the kind that shoot aimlessly and occasionally hit the target. Both types of businesses may succeed for a while, but let’s face it: the second type of business isn’t sustainable. You know that talking to your customers is the the only way to know them, but it’s one of those things that slips to the bottom of your to-do list. That’s okay. In this episode we talk to Liston WItherill of Good Funnel to find out: Why don’t people get more excited about my business? Why aren’t I getting more sales from my website? How do I answer objections, right in the copy that I write? How do I improve my onsite conversion rates by at least 30%? Liston is here to help you resonate with your audience to get more leads and conversions. In other words, we can answer these pressing questions for you. Liston Witherill is an online marketer and Chief Creative at Good Funnel. He helps tech and info businesses understand their customers to sell more. He studies copywriting, persuasion, pricing, positioning and automation to help businesses hit the hockey stick - or at least come close. After serving as Director of Marketing for a $10M company, Liston declined their CMO position to instead pursue his own business. He has a MS in Environmental Science and a BA in Political Science and Economics. He’s an environmentalist and hiphop artist, too - but that’s a different story. Learn more about Liston at http://goodfunnel.co/ and be sure to sign up for his email course.

New store owners often look to social media to kickstart their marketing efforts, yet rarely succeed. To help break the social mediocrity that most brands engaged in, we talked with Mojca Marš from http://superspicymedia.com/ about how to achieve it. Mojca Marš consults with companies on the use of social media, email marketing and content marketing. Since social media is her passion, and she loves to communicate with people and create active communities around great brands/companies.

Ever wonder how to buy or sell a website? We did, so we talked to David Newell, an experienced business broker. David is Brokerage Director at FE International. Starting out as an banker, he moved online to use his transaction experience for website brokerage. At FEI, he spends his time speaking with buyers, executing deals and working on raising industry standards to encourage more investments. In 2014 he closed more than $6M in sales and wrote a book on buying internet businesses for investors new to the space. Useful links: Buyer Guide: http://feinternational.com/buyerguide/ Advanced Buyer Guide: http://feinternational.com/advancedbuyerguide Valuing businesses: http://feinternational.com/blog/how-do-you-value-an-online-business/

Yesterday I spent the whole day at the Shopify Retail tour. They'd invited me, along with a few other folks, to answer questions about Shopify and Ecommerce from existing and potential Shopify customers. From 10am until 4:30pm, I talked to a diverse and interesting lot of folks. But every single person asked me some variation of one universal question: "how do I SEO?" I get why they're asking. If your site appears at the top of google searches for a variety of things related to your products, you'll have loads of traffic. And potentially you didn't pay for it, if only you could crack the code on SEO! If only you knew the magic formula of H1 and alt tags to make the google machine happy. But that's not realistic. It's at best an attempt to game a hugely complex and constantly changing algorithm into giving you traffic you don't deserve. I say you don't deserve it because you're trying to cheat the system. Instead, let's come up with a real strategy that works. Step 1: Let's forget about obsessing over html. If you're using a new premium theme from a good developer like Pixel Union or Out of The Sandbox then you've already done 99% of everything you need to support technical SEO efforts. Open graph, schema markup, etc. All there and done. Don't waste more time and money on this because you'll never get a good ROI out of it. Let's face facts: google engineers are smarter than you. Step 2: on site SEO. Google wants what your customers want: relevant, valuable content. You have to write articles, guides, interviews, and all the other valuable content you enjoy on other sites. My most successful Shopify Plus couldn't care less about SEO. Instead of fussing with alt tags, he hired three writers to produce great blog content for him. It only costs $1200/mo which is way cheap for the ROI he gets. Here's the best part: he never worries about writing the perfect SEO copy, because he's instead creating on-topic and relevant articles. You can do the same thing. Write on your own or hire someone. I already know your objection: "Kurt I'm a lousy writer and I can't afford a writer." I've got a hack for you that I use. Dictate your articles using the text to speech already built in to your device. Macs are great at this. Then send it to a copy editor. I pay $30/article on average for copy editing. Step 3: off-site SEO. Links to your site from sites with a similar audience are massively important. (Note: The spammy blog comment links you buy from a snake oil salesman SEO pro for $500/mo are the opposite of this.) Here's where we need to again forget about SEO; start thinking like a public relations firm. The best SEO strategy I've ever seen is PR outreach. Find blogs, forums, YouTube channels, and Instagram rockstars who are in your niche. Now email them. Email them and offer them free product in exchange for an honest review. This is a numbers game but it's the only way you'll get relevant links with qualified traffic. This tactic is powerful in that you'll be able to trade up the chain. You'll start with small blogs and as word of mouth grows you'll be able to build relationships that move you up to blogs getting millions of daily visitors. This tactic isn't particularly difficult but it is time consuming. You can hire someone to do it for you which will save you time and speed things up because outreach professionals already have a network to leverage. (I personally recommend Kai Davis for this kind of work, he's pulled great results for my clients.) What's the takeaway here? Instead of trying to learn the finer points of semantic HTML while guessing at google's algorithm, all you need to do is share your passion. Make your love of your niche infectious and the SEO will follow.

What happens when a new visitor hits your website? They don't buy. And that's okay! In this episode, we skip the guest interviews, and instead Paul and Kurt talk through the strategies and tactics involved in building trust with customers. The Chain: Anonymous visitor Engaged prospect Cart abandoner Buyers Repeat buyer Brand evangelist You'll learn to visualize your relationship with your customers and the tactics we recommend to turn anonymous visitors into brand evangelists.

Jordan Gal is the Co-Founder and CEO of CartHook, an effective abandoned cart recovery solution. CartHook tracks and captures the email addresses of visitors going through your checkout process. When a visitor abandons a purchase, an automated email campaign is triggered that is designed to bring the customer back to the site to complete the purchase. CartHook customers are recovering an average of 10% to 20% of abandoned carts and boosting revenue by up to 15%. Previously he was the Co-Founder of YCA Shops which operated a network of niche ecommerce stores. That company grew quickly and was acquired in mid-2009, so Jordan knows a thing or two about successful ecommerce. On top of that, he hosts the popular Bootstrapped Web Podcast. So what we're saying is Jordan knows a thing or two about ecommerce, and optimization in general. He joins us today to share his experience, and in particular, two powerful anecdotes about learning from your customers that you won't want to miss. Be sure to check out CartHook as well as follow Jordan on Twitter.

Josh Highland Giese Better known as Josh Highland, owns and operates Venntov.com, a software and services company focused on the Shopify platform. Venntov.com has been a certified Shopify Expert since 2011 and has assisted hundreds of Shopify shop owners. Josh has literally written the book on SEO for Shopify stores. We talk to him about what that means and why you should care. You'll want to take notes for this episode. You can get his book from http://shopifyempire.com/ Learn more about Josh at http://joshhighland.com/ or even hire him at https://venntov.com/

Zach is a lifelong watch collector and has the stash of scratched up Swatches to prove it. He holds a B.A. from Bard College in Studio Arts and a Masters of Design in Designed Objects from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a working product, graphic and packaging designer, he views watches as the perfect synergy of 2D and 3D design: the place where form, function, fashion and mechanical wonderment come together. He has even had some viral success with his own ORBO digital watch concept. Having started a hugely successful watch blog, worn&wound has also launched an equally successful watch strap and accessory store. All of the items offered at the worn&wound shop are developed by the worn&wound team with the goal of creating products of superior quality and affordable price. Further, they're proud to say that all worn&wound watch straps and original products are designed and manufactured in the USA. Read their blog at http://www.wornandwound.com/ and grab one of their watch straps at http://shop.wornandwound.com/ PS: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and write a review. iTunes is all about reviews!

This week we talk with Jeff Sheldon from Ugmonk. It all started with a simple idea – design fresh high-quality unique items. Just one month after Jeff had graduated college, married his high-school sweetheart, moved to Burlington, VT, and started a full-time design job, he found myself brainstorming about launching his own brand centered around a love for typography and minimal design: Ugmonk. What started as an outlet for my passion and entrepreneurial experiment quickly grew into much more than just selling a few shirts. Listen and find out how Jeff went from full-time agency employee to full-time Shopify store owner and clothing designer. Check out Ugmonk and pick up some finery for yourself. (I know I've got my eye on those waxed canvas bags. I love the patina waxed canvas develops with use.) PS: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and write a review. iTunes is all about reviews!

This episode is a little bit different in that we talked to the owner of a closed but beloved Shopify store called United Pixelworkers. UPW sold a collection of niche t-shirts for graphic designers and web workers in general, each themed as a local labor union. They were great, and we even have one. If you'll join the three of us for 40 minutes of value-packed advice, Nathan shares with us his story and drops some great advice... How to market yourself using the law of reciprocity How to borrow an audience and trade up the chain The advantage of pre-orders flash sales and why you have to be shameless. You can follow Nathan on Twitter, and check out his current venture Cotton Bureau – A curated online community for high quality t-shirts. Seriously high quality. We found ourselves drooling over half of them. PS: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and write a review. iTunes is all about reviews!

Ever dream of quitting your 9-5 job to do your own thing? How about manufacturing your own product and selling it direct to consumer? That's what Kyle Bardouche did. But get this, he launched 7 different products in 3 months. That's crazy, right? It gets crazier. Kyle was selling his products on Etsy, and ended up in GQ. Most people would be happy with that level of success, but Kyle then cracked the code on Instagram advertising. It's a great story, filled with actionable marketing advice, and loaded with inspiration. Give it a listen and be sure to checkout Amos and especially their whiskey wallets. PS: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and write a review. iTunes is all about reviews!

Michael DiMartini from Everest Bands come on the show to chat and share his success with us. He's gone from failed businesses to two successful Kickstarter campaigns and an amazing product line sold through Shopify. Michael doesn't just sell watch bands. He sells literally the best rubber watch strap made- and it's for a Rolex. We discuss: What Everest Bands is all about (it's more than just swiss rubber) What goes in to a successful Kickstarter The ROI of Facebook likes What it takes to be a luxury brand The Apple Watch Michael's favorite watch And his single best tip for Shopify store owners. Check out Everest Bands Shopify store or their Facebook campaign. PS: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes and write a review. iTunes is all about reviews! Full transcript [opening music] Announcer: This is the Unofficial Shopify Podcast with Kurt Elster and Paul Reda, your resource for growing your Shopify business, sponsored by Ethercycle. Kurt Elster: Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast. I'm your host Kurt, and with me is my business partner and co-host Paul. Paul Reda: Welcome. Hello. Kurt: Joining us today is Michael DiMartini from Everest Bands. He is one of our favorite clients, a Kickstarter success, a manufacturer and a Shopify store owner. Michael, it's around 3:30 there in St Loius, what are you up to? Michael DiMartini: Well, if it was Friday, I'd be drinking a cold one. Kurt: There you go. Michael: Obviously, I am excited to do this first inaugural podcast with you guys and really appreciate it. Super excited to talk more about our company and Shopify and the great job that you guys have done for us. Kurt: Thank you. Tell us a little bit about Everest Band. What's an Everest Band? Michael: About two and a half years ago, my partners and I came up with an idea for a rubber Rolex replacement watch strap. Now, two years later, we had a successful Kickstarter with our first rubber strap. We are on our second version now, made in Switzerland. Just recently, last month, we had our second successful Kickstarter for a leather strap. It was a wonderful experience. Thank God for Kickstarter. Kurt: [laughs] This band is made in Switzerland, huh? Michael: Yeah. Our rubber strap is entirely made in Switzerland, rubber-wise. We actually have a steel oyster link that is attached to it and we coat that with a coating called DLC, diamond-like coating. That is actually from here on the US. Kurt: I think, I and a lot of people, we have ideas. We're like, "Oh, we got this great idea for a thing." Making a thing is hard. It's easy to have an idea. It's tough to actually get it manufactured. How did you go end up in Switzerland, asking a manufacturer to build your rubber? How does that happen? How do I get there? Michael: To be very honest, we actually had two previous versions. One was made, or tempted to be made, here in the St. Louis area. Honestly, it was a complete epic fail and we did not actually produce any straps for sale. We had a second version that was also made in the United States. That was a very good strap. We had some limitations with the manufacturer on, basically, material choices. We traveled the globe to find what we think would be the absolute best manufacturer. Honestly, the Swiss just blew us away with their technology at rubber molding. The company we use specializes in rubber watch strap molding. I can't list the names of the companies, but probably the top 10 watch manufacturers in the world use them to make their rubber straps. I actually had to pretty much beg them to take my business. Kurt: Did you pretty much beg them or did you literally beg them? Michael: Oh, no. I got on the proverbial hands and knees and literally said, "Please, please make my strap." They said, "Sure. We'll do it." How did I get there? A lot of research. Honestly, a tremendous amount of research and actually asking industry experts. I asked other watch companies who they used. Kurt: I think that's one of the things a lot of people should do or don't know how to do is, do I go out and ask people in my industry or even competitors, "What are you doing? How do you do it? Can I pick your brain?" Did you do that? How do you go about that? Michael: Yes, of course. There's a two-part answer to that. One of them does relate to Kickstarter. Whenever you're producing a product like we produce or really anything of a higher-end level, don't be embarrassed to ask others how they're doing it. For sure, other people are more than happy to help. We just started with other watchmakers, high-end watchmakers. They were very open with us. Some were, of course, tentative for giving us any information whatsoever. When they immediately found out that we weren't a competitor, a direct competitor in any way, they were more than happy to talk to us. Kurt: Really, the only barrier to entry is you psychologically just being willing to go out and ask. What's the worst tha