The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Mike speaks with Avishai Sam Bitton, VP of Marketing and Growth at 8fig about the biggest challenges in ecommerce that everyone's been feeling lately, and how you can leverage AI to solve these issues at a low cost. In this episode, we dive into the challenging landscape of e-commerce, workforce, and technology with Avishai Bitton, a distinguished expert in the field. Avishai, hailing from 8fig.co, specializes in using AI and data to tackle the challenges of cash flow management, supply chain optimization, and sustaining growth, especially during uncertain times. Join us as we explore how AI and generative technologies can help fill the holes in your businesses, especially as a small-sized business. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 03:51 - Avishai's Introduction and Background 09:50 - Discussion on the Impact of COVID-19 and Supply Chain Challenges 13:30 - Challenges of Inventory Management and Cash Flow 20:33 - The Impact of Generative AI on E-commerce 24:00 - Workforce and Unemployment 25:09 - Finding a Balance in the Labor Market 28:07 - Opportunities for Business and Entrepreneurship I hope you had some key takeaways from this episode. To explore the tools and resources mentioned in this episode, visit 8fig.co for more information. If you want to contact Avishai directly, you can connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn for more insights. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can. Thanks for listening!

Did you know that you're entitled to reimbursements from Amazon for lost / damaged inventory within Amazon FBA? Mike and Yoni, the CGO of GETIDA, discuss everything you need to know about reimbursements and auditing. Check out GETIDA with our affiliate link! According to last year's Software Poll, a whopping 37% of sellers are NOT using a reimbursement service of any kind. As Yoni mentions in today's episode, that is not only a significant loss in cost, but also a loss in potential profit margins that you could have gained. Yoni Mazor is today's guest, and the CGO of GETIDA, one of the biggest companies out there specializing in Auditing and Reimbursements for Amazon Sellers. We talk about the common mistakes that Amazon makes, how you can claim reimbursements from Amazon for free, and the amount of inventory lost in Amazon FBA on today's episode. If you've ever been reclassified into a different FBA size tier, (which is extremely common) then this episode is definitely for you. Here are some chapter markers: 0:00 - Introduction 1:02 - Amazon Is Stealing Money From You 2:57 - Why Amazon Is Better Than Other Marketplaces with Reimbursements 4:13 - "What is Amazon infamous for, and what can you do about it?" 5:50 - "What Percentage of Shipments Are Lost?" 9:07 - How To Claim Reimbursements From Amazon and Make Money 11:55 - GETIDA: Pricing, ROI and Return of Frustration 18:12 - Mike's Latest Inventory Issue 20:16 - "What Else Can You Get Reimbursed For?" 25:08 - Why Reimbursement Services Are Worth It 26:31 - Where did GETIDA's name come from? If anything, I'd like for you to walk away with the fact that having a reimbursement service is no longer optional, and that you're leaving money on the table if not. If you're interested in GETIDA, check out our affiliate link here! Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can. Thanks for listening!

Mike and Dave discuss the strategies that Mike's put in place to squeeze as much profitability as possible to gain maximum value out of his business when he goes to sale. Back in July, I announced on the podcast recently where my headspace has been at and the events that lead to the possible reasons why. At the start of August, the wheels were set in motion and I ended up selling 2 more ecommerce brands. Dave and I ended on a cliffhanger on that episode, and this is the official Part 2 where Dave and I talk about what I've been up to and how I've been squeezing out as much profitability as possible before selling – from Avoiding Amazon's HUGE Inventory Costs, to using Freelancers to make up for manpower and more, you won't want to miss this one. Here's a few chapter markers that you can easily refer to: Audio Timestamps: Introduction – 0:00 A Quick Recap – 1:13 Creating New Reports to Make Things Efficient – 2:43 How Dave Automates Forecast Reports – 7:45 How Mike Avoids Amazon's New Storage Costs – 10:06 How Dave Deals With Inventory – 18:13 Shifting to One Employee: What Roles Are Essential? – 25:11 Essential Roles Dave Hires For – 29:05 The Real Costs of Employees – 32:55 A Short Discussion About PPC – 36:14 Pricing and Coupons – 37:08 Hidden Gem: Bulk Packs – 41:38 The Challenge of Accurate Bookkeeping – 43:31 The Last Tip: 2% Cashback Rewards – 50:22 Stay tuned as we continue to update on our future plans, and for our special PPC episode we're planning for! I hope you took away some valuable profit-saving insights from this episode. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to support@ecomcrew.com. Happy selling and I'll see you on the next one!

Dave is back to give his 6th annual update for his business while it's up for sale! As usual, he'll detail the wins, losses, why he's decided to put the brand up for sale, and what his brand might actually be worth! Every year since 2017, I've chronicled rebuilding a 7-figure brand from scratch after the sale of my previous company. For this episode, I'll be giving my 6th annual update while also having this exact brand now be listed for sale in QuietLight Brokerage. As usual, I'll detail the wins, losses, why I've decided to put the brand up for sale, and what my brand might actually be worth! If you haven't already, be sure to check out the blog article here, along with all the previous updates: Rebuilding a Million-Dollar Brand: 6 Year Update Rebuilding a Million-Dollar Brand: 5 Year Update Rebuilding a Million-Dollar Brand: 4 Year Update First, I'll answer the question that's on everyone's mind: Why?, and then I'll touch on why this brand might be a good fit for you, or why it might not. Timestamps: Intro – 0:00 Today's Episode Is Going To Be A Unique One – 00:53 Why I'm Choosing to Sell My Business – 2:02 A Sneak Peek Into The Numbers Of This Brand – 7:59 Dave's Biggest Wins – 10:06 Why This Brand Might Be Great For You – 12:52 Why It Might Not Be A Good Fit – 17:02 Closing Thoughts – 21:47 There will definitely be a lot more to unpack once all is said and done. For now, you can check out all the other good stuff we have on the EcomCrew Podcast, YouTube channel, and Blog. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes. Until the next one, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Izzy Rosenzweig, CEO of Portless, discusses how their game changer in the DTC shipping industry can improve cash flow for ecommerce businesses. They talk about the cost of shipping, next-day shipping, and handling large products. They also explore the risks associated with shipping DTC and other countries where DTC shipping applies. Additionally, they discuss Portless services for FBA and provide information on where to find more about them.

Liz Saunders and I talk about Amazon's Influencer Program; how it can be beneficial for sellers, how sellers can reach out to more sellers, and why you should apply for Amazon Inspire if you've got the audience for it. Want to start a new side hustle? Check out Fluencer Fruit now! As an Amazon seller, getting traffic to your listing is always a high-value priority. One way to do this is through influencer marketing, where you pay influencers to promote and direct their audience to your storefront. Is this what the Amazon Influencer program helps with? What's the difference between this and the Amazon Associates program? We tackle all that today with our guest, Liz Saunders. Liz Saunders is a first-time guest on the podcast, and an Amazon Seller since 2016. She spoke this year at Steve Chou's Seller Summit for the first time, and her topic on the program amazed me so much that I had to invite her on today's podcast to discuss more about it. Audio Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 2:11 - Liz Saunders' background 3:38 - What is the Amazon Influencer Program? 10:58 - Case Study on the Impact of Influencer Content 13:27 - Statistics on Copy vs Video, UGC vs brand content 14:12 - How to get more influencers to work with you 19:52 - Early Results on the Case Study 21:48 - "Do you own the content that Influencers make?" 22:17 - Amazon Inspire 28:15 - Helping Influencers Make Money 34:12 - Reach out to Liz Saunders 34:52 - The requirements to join the Amazon Influencer Program I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. If you're interested in Fluencer Fruit, get the Chrome Extension with code ECOMCREW and get 50% off for life. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can. Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!

Joining me today is the ever-insightful Bernie Thompson. Since his last appearance on the podcast in 2018, Bernie and I have met again recently at a few conferences which were put on pause because of COVID. I first met Bernie at The Global Sources Summit in Asia quite a number of years ago as a fellow guest speaker, and he's been a good friend ever since. He's one of the co-founders of PPC Ninja, and is also selling on Amazon. In today's episode, Bernie and I talk about how Amazon's changed in terms organic vs. sponsored products, how Amazon has become an advertising wall of products, and why we feel like black hat tactics don't get punished enough. Audio Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction 1:33 - What do you see as The Big Picture these days in Ecommerce / Amazon? 6:38 - Why it's impossible to source from the US 9:50 - How Amazon Advertising has changed 16:16 - Black hat tactics don't get punished enough 22:00 - PPC Ninja I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. If you're interested in PPC Ninja, use code ECOMCREW and get an extended trial for free. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, send us an email at support@ecomcrew.com. We'd love to help you in any way we can. Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy selling!

Mike and Dave talk about the crazy sale that Mike's been working on for the past few months, the details of each sale, and what's next for him. Back in July, I announced on the podcast recently where my headspace has been at and the events that lead to the possible reasons why. The future however, had other plans. Things have progressed faster than I've come to expect, and that's what Dave and I discuss on today's episode. Dave and I recount what's been happening in the past few weeks, which include multiple business sales, the value of content websites with AI looming over the horizon, and the ever delicate balance of expanding vs. streamlining my portfolio. Audio Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 02:03 - Mike's Garage Sale Madness 03:34 - The Unexpected Sale of Another Business 05:23 - Expanding vs. Streamlining 14:09 - The Future of Content Sites with AI 19:15 - Letting Go of the Third Business 29:05 - Retirement and Future Plans 32:55 - Reinventing Himself 37:30 - The Importance of Not Moving Goalposts So stay tuned, as we continue to update on my plans for the future and what I've been doing in the weeds of ecommerce! I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to support@ecomcrew.com. Happy selling and I'll see you on the next one!

Lianna Patch from Punchline Copy is back on the podcast to talk about how AI has affected her copywriting company, how she uses AI in her business, and why copywriters should embrace AI. Today, we're joined by Lianna Patch of Punchline Copy. I first met Lianna as one of the speakers during ECF Live 3-4 years ago, and I absolutely loved her presentation. Since then, I've had her on the show back in Episode 307 to talk about improving conversions through copy and now she makes her appearance again! Lianna Patch is back on the podcast to delve into AI's influence on copywriting and what it means for the industry. As AI technology continues to advance, the knee jerk reaction always seems to revolve around how AI will be replacing people and their skills, so I knew I had to get Lianna's opinion as an expert copywriter. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:30 - Lianna's Background 02:20 - How does Lianna See the World Changing with AI? 07:33 - Why Copywriters Will Become More Valuable 09:21 - Why Copywriters Should Embrace AI 11:29 - How Liana Uses AI in Her Business Today 17:11 - The Future of AI 22:03 - AI & The Writer's Strike 23:59 - How to Use AI to Be A Better Copywriter 25:51 - Embracing / Rejecting AI 32:00 - Contact Lianna Lianna, thank you for joining me on today's episode. If you'd like to contact Lianna for any business inquiries, reach out to her on twitter or on her website, PunchlineCopy. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes. Happy selling and we'll see you in the next one!

The numbers are out! In this episode, Mike and Dave unpack the recently concluded 2023 version of our Amazon Consumer Behaviour survey, and compare the results against last year. Dave and I are thrilled to present our second annual consumer research report. We explore intriguing insights into consumer preferences, buying behavior, and the growing significance of product authenticity. We discussed Prime Day's influence on consumer behavior, identified the most "evil" tech company, and analyzed shopping trends during Black Friday. The reported increase in sales on walmart.com surprised us and sparked speculations about its impact on Amazon's market share. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:18 - Prime Day Insights 08:58 - Revealing the Most "Evil" Tech Company 11:36 - Analyzing Consumer Behavior on Black Friday and Prime Day 15:18 - The Dark Side of Big Tech 19:07 - Minimum Wage and Social Impact 19:42 - Counterfeit Products on Amazon 30:28: The Value of Buying Directly from Vendors vs. Marketplace Sellers 32:43: The Frustration of Product Returns on Amazon and Its Impact on Parents 40:21: The Growing Dominance of Amazon as a Product Search Engine We hope you enjoyed our engaging exploration of the dynamic landscape of online shopping. Until next time, happy selling!