Recently I had a chance to catch up with my friend and fellow entrepreneur, Dave Woodward.  Dave is the Chief Business Development Officer at ClickFunnels. He’s a motivator, a marketing mastermind, and an all around awesome guy.   I first met Dave in 2009 or so when my business partner, Chris Brewer, and I were partnering with Russell Brunson (Co-Found of ClickFunnels) on a project.   It’s been amazing watching click funnel scale from just an idea to a $200million + per year software as a service (SaaS) company in just a few years.     So how do you achieve that kind of growth?  That’s what I wanted to hear from Dave. Here’s a look at what we covered.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!   Philosophy and mindset that allows for meteoric growth How the founders of Click Funnels got the team side of things right in order to scale How ClickFunnels acquired customers at a profit or breakeven when approximately zero SaaS companies have achieved that mark Marketing channels that are the most important to the growth of ClickFunnels What makes for a great eCommerce funnel What’s next for ClickFunnels Plus more!

Interested in better email campaigns, more persuasive product detail pages and more irresistible videos?  Maybe you need to start incorporating a little humor.     By now we’ve all seen a Harmon Brother’s video (Think Poo Pourri and Squatty Potty) and we’ve seen the magical effect those videos can have when launching a product….Or maybe you recall the simple, Dollar Shave Club video that launched an empire that Unilever bought for $1 Billion.  But...we’ve also seen some funny ads that did zero selling. Sometimes we can’t even remember what product the ad was for after we saw it, but it did make us laugh.   So what’s the difference? How can you use humor to actually sell?   A few months ago I was speaking at a Blue Ribbon Mastermind event run by Ezra Firestone and I heard another speaker and immediately fell in love with her topic - using humor to sell more.   Lianna Patch is the Founder of Punchline Copy.  She has a wealth of experience as a standup comedian, and improv actor, and a copywriter for eCommerce brands.  In this episode we dive into the following:   How to blend humor with persuasion for better conversion rates Where you should use humor first What ecommerce companies properly use humor How a jewelry store leverage humor for double digit improvements in conversion rates How to use humor in emails even if (or especially if) your product category is “boring” or even “B2B”. Plus more   Check it out!

If you want an inside look at Amazon you’d be hard pressed to find a better person to talk to than James Thomson co-founder of Buy Box Experts and the wildly popular Prosper Show.     In this episode we get into the details of what sellers on Amazon should be thinking and doing right now on a variety of important topics including:   Sales Tax! This can be some scary stuff.  We talk about the Wayfair Supreme Court decision, the recent ruling in California and what it all means to you.  Not the sexiest of topics, but one that could kill your business if you’re not taking action now. Brand equity.  There’s never been a better time to build a brand on Amazon.  We’ll talk about what it means to build and try to hold on to brand equity on Amazon.   1p vs. 3p vs. Hybrid - what’s best and why. Most common mistakes sellers are making right now and how to avoid them How Amazon approaches their private label game and when are they coming for your category. Prosper Show 2019 details Plus more!

The best eCommerce companies I know are on a quest to constantly improve conversion rates.  Every lift in conversion rates means more money for product development, or traffic to grow your brand or just more money for your pocket.     On this episode I interview Jon MacDonald, CEO of the Good.  Jon and team have worked on Conversion rate optimization projects for companies like Nike, Xerox, Adobe and the Economist as well as many other ecommerce companies.     Jon’s perspective and approach are unique and I’m confident you’ll pick up several CRO nuggets including: The 4 types of data that should influence your conversion rate optimization What data to ignore vs. what’s critical and actionable Must have elements for UX Product detail page essentials Making the complex simple and bringing products to life on your site Great eCommerce examples for UX to pay attention to Plus more

In recent years SEO has lost its luster as a “hot” traffic source. Panda and Penguin updates have made it all but impossible to “game the system” and trick Google into ranking your site.  That said, organic traffic can still be insanely powerful for your brand.  SEO can help drive relevant traffic at nearly every stage of the shopping funnel - helping your build a following and sell more stuff.   While there are no viable SEO tricks now, there are proven strategies that will help you rank well and rank relatively quickly.     While I’ve been an SEO practitioner since the early 2000s and even though OMG Commerce offers SEO services for eCommerce - I still wanted to have Dale Bertrand on to talk SEO.  Dale is the Owner and Digital Strategist for fireandspark.com and he knows his SEO.   Here’s a look at the SEO topics we cover in this episode.   Link building that works in 2018 and beyond.  Quality backlinks are still one of the most powerful ranking signals in Google’s algorithm.  The catch is that Google is better than ever at sniffing out and ignoring or penalizing spammy backlinks.  In this episode we discuss the right way to approach link building. Building content without being a writer.  My guess is that creating content isn’t your favorite activity.  But good content is CRUCIAL for effective SEO strategies. We discuss how to generate content without the pain of writing.   How to make category and product detail pages rank.  Category and product detail pages are your money makers, but getting them to rank can be a challenge.  We discuss how. The value of “pillar content” and how to create it.  Without “pillar content” your SEO will be at a disadvantage.  We discuss what it is and how to go about creating it. Technical structure for a solid page.  We nerd out a little bit on technical SEO, but not too much. Plus more!

This episode is a treat both in terms of topic and guest.  I have my long-time business partner Chris Brewer on to talk about the most important topic of the year for most eCommerce companies - Holiday Sales.     For most eComm companies the Holiday season will determine whether you have a good year or a not so good year.  For some companies every day of holiday sales is the equivalent of a week or two the rest of the year. Having a great holiday season requires planning, attention to detail and some creativity.     I see things lining up for most eCommerce companies to break sales records this Holiday.  Will you be one of them?   Here’s a look at what we cover: Getting Your Google Ad Campaigns Ready - getting your search, shopping and brand campaigns ready to “make hay” this holiday season.   Getting Your YouTube Ads Ready - Do you have remarketing in place?  Are you capitalizing on your competition? Do you have a unique holiday message?  All of this and more is important to maximize YouTube results. Getting Your Amazon Ads Ready - Amazon is poised to CRUSH IT this holiday season.  Are your ad campaigns ready? Getting Your Email Marketing in Place - Email marketing could be your x-factor this holiday.  Remember to segment and remember the rule of 3! Planning your promotions - Get your promo calendar finished now! Staying on Top of Everything - We talk about ways to stay on top of everything and make sure nothing is missed this holiday season.     Here’s to making Holiday 2018 your best ever...

There are two critical ways Patent Law impacts online merchants: Making sure you protect your unique products and intellectual property (IP) Making sure you don’t infringe on someone else’s patents   My guest for this episode is Patent Attorney, Rich Goldstein.  Rich is a wealth of knowledge on patent law and has carved out a niche in the eCommerce space.  I am NOT a legal expert, to say the least, so I was really excited to dive into this topic and learn more myself.   Here’s a look at what we covered: When should you consider a patent and how much do they cost? What’s the number 1 reason for a patent? What are the 2 factors to see if a product is patentable? Talk about the different enough test? 2 Types of patents and when to consider each type How to protect against knock off and specifically protecting yourself on Amazon. How do you avoid patent infringement? Top resources and guides for patents and IP.    

I’m convinced that the most successful eCommerce companies in the years to come will be those who build a brand.   Building a community, telling a brand story that resonates, building products that people are passionate about, differentiating from the competition - all are part of what it asked to build a successful brand. Companies that just learn a few tricks and tactics to sell more on Amazon or those that rely on just a few google traffic hacks, or those who only sell products that are available from other sellers are in a much weaker position than those who build a brand. That’s why I was super excited to bring on the show a brand building powerhouse like Rick Cesari. Rick has been involved with some pretty stellar brands over the years including the George Foreman Grill, GoPro Cameras, Sonicare Toothbrush, Oxiclean and others. He knows what it takes to position and market a product to make turn it into a massive winner.   Here’s a look at what we cover: Using direct response ads principles and building a brand at the same time. Tips to building a great brand including feedback loops, crafting a USP, getting to the benefit and more.  Learn how Rick helped the Juiceman brand go head-to-head with Krups and Braun and generate $75 million in sales in just 4 years. How to differentiate.  We both love Sally Hogshead’s quote “Different is better than better.” Tips for great videos.  One of our favorite topics and an area that Rick is an expert in.  We talk about what makes for a great video.  Using Ricks brand-building and marketing tips on Amazon. Plus more

Whether you’re planning to sell your eCommerce business in 1 year or 3 years or never, the information in this podcast is pure eCommerce gold. Regardless of your exit plans, it’s important to know how to make your business more valuable now.     My guest for this episode is Joe Valley, Director of Brokerage Services at Quiet Light Brokerage.  Joe is a seasoned eComm expert and a former business owner. As a broker of eCommerce businesses his perspective is unique and insightful.  Here’s a look at what we discuss:   What is my eComm business worth?  Everyone wants to know this. Joe lays out some quick guidelines to keep in mind.   The 4 Pillars of a sellable company.  The beauty of these pillars is that they also will help you run a better business NOW! Biggest mistakes people make when they decide to sell? Biggest success story of someone who sold? Most important financial metrics to determine value? The story of profitability and why cash flow isn’t the whole story Trend analysis and how it impacts value How long does it take to sell an eCommerce business How does a company being on Amazon vs. not being on Amazon impact value? Plus more!

The company with the best data feeds wins.  That’s maybe not the kind of comment you hear too often and it’s not going to be the headline for any motivational posters.  But, there is some truth to it.   On this episode my guest is Brian Roizen, Co-Founder and Chief Architect for Feedonomics, a full-service product feed platform.  While it’s not always true that the company with the best data feed wins, I do believe that your marketing efforts can only be as good as the data that feeds them.     In this episode we get slightly nerdy, but also really practical.  Here’s a look at what we cover.   - Why it’s worth the time to build a good feed.  In a saturated environment you have to differentiate.  A good data feed is one way to help your products stand out.   - How the perfect feed + perfect campaign structure is where you can really gain a competitive edge in Google Shopping and other channels.   - Top feed mistakes to avoid   - Amazon feed tips for world-class Amazon product listings - How to automate Amazon repricing for competitive niches - Benefits of Amazon Brand Registry - Facebook feed tips - How Walmart is growing ecommerce through acquisition and how to profit from their marketplace.   - Google Manufacturer Center why and when you should take control of it - Plus more!