An eCommerce Podcast Hosted by Brett Curry

Whether you’re planning to sell your eCommerce business in 1 year or 3 years or never, the information in this podcast is pure eCommerce gold. Regardless of your exit plans, it’s important to know how to make your business more valuable now.  

My guest for this episode is Joe Valley, Director of Brokerage Services at Quiet Light.  Joe is a seasoned eComm expert and a former business owner. As a broker of eCommerce businesses his perspective is unique and insightful.  Here’s a look at what we discuss:

• What is my eComm business worth?  Everyone wants to know this. Joe lays out some quick guidelines to keep in mind.  
• The 4 Pillars of a sellable company.  The beauty of these pillars is that they also will help you run a better business NOW!
• Biggest mistakes people make when they decide to sell?
• Biggest success story of someone who sold?
• Most important financial metrics to determine value?

• The story of profitability and why cash flow isn’t the whole story
• Trend analysis and how it impacts value
• How long does it take to sell an eCommerce business
• How does a company being on Amazon vs. not being on Amazon impact value?
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

eCommerce Evolution Podcast by Brett Curry
via Facebook
via iTunes
via Stitcher

Quiet Light
SDE – Sellers Discretionary Earnings – What Exactly is it?
How to Calculate The Value of Your Online Business
The Four Pillars That Make Up a Valuable Website
4 Ways to Increase Your Business’s Transferability To a New Owner
Learn the Top Tips & Tactics For Hiring VAs & Putting SOPs In Place To Manage Them

eCommerce Evolution Podcast edited by Jonny Reese at Studio JRS

Connect with Guest:

via Linkedin
via Twitter
via Instagram
Quiet Light

I’m convinced that the most successful eCommerce companies in the years to come will be those who build a brand.  

Building a community, telling a brand story that resonates, building products that people are passionate about, differentiating from the competition – all are part of what it asked to build a successful brand.

Companies that just learn a few tricks and tactics to sell more on Amazon, or those that rely on just a few google traffic hacks, or those who only sell products that are available from other sellers are in a much weaker position than those who build a brand. That’s why I was super excited to bring on the show a brand building powerhouse like Rick Cesari. Rick has been involved with some pretty stellar brands over the years including the George Foreman Grill, GoPro Cameras, Sonicare Toothbrush, Oxiclean and others. He knows what it takes to position and market a product to make turn it into a massive winner.  

Here’s a look at what we cover:

• Using direct response ads principles and building a brand at the same time.
• Tips to building a great brand including feedback loops, crafting a USP, getting to the benefit and more.  Learn how Rick helped the Juiceman brand go head-to-head with Krups and Braun and generate $75 million in sales in just 4 years.
• How to differentiate.  We both love Sally Hogshead’s quote “Different is better than better.”
• Tips for great videos.  One of our favorite topics and an area that Rick is an expert in.  We talk about what makes for a great video.
• Using Ricks brand-building and marketing tips on Amazon.
• Plus more

Connect with Rick Cesari:
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Intagram

Mentioned in this Episode:

Dan Kennedy (Direct Response Marketing Strategist at No B.S. Inner Circle)
David Ogilvy (Founder of Ogilvy & Mather)
“Ogilvy on Advertising” book by David Ogilvy – Amazon
David Ogilvy
“Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” book by Donald Miller – Amazon
Donald Miller (CEO at StoryBrand)
    via Facebook
    via Twitter
via Instagram
Sally Hogshead (New York Times Bestselling Author, Hall of Fame Speaker & CEO of How to Fascinate)
via LinkedIn
via Facebook
  via Facebook/How to Fascinate
via Twitter
  via Instagram
“Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation” book (2010) by Sally Hogshead – Amazon
“Fascinate, Revised and Updated: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist” book (2016) by Sally Hogshead – Amazon

Brands Mentioned

Juiceman – The Best Citrus Juicers, Extractors & Blender
Trillium Health Care Product
Peloton Bike – Indoor Exercise Bake with Online Streaming Classes
SousVide Supreme
Wanderer Bracelets – Hand Crafted in Bali
George Foreman Grill – Welcome to George Foreman Cooking – Shop Indoor Electric Grills
GoPro – Cameras
Sonicare Toothbrushes
OxiClean

Connect with Brett Curry (CEO of OMG Commerce):

via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram

eCommerce Evolution podcast edited by Jonny Reese at Studio JRS

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There are two critical ways Patent Law impacts online merchants:

1. Making sure you protect your unique products and intellectual property (IP)
2. Making sure you don’t infringe on someone else’s patents

My guest for this episode is Patent Attorney, Rich Goldstein.  Rich is a wealth of knowledge on patent law and has carved out a niche in the eCommerce space.  I am NOT a legal expert, to say the least, so I was really excited to dive into this topic and learn more myself.

Here’s a look at what we covered:

• When should you consider a patent and how much do they cost?
• What’s the number 1 reason for a patent?
• What are the 2 factors to see if a product is patentable?
• Talk about the different enough test?
• 2 Types of patents and when to consider each type
• How to protect against knock off and specifically protecting yourself on Amazon.
• How do you avoid patent infringement?
• Top resources and guides for patents and IP.  

Mentioned in This Episode:

OMG Commerce
via Facebook
via Linkedin
via Twitter
via Instagram

Brett Curry
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram

The ABA Consumer Guide to Obtaining a Patent” book by Richard W. Goldstein – Amazon
Google Patents

Connect with Guest:
Rich Goldstein
via Linkedin
via Twitter
via Instagram

Goldstein Patent Law
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter

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This episode is a treat both in terms of topic and guest.  I have my long-time business partner Chris Brewer on to talk about the most important topic of the year for most eCommerce companies – Holiday Sales.  

For most eComm companies the Holiday season will determine whether you have a good year or a not so good year.  For some companies every day of holiday sales is the equivalent of a week or two the rest of the year. Having a great holiday season requires planning, attention to detail and some creativity.  

I see things lining up for most eCommerce companies to break sales records this Holiday.  Will you be one of them?

Here’s a look at what we cover:

• Getting Your Google Ad Campaigns Ready – getting your search, shopping and brand campaigns ready to “make hay” this holiday season.  
• Getting Your YouTube Ads Ready – Do you have remarketing in place?  Are you capitalizing on your competition? Do you have a unique holiday message?  All of this and more is important to maximize YouTube results.
• Getting Your Amazon Ads Ready – Amazon is poised to CRUSH IT this holiday season.  Are your ad campaigns ready?
• Getting Your Email Marketing in Place – Email marketing could be your x-factor this holiday.  Remember to segment and remember the rule of 3!
• Planning your promotions – Get your promo calendar finished now!
• Staying on Top of Everything – We talk about ways to stay on top of everything and make sure nothing is missed this holiday season.  

Here’s to making Holiday 2018 your best ever…

Mentioned in this Episode:

Google Trends
Measuring Brand Awareness – Google Ads Help – Google Support
Google Trends – All Categories Top Charts
Google Trends – New Products Top Chart 2017
Google Merchant Center
2018 Shopping Product Feed Specification Update – Google Merchant Center – Google Support
About Remarketing – Google Ads Help – Google Support
About Remarketing Lists – Google Ads Help – Google Support
Google Analytics
About Product Ratings – Google Merchant Center Help – Google Support

Connect with Guest:

Chris Brewer
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram

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In recent years SEO has lost its luster as a “hot” traffic source. Panda and Penguin updates have made it all but impossible to “game the system” and trick Google into ranking your site.  That said, organic traffic can still be insanely powerful for your brand.  SEO can help drive relevant traffic at nearly every stage of the shopping funnel – helping your build a following and sell more stuff.

While there are no viable SEO tricks now, there are proven strategies that will help you rank well and rank relatively quickly.  

While I’ve been an SEO practitioner since the early 2000s and even though OMG Commerce offers SEO services for eCommerce – I still wanted to have Dale Bertrand on to talk SEO.  Dale is the Owner and Digital Strategist for fireandspark.com and he knows his SEO.

Here’s a look at the SEO topics we cover in this episode.  

• Link building that works in 2018 and beyond. Quality backlinks are still one of the most powerful ranking signals in Google’s algorithm.  The catch is that Google is better than ever at sniffing out and ignoring or penalizing spammy backlinks.  In this episode we discuss the right way to approach link building.
• Building content without being a writer.  My guess is that creating content isn’t your favorite activity.  But good content is CRUCIAL for effective SEO strategies. We discuss how to generate content without the pain of writing.  
• How to make category and product detail pages rank.  Category and product detail pages are your money makers, but getting them to rank can be a challenge.  We discuss how.
• The value of “pillar content” and how to create it.  Without “pillar content” your SEO will be at a disadvantage.  We discuss what it is and how to go about creating it.
• Technical structure for a solid page.  We nerd out a little bit on technical SEO, but not too much.
• Plus more!

Mentioned in This Episode:

FireandSpark – eCommerce Marketing – Boston Expert SEO and PPC
via Linkedin
via Twitter
Holiday Season SEO – FireandSpark

Connect with Guest:

via Twitter

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The best eCommerce companies I know are on a quest to constantly improve conversion rates.  Every lift in conversion rates means more money for product development, or traffic to grow your brand or just more money for your pocket.  

On this episode I interview Jon MacDonald, CEO of the Good.  Jon and team have worked on Conversion rate optimization projects for companies like Nike, Xerox, Adobe and the Economist as well as many other ecommerce companies.  

Jon’s perspective and approach are unique and I’m confident you’ll pick up several CRO nuggets including:

• The 4 types of data that should influence your conversion rate optimization
• What data to ignore vs. what’s critical and actionable
• Must have elements for UX
• Product detail page essentials
• Making the complex simple and bringing products to life on your site
• Great eCommerce examples for UX to pay attention to
• Plus more

Connect with Guest:
via Linkedin
via Twitter
via Instagram

Mentioned in this Episode:
The Good – eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization
via Linkedin
via Twitter
The Good – Insights
The Good – Free Landing Page Assessment
Google Analytics
Hotjar – Heatmaps, Visitor Recordings, Conversion Funnels and More
Hotjar – 8 Heatmap Test That Reveal Visitor Behavior
Crazy Egg – Visualize Where Your Visitors Click
UserTesting – Customer Experience & UX Research Platform
What Users Do – Usability and User Testing
Slides

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If you want an inside look at Amazon you’d be hard pressed to find a better person to talk to than James Thomson co-founder of Buy Box Experts and the wildly popular Prosper Show.

In this episode we get into the details of what sellers on Amazon should be thinking and doing right now on a variety of important topics including:

• Sales Tax! This can be some scary stuff.  We talk about the Wayfair Supreme Court decision, the recent ruling in California and what it all means to you.  Not the sexiest of topics, but one that could kill your business if you’re not taking action now.
• Brand equity.  There’s never been a better time to build a brand on Amazon.  We’ll talk about what it means to build and try to hold on to brand equity on Amazon.
• 1p vs. 3p vs. Hybrid – what’s best and why.
• Most common mistakes sellers are making right now and how to avoid them
• How Amazon approaches their private label game and when are they coming for your category.
• Prosper Show 2019 details
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

“The Amazon Marketplace Dilemma” by James Thomson and Joseph Hansen
Prosper Show – Conference for Amazon Sellers
Buy Box Experts – Amazon Account Management and Branding Strategy Consulting

Connect with Guest:

Via email:
Via Linkedin/James Thomson:
Via Linkedin/Buy Box Experts:
Via Facebook:
Via Twitter:

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Interested in better email campaigns, more persuasive product detail pages and more irresistible videos?  Maybe you need to start incorporating a little humor.  

By now we’ve all seen a Harmon Brother’s video (Think Poo Pourri and Squatty Potty) and we’ve seen the magical effect those videos can have when launching a product….Or maybe you recall the simple, Dollar Shave Club video that launched an empire that Unilever bought for $1 Billion.  But…we’ve also seen some funny ads that did zero selling. Sometimes we can’t even remember what product the ad was for after we saw it, but it did make us laugh.

So what’s the difference? How can you use humor to actually sell?

A few months ago I was speaking at a Blue Ribbon Mastermind event run by Ezra Firestone and I heard another speaker and immediately fell in love with her topic – using humor to sell more.

Lianna Patch is the Founder of Punchline Copy.  She has a wealth of experience as a standup comedian, and improv actor, and a copywriter for eCommerce brands.  In this episode we dive into the following:

• How to blend humor with persuasion for better conversion rates
• Where you should use humor first
• What ecommerce companies properly use humor
• How a jewelry store leverage humor for double digit improvements in conversion rates
• How to use humor in emails even if (or especially if) your product category is “boring” or even “B2B”.
• What eCommerce companies get humor right.
• Plus more

Check it out!

Mentioned in This Episode:

2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer

How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer

Harmon Brothers – The Marketers Behind Squatty Potty, Poo~Pourri, and More

How Saving Money with Jet.com Works from Kumail Nanjiani! – YouTube

Connect with Guest:

Lianna Patch – Owner & Conversion Copywriter at Punchline Conversion Copywriting
via Linkedin:
via Facebook:
via Twitter:

Punchline Conversion Copywriting
via Facebook:
via Instagram:

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Recently I had a chance to catch up with my friend and fellow entrepreneur, Dave Woodward.  Dave is the Chief Business Development Officer at ClickFunnels. He’s a motivator, a marketing mastermind, and an all around awesome guy.

I first met Dave in 2009 or so when my business partner, Chris Brewer, and I were partnering with Russell Brunson (Co-Found of ClickFunnels) on a project.

It’s been amazing watching click funnel scale from just an idea to a $200million + per year software as a service (SaaS) company in just a few years.  

So how do you achieve that kind of growth?  That’s what I wanted to hear from Dave. Here’s a look at what we covered.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!

• Philosophy and mindset that allow for meteoric growth
• How the founders of Click Funnels got the team side of things right in order to scale
• How ClickFunnels acquired customers at a profit or breakeven when approximately zero SaaS companies have achieved that mark
• Marketing channels that are the most important to the growth of ClickFunnels
• What makes for a great eCommerce funnel
• What’s next for ClickFunnels
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
Click Funnels – Marketing Made Easy
Funnel Hacker Radio
Russell Brunson

Connect with Guest:
via Email
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram

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If you’re like me then you’re not overly familiar with affiliate marketing.  It is a bit of a mystery for a lot of us marketers and ecomm entrepreneurs.

However it does have some huge positives:

Scalable: Once you attract the right affiliates and have the right offer, you can go from 0 to thousands of orders in no time.  

Predictable – As you know, I’m a PPC guy.  I’ll always love PPC, but there are variables there.  With Affiliate marketing you pay the same cost per acquisition every time giving you some predictability.  

My guest on this episode is Nate Lind.  Nate is an eCommerce entrepreneur, a marketer and the founder of the Online Seller’s Summit.  He’s also a guy who knows a thing or two about affiliate marketing. Nate’s best single day using affiliate marketing was $4.6 million in sales.  He now has a student doing up to $1million in sales per day from affiliate marketing. Not only has Nate built multiple businesses off the profits from affiliate marketing, he also built a tool to better manage affiliate marketing called Offer Profit.  This tool was so successful – he sold to Limelight.

On the podcast we discuss what it takes to succeed with affiliate marketing:

• Keys to a good offer
• Making the math work – how to structure your affiliate offers to both motivate affiliates and maximize your growth.
• Customer lifetime value and Nate’s favorite marketing mantra
• The best businesses for affiliate marketing
• How Nate lives a 4 hour workweek
• Why getting punched in the mouth is OK
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
Medium Article

Russell Brunson – Owner at ClickFunnels

Cutco Cutlery & Kitchen Knives – Vector Marketing

Affiliate Summit

Affiliate World Conferences

Prosper Show – Conference for Amazon Sellers

CapCon 2019 – Capitalism Conference

Dan Kennedy

Michael Masterson – The Pen Name that Started It All – American Writers & Artists Institute

David Ogilvy – Wikipedia

“Ogilvy on Advertising” by David Ogilvy – Amazon

Jay Abraham

LimeLight – Powering Subscription Businesses

Shopify

The Blog of Author Tim Farriss – Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Workweek

2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer

How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer

Connect with Guest

Nate Lind – Founder and CEO of ADSUM (Online Retail Trade Show for $1m – $100m Companies)

via LinkedIn

via Facebook

via Instagram

ADSUM – Online Sellers Summit

via Facebook  

via Instagram

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The Cyber Five (Thanksgiving – Cyber Monday) this year broke all kinds of records and was an interesting departure from years past in several ways.  In this episode I welcome back to the podcast my business partner, Chris Brewer. We look at this holiday shopping season from a few different perspectives.  We talk in general terms about how our clients who are mostly in the $5 to $50 Million per year in sales did during the Cyber 5 and after. We also looked at trends and data from the largest ecomm companies.  

By the numbers….a Look at the Industry as a Whole.  

Here are just a few of the highlights we look at in this episode.

• Thanksgiving weekend was up 23% – total spend was $24.2 billion.  Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday.
• Mobile spend was $10 billion of that (approaching half) and that’s up 44% from last year.  So doubling the growth rate of the holiday trend as a whole.
• Main Drivers of online sales
• Email at 26% – up 2% YoY
• Paid Search at 22% – up 6% YoY
• Social – minimal impact 1.3% of sales….(remember this stat is from the big guys, not mid-sized companies).

Surprises from our clients:

• Black Friday was our clients biggest day by a long shot with Cyber Monday finishing 2nd.
• Social continues to be a big investment for our clients but getting the same results as last year has been difficult mainly due to rising ad costs.
• YouTube big as well – one of the top 3 channels for several of our clients.

Winning Formula:

We talk about what our most successful clients did well so you can properly plan for next year.  We look at several winning tactics including:

• Email – build, cultivate and prime your email list for Cyber 5.  Multiple email reminders – often 3 per day.
• Start early – Wednesday even.  We found our most successful clients started sales or at least started promoting sales early. Consumers have finite dollars to spend, get their attention early and you’ll have a better chance to grab your share of wallet.
• Build your retargeting audiences early – our clients who had the most success had large lists of people who’ve visited their site in the past or viewed a YouTube video who we could then retarget.  

Mentioned in this Episode:

Wendell August Forge
Askinosie Chocolate
Holiday E-Commerce 2018 Data Analysis in 10 Charts
Dynamic Checkout Buttons
Ezra Firestone Official – Smart Marketer
2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer
How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer

Connect with Guest:

Chris Brewer – Digital & eCommerce Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of OMG Commerce

via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram

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Matt Ward built an Amazon business from nothing with a goal of selling it for $1million in 12 months.  His goal once the sale was final was to work on stuff that mattered more to him….He reached his goal of selling his company and now he’s running a podcast and writing books on some pretty interesting topics.  He’s had the privilege of interviewing some pretty stellar people including one of my marketing heroes – Seth Godin.

Matt is a fascinating person and extremely bright.  

In this episode we get into some pretty interesting territory, including:

• How Matt scaled so quickly,
• What AMZ sellers should consider now and what the future holds

• What’s next for Amazon
• What’s Amazon’s goal with Echo devices and owned brands (like Amazon Basics) and who will continue to win as Amazon’s domination grows.  
• Voice Search and Smart home – and what it means for Amazon and Google and YOU.
• Facebook Portal and our predictions on it.
• Why 10x results doesn’t require 10x effort
• Plus, more…

Mentioned in this Episode

Prosper Show – Conference for Amazon Sellers
Google Home – Smart Speaker & Home Assistant – Google Store
Google Express – Shopping Done Fast
Shopping Actions – Google
Portal From Facebook – Voice Enabled Hands-Free Video Calling
“Gods of the Valley” by Matt Ward for FREE – Disruptors.fm
The Disruptors Podcast

Connect with Guest:
Matt Ward
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via Twitter

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Tom Wang is a true Amazon success story. He builds a very successful brand on Amazon after a pretty big crash and burn experience. Literally a “burn” experience as his first venture was in hoverboards.

In this episode we breakdown Tom’s success and talk about what is relevant for growth on Amazon in 2019.  We tackle Tom’s advice for some pretty critical Amazon tasks.

• How to get reviews now and not violate Amazon’s terms of service.
• How to diversify traffic and boost organic rankings
• Product line extension and how to launch your next product on Amazon
• How to successfully use Amazon Giveaways and lightning deals
• Plus more!

Don’t miss it!  

Mentioned in this Episode:

The EcomHub Podcast by Tom Wang & David Zaleski – iTunes
EcomHub
Jared Mitchell
Skincare by Alana
Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman – Airbnb’s Brian Chesky
Amazon Giveaway – Amazon.com
About Lightning Deals – Amazon.com Help
Amazon Pay Per Click (PPC) Campaigns – Best Practices – Jungle Scout
What is an Amazon Super URL, and Do They Work? – LandingCube
Gary Vaynerchuk
2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer

Connect with Guest:
via EcomHub:
via Linkedin:
via Facebook:
via Instagram:
via YouTube:

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Ross Beyeler knows a thing or two about ecommerce sites that convert.  He’s built a few sites that I really love. Charlie Hustle (mostly because I’m a huge Chiefs Fan and KU Jayhawks fan), Bottle Keeper,  Johnny Cupcakes, Assoline and more.    

We get into several key design, UX and conversion rate optimization topics and examples including:

• Home page optimization and how the approach shifts if you have a large vs. small SKU count
• Storytelling in ecommerce and why successful ecommerce brands are great storytellers
• Product Detail Page (PDP) “must haves” for a better experience and better conversions
• Creating better collection and improved navigation
• 4 conversion killers to avoid like the plague
• Site search and recommendations for doing this better especially for larger SKU counts
• How to mine site search data for improvements
• Plus more!

Mentioned in This Episode:
Growth Spark
BottleKeeper – Colder Beer is Better. It’s Science.
Charlie Hustle – Vintage T-Shirts Made Fresh
Johnny Cupcakes – World’s First T-Shirt Bakery
Huckberry – Gear for Today. Inspiration for Tomorrow.
Xero Shoes – Best Barefoot Shoes and Sandals for Running
Assouline – Books & Gifts

Connect with Guest:
via Linkedin
via Twitter
via Facebook

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There probably isn’t a more consistent rule in business or in life like the 80/20 rule.  Usually, 80% or more of your results and success comes from just 20% of your efforts. I’m all about finding the 20% of activities, changes, etc. to focus on to deliver the biggest impact.  

In this episode I bring back my business partner Chris Brewer to outline the 7 key areas you should focus on to grow your business both on Google and on Amazon this year.   These are 7 factors that should provide a big return for you.

We’ll cover a variety of topics including:

• How and why you should invest in YouTube ads
• What to expect and what to consider with Google’s automation and smart bidding options
• How the SEO practices that everyone has forgotten may be a secret weapon for you.
• How Amazon is pouring more money and time into their ad platforms and what that means for growing your business.  
• Plus more!

Mentioned in this Episode:
About Smart Shopping Campaigns – Google Ads Help – Google Support
About Smart Bidding – Google Ads Help – Google Support
About Dynamic Remarketing – Analytics Help – Google Support
About Smart Display Campaigns – Google Ads Help – Google Support
About Responsive Search Ads (Beta) – Google Ads Help – Google Support

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

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Video ads on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram continue to rank among the best performing ads right now for ecommerce companies.  The difference between a great video and an OK video is HUGE. To really scale on any of those platforms though, you have to know how to craft a video that converts.  

Enter Andrew Eckblad.

Andrew Eckblad was killing it with online video before it was the cool thing to do.   Andrew has spent the last 10 years serving as Frank Kern’s video guy. He’s also the Manager of Video Marketing and Production for Kartra.  And he’s the founder of ConvertViews.com a collective of direct response video editors. His videos have directly grossed over $100 million in product sales.

Here’s a glimpse of what Andrew and I cover in this interview:

• Andrew’s simple but profound 2 keys to a video that sells
• Nuances to consider for videos that work on Facebook vs. Videos that work on YouTube
• How to apply the “do I care” test to your videos.
• The importance of pacing, transitions, and on-screen text
• Using the principles of a good headline to craft the perfect video opener
• How to use pattern interrupts
• How Andrew got the job working for Frank Kern
• The difference between videos for gurus vs. videos that sell ecommerce products.
• How to get people to take action
• Plus much more!

This is one of my favorite interviews of late.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did….then go out and create some killer videos!

Brett

Mentioned in this Episode:
2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer
How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer
Convert Views – Expert online direct-response video marketing for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, landing pages, VSLs, and more.
Frank Kern
BOOM by Cindy Joseph

Connect with Guest:
Andrew Eckblad
via Linkedin
via Facebook
via IMDb

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My guest on this show is a legend in the eCommerce space.  He’s the founder of the Shopify Agency, Ethercycle. He’s the host of the wildly popular Unofficial Shopify Podcast.  And, he’s just an overall really smart dude.

When most ecommerce companies consider conversion rate optimization they usually immediately think of split testing, multivariate testing, cart optimization, etc.  BUT, most merchants fail to ask a very important question – “where should I start with my conversion optimization efforts?” And, according to our guest today, the answer to that question is rarely – if ever – split testing.

I knew the general direction of this interview before we started to record, but I didn’t know specifics.  I was blown away by the simplicity, but also the power of Kurt’s suggestions. EVERY store owner would benefit from going through the exercises discussed in this episode.  Here’s a quick glimpse at what we covered:

• The power of surveys for your best customers and how a recent survey totally transformed a brick oven seller.
• How to ask questions of your best customers including Kurt’s 3 favorite questions to ask.
• What information to glean from people who visit your site and don’t convert.
• How to harness the power of heat maps and scroll maps.
• The little known “coffee shop gift card” test for watching how users interact with your site.  
• Some of Kurt’s favorite tools for testing
• Tips for split testing if you chose to go that route.  
• Plus much more

Mentioned in Episode:
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast
Ethercycle
ShopSync
Ecommerce Bootcamp
Wufoo
SurveyMonkey
Hotjar- Heatmaps
Google Optimize

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

Steve Chou is an eCommerce podcast host, eCommerce store owner, and former microprocessor designer.  In fact, the microprocessor running the phone in your hand was likely designed by Steve’s team. All of that to say, Steve is a pretty smart dude.

I recently saw Steve in San Diego at Social Media Marketing World where we were both speaking.  We had lunch and talked a little about Chatbots. I was instantly intrigued. Chatbots and Messenger ads have huge potential to create more helpful, more personal experiences with your brand.  All with the goal of increasing sales and building loyalty.

Here’s a quick look at what Steve and I discuss…

• The rules behind using Messenger as a business.  Facebook is very strict here. If you don’t know the rules, you’ll likely get yourself into trouble.
• How often should you send promotional messages on Messenger?
• When to run true Messenger Ads vs. when you can run other ad types on Facebook but tie in Messenger in a stealthy way (this will save you some money on ads).
• How Steve is using Messenger bots to cut down on customer service calls by 70%.
• How Steve sees using chatbots in the future.
• Steve’s favorite tools for chatbots.  
• Plus more!

Connect with Guest:
Steve Chou
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Podcast/My Wife Quit Her Job

Mentioned in This Episode:
Bumblebee Linens – Wedding Handkerchiefs, Linen Napkins & Towels
via Blog
via Facebook
via Instagram
via Pinterest

How to Create a Profitable Online Store and Sell Online – A Course On eCommerce
2019 Sellers Summit – The Ultimate eCommerce Learning Conference
ManyChat – The Easiest Way to Create Facebook Messenger Bot
Social Media Marketing World – Social Media’s Mega Conference
ShopMessage
ShopMessage Facebook Messenger – eCommerce Plugins for Online Stores – Shopify App Store

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My guest today is John Li, co-founder of Pickfu.  John is a really sharp dude, with a very unique service.  A service that started as a side project and became a standalone business sort of on accident…more on that in the episode.

Pickfu is a consumer feedback tool that allows you to get real customer feedback in minutes.  This has driven insights into product page enhancements, better product imagery, better ads, better Amazon listings and more.  

In this episode, we dive into some of the top learnings John and his team have gained from the myriad of tests run on their platform.  Some are quite surprising. I’m confident that you’ll take away a few things you need to test or change to improve your sales on and off Amazon.  Here’s a highlight of what we cover:

• Surprising learnings from testing images and how your biases might be hurting your results on and off Amazon.
• 3 keys to better descriptions on your Amazon listings that consistently outperform the norm.
• How to find out what features and benefits a customer is really buying when they buy your product so you can highlight those features and benefits in your ads.  
• How there are probably some things that you think are “good enough” that are probably costing you sales.  

• How to properly run a test and how to ask consumers good questions.  If you ask bad questions, you’ll get bad feedback…the kind that’s unhelpful and not actionable.

• Plus more!
• If you are interested in Checking out PickFu Click Here

Mentioned in Episode:
PickFu Which One Won
Made to Stick” Book by Chip & Dan Heath – Amazon
How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer
2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer
BOOM by Cindy Joseph
Steve Chou (“My Wife Quit Her Job”) – Co-Founder of Bumblebee Linens, host of the My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast, and host of Sellers Summit

Connect with Guest:
Via Linkedin
Via Twitter
PickFu – Split Testing, Optimization and Market Feedback Platform
Via Linkedin
Via Facebook
Via Instagram

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I just got back from a trip to the Amazon HQ in Seattle. Chris Tyler, our Director of Amazon Services, and I were there visiting with our Amazon DSP reps (more on DSP in a minute).  We recently found out we were the fastest growing agency in 2018 in terms of DSP spend. We got to preview new audience targeting options, discuss new ad options coming soon to the Amazon ecosystem and more…Blow your mind kinda awesome stuff.

If you’re not familiar with it, Amazon DSP (stands for Demand Side Platform) is a way to run display ads on and off Amazon targeting Amazon shoppers.  With DSP you can run retargeting ads targeting people who’ve visited your product listings on Amazon but didn’t purchase. You can also target people who’ve visited your competitors’ products on Amazon but haven’t purchased.  And there are a TON more audience targeting options to consider. Here’s a quick look at what we cover on the episode:

• Highlights from our Amazon trip including dogs, domes, and, of course, great coffee!
• What about Amazon DSP makes it “blow your mind awesome?”
• What are the top audiences to target with DSP and where should you start?
• What kind of return can you expect from DSP?
• How to use DSP to build loyalty with Recapture, Reorder and/or Cross-sell/Up-sell campaigns.
• How does Amazon DSP compliment Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands – the core of Amazon advertising?
• Plus more!

Connect with Guest
via Linkedin
via Facebook
OMG Commerce

Mentioned in this Episode
Business Insider – Amazon is taking over Seattle
Anchorhead Coffee
Starbucks opens its first Reserve store in Seattle – Business – CNN.com
Amazon DSP – Amazon Advertising
Amazon Marketing Services, or AMS – Amazon Advertising
Sponsored Products – Services – Amazon.com
Amazon Reporting: Halo Products – Rise Interactive
Amazon Seller Central

2-Minute Crash Course on YouTube & TrueView Ads, with Brett Curry – Smart Marketer
How to Use YouTube to Scale eCommerce Ads – Smart Marketer

Ro Bhatia has some serious eCommerce chops.  He started his career at Google, then spent 5 years at Yahoo, then worked for eBay with merchants, then ran the dot com division for Home Depot.  Now he’s the Chief Product and Strategy officer at Limelight eCommerce.

In this episode we dig into growth tactics that you probably either haven’t thought of or aren’t leveraging properly.  Ro has a wealth of experience and he dishes it out in this episode. Here’s a quick look at what we cover:

• If you’re using chat on your site, you’re probably making one fatal flaw.  Here’s how to fix it quickly, plus Ro’s favorite chat tool.
• Cross-sells and upsets make up 30% of eCommerce sales! We talk about Ro’s favorite ways to boost cross-sells, upsells and downsells.
• In the new relationship economy cost of acquisition is high, and bumping AOV is critical.  If you don’t have a high enough AOV your marketing options will be limited.
• How to properly use data to create buckets of users to show them the right message at the right time (plus an embarrassing eBay story).
• How to delight your customers like Netflix does…(and how “stale” is a kiss of death)
• How to build loyalty and beat friendly churn.
• The best remarketing cohorts to build and how to communicate with them differently.  
• How to put all of this together to create a compounding growth effect!

Connect With Guest:
Via email
Via LinkedIn
Via Twitter

Mentioned in this episode:
LimeLight
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
LiveChat – Live Chat Software and Help Desk Software
Drift – Conversational Marketing Platform
Intercom – Customer Messaging Platform
MailChimp
Zapier – The Easiest Way to Automate Your Work
Twilio – Communication APIs for SMS, Voice, Video, and Authentication
Casper – The Best Bed for Better Sleep

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My buddy, Johnny Pinto, has a unique product, a unique story, and a unique approach to eCommerce growth.  He’s the CEO and Co-Founder of Boom.Boom. Boom.Boom produces an essential oil based inhaler that refreshes and energizes you.  These types of inhalers are super popular in South East Asia, and Boom.Boom is determined to make them popular in the US too. The story of Boom.Boom is chock full of fantastic marketing and entrepreneurial lessons.

John got his start in business working for an LA start-up that would later become SnackNation which is now a 200 person thriving company.  When John joined he was one of 3 employees. That’s also where he met our mutual friend and host of the eCommerce Influence podcast – Austin Brawner.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and I’m confident you will too.  Here’s a look at what we cover:

• How John has masterfully used bootstrap marketing and “sampling” to propel his company’s growth – you should too!  
• How John and his wife Chelsea got on Shark Tank.
• What he learned from being in the tank and why they ultimately walked away from a deal.
• How they went viral on Twitter AND ended up on Ellen.  
• How he’s perfected the art of boot-strap marketing.  Most eCommerce companies overlook this to their detriment.  
• Their philosophy for building long-form PDP pages that convert!
• What’s next for BoomBoom!

Connect With Guest:
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
Via Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:
Boom.Boom
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
Via Twitter
Via Instagram
Shark Tank
Boom.Boom on Shark Tank
Building a Story Brand
“Blue Like Jazz” by Donald Miller

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Austin Brawner is a legend in the eCommerce space, namely because his podcast – Ecommerce Influence – is one of the most popular in the industry.  Austin has worked with, and is friends with, many of the top DTC brands in eCommerce – MVTM Watches, Pura Vida Bracelets, Blenders Eyewear, Four Sigmatic and many others.  In fact, we reminisce on the podcast about a dinner we both attended in San Diego with the founders of those companies all together in a room hanging out and swapping stories.

What separates eCommerce brands that scale vs. those that stall and plateau? What separates the Bonobos and Away Luggage companies of the world from an eCommerce company that hits a ceiling at 5 or 10 million per year in sales?  Austin has a unique perspective on this topic, having walked alongside dozens of the biggest eCommerce brands of our generation.

In this episode Austin and I break down the following:

• What you need to know about AOV and LTV and how it directly impacts your ability to scale.
• How product market fit impacts scale potential – and why combining a hungry market with a product people want to identify with is so important.  
• Demand Generation vs. Demand Capture…which is better and which lends itself to scale.
• The road map to building a team and scaling your business
• Why a CEO’s role is mainly about people and product and what that means.
• How and when to hire an agency.
• Why it’s hard to scale single SKU businesses and why line extension is imperative.

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Connect With Guest:
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
Via Twitter
Via Instagram

Mentioned in this episode:
Brand Growth Experts
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
Coalition
The eCommerce Influence Podcast
MVMT
Away
Roman
Hims
2PM
Shark Tank
Tecovas

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The first glowing testimonial I heard about Joana Galvao was from Ezra Firestone. Next was my buddy, Jared Mitchell, of Skincare by Alana. Joana was described as a designer who “Gets it” – who understands how design impacts online experience and sales.

She recently spoke at Traffic & Conversion Summit in San Diego and I heard she brought down the house. So I wanted her to come on the podcast and talk about how design and visuals impact shopping behavior. Here’s a look at what we cover:

• The branding triad and where most businesses fall short.
• How color can influence experience and results…and a truly mind-blowing laundry detergent user experience that illustrates this beautifully.
• How we’re wired to make assumptions at the subconscious level about whether something is expensive or cheap, quality or shoddy…all within seconds. You need to incorporate this for your products!
• How your product packaging should engage all of the senses.
• How to make your copy more visually appealing.
• Joana’s 5-Step Process that every brand should go through for better performance.
• Plus more!

Connect With Guest:
Via Website
Via LinkedIn
Via Facebook
Via Twitter
Via Instagram
Via Pinterest

Mentioned in this episode:
GiF Design Studios
via LinkedIn
via Facebook
via Twitter
via Instagram
Traffic & Conversion Summit
BOOM by Cindy Joseph
Skincare by Alana
Lewis Howes
Marie Forleo
Learn More About Marie Forleo’s B-School
Selena Soo
Brian Smith
Visit Starbucks Reserve
Creative Market
PickFu
Original Grain

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