An eCommerce Podcast Hosted by Brett Curry

Dubbed the “eCommerce Renegade” Chad Rubin is the author of the book Cheaper, Easier, Direct and is one of the top 250 Amazon Sellers in the world.

With over 2 million sellers on Amazon worldwide, cracking the top 250 is no small task.  But that’s not Chad’s only day job.  He’s also the CEO of Skubana, a multi-channel inventory management, and ERP software.  Chad brings a wealth of knowledge on what it takes to build a brand and succeed on Amazon and other marketplaces. You’ll love his story and we dive into some very practical and helpful stuff including:

– How to build a brand selling on marketplaces

– How to become a top 250 seller on Amazon

– Should you work with Amazon as a Marketplace Seller (3p) or Selling direct to Amazon (1p) or both?

– How to drive traffic and increase conversions on Amazon – and is enhance brand content worth the effort.

– How  Echo devices and voice search will impact Amazon sales

– Biggest mistakes you see sellers making on Amazon

– Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay
Content & Commerce Summit 2017 L.A. (Sept. 18 – 20)
Skubana
“Cheaper, Easier, Direct” Book by Chad Rubin

Connect with Chad Rubin:

via Email

via Twitter

via Facebook

via LinkedIn

via YouTube

via Instagram

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While it’s not a platform I’m intimately familiar with, Woo Commerce is gaining market share fast. By some estimates, it’s approaching 30-40% of online shopping carts.  Largely because WordPress powers approximately 26% of the web.

In this episode, we dive into WooCommerce and some general conversion boosters for any site owner.  Cody Landefeld is the founder of Mode Effect and a Woo Commerce and conversion expert.

Here’s a look at what Cody and I dive into:

– Why Woo is exploding.

– New Woo developments and what merchants are a good fit for Woo.

– 3 Conversion tips every site owner needs to consider?

– 4 eCommerce design trends to amplify sales.

– How to add the human element to your shopping experience.

– How to build a sales funnel for eCommerce.

– More!

Want to learn more about Mode Effect?  Check out their 5 Key Considerations for Optimization and Redesign.  

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay

Content & Commerce Summit 2017 L.A. (Sept. 18-20)

Mode Effect

5 Ways to Convert More Users on Your WooCommerce Store

4 eCommerce Design Trends that Amplify Results on Your Store

WooCommerce

WooCommerce Developers Conference 2017 Seattle  (Oct. 19 & 20)

The Red Headed Hostess

Warby Parker

Huckberry

Zappos

Connect with Cody Landefeld:

via Twitter

via Facebook

via Instagram

via LinkedIn

via Clarity FM

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Shopify just reached the milestone of powering over 500,000 online stores.  Today on the show I interview David Moellenkamp a self-proclaimed automation geek, former long-time employee of BlackBerry and now the Director of Product at Shopify Plus.

One of the goals I have for the podcast is to interview and uncover what’s new and what’s next for the major eCommerce Platforms.  If we want to truly understand where eCommerce is headed, we need to get a better picture of what the companies who build our most used carts are doing.  

We are platform agnostic here at OMG Commerce.  We create full funnel marketing plans for clients regardless of platform.  That said, I love how Shopify is democratizing eCommerce.  They’re taking features that were once only available to the IR 500 and making them available to all merchants.  They’re also building features that allow merchants to create customer experiences that are only limited by their imagination.

We take a deep dive into what’s new and what’s next at Shopify and we discuss a few current eCommerce trends facing all merchants.

Here’s a quick look at what we cover in this episode:

– How Shopify stacks up against competitors

– The difference between Shopify and Shopify Plus

– How to capitalize on Social Commerce

– Omni Channel and Marketplace success

– How Shopify Plus is using scripts and the brand new XYZ to allow merchants to create complex customizations without learning to code.

– How to utilize new technology for better overall ecommerce performance from easier management of fraud to better personalization and marketing.

– How mobile shopping is changing and how to improve your mobile conversion rate

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay

Companies Using Shopify Plus:
– New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/
– Nestle http://www.nestle.com/
– MVMT Watches https://www.mvmtwatches.com/
– Leesa https://www.leesa.com/
– Nine West http://www.ninewest.com/
– Fred Segal https://www.fredsegal.com/
– Kylie Cosmetics https://www.kyliecosmetics.com/
– Fashion Nova https://www.fashionnova.com/
– Red Bull https://www.redbull.com/us-en/

Frenzy

Connect with David Moellenkamp:
via Twitter

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If you want to up your eComm game then you have to be paying attention to leading eComm brands and eComm marketers.

I just got back from speaking at the 2017 Content & Commerce Summit put on by Digital Marketer.  I had the privilege of “sharing the stage” with top brands like Casper.com, Chegg.com, Racked.com, Fossil Watches and more!

I got so much from the event that I wanted to share some of the most impactful takeaways with you.  So I invited my friend, and the director of content at Digital Marketer, Russ Henneberry on the show for us to each share our top 5 takeaways from the event….

Here’s a quick look at what we cover:

– How Chegg.com not only survived, but thrived after Amazon came after them directly.  Most experts considered it was game over, but not Chegg.

– The actual business that Casper considers themselves in and how you can learn from their content marketing.

– How you can beat Amazon at Customer-centricity.

– The BOTS are coming!  How BOTS are impacting advertisers on both Google and Amazon

– Facebook Messenger Ad tips from Ezra Firestone

– How Fossil Watches leverages the long tail and how you’re likely leaving money on the table

– Plus much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay

Best of Content & Commerce Summit 2017

Traffic & Conversion Summit 2018 – San Diego, CA. (Feb. 26 – 28)

Fossil

Roland Frasier (at DigitalMarketer)

Casper

Gary Vaynerchuk

Mike Rhodes

Google Acquires Artificial Intelligence Startup DeepMind

The AdWords 2017 Roadmap is Loaded with Artificial Intelligence

Racked – Vox Media

Ryan Deiss (CEO of DigitalMarketer)

Survival Life

Rue La La

PureWow

Fashionista

Jim Collins (Author of “Good to Great”)

Huckberry

How Ezra Firestone Grew His Facebook Messenger Bot Subscribers – Bot Academy

Facebook Messenger for eCommerce – DigitalMarketer

ManyChat

Chegg

Connect with Russ Henneberry:

via Twitter

via Facebook

via LinkedIn

via DigitalMarketer

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Going fast is fun.  Just ask Ricky Bobby.  “Hair on fire” type of growth in business can be a real rush.  It can also be painful.  In this episode, I interview JD Crouse the co-founder and Queso Grande (Big Cheese) of BolderBand.com – a trendy manufacturer and retailer of activewear headbands.

Bolder Band grew from the kitchen table and dusty sewing machine of JD’s wife Amy to do over $3.5 million in revenue their first year.  To call that rapid growth is an extreme understatement.  Amy and JD won the 2014 Build a Business Contest from Shopify and in the process got to spend time with Gary Vaynerchuck, Tim Ferriss, Daymond John and many others.

Growth can also be painful…we’ll explore both the good and the bad and the lessons in both.  This is a truly inspiring interview.  Here’s a quick look at what we cover:

– How to build a community FAST on Facebook and Instagram

– Knowing when to stick with it during disappointment

– Handling ruthless competitors

– The good and bad of hiring friends and family members

– Finding a competitive advantage and building your business around it

– Handling the benefits and being aware of the dangers of notoriety

– How to grow in the age of Amazon

– Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay
OMG Commerce Holiday Offer – Schedule a Strategy Session
Bolder Band Headbands
eCommerce In The Trenches Podcast

Connect With JD Clouse:

Via Linkedin
Via Twitter
Via Facebook
Via Instagram

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This is Jeff Bezos’ world…we’re just living in it.  Or at least, that’s how it feels for an eCommerce merchant.  It’s hard to overstate the continued growth, innovation, and reach of Amazon.  With 214 distribution centers and growing.  Sales growing at 20-30% per year.  Forays into apparel, electronics (Kindle and the Echo family of products), batteries, and several other categories.  It’s hard not to look at Amazon with awe and wonder.  So, what’s a merchant to do in light of Amazon’s dominance?  Is Amazon friend or foe, or somewhere in between?

Andrew Youderian knows the world of independent eCommerce store owners better than arguably anyone on the planet.  He started the eCommerce Fuel podcast in 2014 and the eCommerce Fuel private forum shortly thereafter.  He’s bought, grown and sold several eCommerce businesses and he interacts regularly with top independent merchants on a monthly basis.  When it comes to eCommerce Andrew has done and seen it all.

In this episode, we look at how you as a merchant can stay relevant and thrive in the shadow of Amazon…and how to benefit from Amazon without “making a deal with the devil” so to speak.

He dives into detail on:

– What factors to consider when forming your Amazon strategy

– What merchants are most at risk to face irrelevance and extinction as Amazon continues to grow and innovate

– Andrews 4 Musts for thriving in an Amazon World

– When to “blitz” Amazon vs. when to back off

– Top takeaways from some of the best independent merchants on the planet…tips and ideas for you to steal and deploy

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay

OMG Commerce Holiday Offer – Schedule a Strategy Session

OMG Commerce

eCommerceFuel – The Private Community for 6 & 7 Figure Stores

Connect with Andrew Youderian:

Via Twitter

Via Facebook

Via Linkedin

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This is part of the “how I did it” series where we interview successful eCommerce entrepreneurs and dig into the tactics and strategies that propelled them ahead of the pack.  This interview with Jared Mitchell, Co-Founder of Skincare by Alana, is a great example of building a community, testing everything, and diversifying traffic.

Jared and Alana’s story is pretty awesome. Jared went from a bass player with a record deal that fell through to self-employed deck builder to helping his wife launch an online skincare company.  Jared took some SEO knowledge and combined it with Alana’s passion and as an esthetician to build a budding eCommerce skincare store.

We dig into some really interesting stuff in this episode including:

• Jared’s top 4 Conversion hacks over the last 12 months
• A shipping offer test with surprising results
• Using Quizzes & Surveys for better conversions (this was an eye-opener for me)
• How to grow a new brand piggybacking on existing brands
• Jared’s top traffic sources
• Using Amazon to boost Google SEO traffic
• What separates successful eCommerce companies from the rest of the pack

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce Holiday Special – Free Google Webinar Replay

OMG Commerce Holiday Offer – Schedule a Strategy Session

OMG Commerce

Skincare by Alana

Connect with Jared Mitchell:
Via Linkedin
Via Facebook

Connect with Skincare by Alana:
Via Facebook
Via Twitter
Via Instagram
Via Quiz Funnel

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Few people have mastered social media marketing like Michael Stelzner.  Michael is the founder of Social Media Examiner, one of the most visited social media marketing websites on the planet.  He’s also the host of the Social Media Marketing podcast.  He started the podcast in 2012 and has since racked up over 12 million downloads.

Michael and team also run the Social Media Marketing World – featuring some of the top social media marketers sharing their best stuff.  I’m super excited about the 2018 event – mainly because I’ll be sharing a stage with Michael – talking YouTube Remarking.  Want to join me?  Learn More.

In this episode, I wanted to pick Michael’s brain on how he and his team approach content.  I want you to be able to capitalize and learn from Michael’s success.

Here’s a glimpse of what we cover:

• Keys to success with Facebook Live & Video marketing in general
• How his new behind-the-scenes shows called the “Journey” are racking up 10’s of thousands of views on Facebook and YouTube.
• How eCommerce merchants should use video to fuel growth
• Advantages of going live vs. recorded (think algorithm)
• Social media predictions that could change the way we market
• Social Media Marketing World and why it’s one of the top Social Media Events in the world.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Social Media Examiner

Social Media Marketing World (Feb. 28 – Mar. 2, 2018)

Social Media Examiner Facebook Live

Connect with Michael Stelzner:

Via Facebook

Via Twitter

Via Linkedin

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In 2009 Chegg was one of the leaders in the online college textbook market.  They offered college students the ability to rent textbooks online for a fraction of what they could pay at the campus bookstore.  Word of mouth from delighted students and strong online marketing efforts fueled rapid growth…Then they had an unwelcome competitor enter the ring – AMAZON.

Most companies would shrink in terror, get angry, cry about the world being unfair and potentially leave the space altogether. Chegg had been anticipating this move by Amazon and had been working feverishly for months to try and prepare. In this podcast, I interview John Fillmore, Chief Business Officer for Chegg.com. We dive deep into how they responded initially to Amazon and how they continue to innovate and stay relevant.

Chegg’s best move (and they’ve had a LOT of great moves) was understanding that their best asset was not an offer on cheap textbooks. It wasn’t their website. It wasn’t even their SEO value (that was immense at that time). They’re greatest asset was the trust and relationship they had with college students around the country. With that they were able to pivot and go beyond textbooks to helping college students perform better in school. Their growth using content marketing, SEO, email marketing, and some wicked smart display marketing has been fun to watch.

Here’s what we dive into:

– What it was like in the months leading up to Amazon entering the textbook market and then after they entered the market. See how John and team “war roomed” regularly and came out with some powerful innovations.

– How Chegg innovates and stays relevant continually in the face of pressure from Amazon

– How they view the textbook side of the business now that Amazon continues the “race to the bottom” with lower prices.

– Chegg’s wicked smart, campus-specific display marketing strategy….I’m still geeking out about this use of data.

– How Chegg knows their customers and markets accordingly

– What services they offer to “get students in the door” so to speak and then get them to stick around as customers.

– Brilliant content marketing plays

– Plus much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
Chegg

Connect with John Fillmore:
via Linkedin:
via Twitter:

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Few people know Facebook advertising like Ralph Burns and his team at Dominate Web Media.  In this interview, we take a look at the latest features, strategies, and tactics working for eCommerce merchants on Facebook.  This episode is rich in content and contains some real Facebook gold.

Here’s a look at what we cover:

• Top misconceptions regarding Facebook ads that are holding you back
• Top targeting methods you should be using
• Ralph’s 3-Step video marketing formula
• Understanding the Facebook algorithm and how it impacts your ad performance
• Competitive Remarketing – now you can target people on Facebook who have purchased similar product to what you sell.
• Changes likely on the horizon for Facebook ads

Mentioned in this Episode:

Dominate Web Media
Perpetual Traffic Podcast
Adam Killam Email

Connect with Ralph Burns:

via Linkedin

via Twitter

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Today we take a deep dive into Amazon from two unique perspectives – from that of a very successful seller and that of an Amazon Ad Specialist.

As we close out 2017 we do so with two record sales days under our belts.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday both set online sales records.  Amazon was a big driver of that online growth.

All signs point to continued growth into 2018.  In this episode, we’ll outline how you can get the most from Amazon in the coming months.

First a little about our guests…

Brandon Andrews is a successful Amazon seller and now the co-founder of Freedom Shark, providing training to up-and-coming Amazon sellers.  Chris Tyler is an SEO Specialist turned Amazon Ad expert.  Currently, he manages successful Amazon Ad campaigns for large and smaller sellers alike and is part of our team here at OMG Commerce

Here are a few things we cover in this episode:

– Takeaways from Black Friday and Cyber Monday and how to prepare for next year’s holiday sales

– The 1-2 things likely holding your Amazon advertising back

– The top 3-4 mistakes sellers make as they launch and grow products

– New opportunities

– Walmart vs. Amazon and how brands should capitalize on both

– The best Amazon Ad Advice for 2018

– Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce

Freedom Shark

Amazon Advertising

AmazonBasics

Cyber Monday hits Record-Breaking $6.59B in US Online Sale

Black Friday Rocks Up $5.03B in Online Sales, $2B on Mobile Alone

Amazon’s Ad Revenue to Hit $3.5B in 2017

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Logan Christopher doesn’t do anything halfway. He’s one entrepreneur you likely wouldn’t want to challenge in a test of strength. Logan is thin but deceptively strong. He’s deadlifted 505 lbs, rack pulled 1,000 lbs. In his spare time, he juggles flaming kettlebells and pulls fire trucks with his hair. Not making this up. Check out the details at legendarystrength.com or visit his YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/LegendaryStrength).

While this is impressive and interesting, this is not why I had Logan on the show. He’s also a successful eCommerce store owner. Like most successful store owners, Logan is doing a lot of things right. I think you’ll find this talk inspirational and educational.

Here’s a quick look at what we cover:

– How info marketing style content can drive traffic and sales
– How daily emailing can still work in 2018
– Conversion improvements by lining up with charity
– Affiliate marketing for rapid growth
– How long form sales pages can work for eCommerce
– Benefits of long-form product pages
– Logan’s favorite traffic sources
– recent conversion improvements
– Plus more

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Omg Commerce
Legendary Strength
Lost Empire Herbs

Connect with Logan Christopher:

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin
Amazon

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Amazon truly is a jungle.  Legitimate competitors are chomping at your heels vying for your rankings and clicks.  Unscrupulous and even fraudulent competitors are wreaking havoc and forcing a “race to the bottom” with product prices.  

In this episode I interview John Bullard Sr.  John has a unique perspective on Amazon.  First off, he’s a successful seller with a $3 million per year private label Amazon business.  He also has 30 years of experience as a retail wholesaler.  On top of that, he owns and operates a fulfillment center.  Finally, he’s the host of Pro Seller Talk a paid community bringing insights and training to Amazon sellers.  

Here’s a quick look at what we cover as John and I get “in the trenches”…

• Top Amazon Trends for 2018  – including the end of retail arbitrage
• Brand registry and brand gating – what you need to know
• How to diversify using Walmart marketplace – plus a couple of little known functionality on Walmart you have to know about to be successful.  
• The need for multiple streams of traffic.
• Fulfillment tips and trends – how to keep up with consumers growing demands on fulfillment.  

As always we’d love your feedback, comments, or questions on our Facebook page (link).

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce
MyFulfillmentTeam
ProSellerTalk

Connect with Guest:
via Facebook
via Email

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Today I’m excited to welcome back my business partner and the co-founder of OMG Commerce – Chris Brewer.

Chris Brewer is a seasoned entrepreneur who’s successfully started and sold multiple businesses in the advertising and marketing space.  In 2010 he and I started OMG Commerce. Since then we’ve consulted with, partnered with and provided agency services for HUNDREDS of eCommerce stores.  We’ve seen nearly everything – the good, the bad, and the ugly of eCommerce.

In this episode, we break down the biggest X Factors of success from our perspective as we’ve observed a lot of winners and a lot of, um….not so much winners.  Hopefully, you have as much fun listening as we did recording this…

Here’s a quick look at what we cover:

• The importance of Lifetime Value of a Customer (LTV) and how to measure it and cultivate it.
• Why businesses that are too “romantic” about their own ideas are destined to struggle.
• How the best eCommerce stores think about and leverage Amazon
• Pop Quiz – Chris lays out his top eCommerce metrics and give you the ability to rate yourself on how well you know your core numbers.
• A big mistake eCommerce store owners make when looking for an agency
• How to start on a new traffic source
• Plus much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce

Connect with the Guest:
via Chris Brewer/OMG Commerce
via Linkedin

As always, we’d love your feedback on iTunes.

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I’ve been looking forward to this interview for months.  I met Bryant Garvin at Ezra Firestone’s Blue Ribbon Mastermind in Nashville back in January.  Hearing the details of how Bryant and team leveraged YouTube (as well as other channels) to achieve massive scale at incredible speed blew me away.  I knew immediately I wanted to have him on the podcast.

Purple Mattress has grown from obscurity to being one of the most popular mattress-in-a-box offerings in just a few short years.  In 2017 they posted annual revenues in excess of $187 million.   Purple Mattress was largely made famous because of a brilliant video made in partnership with the Harmon Brothers staring Goldilocks and featuring the “broken egg test.”  It’s an amazing example of demonstrating the uniqueness of a product in a fresh, creative way.

Here’s a quick look at what we cover on this episode…

• How to hook someone properly in the first 5 seconds of a YouTube video ad
• Surprising test results – even really smart people are wrong half the time or more.
• How to approach YouTube for prospecting…YT isn’t search ads, so stop treating them the same.
• Elements of a great video – learn Bryant’s formula for high performing video ads, plus the story behind the broken egg test.
• How to diversify and launch ads on new platforms.
• Plus a lot more!

Mentioned in the Episode:

Purple Mattress, OMGcommerce, StackedAds, Harmon Brothers

Connect with Bryant Garvin:

Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

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For most marketers, Facebook Messenger is the ultimate black box.  What is it really?  How are customers using it?  What’s a marketer to do with it?  These are a few of the many important questions that marketers may have a hard time answering.

The temptation for some marketers is to treat Messenger marketing like they would email marketing.  Big mistake.  It’s a very different platform at a very different stage of maturity compared to email.

Then there’s the question of chatbots…what are they?  How can we use them without being super creepy?

I had the perfect guest for this Episode – Dan Gamito of ManyChat.  ManyChat is leading the charge in a lot of ways when it comes to Messenger Marketing and the use of chatbots.  In this episode Dan does an amazing job of demystifying and educating.  Here’s a look at what we cover:

– Understanding tribal mentalities on Facebook and how that influences Messenger

– Understanding how consumers are using Messenger and, more importantly for this discussion, how they want to interact with brands on Messenger (and how they DON’T want to interact with brands).

– How a pregnancy brand used messenger to deliver the perfect message at the perfect stage of pregnancy to an interested audience.

– How a shoe company used messenger to reduce product returns by almost 30%

– Much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce

ManyChat

Connect with Guest:

Linkedin

Facebook

Instagram

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Even if you’re not a numbers person, you need to understand the math behind your marketing.  The good news is that this is not nearly as complex as it seems.

This does NOT mean you need to be a math wiz kid, or a coder, or a master of analytics.  But you do need to know the story your data is telling you.

Chris Mercer (known mostly as Mercer) is one of the smartest analytics guys I know.  But more than just understanding the technical side of analytics, Mercer knows how to find actionable data.   That’s what understanding the math behind your marketing is all about…finding what needs to be fixed or improved to help you grow.

In this episode we discuss:
– Go to Google Analytics with a specific question in mind.  This is important.  Most people pop open their Google Analytics account and just wander around.  You need to go to the data asking a specific question.
– Learn to ask good questions of your data.  Often you don’t take the right action, because you aren’t asking the right questions.
– Why averages are worthless, but segmentation is key
– Understand the usefulness behind Mercer’s Mantras “Find the truth in the trend” and “the power is in the pattern”.
– Why properly tagging your traffic may be the most important data cleanup step you take
– How Google Analytics, Data Studio, and Google Tag Manager fit together
– Plus more!

Check out these great resources from Mercer Here :

Mentioned in this Episode:
Traffic Tracker Tool
OMG Commerce
Measurement Marketing
Digital Marketer
Google Analytics Solutions

Connect with Guest:
Facebook/Seriously Simple Marketing
Facebook/Measurement Marketing
Twitter
Linkedin

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I know what you’re thinking…Ross and Rachel?!?  From Friends?  Well, no, but this is even better (for your business). It’s really Ross Johnson and Rachel Bell of Trill Media.

One of the topics that I’m super interested in is influencer marketing.  What was made popular by the Kardashians is actually something that’s been around forever – endorsements.  But with social influencers it’s a whole new ball game and one you can do and succeed at…and sometimes for as little as $100 paid to an influencer.

Along with influencer marketing we also lay a foundation for growth using Instagram.  Many of the fastest growing eComm brands I know are investing both time and money into Instagram.

Here are some of the growth tips we tackle in this episode:
– How to collaborate with influencers
– How to partner with complementary brands on Insta
– Tips for using giveaways to add engaged followers
– How to use Story Takeovers
– How to be transformational rather than transactional

Check out the episode here…

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce
eCommerce Evolution by Brett Curry on iTunes
Trill Media
Trill Media Instagram
Bulletproof Instagram
Four Sigmatic Instagram
How do I add a story to my Story Highlights? – Instagram Help Center
Step Up Your Instagram Game with Swipe-Up Links – 9 Clouds

Connect with Ross & Rachel:
Ross Johnson
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Instagram

Rachel Bell
via Linkedin
via Instagram
via Facebook

Rachel & Ross
via Facebook

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To scale an ecommerce business you can’t be a one-trick pony when it comes to traffic generation.  Pushing past 7 figures into 8 figures and beyond requires a focus on reaching customers at every stage of the shopping funnel.  Having a “hodge podge” mix of campaigns won’t cut it either. You need a team of campaigns that attract customers at different stages of the funnel and pulls them through to conversion.

Recently I spoke at a marketing conference in St. Louis on the topic of full funnel growth.  I outlined 7 keys for smart full funnel growth including:

Why You Need a Team of Campaigns – how getting your campaigns to work together is a lot like building a world-class basketball team.  

Better measurement – when you apply the wrong measurements to your campaigns you stifle growth.  Bad data leads to killing successful campaigns prematurely or running weak campaigns for too long.  

How Google Shopping, AdWords and YouTube work together – While Google Shopping is super competitive now, I remain extremely bullish on using it as a channel.  Add to that a powerful AdWords strategy and then a YouTube strategy built for eCommerce and look out! Big things can happen.  

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce

Midwest Digital Marketing Conference (MDMC)

Traffic & Conversion Summit

Funnel Hacking Live 2019

The Ultimate Guide to Google Shopping – Shopify

Connect with Brett Curry:

via Linkedin

via Facebook

via Twitter

via Instagram

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Even if you’re on another platform you have to pay attention to what Shopify is up to. Now with over 500,000 stores using the platform, when Shopify makes a shift the whole industry feels it.

I wanted to know the latest and greatest from Shopify so I invited on the King of Shopify himself, Kurt Elster on to the podcast.

In this episode we dig into some new releases and how they impact you including:

• How Shopify Stacks up in the ecommerce platform ecosystem
• Shopify myths that need to be busted – such as “Shopify is bad for SEO.”
• Dynamic check out – Now that Amazon’s one click checkout patent has expired Shopify has built their own version…and it’s awesome.
• Now Fraud protection is built in and available for those who use Shopify pay.
• Want to get all of your marketing app data in one place?  You can with Shopify’s new Marketing dashboard.
• Kit how you can have a legitimate automated “bot” employee
• Thinking of replatforming?  What questions should you ask before you do?
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
OMG Commerce
Shopify Unite 2018 – Shopify Partner & Developer Conference
Ethercycle
Showing Dynamic Checkout Buttons – Shopify Help Center
Fraud Prevention – Payments – Shopify Help Center

Connect with Guest:
Kurt Elster
via Linkedin:
via Facebook:
via Twitter:
via Instagram:

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Tracey Wallace has a unique perspective on eCommerce.  As Editor-in-Chief at BigCommerce she has the distinct privilege of rubbing shoulders with the top eCommerce brands on the BigCommerce platform.  And the BigCommerce is home to some pretty impressive eCommerce stores such as Skullcandy, Cargill, Sharp, Camelbak and more….

In this podcast we talk about some key eCommerce success factors and how some of the best and brightest store owners on BigCommerce are winning.  We dive into important topics such as:

• Why you need to spend time perfecting your Product Detail Pages (PDPs).  As a reference see what companies likeBliss World Cosmetics, Kelty and Solo store have created amazing PDPs.  
• How to build community by leveraging micro influencers and by creating amazing content.
• Payments! How understanding Amazon Pay, Apple Pay and Consumer Financing can help you improve checkout and increase conversion rates.  
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

OmgCommerce:
BigCommerce
Doris Sleep

Connect with Guest:

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If you aren’t using YouTube at least for remarketing – you’re missing out.  With over 1 Billion monthly users and average session durations of over 40 min. (longer than what most people spend on Facebook in a day) YouTube has the attention of your prospects and customers.  

Not only does YouTube have your prospects and customers eyes and ears, they also have a really attractive advertising offering – TrueView.  With the TrueView pre-roll (aka “before” videos) you as the advertiser only pays if someone actually watches your video or clicks through to your site. If someone skips before the :30 mark, you pay nothing.  Pretty cool.

Throw some really advanced audience targeting features on top of that and you have all kinds of options for both top and bottom of the funnel marketing on YouTube.  

This episode is a recording of a talk I gave in San Diego at Social Media Marketing World.  In it I cover the following:

• How your prospects are using YouTube and how that should influence your strategy
• The best audiences to target with your ads
• 5 Tips to creating great video ads that hook prospects and get them to take action
• YouTube for Top of Funnel – the bulk of this talk is about remarketing, but YouTube has some great benefits for Top of Funnel which I outline here.  
• Targeting options – If you go Top of Funnel what kind of targeting options should you consider.
• Plus more!

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While exit pops, lead magnets, page takeovers are not necessarily new, I love the approach that Lindsey and her team at Hello Bar take to improve online conversions.

I met Lindsey through a good friend of mine and was immediately impressed with her approach. She’s strategic in her use of conversion tools.  Many merchants just sort of throw tools together and hope that something works. Anyone who’s listened to this podcast for any length of time knows that I’m a huge fan of good data and letting data speak.  Lindsey takes a data driven approach to creating better use of conversion tools and lead magnets.

Here’s a quick look at what we dive into on this call:

• Why customers actually prefer page takeovers to other exit pops (and the numbers back it up)
• Headline tips from marketing masters and why your current headlines might suck
• How Neil Patel gets more conversions on his properties
• Headline formulas to get more clicks, signups and sales
• Lead magnet ideas that drive conversion vs. lead magnets that lead to eye rolls.
• Plus more conversion optimization gold

Want a free 30-day trial of hellobar? Check it out here.

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When I first met Charlie Youakim the CEO and co-founder or Sezzle I was surprised by a few things he told me:

– Millennials prefer to pay with debit cards

– Only 1 in 3 millennials have credit cards

– Not having credit cards impacts the way millennials shop online and most don’t like the hassle of applying for a card.

Some regulations put into place after the recession in 2008 like prohibiting credit card companies from marketing on college campuses and raising the legal age to sign up for a credit card to 21 instead of 18 have all played into this.

Sezzle has put together an interesting product that allows both merchants and customers to get what they want.  The interesting thing is that Sezzle didn’t start with their current offering. As a long-time entrepreneur I was fascinated to hear how Sezzle pivoted from their original idea (which just didn’t take off) to its current offering with great success.

• How outerwear company 686 raised AOVs by 22% and increased total sales by 5% by offering payment plans
• How athleisure store Inflow Style raised AOVs by 40% and increased totals sales by 8% by offering payment plans
• How and when to pivot as an entrepreneur
• The 3 ways to grow a business and how payment plans can help with all 3.
• Plus the history of credit cards (call me a nerd, but this was interesting to me)…

Mentioned in this Episode:

OMG Commerce
Sezzle

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