The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

As ecommerce sellers, we want nothing more than to grow our business and maximize our profits, but sometimes, the opposite can also be true. David Wilson, who was a previous guest in our Under the Hood segment, is trying to downshift his business and transition it into a stable side hustle to support his personal hobbies. In this episode, I give David some valuable advice on how to keep his business chugging along as a lifestyle business. We talk about why it's still important to seek new opportunities and to streamline your ecommerce business, even though you're running it on the side. Timestamps: Recap of my previous coaching sessions with David – 3:47 How his sales have done while he's working a regular job – 7:40 The challenges of selling in Europe and Canada (from the US) – 9:55 How Sellics has helped David's PPC management – 12:26 How David has downshifted his business – 15:59 Where David stands between his e-commerce brand and his full-time job – 20:49 My advice for running a lifestyle business – 23:33 How to streamline your business while scaling it down – 25:08 A quick chat about Bitcoin – 34:05 Resources mentioned: Sellics I'd like to thank David for coming back to the podcast and I'm excited to learn how his lifestyle business does in a couple of years. If you want to schedule a 1-on-1 coaching session and be featured in a podcast episode, head over to our Under the Hood sign-up page. Looking to step up your e-commerce game? Look no further than Dave's book, Import From China Like a Pro. It is packed with everything you need to know about sourcing e-commerce products from China—and it's yours for free (just pay for shipping, the book is on us). If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes, it helps more than you know! Until the next one, happy selling!

About eighty percent of the most popular classical music comes from only twenty percent of all the composers. When working out, twenty percent of the exercises account for eighty percent of the muscle you gain. This is known as the Pareto principle or the 80-20 rule. In e-commerce, 80 percent of your sales often come from only 20 percent of your entire product line. In this follow-up Under the Hood session with Nic Dillon, we break down the 80-20 rule and discuss why focusing on a few best sellers is much easier—not to mention more profitable—than handling a lot of SKUs. Nic runs Old Delhi Music, a company that sells traditional Indian musical instruments like sitars and harmoniums. In this episode, we also talk about how he got past the mom-and-pop manufacturing industry of India in order to scale his business, how his company fared during a year of COVID, and how to manage an offshore team. Timestamps What Old Delhi Music is all about - 02:37 Why Nic started his own factory in India - 4:08 How to streamline a business with a lot of SKUs - 15:04 When the 80-20 rule does not apply - 32:30 How to maintain cohesion in your offshore team and set them up for success - 37:18 How to be someone that people love to work for - 51:10 I'd like to thank Nic for coming back to the show. Check out his awesome collection of high-quality, handcrafted Indian instruments at Old Delhi Music. To sign up for an hour-long coaching session and be featured on the podcast, head over to our Under the Hood registration page. Nic and I talked a bit about how sourcing from China is, in many ways, much easier than sourcing from India. If you're looking to master the art of importing from the world's factory, grab a free copy of Dave's book (pay only for shipping!), Import From China Like a Pro. Did you like this episode? Give us a pat on the back by leaving us a review over on iTunes. Until the next one, happy selling!

Ecommerce today is hardly the same as it was ten years ago. The competition has gotten much stiffer, black hat sellers are all over the place, and simply writing cheap blurbs just to get clicks no longer cuts it. That said, there's one surefire way to grow your business and gain an unfair advantage over much bigger ecommerce brands without resorting to cheap tactics—creating valuable content. In this solo episode, I will be talking about why content matters in ecommerce, how much it helped our own brands grow in the past year, and how you can get started at creating great content for your niche. Timestamps Why content is important - 03:49 How you can go about creating valuable content - 15:31 Setting a bar that our content team writes to - 16:30 How to find the right keywords to write about - 19:21 Finding your brand's voice - 23:37 How to make sure that people consume your content - 24:56 Head over to Episode 352 to learn if you should set up your blog content on a separate domain or on your ecommerce website. Here's a link to our Guide To Creating Killer Content For Your Ecommerce Site. Also, feel free to check out our own content site, Tactical.com. We've actually turned one of our best blog posts into a full-blown book! Whether you are a beginner at importing from China or an active importer looking to streamline your process, Dave Bryant's Import From China Like A Pro covers all the ins and outs of importing products from the world's factory. Thank you for tuning in to this episode, and don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes so we can help more ecommerce sellers grow their businesses. Until next time, happy selling!

Shoot for the moon, land among the stars, so the saying goes. Rob Hampton was our guest for a two-part Under The Hood session back in 2018, and he's back to share his experiences with us after taking my advice for growing his ecommerce business. In this catch-up episode, we pick up right where we left off. Rob talks about some of the things that prevented him from achieving his million-dollar-revenue goal, and how he still landed on a comfortable 3.5x growth. I pick apart some of his biggest challenges going into 2021 and share a lot of things that worked for me with my own ecommerce brands. From the benefits of hiring a VA to the most effective tools for inventory and project management, there's a lot to learn here if you're looking to scale your ecommerce business. Timestamps How Rob still grew his business despite some challenges - 7:55 The benefits of hiring a VA - 8:41 How to scale your processes and systems - 13:46 Project management tools that work for us - 20:35 Why aiming for 10x in a year can be tough - 22:12 Why we went from a single Amazon account for several brands to managing multiple accounts - 27:33 Our preferred Inventory management system - 31:48 Why our current 3PL is a joy to work with - 46:01 How to handle SKU count growth - 54:46 Advice on switching from cash to accrual bookkeeping - 1:03:12 I want to thank Rob for coming back to the podcast and sharing how he grew his business. If you want to schedule an hour-long coaching session and be featured on the podcast, feel free to sign up for Under The Hood. Got any big plans for 2021? Let us know, and don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you like this episode. Until the next one, happy selling!

As e-commerce business owners, much of our livelihoods depend on Amazon. However, in this episode, Steven Pope and I bite the hand that feeds us as we unpack the ugly side of Amazon from a seller's standpoint. Steven runs My Amazon Guy, a Seller Central Consulting Agency based in Georgia that helps sellers grow their Amazon businesses. He also hosts an awesome podcast and a YouTube channel. Today we uncover the ugly side of the Bezos empire, from its growing power over third-party sellers, the black hat activities that could affect your product listings, to Amazon workers having to pee into bottles to save time. We also talk about some big changes we think Amazon will be making over the next couple of years and things you can do to safeguard your business. Timestamps About Steven and his My Amazon Guy Podcast - 02:29 The evil side of Amazon - 3:38 Some big changes we think are coming to Amazon in 2021 and 2022 - 8:18 The ugliness of black hat attacks on sellers - 10:30 What you need to do to protect your business - 20:16 How Amazon seller support has degraded over the years - 22:20 Our culture problem with big business - 29:07 How automation threatens employment - 30:06 The problem of big business and big government being in bed with each other - 36:08 Why it's important to diversify where you sell - 41:11 Why I've lost confidence in Amazon as a consumer - 43:47 Our advice to ecommerce sellers - 46:30 I'd like to thank Steven for coming on the show. If you're interested in boosting your traffic and optimizing your conversion rates, make sure to check out myamazonguy.com. You can find Sharon Even's video on having her ASINs taken down due to black hat attacks here. News article on fake Amazon reviews:Amazon is filled with fake reviews and it's getting harder to spot them Also, EcomCrew is holding a free public webinar on January 21 at 10 AM (PST), where we'll be sharing a tried-and-true roadmap for turning your leads into actual buyers. Don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you like this episode, and be sure to let us know which ugly aspect of Amazon you find most disturbing. Happy selling!

Last month, we ran a community poll to find out which among the myriad of Amazon seller software our EcomCrew community predominantly uses. The poll was aimed at determining the most popular Amazon software in four categories: Product Launches and Giveaways Keyword and Product Research PPC Management, and Reimbursement Management The results are in. In this episode, we'll be discussing the winning software for each of the categories and why they edged out the competition. We'll also be sharing some insights on why and how you should be using these tools to grow your ecommerce business—and why you're leaving a lot of money on the table if you don't! Timestamps Overview of our Best Amazon Software of 2020 poll - 1:00 The best tool for Product Launches and Giveaways - 2:55 Why it's hard for Amazon to clamp down on rebate and giveaway services - 7:15 The best Keyword and Product Research Tool - 12:14 The best software for PPC Management - 16:20 The importance of using a PPC service - 20:30 Why you should sign up for a refund service - 25:37 The best Reimbursement Management Tool - 27:40 Refund services that we use - 28:55 We'd like to thank everyone for taking the time to cast their votes, and congratulations to the lucky winner of a full year of EcomCrew Premium membership! If you want to know more about the tools mentioned in this episode, head over to our Best Amazon Software of 2020 article, where we provide details and pricing for each software. Click here to check out our podcast episode with CEO and Founder of RebateKey, Ian Sells. By the way, if you're struggling to turn your leads into actual sales, our upcoming FREE public webinar this January 21 at 10 AM (PST) is perfect for you. We'll be sharing our tried-and-true roadmap for turning your leads into actual buyers, so sign up today to reserve your spot! If you like this episode, don't forget to help us out by leaving us a review over on iTunes so we can help more e-commerce sellers with our content. 'Til the next one, happy selling!

I absolutely dread bees. But for this episode, I'm casting my fear aside because our guest is someone who's made a thriving e-commerce business out of his personal hobby—beekeeping. Adam Hickman is an EAS Master Beekeeper and is the founder of Foxhound Bee Company, a full-service beekeeping company in Alabama. It offers everything from honey, to cypress hive parts, to educational content about beekeeping. In this Under the Hood episode, we talk about how he turned his personal hobby into an e-commerce business and why I think hobbies make the best niches. We then unpack some pain points which could also… sting your company, including his inefficiencies with Amazon, concerns about suppliers in China, and hiring his first employee. Timestamps: Introduction to our guest, Adam Hickman – 2:41 How Adam got started in ecommerce – 4:08 The focus of his business: Beekeeping – 6:12 Mike's kryptonite – 7:33 Recapping the Foxhound Bee Company timeline – 8:14 Making ecommerce your full-time job – 10:23 The best model for ecommerce - 11:48 Scaling from the solopreneur stage to getting a retail space – 19:58 Why a retail space is a great idea for Adam – 21:56 The importance of your first employee – 24:11 Ecomcrew's first public webinar of 2021 – 39:21 Tackling some Amazon Inefficiencies – 40:41 Supply chain issues from China – 47:43 Knowing your limits – 53:22 Increasing the perceived value of your products through packaging – 56:16 Importance of pre-inspections – 61:46 How returns affect your Amazon ranking – 65:20 Transitioning from Squarespace to WordPress – 68:38 I'd like to thank Adam for coming on the show. Check out his buzzworthy products and classes on https://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com. If you're currently struggling to turn leads into sales or are looking to maximize your conversion rate, join our upcoming Free Public Webinar on January 21 at 10 AM (PST), where we'll be sharing a tried-and-tested roadmap for turning your potential customers into actual buyers. Got a hobby that you'd like to turn into a profitable e-commerce business? We'd love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes. Happy selling!

Happy new year, and welcome to the first episode of the EcomCrew podcast for 2021! Last year was crazy for everyone, and the pandemic definitely brought about a lot of changes to the way we live, work, and consume. Many businesses experienced losses, but a lot of e-commerce sellers benefited from the fact that people can't easily go out to buy what they want and need. For this episode, my good friend Steve Chou of mywifequitherjob.com joins me as we take a look back at 2020 and talk about what we think is going to happen in 2021 in terms of our businesses and e-commerce in general. We analyze some factors that affect our traffic and give you some tips that worked for us. Timestamps: How we did in terms of sales during the holidays - 4:50 Focusing on Amazon traffic vs. traffic to your own site - 6:38 What to consider before choosing your niche - 8:52 Steve's promotion technique - 11:20 Focusing on Amazon vs. lifecycle marketing - 14:00 Our Amazon incident rates - 17:30 How the newest Google updates affected our sites - 18:57 Does domain rank really matter? - 22:35 How to increase your domain rank - 23:00 The effects of Google pigeonholing your content - 24:45 Is it always a good idea to release only content that is sure to rank on Google? - 26:25 Making it easier to create content through environmental design - 28:00 The best way to future-proof your e-commerce business - 30:40 Social vs. organic traffic - 33:57 Updates on the brand we're going to acquire - 37:53 Adopting the right mindset for expectations in 2021 - 41:14 I'd like to thank Steve for being with me on this episode. If you want to know more about him and his business, visit the official site of Bumblebee Linens and take a look at his awesome handkerchieves and other products. Here's the link for eCommerceFuel Capital if you want to check out their services: https://www.ecommercefuel.com/capital/ Please don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you liked this episode and consider subscribing to get notified whenever we release a new one. Here's to a better year! Happy selling!

Welcome to Episode 354 of the EcomCrew podcast! It seems like it wasn't too long ago when we started recording the first one, but here we are, closing 2020 out with the 354th episode. Throughout the year, we've talked to lots of interesting people in the industry and learned a bunch of new stuff both from their expertise and their mistakes. To cap it all off, we've thrown together a list of the best episodes of 2020. It includes 7 of our most downloaded episodes plus a few other favorites handpicked by our staff. What did you think about E350 and Greg Elfrink's story of the Uber for grilled cheese sandwiches? Did the tidbits we found out in the Amazon vs. Congress Hearing in E299 raise your eyebrows? How about that crazy 'package stabber' story from our good friend Merideth in E339? Timestamps How we made our picks - 3:20 Top10: E301: Why Perseverance is so Important in Ecommerce with Dave Alexander - 3:54 Top 9. E315: Getting Your First Product into People's Hands - 5:16 Top 8. E298: Running an Ecommerce Business Out of Chiang Mai, Thailand - 6:15 Top 7. E307: Breaking the Patterns in Copywriting with Lianna Patch - 7:52 Top 6. E316: The State of the Amazon Seller with Joe from JungleScout - 9:20 Top 5. E299: Top 10 Things We Learned in the Amazon vs. Congress Hearing - 10:39 Top 4. E350: 7 Highly Interesting Businesses and What You Can Learn From Them with Greg Elfrink - 13:09 Top 3. E339: Crazy Customer Tales with Meredith Erin - 14:39 Top 2. Bonus Ep: The Struggles of an Ecommerce Seller in China Right Now - 16:45 Top 1. E303: A Pen, a Paper and a Dream with Roye Okupe - 19:09 How 2020 has been for us - 20:50 We're throwing together a list of the best Amazon seller software of 2020. Simply tell us which apps you find most helpful and get a chance to win an annual Premium membership worth $1999 absolutely free. For Premium members, we'll be extending your membership for a full year if you win. All you need to do is answer four short questions. Did your favorite episode make it on our list? Let us know and don't forget to leave a review over on iTunes. Happy holidays and, as always, happy selling!

Being among the 100 fastest-growing private companies of 2020 in America is no small feat, but behind the scenes, things aren't as pretty as they seem. In this catch-up episode, Victor Delacruz of Christian Planner is back to share his experiences after our hour-long Under the Hood episode a couple of years ago. We chat about his company's immense growth in revenue, losing a key business partner, and how he is facing financial challenges that could be fatal to his business. I dissect Christian Planner's current situation and discuss Victor's best options moving forward. Does he need to get his expenses under control to pay off debt? Or is he better off selling the business altogether? Timestamps Catching up with Victor and Christian Planner - 3:13 Falling flat and losing C-level executives - 5:10 Victor's struggle of not being a business person - 6:42 Analyzing Victor's current debt situation - 8:59 Why understanding key numbers in business is an essential skill set - 15:04 Potential outcomes of staying on or moving on - 18:20 Victor's current gameplan - 22:54 The importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses - 26:50 Why Victor's business is special - 29:45 How to look at debt and manage burnout - 32:44 What I would do if I were in Victor's shoes - 33:44 How businesses are valued and my advice if he decides to sell - 40:06 If you want to know more about Victor and his company, check out Christian Planner's cool designs on https://christianplanner.com/collections/all. Do you have any favorite Amazon software or app? Let us know by answering just four questions. And to thank you for your time, we'll pick one lucky winner randomly and reward him or her with a free annual subscription to EcomCrew Premium. If you're already a member, we'll extend your membership for another year for free. All you need to do is answer this poll. Ever have to face a tough decision like Victor? Let us know in the comments section and share this episode with a friend. Also, don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes. Happy selling!