Ecommerce Evolution

Khierstyn Ross has made a name for herself by successfully launching products and brands on Kickstarter. However, the crowdfunding landscape has significantly changed in recent years, particularly on Kickstarter. It is NOT the same world it was in 2019.While the barrier to entry for launching a successful project has become higher, it's still a good fit for many clients. In addition to helping brands on Kickstarter, Khierstyn is also a pro at helping companies grow on Amazon. She's mastered the art of launching new products and pre-sells on Amazon. Here's a look at what we cover: What products do well on Kickstarter, and what products usually flop? What kind of $ do you need to invest for a successful Kickstarter launch?When to launch a new product on Shopify vs. Kickstarter.How to build a brand on Amazon.What kind of results should you expect when launching on Kickstarter?

Liz Germain is a YouTube PRO and a repeat guest on the show! We first met when I was speaking at an eCommerce event held at the YouTube LA Offices. Liz is responsible for well over 200 million organic views on YouTube and has worked and consulted with some of the top influencers online today. Here’s a look at what we cover:The three types of content you should create on YouTube and how to approach each.How search-driven views only account for less than 10% of total watch time on the platform.The 4 phases of creating a massive following on YouTube.The metrics YouTube cares about and you should obsess over.How YouTube ads and YouTube organic do NOT mix, but how you can still leverage both for growth.

Steve is a legend in the eComm space. He is not only the store owner of Bumblebee Linens, but also the host of the highly successful marketing podcast, "My Wife Quit Her Job,” which ranks among the top 25 in its category. He has been successfully running an eComm event for 7 years, and it is one of my favorite events to attend and speak at.He’s also the author of a brand new book - The Family First Entrepreneur.His impressive combination of experiences gives him a unique perspective on eCommerce and entrepreneurship. Here is a look at what we cover: How to grow using lifecycle marketing when only 12% of your customers buy more than once.How Steve thinks about customer buckets to grow cross-sells, upsells, and repeat orders.How Steve and his team use Chat GPT4 to 10x their organic traffic.What’s the future of AI and white-collar jobs?How Steve thinks about pricing and why they no longer offer deep discounts.

Aaron Sheehan and I go way back. We first met when Aaron used to work for an agency that OMG supported.Now, Aaron is the Director of Competitive Strategy at BigCommerce. He brings a fresh perspective on the eCommerce industry, and a unique point of view on eComm platforms and the future of eComm technology.Coincidentally, his office is only a quarter of a mile from mine. In hindsight, we probably should have recorded this show in person.Here’s a look at what we cover:What is Headless, and how does it compare to Composable? Are these just buzzwords or trends that are here to stay?Aaron’s and my take on the state of eCommerce and why we see a prevailing “cautious optimism.” The eCommerce trends Aaron is most excited about and what omnichannel means today (vs. what it meant 10 years ago).When should you consider upgrading your tech stack, and where does the BigCommerce offering fit in the marketplace?

What got you here won’t get you there. What will it take to reach your next big breakthrough?Whether or not we want to admit it, we all have limiting thought patterns that create a sort of blindness, preventing us from seeing breakthroughs. I first met Will when he was the Head of Growth for Organifi. He helped grow the brand from an $18 million per year run rate to a $100 million per year run rate in short order. In today’s episode, Will Hughes wants to help you think differently. And not just a philosophical kind of thinking, but big, business-altering, breakthrough kind of thinking. Here’s a look at what we cover:The remarkable story of the Hollywood Blacklist and how we can find treasure in what others are rejecting.Using creative thinking as a competitive advantage.How to avoid being a copycat (while still paying attention to competitors).What Google vs. Yahoo can teach us as entrepreneurs. The power of reticular activators.

Online marketers can learn a LOT from direct response TV (DRTV) ads. The power of an irresistible offer.The art and science of a problem-solution ad.The appeal of a “magic product demonstration.”To name a few!This episode features Jordan Pine, a seasoned DRTV veteran who has also had success in the online marketing space. I wanted to pick his brain on how to be successful with DRTV. I’m convinced that some of the lessons he knows and that other DRTV pros know can be leveraged by online marketers. Recording this episode was an absolute BLAST! We went a full hour, and I could have easily continued for another couple. It was fun and insightful! Here’s a look at what we cover:The “Divine 7” for choosing the right product to advertise.The 10 TNT (Tried-and-True) elements of DRTV.Why the Ginsu Knife commercial belongs in the DRTV Hall of Fame.The “problem scale” and how to use it to analyze a product and the strength of a problem/solution opening.Gluing people to ceilings, running over flashlights with tanks, and o

Chris Brewer is an agency veteran, marketing expert, and former golf pro. Not to mention my business partner and OMG Commerce’s co-founder. Each year, Chris has the privilege of talking with hundreds of DTC brands, both big and small. He hears about their goals, struggles, plans, and more. As a strategist, I also consult with large-scaling eComm brands. Through our perspectives, we’d like to highlight ways in which great brands get in their own way and offer some candid advice when it comes to working with agencies.  We love the brands we talk to and the clients we serve. But, like anyone else, brands can sometimes overlook how they inadvertently hinder their own growth. Here are a few topics we cover that we hope you’ll find helpful: Having goals that aren’t battle-tested. Still thinking like it’s 2020 in some areas of your business. Prioritizing automation and tools over strategy. Shooting for perfect data and ignoring actionable data. Stopping short of getting results. When you shouldn’t hire a

Jeremy Horowitz is one of my favorite follows on LinkedIn.  He recently dropped some brilliant (and terrifying) posts about the economy, the impending debt crisis, and what DTC brands should focus on now. Jeremy and I go way back. In fact, this is our 4th podcast together over the years (he used to host a show too). Jeremy has been in the DTC SaaS space for years, having previously managed marketing for a large DTC brand. Jeremy is now the Sr. Partner Manager at Gorgias, and he and his team run the DTCX events, which have become some of my favorites to speak at and attend.  Here's a look at what we cover. Some of it's heavy, but it also speaks to the amount of opportunity on the horizon:  What keeps Jeremy up at night? A potential consumer debt crisis? More at this link. 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Those making over $100k per year are in the same boat. What you can learn from Liquid Death.  Understanding how and where your customers want to buy. Avoiding the discount doom loop. Ge

At one time, Charles Tichenor was a top 100 advertiser on Facebook.  On the platform, he frequently manages 7 figure budgets per DAY!  In the early days, he managed FB ads for Apple, New Balance, major automotive brands, and more. Facebook gave him test budgets ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 per day to test new features and Betas. In this episode, Charles and I dig into what’s working now, what mistakes he’s seeing, and a bit of his framework for success.  Here’s a look at what we cover: How Facebook Advantage Plus ads give you an unfair advantage - and what you should do about it right now. If you want to win more customers, you have to BE your customer.  How chasing “what’s working now” with Facebook creatives is likely to make you a second-rate advertiser - and what to do instead. The AI Charles was using before Chat GPT and how you should use it. Creative ways to use Chat GPT to speed up your marketing process.  How TikTok is different from all the other platforms. How to win with TikTok or

This episode of the eCommerce Evolution podcast is truly unique.  It's not uncommon for us to talk about branding, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. But in this episode, we also discuss faith, family tragedy, chasing your dreams, and nerd out a bit on basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Steph Curry. Ashton Owens is living many kids’ dreams…but more importantly, he’s living his own. He works directly with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and other pro athletes. He runs Triple Threat - a creative agency specializing in branding and storytelling for pro athletes.  Ashton and I have a lot in common. We go to church together (how we met), share an affinity for professional basketball, lost a parent when we were teens, and experienced some fun and wild entrepreneurial journeys.  Here’s what we cover: How growing up in an entrepreneurial family and losing his father as a teenager shaped Ashton’s faith and professional accomplishments. How inviting Michael Jordan to his birthday party as a child influenced As

According to Chad Rubin, there's a lot of reckless advice from "gurus" when it comes to pricing on Amazon. Just raising your price because of inflation, might not be your optimal move. In some cases lowering your price, improving sell through, improving BSR can raise your total profits. But lowering your price could have devastating impact to your profits. So should you raise or lower your price? The short answer is - it depends. The key is to test, watch the data, and optimize. Chad Rubin recently exited Skubana, Prosper Show and his own agency. He’s now the founder of Profasee a dynamic AI repricing tool for Amazon sellers to help you maximize profits without hurting your ranking on Amazon. Here’s a look at what we cover: Prepping your business to sell and how Chad successfully exited Skubana. The fallacy of managing your Amazon ad spend to an ACoS goal. The art & science of Amazon pricing. How to price on other marketplaces so you maximize sales on amazon and preserve margin. Product assortme

In this episode, you’ll hear Rick Watson’s unfiltered hot takes on the latest changes coming from the “Big 2” in eCommerce: Shopify and Amazon. Rick Watson is an eCommerce influencer, former software CEO, and the host of The Watson Weekly podcast. Frequently speaking at large retail events like ShopTalk, NRF, and IRCE, he knows his stuff!   Here’s a look at what we cover: How Rick grew from 0 to 45,000 followers on LinkedIn in a few years (fun side notes for anyone wanting to grow their social following). The recent Shopify rate increases - people are complaining, but no one is leaving. Headless Commerce and Shopify Components - it’s new(ish), it’s sexy, and everyone is talking about it. Is it right for you? Amazon FBA changes related to IPI - this shows that Amazon is smarter than the rest of us. Buy with Prime - what is it, when does it make sense vs. when does it not?  Walmart, Target+, and the other marketplaces - should you care?  

Bear Handlon is a former Yale football player, Naval Officer, and the Co-Founder and CEO of Born Primitive, one of the hottest brands in the fitness, athleisure, and outdoor apparel space. Bear’s story is truly unique and full of valuable insights.  Bear had a simple idea, $4,000 in the bank, and was about to ship off to officer candidate school, but he decided to launch a company anyway. He parlayed the success of his initial product, custom-made compression shorts, to build a large and diverse brand with a wide array of products. Here’s a look at what we cover: When to focus vs. when to expand your product offering.  Born Primitive’s 3 keys to building a growth flywheel. How to turn mistakes into extreme customer loyalty. How getting the product right fuels everything else.  Why being face-to-face with customers is the key to product innovation and marketing.  While products can be replicated, a strong and unique “brand identity” cannot.  

Rabah Rahil has done it all when it comes to marketing.  Rabah is the CMO for one of the hottest and fastest growing SaaS companies in the DTC world - Triple Whale. Prior to that, he worked on the digital marketing team at Whole Foods, was a part of an agency that managed traffic for Oprah, and owned and operated his own agency. Triple Whale is a leader (and one of my favorites) in the world of 3rd-Party Attribution tools. Triple Whale helps you make sense of what channels, campaigns, and ads are moving the needle. It also brings all of your important data from Shopify, Amazon, and your ad channel into a single dashboard.  In this episode, we talk about attribution from a high level and what platforms are getting the most ad spend right now.  Here’s a look at what we cover: Why trying to get perfect attribution data is impossible (and why it’s not the point). A "party" analogy that could shift the way you view your ad channels.  With data from 6,000 Shopify stores, where are most advertisers spending their a

Brendan Bannister, the CEO of Naturalabs.io, is one smart marketer.  We first met in 2018 when he was the CMO and Creative Director at William Painter. After taking my YouTube/Google course, he scaled ad spend on YouTube from $2k per day to $100k per day!  We decided to start meeting and swapping ideas, war stories, and things we were testing. We soon realized the value of sharing this knowledge with others and decided to record a session and bring it to the world!  In this episode, we dive into CRO, creatives, data-driven marketing, R&D for marketing departments, and the golden years for YouTube and Facebook Ads and how they achieved 13x growth for William Painter.  Here are some highlights:  How the famous da Vinci quote, “Simplicity is Ultimate Sophistication” should be a guiding principle for marketers. Is media buying dead? If so, what is taking its place? How good brands are sort of like algorithms. “Design is hack” and what that means for your marketing efforts. The role “brand” plays in your abil

Retention marketing is crucial for any business.  When the economy is thriving, you need retention marketing to cut through the clutter and help you stand out.  When times are tough, as they may be in the near future, retention marketing is essential. During a recession, it’s critical to get the most out of your marketing efforts.  The most effective way to accomplish this is to maximize your Lifetime Value (LTV) through retention and loyalty marketing. That’s why, at OMG, we launched email and SMS marketing as a service last year. (email growth@omgcommerce.com to find out more).  In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Daniel Budai, a retention marketing expert and the founder of Budai Media.  Here’s a look at what we cover:  The mindset shift needed to impact how you approach retention marketing and loyalty.  Why you are likely not emailing your list enough and how emailing LESS has the opposite effect.  How to maximize your results by combining SMS and email marketing. How to create a user-friendly

Chris Mercer - aka “Mercer,” is the man when it comes to measurement and analytics. He’s the guy the pros like Justin Brooke, Mike Rhodes, and OMG turn to when we need help. If you haven’t heard (and I’d be shocked if you haven’t), Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is coming, and Universal Analytics (the current version) will go away in July of 2023.  GA4 isn’t just an upgrade. It’s an entirely different animal. It has to be! Given how technology, user preferences, and policies around privacy have changed over recent years - Google is forced to abandon UA and build something completely new.  In this episode, we talk about what’s new, what’s different, what we’re excited about, and what you can do to prepare.Here’s a glimpse of what we cover: A simple way to understand events and how Google measures them in GA4.  Data storage and how to hold onto your data - If nothing is done, your data will be gone in 2-14 months.  What’s going away vs. what’s here to stay?  How to use GA4 to make better decisions.

The most difficult aspect of eCommerce is attracting new customers.  With CPMs and CPAs on the rise, great brands must learn to increase the average order values (AOV) and customer lifetime value (LTV) of their customers.  That’s where building a brand marketplace comes into play.  Yes, you need to be developing new products and expanding your line. However, partnering with other complementary brands can provide immediate value to customers while also increasing AOV and LTV. But if done poorly, it can actually hurt your brand. Here’s what we dive into in this episode:  How Brooklinen thinks about brand marketplace and gives customers the option to "shop the room.” How Realtree expands its product line beyond camo to include high-quality rain gear and more products through their brand marketplace.  How to structure a marketplace to strengthen your brand, not erode it.  How a kayak brand used drop shipping competitors products to increase sales, trust, and customer loyalty for their own goods.  How Flxpoint ma

Cyber 5 2022 is in the books!  In this episode, I’m joined by two OMG Commerce veterans to unpack the juicy tidbits and key takeaways from BFCM.  Bill Cover is a senior Google Strategist with 6 years of experience at OMG and over a decade of experience in eComm. Amber Norell is the Amazon Director at OMG. For 8 years, she has helped large brands with scaling on Amazon in the most competitive niches! This year’s data was both fascinating and surprising. Some speculated that high inflation and economic concerns could squash the holiday sales rush and turn Cyber 5 into a downer. However, the data tells a VERY different story.  Here’s some of what we covered: How did Cyber 5 2022 compare to last year?  How did BF compare to CM? When we looked at Amazon sales versus DTC sales, the answer was different.  Did Prime Early Access - Amazon’s sale in October - impact Cyber 5 or holiday sales in general? What was the level of discounting this year vs. last year? How did ad costs change during Cyber 5?

Allie Bloyd is a podcast host, consultant, Facebook Ad pro, and marketing juggernaut!   In this episode, Allie and I talk about several elements many eCommerce brands overlook or simply under-leverage.   To use a golf analogy, many eComm brands are focused on impressive drives when they also need to consider their short game. You know the saying, "Drive for show, putt for dough."   That’s where offers, audience building, and list nurturing come into play. Here’s just a few nuggets you'll learn: How to completely change the math on your cold traffic by creating irresistible offers that don't cheapen your brand. How to utilize tripwires and micro offers as an eComm brand. Audience building and how it can lower ad costs (especially during peak seasons like a holiday). The best book written on remarketing and loyalty (hint: you’ve probably read it to your kids before).