Ecommerce Evolution

Every website is leaking sales and conversions somewhere.  While I love talking about driving more traffic, sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is improve your conversion rate.  In this episode, I interview the founder of Conversion Crimes, Quinn Zeda and we discuss the most common eCommerce conversion crimes she sees.  If you fix even a few of these you’ll see a meaningful improvement in your website performance.  Here’s a look at what we discuss: Understanding visual hierarchy and the metaphor of volume knobs Creating a process of testing and iteration vs. launching a full site overhaul Using customer intel to create marketing breakthroughs Keys to better navigation and menu structure How to not confuse or overwhelm your visitors Using action colors Plus more!

Ryan McKenzie is doing what he can to help save the planet.  His super-effective laundry detergent strips are keeping millions of plastic laundry jugs out of landfills each year.  He also wants to save your brand from bad video advertising. I invited Ryan on the show again because his approach to video advertising is just awesome.  Here at OMG Commerce, we have the privilege of running all of his Google and YouTube ads so we’ve seen firsthand their rocket ship growth.  They were Canada’s 2nd fastest growing start-up and have grown from 7 employees to 200 in record time.  In this episode, we break down Ryan’s  7-step framework behind his video ads that are fueling $100k/day in ad spend.  Here’s a look at what we cover:   What is a powerful pattern interrupt and how to use one. Why having a villain in your ads is a good thing.  Hint: Your villain probably isn’t a person. How many and how to most effectively use Calls to Action. Biggest surprises on what works and what doesn’t. How to use logic and emot

If you think the Amazon marketplace is wild right now, you should have seen it in 2003.  My guest today is Jason Boyce.  Jason is a former Top 200 Seller on Amazon - a spot he held for 10 years before selling his company.  Now he’s frequently interviewed and quoted in the media on all things Amazon.   He was recently interviewed for a PBS Frontline Documentary called Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos.  We discuss some hot takes on broader Amazon topics, plus dive into specific tips for sellers.   Here’s a look at what we discuss: How big is Amazon really…and why it’s actually BIGGER than you think Amazon and antitrust and what it means for sellers How little improvements to CTR and conversion rate create a compounding effect Owning the digital shelf - what it means and what you should be focusing on Controlling your brand.  How to proactively control and protect your brand Lessons from Jason’s new book - The Amazon Jungle

The death of email has been boldly proclaimed and then retracted so many times I’ve lost count over the last 10 years.  Finally, I think most people agree that email marketing is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future.   This episode is a double-header in terms of topic but still delivered in the same amount of time as usual.  It’s a “two topics for the price of one” special! Itay Paz is an online marketing veteran of 25 years.  He’s also the publisher of the Morning Dough newsletter and an SEO expert.   Morning Dough is one of my favorite newsletters.  It’s one of the few that I open regularly.  In this episode, we talk about how and why eCommerce brands should be using email marketing beyond just transactional emails. We also talk Web Core Vitals and how Google is going to use certain core performance metrics to score your site.  How your site scores in Google’s eyes will have a direct impact on both your SEO and your paid ad performance. How to land on a newsletter strategy that fits your perso

Andrew Morgans is a true OG when it comes to success on Amazon.  Andrew is the founder of Marknology (think marketing combined with technology) an Amazon brand accelerator and the host of the Startup Hustle podcast.  He’s been helping brands grow on Amazon for 9 years.  Needless to say, a LOT has changed on Amazon in 9 years and Andrew has seen a little bit of everything.  In this episode, we go deep into what successful brands are doing right now on Amazon and where things are headed on the platform…. Andrew’s philosophy of “if your product can’t sell with your photos and videos alone, you need to go back to the drawing board.” How your copy and photos should flow How A+ content, storefronts and copy really come down to just 2 things Andrew’s favorite tools that he uses daily…but when he doesn’t use them to make decisions. How to view Amazon ads in light of how the advertising industry is shifting Going international - Amazon is doubling down on international growth…why now is the time to consider it for yo

This is a special episode. My very first podcast appearance as a guest was on Austin Brawner’s Ecommerce Influence podcast back in 2015. Austin is one of the sharpest minds in Ecommerce. He’s either friends with or has consulted with some of the biggest names in DTC Ecomm like MVMT Watches, Pura Vida Bracelets, Snack Nation, and many more. On this episode, Austin and I interview each other! We dive into some pretty wide-ranging, but highly relevant topics. Including: Why Austin is so excited about subscription businesses and who’s running them well How different business models could be your next growth evolution How privacy could create a renaissance of sorts when it comes to the value of good ad creatives How pricey changes will impact audience building and audience targeting Formulas for creating high-converting content Shifting your role in business to greater growth Plus more!

Prime Day is one of the biggest shopping events of the year.  We now fully expect Prime Day to land in June of 2021 (at the time of recording this podcast we were still uncertain of whether it would be June or July).  OMG’s Amazon Director, Chris Tyler and Amazon Specialist Amber Norell join me for this week’s episode to break down what we’re expecting for this year’s Prime Day and what you need to do to get ready.   If you do nothing as an Amazon seller, you’ll likely see some lift in sales for Prime Day.  If you use some of the tactics we discuss in this podcast, you could generate some record sales days for your brand.  Here’s a look at what we cover in this episode.   Prime Day discounts and coupons - which is usually better and how to structure your offers. Amazon Live! - a perfect complement to your Prime Day deals Lightning Deals Amazon posts How to maximize your storefront for Prime Day Does and don’ts to get your listings ready for Prime Day Plus more.  Listen to the full episode or read our comple

Matt Clark knows what it takes to scale a business.  He’s the CEO of Amazing.com the creator of the most successful information product of all time - Amazing Selling Machines.   He’s also the co-owner of Lifeboost, a company that he and his business partner Charles Livingston have grown from just $17k per month in sales to over $2 million in monthly sales in just a few short years.  So that begs the question - How did they do it?  That’s what we dive into in this episode.  We discuss their keys to scale both from a marketing and a product development standpoint.  Here’s a snapshot of what we cover: - How focusing on the hook, headline and offer in their ads allowed them to scale from a few thousand in spend to over $400,000 in monthly Facebook spend. - Their simple approach to testing and optimizing that doesn’t require any fancy software or split testing tools. - How they are building their business to sell to the right investors - How they forecast and measure to make sure they are constantly improving and

Myth: marketing texts are annoying. Truth:  bad marketing texts are annoying.  Good text messages foster customer loyalty and drive sales.   Ready for the 4 Keys to powerful text marketing right now?  While text marketing isn’t overly complex, there is certainly a right way and a wrong way to approach it.  81% of all shoppers have signed up for text messaging from a brand.  Customers are clearly open to receiving texts from you.  If you approach text marketing strategically, your customers will even welcome your texts.  Arri B is here to show you how to effectively do that.  Here’s what we cover in this episode.     Choosing the right text platform No list, no bueno.  Learn the most effective ways to build a list fast. Using your text list to build community What to text?  Learning an effective content strategy for your text campaigns Optimizing and split testing  Plus, more!    

How would you like to generate a whopping $250k in sales on a new product launch without running Facebook ads and without offering deep discounts?  Sound impossible?  It’s not.  It’s the magic of Gated Launches. So what’s a gated launch?  It’s a product launch that’s only available to VIPs or top customers.  While it may sound complex, it’s really not.  It does take some work to build a VIP community. But, if you do it right, it’s actually pretty easy to maintain.  In this episode Jordan West, founder and CMO of Little and Lively, a children’s apparel brand, breaks down how his gated launches have generated as much as $120k in sales in the first two hours after going live.    Here’s a look at what we discuss in this episode: The psychology behind gated launches and why they are so powerful How to build a healthy, vibrant VIP group that is low maintenance How to foster the proper buying mentality in your VIP group How to harness VIP feedback for new product development The secret of using personalized 1-to-1

If you’re like me, then you're fascinated by the stories of “tech geniuses.”  I never get tired of hearing the origin stories of great tech startups and geniuses behind them (The Social Network is still one of my favorite movies).  In this episode I interview Shawn Livermore, author of the new book Average Joe: Be the Silicon Valley Tech Genius. Shawn’s new book uncovers some of the magic behind blockbuster tech products like Gmail, Dropbox, Snapchat, Ring, Bitcoin and more.  We bust some long-held myths and underscore how you can learn from the success of tech icons.  Here’s a look at what we cover: How moving slow is the new fast in some key areas How believing you have to be a genius to succeed in business (even tech)  is a myth How to properly incubate ideas and allow your brain to work the way it works best The story of Gmail and it’s creator Paul Buchheit  The story of Polaroid and how to innovate

How quickly can you find the following key metrics from your business? Contribution margin.  Inventory turn ratio.   Return on inventory (the other ROI).   If you struggled a bit finding those answers (or if you just want to go to the next level), you need to listen to this episode with John Canetta.  This episode was super fun for me and the content is what separates eComm companies who just get by vs. those who thrive (and end up with big exits).  It’s a must-listen for serious store owners.    You HAVE to know your numbers.  And your P&L may be lying to you and you don’t even know it.   How his hedgehog concept allows him to consistently hit 80% margins vs. 40-50% like some of his competitors. His piggybank metaphor and how it shapes his decision making Marketing is fun, but operations are where your profits are Understanding your numbers and making it SIMPLE -  How to look at and use Post Aggregate Gross, Contribution Margin, and Return on Inventory to hit his goals John’s 3 keys to business success

Brennan Agranoff was building spreadsheets at age 13.  He learned a little HTML in High School.   Growing up playing club basketball in Oregon with Nike HQ in his backyard, Brennan saw the appeal of custom socks as a young teen.  So he launched his first eComm brand called HoopSwag at age 13.  Brennan is a master of creative growth ideas.  He combines that with an intense focus on product and process development and automation.  We talked about both growth ideas and process automation at length in this episode.   How creative gifting has opened up his Micro-micro influencer approach How to go from VA to automation Always asking “how do I remove myself from this?” How Brennan shares a similar philosophy to Amazon to automate anything repeatable The comparison of good code to good process development The power of good mentors Plus more

If you sell a great product, then no doubt you’re getting referrals.  Referrals are great, but just waiting for them to happen on their own is NOT a formula for rapid growth.  Referral programs are a proven, but underutilized strategy for growing eCommerce brands. In this episode, I interview Arlen Robinson, referral marketing specialist, podcast host, and co-founder of Affiliate Software. We dig into some powerful points to help you take your referral marketing and affiliate marketing to the next level.  Here’s a look at what we cover: What’s the difference between referral, affiliate, and influencer marketing and how they each impact your business. To incentivize or not to incentivize?  Understanding the when, why, and how of referral incentives. Creating a viral loop to get customers into your referral program Tools and approaches to make it easy Plus some real-world case studies

This eCommerce power couple is ON FIRE.  They are cranking out AMAZING products on Amazon and growing fast.  More importantly, they’re having fun in the process.   More surprising and impressive than the growth is that they’re married, work together and, wait for it...still like each other!   We uncover some really powerful lessons in Amazon growth, business growth, and maintaining healthy work relationships.  I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I enjoyed recording it! Here’s a look at what we cover: How to pivot and grow How being in the right role to compliment each other is super important (whether you’re married to your business partner or not) Mistakes in hiring the wrong people and how to get this right How to know when and how to “let it go” and not get your feelings hurt How Tenacity and passion create the ultimate 1-2 punch Learning from your successes - a great tragedy is business is succeeding and not know why you succeeded.   Knowing your super power and using it consistently

Facebook is still a land of opportunity, but it is NOT currently smooth sailing.  The most powerful storm right now is, of course, privacy concerns.  Namely, the iOS 14 update and how it will impact advertisers' ability to track and optimize campaigns.  Facebook’s ability to track users everywhere online as they did in the past is going to be severely limited.  Whenever I talk to Facebook advertisers right now, uncertainty is the best way to describe their outlook on the platform.    In this episode, Bob and I tackle some really key issues facing Facebook advertisers right now.  How do we continue to scale and maintain CPAs in the face of privacy changes?  What kind of video ads are working right now?  What data do we focus on and optimize toward when some data is taken away?  Bob is the author of a brand new book - The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising (4th edition).   And he owns a company that specializes in creating authentic video content called feed stories.   Spend 80% of your time on your offer

Andrew Youderian is a bit of a legend. Podcaster, investor, former eCommerce store operator, and now founder of the premier online community for 7 and 8 figure eCommerce store owners - Ecommerce Fuel. That’s why I’m super pumped to have him on the show this week to talk predictions for the rest of 2021! In this episode, we put on our Nostradamus hats and try to predict what we might see more of this year. I focus a little more on the ad and marketing space as it relates to eCommerce. Andrew focuses his predictions more on eCommerce as a whole, plus a few macroeconomic predictions.   Hopefully, you find this fun and entertaining, and helpful. Even if we end up being dead wrong about our predictions, I think you’ll find some interesting nuggets here.

How does potty talk on Instagram lead to a thriving eComm brand and a world-class influencer marketing program? Normally it doesn’t, but Adi Arezzini isn’t your typical eCommerce entrepreneur.   Few companies run influencer marketing as successfully as Adi Arezzini.  And few people understand what it takes to build a brand and a community like Adi.  What started as discussions on Instagram about gut and bowel health transformed into a thoroughly engaged community and a brand that’s growing by leaps and bounds.   Everyone says they want to build a brand.  Few know what that means.  Even fewer are willing to do what it takes. In this episode Adi and I break down her step-by-step approach to influencer marketing + brand and community building.   Here’s a quick look at what we discuss:  How to find influencers with REAL influence How influencer marketing help Adi land in UltaHow to use a spreadsheet to build your first influencer lists The difference between IG and YT influencers How to leave nothing to chance a

Once upon a time you could source any old product you wanted from Alibaba, slap your name on it, throw up a listing on Amazon, and presto!  Instant sales.  I personally know several people who sold 7-figures + per year doing this.  Well….those days are over.  Everyone I know who ran that kind of business is either 1. Out of business or 2. Had to make a hard pivot.   To succeed on Amazon now you need to build a brand.  You need products that delight customers and serve a unique purpose.  You need listings that clearly communicate your brand difference and value proposition.  And you need to work on driving rankings the right way.   My guest today is Emma Schermer Tamir - Co-founder of Marketing by Emma.  We talk about how listing optimization on Amazon has shifted in recent years and how brand building now plays a major role in your success on Amazon.  Here’s a look at what we discuss: From brand registry to making customers happy, to Google traffic - why building a brand makes sense. Spammy product titles or

Few eComm and wholesale businesses reach the heights that VHC Brands has reached under the leadership of Ken Kline.  You’ve maybe seen their home decor products in big retailers like Home Depot, Bed Bath and Beyond or online at Wayfair, Amazon and many more.    Also, few eComm businesses have faced the setbacks that Ken and team have faced.  From a fire that completely destroyed their inventory in the mid 2000s to COVID wrecking their in-store retail plans in 2020 - they’ve faced some crazy times and come out stronger.   Here’s a look at what we cover. Why over communicating is the secret to vendor, investor and employee relationships. How they overcame a warehouse fire that likely would have destroyed most businesses (Plus the story of Ken’s Winston Churchill painting that miraculously survived the fire).  How to relay your road map to your team, make adjustments and celebrate along the way (even when things are bleak). How to take initiative to help your retail partners in selling more of your stuff. How t