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You got into business for yourself to gain freedom and enjoy life. But then you get busy… and it never ends.    It is possible to travel or do whatever else brings you joy, while still running a profitable ecommerce business, says Bas Urlings. In today’s connected world it’s easier than ever.    Bas has a virtual team. But to truly achieve the financial and time freedom you want, that’s just the start of the changes you have to make to your business model and mindset.   We get into all the details, including…   The best research tools to figure out what products to sell online Practical ways to mix travel with running your ecommerce site The most overlooked and undervalued element of ecommerce Dos and don’ts of working with a business partner The importance of sticking to your core values

Sometimes, life takes you on a journey and you end up where you need to be. This is exactly what happened with today’s guest, David Hoffman— who started off in retail, selling consumer electronics and is now the current CEO of Global Regency, an international trade powerhouse. In 2016, David found himself thinking when he saw an opportunity to assist small-medium sized enterprises, startups, and entrepreneurs who were struggling with quality management issues and sourcing from China. It was at this point that he launched Global TQM, under the Global Regency umbrella— offering educational and mentoring products and a done-for-you service that business owners can’t seem to get enough of.  “There’s just so many things that can go wrong,” says David, as he talks about why having an on-the-ground presence is essential to your success while doing business in China. We’ll go into more detail on that, as well as… The two critical barriers when you’re looking for Chinese manufacturers or suppliers Unspoken rules to follow when you do business in China Keys to success when dealing with suppliers The pros and cons of moving your manufacturing to China How clear and concise communication and instruction can save you a lot of heartache in your manufacturing

Sometimes a business is more than just a business… even more than simply something you’re passionate about.   Leon Lewis, eCommerce and digital marketing lead, and the other folks at REBBL which creates herb-infused beverages, consider themselves to be on a cause to bring awareness about human trafficking and uplift at-risk communities around the world.   Their mission extends to sustainable packaging and more. But they’re also cutting-edge when it comes to digital marketing strategy to build the ecommerce side of the business.    It can be a challenge, says Leon, to communicate their mission while marketing their product. But it’s essential. One way they do that says Leon: Keep the customer in mind at all times.   We get into that in detail, as well as…   The importance of product pages – what to include, what to leave out Why Amazon isn’t a great platform for their product – and what they’re doing about it How they’ve leveraged the subscription model The importance of maintaining a consumer perspective And more

Marketing on Facebook can be a gamechanger for eCommerce companies. But, says eCommerce consultant and blogger Linda Bustos, it can also be a waste of time and money if not done correctly.    We talk about how you can leverage all the capabilities Facebook offers to laser target your ideal customers, and why you do have to spend a bit to actually see results. But social marketing strategy is just the start.    Linda also shares her thoughts on the best way to protect your business from copycats, other ways to stay ahead of the competition, and…   How you could be making it hard for your customers to find the right product Dealing with the coming wave of AI in marketing The biggest challenges – and misconceptions – in digital marketing today What you should be spending to acquire new customers And more

Ian Hammersley, of consultancy Smartebusiness, has never met you but if your eCommerce business has plateaued or is not scaling up as you expected… he already has some ideas on why.   He and his colleagues have come up with a formula, using a group of key numbers from your business, that can pinpoint where to make changes to take your venture to the next level.    Does your business measure up? Ian walks us through the benchmarks you should look at… and where they should be for a business of your size. Often, he says, working on the low hanging fruit first can yield huge improvements.   He says that conversion rate optimization is often the last thing to look at in this effort. We talk about that, as well as…   The power of the Market Square Test How to figure out where exactly you’re losing customers Why most companies can ignore today’s eCommerce industry trends The most important metrics too many eCommerce entrepreneurs ignore And more

When you’re starting to sell products online, you might wonder whether you should you sell on your own ecommerce or stick with more established “brand name” retail platforms that have a wide reach.   Ecommerce veteran Luke Peters says the big marketplaces are the way to go for several reasons. But he often recommends that his clients avoid the biggest one – Amazon – and goes into detail why it’s not a great fit for many startups.   We talk about how to make sure your product listings get ranked highly on these platforms, including strategies like influencer marketing – but not like you think.   We unpack all that in our talk, as well as… Why he likes products that are “difficult” to sell  The top ecommerce sites that will probably surprise you 5+ ways to boost sales velocity Strategies for getting your products to page 1 on ecommerce sites The implementation of the still-underutilized method of Youtube influencer marketing

There are pure ecommerce companies, and then there are traditional retailers that moved online while still maintaining an offline presence.    To be successful, these two groups should approach the business with very different strategies, says Tom De Bondt, director of IT and digital at Overstock Home and X2O in Belgium.    For example, bricks and mortar brands should consider their ecommerce presence as a “showroom” for their products. It might seem counterintuitive, but in Tom’s research he’s found that with these brands more people browse online… then buy in the store.   Tom goes over some other unexpected truths many ecommerce companies don’t know about which may bestalling their growth, as well as…   Where to focus your marketing if you sell expensive products A post-sale activity that is extremely important to your success The two key factors of thriving “pure” ecommerce retailers The unexpected findings that come with testing (if you do it right) – and why you should never stop The importance that encouraging and learning from failures has to personal and professional growth

Adam Lean helps small businesses, especially eCommerce companies, sort out their financials, i.e. “their books,” to figure out what changes they can make to maximize their profits. Turns out a lot of entrepreneurs are leaving plenty of money on the table without realizing it. Or, they’re wondering where all the money goes at the end of each month, even though their sales are great.   The key, says Adam, is to identify the metrics driving your business, figure out what they’re telling you about the health of your business, and then make appropriate changes. It’s all about being a good business owner, not just being good at you do.   Tune in to find out… Two things you can do this month to improve cash flow – and why you must The main reasons small businesses fail– including the one you might not expect Why more traffic and more sales can’t save an eCommerce business  What an accountant or bookkeeper can and can’t do for you (most owners get this wrong) And more

Jason Goldberg has quite a resume: a member of the National Retail Federation’s digital advisory board, Guest lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, chief eCommerce strategy officer at Publicis Group, a marketing agency holding company with hundreds of agencies, and much more.   But his roots are in eCommerce. In fact, he was one of the pioneers in this industry and continues to innovate top strategies used by online retailers and marketers today.    As a thought leader, he keeps an eye on all things digital marketing, media, and more.    He says a lot has changed over the years in eCommerce… but a lot has stayed the same too… as far as what attracts customers and what makes them buy, as well as how to make sure your online business scales up and increases profits in a sustainable way.   We talk about that, as well as…   The biggest challenge to eCommerce conversions today – and how to overcome them What the “mobile gap” is and a strategy to bridge it How the fields in your checkout process could be sabotaging conversions  The first two ways to improve your site to boost conversions And more

Matthias Laqueur, business strategist with BossData, says many retailers who sell offline and online make a huge mistake when measuring the success of their digital efforts.    This is one of the most impactful ways this digital marketing agency is able to help clients get a better handle on key business indicators to figure out which levers to pull to get better results, using technology to find the right tools for the job.    The goal: aligning digital marketing strategy with business and revenue targets in a constantly changing landscape where what worked yesterday might not work today.   They’re not afraid to move out of the digital marketing realm either in order to make successful campaigns for their clients. And within the company they’re not afraid to give every team member a say in important business decisions.   We unpack all that and also talk about…   The myth of the entrepreneurial mindset How omnichannel marketing stacks up against ROPO – and vice-versa Why they don’t sell “hours” to their clients Ways retailers measure online revenue incorrectly  And more

As an eCommerce company selling products across multiple online channels (for example, Amazon, your own site, eBay, etc.) with a single SKU there are several challenges, says Michael Anderson, CEO of Etail Solutions.   You have to track inventory, account for different methods of fulfillment, maintain an effective supply chain, control the price, and have the correct content when each eCommerce platform has different rules and requirements.   It’s a very complex issue, especially for high volume sellers, and a person can’t make those decisions at the speed and volume required. Automation, says Michael, is the key. We get into all the details behind that, as well as…   The power of “distributed order management” Creating a single source of truth – and why it’s vital  The most critical element in maintaining brand integrity The biggest obstacles to scalability and automation – and how to overcome them And more

As Editor-in-Chief at SaleCycle, Graham Charlton is part of the team that uses customer behavior and data on customers to help ecommerce sites to convert, retain or increase conversion rates.   Graham says there is one part of the sales process in particular that poses the biggest challenge – and the biggest opportunity to increase conversion rates for their clients. Some of what he recommends is quite outside the box.   We go into detail on that challenge and the strategies they use to turn it into more revenue, as well as…   The right format for follow up emails to send to prospects How they convert interested customers who didn’t buy the first time A surprising way GDPR fits in with their marketing strategies The role of mobile marketing in boosting conversion rate  Best practices for cross-sell and upsell emailing

Rachel Johnson Greer, the founder of Cascadia Seller Solutions, is the perfect guide. She has helped more than 700 Amazon sellers boost their visibility and get more income. She is an Amazon seller herself – she even worked at Amazon for 12 years.   She talks about strategies you must adopt to draw people to your product lists… and make the sale. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, says Rachel, that are sabotaging businesses – and the owners have no idea.    Another issue with many Amazon sellers is that they forget the fundamentals… and waste the time of marketing as a result. We dig deep into that, and also talk about…   The three most important metrics to watch with your Amazon business Unexpected keyword tips that get you ranked highly – and it’s affordable How to make sure you attract only the “right” customers The habits she learned at Amazon – beyond the technical stuff – that she still uses today And more

When you do business online, your most valuable commodity is… data. But all the data in the world doesn’t mean anything unless you know how to analyze and use it to boost your profits. And, of course, you need to know what data is important in the first place – and how to collect it.   With his track record of bringing in $34 million in additional sales for his clients, Pawel Ogonowski is a man to listen to on this subject. He focuses on using data to improve the user experience – making it easy for customers to buy.   He walks us through the conversion rate optimization strategies he uses, as well as…   What you can learn from how their interactions with clients differ from traditional agencies (and get better results) An easy way to determine your true value proposition Identifying the “bottlenecks” stopping your prospects from buying An unlikely source for some of the most valuable intelligence about your products And more valuable tips and methods on how to gather pertinent data and implement it to enhance  your business’ conversions and revenue

Too many companies are focused on the “latest and greatest” Google Ad strategies… while forgetting about the basic tactics that will have a much bigger impact on their ROI. By doing so, Alex Fredheim, founder of Ascendancy Digital, was able to double the revenue one client got from their Google Ads campaign during their peak selling season.   It’s not surprising. Ecommerce business owners might be good at what they do… but they’re not experts in niche techniques like Google Ads, so they are unsure how to gauge their agency’s performance. It doesn’t have to be that way, says Alex, who shares how you can zero in on the quality providers in a sea of bad ones.   We also talk about…   Keyword strategies that focus on revenue… not traffic The one question a digital marketing agency should answer to clients – or get fired The single biggest mistake ecommerce stores make with Google Ads Keyword categories to avoid with Google Ads (it’s not what you think) And more invaluable and up to date insights which will illuminate the path to profitable advertising for your ecommerce business

In the ecommerce world, email marketing remains one of the most powerful revenue drivers. But many online retailers are losing out because their email strategy isn’t as powerful as it should be in some of the most important elements of generating profits.   By focusing on email marketing strategy, Will Evans and his team at SellerFlows help clients increase lifetime value and average order value. When you get the same customers to buy again and again, you reduce your marketing costs and increase profits.   Will shares how he gets results for his clients through automation, as well as other techniques and tricks. If you have a Shopify store especially you’ll want to tune in to find out all about the email marketing tool that integrates perfectly with that platform.   We’ll also talk about…   The must-have email flow for any ecommerce business Why marketing automation isn’t “set it and forget it” The automated email series with a 15% to 20% conversion rate  How post-purchase emails can boost lifetime value Up-to-date methods and pro tips on how to create optimized email flows which boost conversions in today’s ecommerce environment

Many ecommerce entrepreneurs fall into a trap, says Bill D’Alessandro, CEO of Elements Brands. They think a high Google ranking is a good gauge for the health of the business. And that if a majority of their sales come through Amazon… that’s a good thing – a sale is a sale, right?   Instead Bill looks at five other metrics that show if your brand has staying power or not… and whether it makes an attractive acquisition target if you choose to sell your business in the future for a big payday. In this episode we discuss: The types of products that keep customers coming back Why he won’t sell food or fashion – and other product categories to avoid A simple calculation for determining the value of your business What you must do now to sell your business for maximum profit  How to use what Bill calls your “contribution margin” to pragmatically keep track of your revenue versus your profits and to keep your team involved, informed and motivated

Ciaran Vipond’s ecommerce shop sells a very specific type of item, within the already specific niche of jewelry. We already know that purchases like this are a need… not a want. So, the product – and all the marketing – must appeal to emotions. For Ciaran’s product it’s nostalgia, pride, and a sense of belonging.   By linking people to their past… their heritage… his company’s marketing helps people connect to their products in a very potent way. The result is a target audience that feels more like a community than just a customer base. We talk about exactly how they do that, as well as…   An email sequence that results in tremendous conversion rates The biggest mistake he made in hiring Why he’s concentrating on this marketing channel instead of Google or Facebook ads The types of emails that build long-term customer relationships And more invaluable tips regarding niche targeting to establish bonds with your customers that are sure to endure

In our Digital Age, it’s tempting to digitize your ecommerce business’ customer service department as well. Award-winning speaker and author Shep Hyken contends that, when you take away the “human touch,” you’ll find you’ve lost a key element that keeps prospects from turning into customers and customers from becoming repeat customers… not to mention turning into raving fans that tell the world about you and bring in more business.   But effective customer service is about much more than simply providing an 800 number or sending out surveys. The whole company has to be involved in enhancing the experience of buying and providing help if there are issues – not just a dedicated customer service department.   We unpack how to do just that, as well as explore…   Simple things you can do now to boost your customer service What you can learn from honest customer feedback Chatbot dos and don’ts  One of the biggest mistakes ecommerce companies make with their customers Invaluable tips on how to stay ahead of the competition and truly become awesome

Too many entrepreneurs want all the bells and whistles for their ecommerce site… and the hottest digital marketing strategies to bring in traffic. But, says Arnout Hellemans, they often don’t get the results they expect… because they forgot to perfect the basic foundation of their site and marketing first.   Arnout outlines what many businesses are doing that prevents them from ranking highly in the search results, and losing potential customers midway through the shopping experience. The focus of the conversation is SEO – myths and best practices.   Tune in to find out… A quick way to check if your SEO efforts are ineffective How to avoid crawled but not indexed blog content Why marketing A/B testing can negatively impact your SEO efforts – and how to avoid it The hidden danger of JavaScript Invaluable insights into optimizing your web page ranking and standing apart from the crowd