The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Stefan Gehrig, a former Research Scientist, started King Kong Apparel in 2011 when he was heavily involved in the still-niche sport of CrossFit. Since then, starting with a single (relatively crappy) gym bag he has scaled to a Shopify Plus store that sells tens of thousands of bags, backpacks and meal prep bags per year.We talk:How they built a community of brand evangelistsWhat they'd do differently starting overThe most underestimated component of successHow their quizOh, and you'll never guess where they got their mascot from. It's wild.King Kong bags are widely known for their toughness, durability and functionally and have grown with the sport of CrossFit, and branched out into other fitness markets.Links MentionedKing Kong ApparelThe 4-Hour Workweek (For the two of you haven't read it yet)Pickzen - Quiz AppNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.SponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

The world is changing, and a core part of that change is everyone and everything finally getting online.Ecommerce is booming. Let's talk through it:We discuss Shopify's Q1 2020 financial reportThe wild projects we're working on right nowPredictions Shopify's newest featuresOur number one Facebook ads tip from a man who spends $30K/day on adsAN ALLBIRDS TEARDOWN!!Links MentionedShopify's Q1 2020 financial reportShopify Re-UniteVirtual Shopify MeetupSponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta ManagerNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

In this episode, Shopify merchants will hear how they could be better using humor in their marketing copy (especially email!) to improve conversions.How humor boosts conversionsHow to approach voice of customer researchHow can store owners and marketers write funnier copy without offending customers or coming off the wrong way?How do you know you're succeeding with humor?What are some big opportunities most brands overlook when creating their email automations?Lianna Patch is a conversion copywriter and comedian whose greatest dream is to make your customers pause, smile, and click (in that order).She’s written copy for Freshbooks, Manly Bands, LifeStraw, and The Contract Shop, among other delightful clients, and regularly speaks at ecommerce and software conferences around the world.Links MentionedPunchline CopySNAP CopySNAP Copy's free Voice of Customer Research Kit@punchlinecopyNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.SponsorsThis episode was made possible by Ecom Growers - In eCommerce, the difference between great and good email campaigns is hundreds of thousands of dollars Ecom Growers is an agency that figured it out so you don’t leave any sales on the table.

Our guest today has a long track record with ecommerce: both successes and failures. We're joined by Ryan Daniel Moran, founder of Freedom Fast Lane and Capitalism.com, to discuss what he believes are the fundamental appraoches that create the enduring ecommerce success stories.Key Moments:How the Income Store affected himWhy the pandemic can be good for youThe dangers of short term decisionsWhat most entreprenuers get wrong when scales 7-figure businessesRyan's product & audience formulas for successAs a serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, and investor, Ryan's main focus is on creating lifestyle freedom --- helping people create lasting businesses and investing the profits, while enjoying a higher quality of life, and working less.In addition to operating, selling, and investing in multiple million dollar ecommerce brands, Ryan is best known for his work at Freedom Fast Lane - where he leads "The Tribe" and helps entrepreneurs develop their business plan, get results rapidly, and invest for passive income.In The Tribe, he is responsible for creating 100+ millionaires, many of which occurred in 12 months or less following his philosophies on creating products people want, marketing them profitably, and creating life-long customers and brand evangelist.Ryan's mission is to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to create jobs, contribute to the economy, and uplift their families and local communities to create a better world.Links MentionedCapitalism12 Months to $1 Million: How to Pick a Winning Product, Build a Real Business, and Become a Seven-Figure Entrepreneur Kindle EditionSponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta ManagerNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

In this listener Q&A episode, we answer nine merchant's pressing questions regarding marketing their Shopify stores. We even try something new and call a few experts on the phone to get their answers.Tik Tok: is it time?Starting a loyalty programSEO Apps VS DIY SEO VS Using a consultant for SEOWhat gear, setup and software do you use to do remote podcast with video?Pros and cons of affiliate programsWhat to do with 15,000 visitors a month and barely any salesA sane beginner's approach to Facebook AdsWhich reviews app to choose (and structured metadata)And lastly a thought exercise: "What are the top 3 things you would do to grow your following/list if starting a new store from scratch on a low budget of say around $200/month."Plus Paul reveals the terrible secret his refrigerator has been hiding, and Kurt wears makeup.Links MentionedKlaviyo's Coronavirus Daily InsightsSmileSponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta ManagerNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Today we're joined by long-time Shopify Partner and SEO app developer Rhian Beutler to discuss your SEO questions.In this Shopify SEO Crash Course, you'll hear the answer to:Do those ‘seo’ apps really work?The latest Google Algorithm changes you need to knowWhat does Mobile Indexing First mean for your store?How to approach Google's technical recommendationsWhat happens if you have to pause your business online?How long should my alt tags be? Is there such a thing as them being too long?What are best practices for image alt tags? Do I really write for accessibility or do I stuff keywords?How do you research keywords to target based on your niche?What does optimizing for a keyword really mean?How much time should I spend creating content vs building backlinks?Links MentionedVenntovMozOfficial Google Webmaster BlogTw:@searchliaisonA Beginner's Guide to Google Search Console - MozMoz BlogImage Compression Tools: Kraken, ImageOptimGoogle Keyword PlannerHemingway AppTw:@rhiankatieSponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta ManagerNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

As we look for more ways to generate quality organic traffic to our stores, SEO will come to mind.In this episode, you'll will hear how to get more search engine traffic to your store.We're joined by an SEO Expert who has been called an "SEO genius" by Entrepreneur.com and a "brilliant entrepreneur" by Inc Magazine.If you've read the Backlinko blog or watched their YouTube channel, you'll recognize today's guest, Brian Dean.Brian's going to tell us:How to create awesome ecommerce contentHow to use Authority Sculpting to boost rankings to product and category pagesHow to rank above Amazon (yes, its possible!)

Today we're joined by a Business owner sharing experience of surviving 3 recessions in 25 years. This episode is about actionable advice.What's the upside of a recession, if any?What strategies do you advise for surviving a downturn in the economy for any business?What are the biggest mistakes stores & businesses are going to make during the pullback?What's different about this downturn from the others?Dave is the founder of Recapture, an abandoned cart and email marketing solution for Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento. He's also the co-host of Rogue Startups podcast talking about his entrepreneurial journey, and he runs Big Snow Tiny Conf West, a small web business mastermind-style conference with skiing.Links MentionedHeadscape@daverodenbaughRecapture - 60 Day TrialRewind - Backup your store, automaticallyNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.SponsorsRewind

On this episode, we're joined by Laura Petrielli-Pulice, a fashion designer who has designed for celebrities and icons of art and culture including Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Katy Perry, and Dita Von Teese.Her clothing has graced the pages of highly respected fashion magazines such as Vogue, W, Interview Magazine, and more.Pulice was also runner-up on the Bravo fashion competition show Styled to Rock hosted by Rihanna.Today, you can buy her clothing from her Shopify store, but her first website went live 20 years ago.In today's episode, we'll walk through her journey.Links MentionedVex Clothing *NSFWIG:@vexclothing *NSFWNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.SponsorsGet powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platformTry Bold Product Upsell, free trialSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code PODCAST20 at checkoutImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

Your story is the ultimate way to create an emotional connection with your customers so that they not only become raving fans, they share your story with their friends.In this episode, professional sitcom writer and showrunner Michael Jamin will teach you how to find your mission statement, create your customer avatar, cast a "voice" for your brand, then how to apply that to your marketing so you're always telling one, cohesive brand story.You'll hear:Why you shouldn't "fake it 'til you make it"What makes a great mission statement?How to create my customer avatar?How to "cast" a spokesperson to "speak" to your customerHow to apply it all this to your brandingMichael Jamin has been a professional sitcom writer/showrunner for 25 years. His many credits include King of the Hill, Just Shoot Me, Beavis & Butthead, Rules of Engagement, Wilfred, Maron, Brickleberry and many others. By applying his knowledge of storytelling to his wife's clothing line, TwirlyGirl, they grew it into a multi-million dollar company.Michael's branding videos were so successful on Facebook, that several companies asked him to share his marketing expertise. That's how CardboardRocketships came to be. It's a website that offers instruction on how to tell your brand story.Links MentionedMichael's site, CardboardRocketshipsMichael's Branding VideosTwirlyGirlEpisode 195: "How to Tell Your Brand's Story With Help from a Professional Screenwriter"The Story CourseJ. PetermanNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings & reviews help, and I read each one.Subscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your store.SponsorsTry Bold Product Upsell free for 90 daysSave 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify themeImprove your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager