eCommerce Podcast

Did you know that the number one reason customers cancel subscriptions is because they get too much product?Tune in to this week's episode of the eCommerce Podcast where Matt is joined by Ben Fisher from Rodeo to talk about how to make your subscriptions model stand out from the rest and give your customers the best experience while retaining them for a long time. We delve deep into the main problems associated with standard subscription models and how brands can address these concerns and improve the overall subscription experience. You do not want to miss this episode!ABOUT BEN:Ben started his entrepreneurial journey as a kid in Maine and later worked at a tech startup during the first Dot Com boom. He co-founded CartHook - a checkout optimization platform for DTC ecommerce brands that has processed over $1 billion on behalf of merchants. He now runs Rodeo, a platform that offers personalization features to maximize customer retention and lifetime value for 8-figure DTC brands that utilize subscription-based models.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Ben discusses the importance of a good customer experience, specifically with subscriptions. He emphasizes that brands should consider the nuances and individual consumption patterns of their customers, and offers a solution called "on-demand" reminders that give consumers more control and eliminate the concern of getting too much or running out of a product. Convenience is key in consumer subscriptions and figuring out the most convenient method for each individual is important for maximizing customer lifetime value. Brands can offer questionnaires or check-ins to tailor the subscription to individual preferences rather than assuming everyone needs the same subscription model. Reminder emails or texts leading up to the desired replenishment period can also be helpful in simplifying the subscription process for customers.Ben discusses the different subscription options offered by the company, including a standard subscription, on-demand feature, and one-time purchase option. The on-demand feature allows for convenience and eliminates checkout friction while still allowing for upsells and cross sells. The segmenting of customers and addressing their reasons for canceling or skipping subscriptions also helps to retain customers and offer a better-suited program for their consumption style.If the customer wants to delay the next purchase, they can select the snooze feature which suggests pre-filled periods of three to five days, one week, and other options to remind users that they may be running out of the product soon and would they like to order some more? However, some users can explicitly choose a date and sometimes even up to three months in advance.Ben & Matt explore the perks of subscriptions and how to add value beyond just getting subscribers. They discuss the importance of thoughtfully designing membership programs, offering benefits like free shipping, members-only pricing, and individual subscriptions, and the risks of discounting subscriptions too much and attracting the wrong customers. The focus is on providing the best experience for each customer and creating a healthy, sustainable subscription model.Matt talks about a a subscription he signed up for which he had forgotten about and was charged $1000 without warning. Ben explains that if the company had been proactive with their onboarding process and personalized their messaging, they may have been able to retain him as a customer. A bad experience can leave a negative impression on a customer.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Do you want to build long-term customer loyalty and a sustainable business? Tune into today's episode of Push To Be More as our special guest, Monica Sharma-Patnekar reveals her top tips to help you do that. Learn how building customer relationships and consistently translating it into all aspects of the business can help your business stay ahead of the curve. ABOUT MONICA:Monica is an eCommerce brand mentor & consultant, a purpose-driven (digital) brand, marketing & strategy professional with 17 years of global experience building brands. She’s worked across diverse sectors and companies from Fortune500 to scale- & start-ups.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Monica emphasizes the importance of recognizing individual human beings behind the numbers in e-commerce, building long-term relationships with customers, and creating purpose-driven brands for sustainable and profitable businesses.Getting to know your customers through deep dive customer interviews is key to understanding their core needs, wants, and desires. This understanding leads to shifts in mindset and helps businesses add value and deliver what customers really want. Monica discusses the importance of having conversations with customers and understanding their desires, behaviors, and experiences to improve business outcomes. She also suggests recording the conversation to take notes and pick out snippets that can be used for marketing purposes.Businesses should make an effort to talk to their customers on a regular basis to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences. Monica recommends doing this on a monthly basis, involving different teams within the company to maintain consistency and stay ahead of the curve.While customer personas based on actual customer conversations and understanding are helpful, going into too much unnecessary detail should be avoided. Instead, focusing on the core desires of the customer and avoiding building in personal assumptions is key to developing effective customer personas.To find out the desires of customers, brands can ask for customer stories to get unique insights into what really matters to their customers and what emotional elements are involved in their decision-making process. This can help brands tailor their messages and products to better meet the needs of their customers.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Are you an entrepreneur looking to expand your business and find new suppliers? In this episode, Sebastian Herz from Zignify joins Matt to talk all things product sourcing. Tune in to discover how to source products for your website, common mistakes to avoid while sourcing products globally and save millions of dollars on your product purchasing cost. Whether you're just starting out in eCommerce or have a business already, you won't want to miss this episode of the eCommerce Podcast .ABOUT SEBASTIAN:Sebastian Herz is an eCommerce expert with a wealth of experience dating back to 2014. He has successfully launched two brands that are now available in popular retail outlets such as Kaufland, Globus, Rewe and Saturn, and has sold over 500,000 products across various platforms including Amazon, Shopify and Retail. Sebastian not only helps other sellers source high-quality products, but also guides them through the process of reaching wider audiences, including TV shopping and Big Box Retail.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Sebastian started his career in industrial automation and decided to start his own business after 12 years of working. He started sourcing his own products in China and eventually began helping other brands with their sourcing needs through word of mouth. Zignify Global Product Sourcing has now helped thousands of sellers get their brands ready for sale.If you are a new in ecommerce, before sourcing products for your online business, you need to decide whether you want to focus on making a profit or building a brand from the heart. You should also figure out where you want to source products from and decide whether you want to learn the process yourself or outsource it.Sebastian explains that the bigger the niche, the more competitors you will have, while digging deeper into a smaller niche can result in higher prices but require more certifications. Finding the right place to sell your product is key, just having a website is not enough, and knowing how to attract customers is crucial.For existing brands, Zignify helps find additional products that can be sourced, potentially from outside of China, to improve sales and reduce costs, particularly for top selling products, which can result in significant savings for a business. The focus is on quality while also increasing revenue and bottom line savings.When sourcing products globally, it's important to contact multiple producers, compare prices, and do quality control on your samples and mass production. It's also crucial to check the background of the suppliers to ensure they are legitimate producers and not trading companies, as well as speak the local language for effective communication.When sourcing products, common mistakes include not getting enough proposals, not checking quality control enough, and not having enough patience when sourcing outside of China where there is no Alibaba. It may take multiple attempts to contact potential suppliers, and smaller potential customers may be overlooked by suppliers who prioritize larger customers.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Are you a content creator or a business owner looking for ways to connect with your audience? John Roman from BattlBox joins Matt in this episode of the eCommerce Podcast to share valuable insights from the tremendous success of his own business and on creating & testing content that resonates with your audience that you won't want to miss. Tune in now to discover the power of content in building strong, engaged communities.ABOUT JOHN:Meet John Roman - the CEO and Co-Founder of the electrifying BattlBox Group, home to three explosive brands: BattlBox, Carnivore Club, and Wanlow. With a whopping $30M eCommerce subscription portfolio, this group is all about building strong content and community - so much so that they've even landed their own Netflix show! The excitement doesn't end there, as The BattlBox Group was recently acquired in October 2021.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:John discusses his involvement in the creation and development of BattlBox, a subscription box service for outdoor and survival gear. He initially became involved as an investor with the intention of providing business advice, but his involvement quickly grew until he eventually joined the company full-time.BattlBox initially used YouTube influencers to build their brand on the platform, but later discovered a paying customer with a successful YouTube channel who became their full-time content creator and helped them build a community of like-minded individuals who loved their product.The Battlbox YouTube channel and subscription box business focuses on creating content that connects with consumers by educating and entertaining them about the outdoor adventure lifestyle, fostering a community through a Facebook group exclusive to active subscribers, and emphasizing the importance of brand connection. John suggests consistently posting short-form content and testing different types of content to find what resonates with your audience. When you find that one video or type of content that gets more views, double down on it and create variations to continue testing. Don't give up and believe in your content, even if it takes time to see success.Content marketing is effective for top of funnel engagement but does not convert at the same rate as paid targeted traffic. However, it still provides value and allows for remarketing and segmenting to convert highly engaged fits into customers through traditional e-commerce methods. Additionally, content marketing can lead to search engine optimization through proper descriptions and hashtags on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.John explains how their team is constantly working to keep their content fresh and meet rising expectations. They have found a helpful tool in chat GPT, which has given them ideas and even helped them come up with better questions for their content. Chat GPT is being used to leverage faster and stronger content creation, saving them hours in the process.The key takeaway from the conversation is to diversify lead sources and not rely on a single platform or area for customers, while also doubling down on successful campaigns and overselling to capitalize on victories.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Are you struggling to make your Facebook Ads work for your business? Tune in to today's episode of the eCommerce Podcast where Marin Ištvanić from Inspire Agency joins Matt to talk about all things Facebook Ads. In the last 12 months, Marin has spent over $30 Million on Facebook ads, and today he’s going to share some of his go-to Facebook ads strategies and learnings as well as some additional tips and tricks to help you do the same. You don't want to miss out on this one!ABOUT MARIN:In the past 7 years, Marin has gone from freelancer contractor to head of performance at Inspire agency. He leads a boutique agency working with a handful of selected clients while providing service for paid social. Besides the agency, he’s a partner at a few in-house brands he helped scale and exit. He’s also 2x GeekOut speaker and 1x Affiliate World Asia speaker.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:The biggest misconception when using Facebook ads for e-commerce stores is thinking that optimizing for add-to-cart or traffic will lead to sales; the optimal conversion goal is always sales. Additionally, in order to effectively use ads, a well-established product market fit and proven offer and funnel are necessary.Maximizing the efficiency of Facebook ads for your e-commerce store comes down to focusing on a proven market with a good offer, using psychological and marketing tricks in your advertising, and prioritizing your creative, messaging, and targeting based on different levels of sophistication and awareness in your funnel.A unique identifier in Facebook ads creative needs to provide tangible benefits such as saving time, money, or improving effectiveness compared to competitors. To find people who could create user-generated content (UGC) for your business's Facebook ads, you can reach out to creative agencies or search for UGC creators on Instagram or Twitter. The cost of UGC creation ranges from gifting a free product to $5k per video, but it depends on your strategy for using the content in your ads.According to Marin, the best way to stay up to date with the latest trends in Facebook advertising for e-commerce and media buying in the D2C space is to join the Twitter D2C community where people are constantly sharing and providing value. He highly recommends being on Twitter for those seeking to grow their store and connect with other professionals.Choosing a Facebook ads agency requires looking for proof of competence, specific deliverables, communication, and a good bedding in period of a few weeks. It's also important for the client to have a pro market fit and spend at least 1K per day on Facebook ads. Transparency and a comprehensive plan are crucial for success.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Have you ever wondered why subscription businesses like HelloFresh and Netflix are so successful and why should you consider having a subscription model for your ecommerce business?Tune in to this episode of the eCommerce Podcast as Chris George from Subsummit uncovers the secrets of businesses that have nailed customer satisfaction through subscription models and how you can use subscriptions to take your ecommerce business to the next level!ABOUT CHRIS:Chris George, the unstoppable serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched and managed seven businesses and sold two is the mastermind behind the wildly popular Gentleman's Box and hosts The Subscription Podcast - available on all podcasts channel. Chris regularly supports emerging brands by investing in and mentoring individuals and companies that lead with purpose over profit. Also the co-founder + CEO on Subsummit.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Subscriptions are becoming increasingly popular because they provide convenience and allow customers to use things as they want, which is what the next generation is looking for in a shopping experience. This trend is causing more and more e-commerce brands to adopt subscription models.To differentiate from companies like Amazon, e-commerce businesses should consider providing an exclusive product or building a relationship with the consumer through subscriptions that consistently provide value and result in predictable income and higher valuations.Subscriptions have a high upfront cost for customer acquisition, but the lifetime value of a subscriber can be significant if they stay on for an average amount of time. Brands with successful subscription models aim to build a habit within their consumer, and those that do can see customers staying on for years.Target the right customers and understand their profile to offer something of value in a crowded subscription market. Despite competition from big names like Netflix, marketers can provide more value by targeting individuals' passions and needs.Chris believes that a beauty company starting today should prioritize building a subscription model first as it offers a low-cost marketing tool and higher customer value compared to one-off purchases. Subscription can work alongside traditional e-commerce, but Chris recommends being subscription-only.Subsummit is the world's largest event for all consumer subscriptions, focusing on helping entrepreneurs and subscription-based businesses build better subscription-based companies, with a huge expo hall, multiple track rooms, and speakers ranging from NBA to Time Magazine. The event covers everything from how to start and grow a subscription business to retaining customers and international expansion.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Eric Melchor from Optimonk joins Matt Edmundson in this episode to share his insights on website personalization and how to make the most of it to improve customer experience and increase sales!ABOUT ERICEric Melchor is a personalization geek, mediocre tennis player, and Texas expat living in Romania. His background is in identifying ways to increase customer lifetime value through video and web personalization as well as partnership marketing. In addition to being the personalization ambassador for OptiMonk, he also hosts a podcast called Innovators Can Laugh where he learns from innovative startups in the European tech scene.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Eric started out with Bonjoro, a company that segmented videos into industry categories. With Optimonk, he created a system that personalized the experience for each user thus improving the overall experience for global visitors.Personalization can be a powerful tool for website owners, increasing conversion rates and engagement. One way to personalize the user experience is to use a conversational pop-up that asks questions about the visitor's preferences. This allows you to segment your visitors and serve them content that they are interested in, which can lead to increased sales.Optimonk seeks to create micro engagements on websites in order to increase customer value optimization. These micro engagements can take the form of providing relevant content based on a user's individual behavior or preferences, or simply engaging with them in a friendly way.If you are running a small e-commerce store, try to save abandoned carts and offer discounts to encourage people to return. Using a nano bar at the bottom of your website to collect emails and tying the headline on your landing page to the ad copy of your Facebook ads and Google paid media ads are some great strategies to increase sales.Other quick wins for personalization include messages for returning visitors and images of a visitor's home country flag with a welcome message.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Amazon is always changing and evolving their platform, so it can be hard to keep up with what's going on. But don't worry because we have you covered!Jon Tilley from ZonGuru joins Matt Edmundson in this episode to talk all about what Amazon is doing and what Amazon sellers need to know.ABOUT JONJon Tilley is a successful entrepreneur & Amazon thought leader. After 15 years working as an account director & strategist for some of the top global digital agencies, Jon started his Amazon journey in 2014 launching multiple successful private label brands, and soon after launching ZonGuru, an all-in-one software toolset for Amazon Private Label Sellers.ZonGuru continues to launch tools ahead of the market, and use data driven techniques to help its customers create and run successful Private Label businesses on Amazon.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:ZonGuru has evolved to cater to new customer types, including enterprise brands and agencies that manage Amazon brands for their clients. It is focused on efficiency, quality, and scalability, which resonates with experts in the field. The company is doing more outbound marketing and sitting down for demos with potential customers. Private label sellers are still a massive part of their audience.Jon believes that there are still amazing opportunities for small-scale businesses on Amazon, both in the US and internationally. To be successful, entrepreneurs need to be dialed-in to data and understand how to use it properly. They also need a good launch strategy and processes in place to prevent them from going out of stock. It is important to note that competition from bigger brands with deep pockets is fierce, so choosing the right market is key.Jon talks about their Global Niche Analysis Report, which helps to assess a niche market. He says that it is possible to look at successful markets in the US and bring them to international markets. It is also possible to look at saturated markets in the US and see if there are opportunities there.Most brands now have an Amazon division focused on pushing their products out onto the e-commerce platform. Google is favored by Amazon because they understand that there is money to be made off of sponsored ads. However, smaller players can still compete by driving traffic from other platforms to their storefronts.Matt and Jon discuss the opportunity for Shopify agencies to become Amazon specialists. While there is potential in this area, businesses need to be careful not to spread themselves too thin. Jon has created an accreditation course for agencies which covers operational aspects of running an Amazon business.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

Are you struggling to find ways to increase the revenue for your E-commerce business? Join us for this episode of the eCommerce Podcast where the entrepreneur's best friend, Greg Writer shares his tips and tricks to increase your AOV, create upsells and cross-sells, and leverage discounts and promotions to drive more sales. Get the tips you need to maximize your profits and take your business to the next level.ABOUT GREGGreg Writer is known as the go-to guy for entrepreneurs who need advice. He's been around the block for over 35 years, doing everything from corporate finance to sales and marketing. Greg's made big bucks in eCommerce, using the same strategies he shares in his seminars and keynotes. Nowadays, he's running the show at Launch Cart, a SaaS eCommerce platform that he founded himself.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:Greg has been helping entrepreneurs and inventors for 40 years, and is known as the "entrepreneur's best friend" due to his extensive experience in investing and raising capital for companies, as well as the wisdom he has gained from both successes and failures.Matt and Greg discussed the founding of Launch Cart, an e-commerce platform designed to help entrepreneurs and celebrities monetize their businesses and build wealth through asset protection and brand equity.Greg shares about his vision of building a platform that includes a drop shipping marketplace (Source and Sell Marketplace) and banking as a service with blockchain to help entrepreneurs run their businesses more efficiently.Greg highlights strategies to increase Average Order Value (AOV) for e-commerce stores, such as adding images, trust seals, countdown timers and scarcity timers to the checkout page, offering order bumps on the checkout page with digital downloads or discounts for buying multiple items, and offering more of the same item that customers are already ordering.The use of upsells and down sells to increase customer orders and maximize profits, with the potential to convert 10-30% of customers post checkout.Greg talks about the importance of split-testing and optimizing the customer journey, and the importance of incorporating emotion into product marketing in order to make a lasting impression.How the use of reviews, video recordings, postcards, and emotional storytelling can help increase average order value when selling products online.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.

If you're wondering how you to market your business with Google and YouTube Ads and start generating some leads and sales for your business, you don't want to miss this episode.Brett Curry from OMG Commerce joins Matt in this episode to talk about some of the latest trends in Google and YouTube Advertising so you can get the most out of your campaigns.ABOUT BRETTBrett is a seasoned entrepreneur, digital marketer and podcast host. He leads an 8-Figure ad agency of Google, YouTube and Amazon marketing rockstars. Brett is also the father of 8 children, and a basketball coach.Here’s a summary of the great stuff that we cover in this show:YouTube has 2 billion active monthly users, making it a great platform for e-commerce entrepreneurs. There is a perceived barrier to entry when it comes to testing on YouTube, as people don't know how to go about doing so. Creative is important on YouTube, as the video needs to be interesting enough to get someone to click.YouTube is a good platform for both demand generation and capture. Remarketing to already existing customers is also an effective strategy on YouTube.On YouTube, videos as short as 30 seconds can be used for awareness, while longer form videos such as one to three minutes are better for conversions.Videos over 3 minutes long may incur a cost from YouTube, yet they could still be effective if they convert well.When it comes to ROAS, Google is typically higher due to being closer to the purchase than YouTube. However, it's important to remember that YouTube feeds other campaigns and its role should not be overlooked.Once a user clicks on your ad and is taken to your landing page, they need to feel like they are in the right place, with a headline that is congruent to what was seen in the video. Additionally, there should be more selling on the landing page, outlining benefits and features as well as video and social proof.Brett recommends building out a strong bottom of the funnel with search, shopping, and remarketing on the Google side first. Start testing a lander with Facebook before moving to YouTube with a minimum budget of $5-10K per month. A customer acquisition cost of $50-100 should be anticipated for direct conversions.Google Performance Max is a single campaign channel that encompasses all Google channels such as search, shopping, display, discovery, YouTube, and Maps. It replaces Smart Shopping for eCommerce brands and encourages advertisers to focus more on creative like images, product listings, and optimized videos.For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.ecommerce-podcast.com.