The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Amazon’s Sponsored Brands is not exactly popular among sellers—over 70 percent of people only use Sponsored Products (which we talked about in the previous edition).   In this episode, Dave will answer all your questions about Sponsored Brands using real numbers from our own experiments (using our own brands).   He’ll be diving into whether Sponsored Brands works better (or worse) than Sponsored Products, whether you should be investing in good product videos for Amazon Sponsored Brands Video Ads, and how Amazon records data and attributes sales across various advertising methods.   If you’ve ever wondered if Sponsored Brands ads are worth it, this is definitely the episode for you.    Timestamps:    Which performs better: Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands? - 1:42 How Amazon attributes sales when using different advertising methods - 9:10  Sponsored Brands video ads - 9:57  How our own data compares to what others are reporting - 13:20 The quality standard for video ads on Amazon - 15:51 An easy hack to making effective video ads - 18:23 Should you send people to a product collection page or to your actual storefront? - 20:06   Thank you for tuning in to this episode, and be sure to stay tuned for more editions of our Amazon PPC series.    By the way, if you haven’t already, our Secret Source course bundle is still up for grabs. That's 10 value-packed video courses delivered by industry experts at no more than $10 each—PLUS, we’re throwing in 2 new bonus courses to sweeten the deal even more! Check out all the courses over on ecomcrew.com/sauce.   Also make sure to head over to iTunes and leave us a review if you enjoyed this episode.    Until the next one, happy selling!

Mental and emotional well-being are among the most overlooked aspects in running a business.    Whether you are aware of it or not, your emotions factor greatly into your behavior and decision-making as an entrepreneur.   This is why today, I’ll be sitting down with Topsie VandenBosch to talk all about emotional intelligence and mindset strategies for entrepreneurs, particularly for online business-owners like you.    Topsie is licensed as a Master in Social Work and is currently engaged as a mindset coach for business owners. She’ll be sharing with me how and why it’s important to maintain a level mind when running a business.   We also talk a lot about mindset strategies that can bring your stress levels down to a minimum and help you avoid getting into a rut.   Timestamps: Topsie’s background in mental and emotional health - 2:58 How you can deal with the mental pressures of running a business - 7:06 How emotions can get the better of you - 14:41 Keeping yourself from getting into a rut - 19:36 Why it’s important to accept that someone could do something better - 25:25 The value of receiving objective feedback from someone you trust - 31:03   I definitely learned a lot from Topsie today, as I’m sure you did too. If you want to reach out to her, she’s always posting awesome stuff over on Instagram.    You can also hit her up on her website, topsievandenbosch.com, where awesome content like her Escape the Thought Spiral course are available, or email her directly at hello@topsievanderbosch.com.   Speaking of awesome content, our Secret Sauce bundle is currently up for grabs! That’s 10 Ecommerce Classes for less than $10 each—PLUS, we’re throwing in 2 new bonus courses that you’ll surely get a kick out of. Get the course bundle here.   Don’t forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you enjoyed this episode. Until the next one, happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!

FBA rollups and acquisition companies have been all the rage in 2021, but we don’t often hear about the buying side of an ecommerce brand acquisition.   In this episode, I sit down with Sarah Dajani of Boosted Commerce to talk about the operational side of buying ecommerce brands.   Boosted Commerce is an acquisition company that focuses on buying category leaders with a strong Amazon presence.   Some of the good stuff we talk about include Boosted’s core investment thesis and what acquisition companies really look at when considering which brands to buy. I also get to pick Sarah’s brain about how their company manages to keep the wheels in place after management and operation of an ecommerce business has been passed on.    If you’re running a solid ecommerce brand, have a strong Amazon presence, and are looking to exit your business sooner or later, definitely tune into this one.   Timestamps:  How Sarah ended up at Boosted Commerce - 2:58 What her company looks for when choosing which ecommerce brands to acquire - 7:56 The buying side of an acquisition in terms of multiples - 10:52 What happens after an ecommerce brand acquisition - 19:14 How Boosted Commerce keeps the wheels turning - 28:41 Boosted Commerce’s brand health analysis - 34:57   I definitely learned a lot from Sarah on this one. If you’re interested in selling your business or have some burning questions of your own, you can reach Sarah on sarah@boostedcommerce.com or check out their website, boostedcommerce.com.   If you’re still growing your business, though, there’s no better resource than our Secret Sauce course bundle, which we’re making available at no more than $10 for each course. This bundle includes 10 value-packed video courses where industry experts share their secret sauce to scaling an ecommerce business. PLUS, we’re adding 2 new bonus videos for good measure. Grab your bundle here.   As always, if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review over on iTunes to let us know!   Happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon.

Starting out in ecommerce from zero to a million is tough, and scaling your business further from $1M to $10M is equally daunting.    My guest today is Chase Clymer. He is the co-founder of the Electric Eye Agency, which specializes in helping online entrepreneurs scale their ecommerce businesses. He also hosts the awesome Honest Ecommerce Podcast, which I’m sure a lot of you will find value in as well.   For this episode, Chase and I will be talking about his company’s brand-scaling framework that focuses on three key metrics: average order value, conversion rate, and sessions.    We also talk about the common pain points of sellers on Shopify and why it’s still among the best solutions out there as well as how much an effective content engine can do for your business.    Timestamps:    What Chase has been up to for the past several years - 3:06 Digging deeper into their brand-scaling framework - 4:27 Key things that you need to do to improve your metrics - 10:54 The value of developing a content engine in ecommerce - 23:35 How to get more people atop your funnel and increase sessions - 28:57   I wanna thank Chase for teaching us a lot in this episode. There’s definitely a lot of value here if you’re a $1M seller who’s struggling to take your business to new heights. If you have more questions, you can reach out to him at chase@electriceye.io. Also be sure to check out his awesome Honest Ecommerce.    By the way, our Evergreen Webinar on Importing From China in 2021 is back by popular demand. If you want to learn everything there is to know about importing from the world’s factory, sign up here.   Lastly, if you haven’t already, head over to iTunes and leave us a review. It helps more than you know.   Until the next one, happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!

Just like most other sellers, you probably got into ecommerce for the freedom and the money, but the biggest money you’re ever gonna make comes on the day you sell your business.   Would you know what to do when that day comes? Do you think you’ll be selling your business for top dollar when it does? Have you planned in advance for a 7-figure exit?    If not, this episode is for you.   Today, I’ll be talking to serial entrepreneur and Quiet Light Partner Joe Valley about his new book, The EXITpreneur’s Playbook.   In this book, Joe uses his expertise and real life experiences to help you get that exit right without leaving any money on the table—from setting up a game plan, to knowing the actual value of your business, all the way to negotiating and structuring a deal.    Timestamps: An overview of The EXITpreneur Playbook - 6:33 A sneak peek into the chapters and sections of the book - 15:27  How far in advance you should be planning that exit event - 20:25 Developing healthy habits and how planning little by little can help you get that exit right - 24:31   I wanna thank Joe for coming onto the show and writing this invaluable book for the ecommerce community. If you want to learn more about The EXITpreneur’s Playbook or grab your own copy, head over to exitpreneur.io.   Plus, you’ll want to tune in to future episodes, as we’ll be announcing the mechanics of the autographed book giveaway. We’ll also be announcing the winners shortly thereafter.   On the topic of books, free copies of our Amazon Domination are still up for grabs! This is the definitive guide to launching your product to #1 Best Seller on Amazon—it’s yours for free, just pay for shipping.   Also, if you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, don’t forget to head over to iTunes and leave us a review.   Until the next one, happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!

Ecommerce sellers often throw money on Facebook and Google ads for most of their revenue. But there’s actually a way to use those ads to... well, never rely on ads again (or at least cut your ad costs significantly).    In this episode, I’ll be talking to Jordan West, who is the founder and CEO of Mindful Marketing and who also runs the awesome Secrets to Scaling Your Ecommerce Brand Podcast.   Jordan will be sharing how he made over $250K in ecommerce sales in 24 hours without relying on Facebook ads or heavy discounts, and what strategies he used.   We’ll be talking about building a VIP group of loyal customers by offering them exclusive products, early access to new products, and even nurturing a community where VIPs can exchange opinions about your brand.   We also go over the benefits of gated product launches and SMS marketing, which could work in ways that you don’t really expect.    Timestamps:  An introduction to who Jordan West is and how he got into entrepreneurship and ecommerce - 02:18  Gated launches and why building anticipation can boost conversions - 13:13 Building a VIP group and getting that first thousand people on your list - 18:54 SMS marketing and which tools Jordan uses for his customer base - 21:56   Tools mentioned:  Postscript Attentive   I had fun hearing about Jordan’s experiences and strategies. Be sure to check out Mindful Marketing and his podcast to learn more about ads management and other things ecommerce.    We talked about product launches in this episode, but did you know that 10 minutes is all it takes to successfully launch your rockstar product? This coming June 16 at 10 AM (PST), Founder and CEO of Million Dollar Sellers, Ian Sells will be going live with a free public webinar on Simple and Automated Product Launches in 2021.   It’s free, and there’s still a lot of slots up for grabs! Save your spot here.   As always, if you liked this episode, head over to iTunes and leave us a review. It helps more than you know.   Until the next one, happy selling!

For most ecommerce sellers, the end goal is to build a solid brand and eventually sell your business. But that’s often easier said than done, and I’ve heard a lot of nightmare stories.    That being said, Lesley Johnson has an entirely different experience, having just sold her business at 3.6x without any serious headache whatsoever.   Today, I’ll be talking to Lesley about how she got into ecommerce, what EcomCrew Premium meant for her brand’s growth, and the process of selling her business from start to finish.   Lesley also shares how much she’s learned in the process and her plans of putting her expanded knowledge base to good use.    If you’re in the process of selling your business or are considering that option down the road, definitely give this episode a listen.    Timestamps:  How Lesley got into ecommerce - 3:40 What made Lesley join EcomCrew Premium - 12:35 How Premium helped her easily sell her business - 18:31 What made Lesley decide to sell her business - 22:54 Why she exited instead of growing her company - 24:44 How the deal was structured - 28:48 Lesley’s key takeaway after successfully selling her business - 34:13   I wanna thank Lesley for coming on the show and sharing her experience with us. I’m sure our listeners got a lot of value from her insights. Definitely looking forward to hearing about her next projects soon.   We talked a bit about EcomCrew Premium in this episode. Registrations are closed at the moment (Get notified when it opens), but we do have tons of free stuff you can check out, including our upcoming webinar on Simple and Automated Product Launches, where Ian Sells will teach you how to successfully launch new and old products in just 10 minutes.    That’s on June 16 at 10AM (PST). Be sure to save your slot.   If you loved this episode, feel free to leave us a review on iTunes to let us know.   Until the next one, happy selling!

It’s five times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.    So the saying goes.    But as an ecommerce seller, there’s a plethora of tools out there that you can leverage to engage your audience, expand your customer base, and make your brand more profitable.    My guest for this episode is Paul Baron, who is a Chatbot Architect at The Chat Agency, a marketing solutions provider that helps brands rank, build lists, and boost conversion rates using chatbots and influencer marketing.    Paul will be sharing how he got into ecommerce and how he eventually made the deep dive into digital marketing. He’ll walk us through where his marketing strategies have found the most success, how he gets people into lists, and how he builds a network of brand ambassadors using various marketing funnels.    You’ll also learn why it’s not just knowing your audience, but also knowing how they engage with your brand, that can take your business to the next level.    Timestamps:  How Paul got into ecommerce - 03:58 Where Paul and his team has seen the most success - 8:03 Getting people into your marketing funnels - 10:33  Why you should consider yourself an ‘influencer’ - 15:02 How much brand ambassadors matter in terms of revenue - 20:45 The value of putting together a buyer persona (If you haven’t already) - 27:10   I’d like to thank Paul for all the good stuff he shared with me today. If you’re looking to grow your brand through chatbots and influencer marketing, definitely check out their services over on thechatagency.com.   Speaking of growing your brand, nothing speaks ecommerce more than mastering the art of importing from the world’s factory floor. Copies of our book, Import From China Like A Pro are still up for grabs—your copy is on us, just pay for shipping!   Don’t forget to leave us a review over on iTunes if you like this episode, and as always, happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!

Whether you’re an established seller or running an ecommerce business out of your living room, you’ll run into some hairsplitting decisions sooner or later.    Should you create a new listing or re-introduce an old product as ‘new and improved’? Is it better to offer a ‘deluxe version’ or craft an entirely different listing? Should you hire your first employee or keep on handling everything yourself?   Questions like these keep a lot of ecommerce sellers up at night, but that’s what our Under the Hood segment is for.    In today’s episode, we’re doing a follow-up Under the Hood session with Dawn LaFontaine, who was our guest way back in Episode 244: How to Drive Traffic to a Low Search Volume Product.   We’ll be talking about what a lifestyle business actually means and what it’s like being at that crossroads where you’re looking to hire that first employee.   I’ll also be sharing my strategies for converting high organic traffic into actual sales, why you want ‘Made in the USA’ for certain products and could live with importing others, plus, I’ll be answering some of Dawn’s burning questions that you might also be itching to ask yourself.    Timestamps: Recapping our first Under the Hood session - 5:07 How I stay excited with everything I do - 16:58 What defines a lifestyle business and why it may be different for everyone - 24:39 US-made vs China-made, and why a mix of both is okay - 34:53 Revamping an existing product - 40:12 My tips for offering product variations - 43:37 Launching a product using an old listing - 47:18 Why PPC is always worth it - 48:37   I had a fun time talking to Dawn and I hope more of our furry friends find their way into her cute cardboard boxes. Check out all her awesome cat boxes over on Cat in the Box.   By the way, Premium won’t be open again for a few months, but we still have a ton of free stuff that you’ll surely find value in.    Our free public webinar on Importing From China 2021 is still open for registrations. We’ll be teaching you our exact secrets to importing from the world’s factory—from sourcing products, to working with suppliers, to shipping and logistics.   This free webinar will be on June 3 at 10 AM (PST)Reserve your slot here.   As always, if you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review over on iTunes to let us know. Happy selling, and we’ll talk to you soon!

Mike and Dave talk about why Amazon is pushing sellers away from FBA, how they are dealing with storage limits, and what fallback strategies you can use.   “Amazon is not a retail company, it’s a logistics company that does retail.”   Interesting adage. But is it still true today?   In this episode, Dave and I will try to dissect Amazon’s mindset—whether over the next several months, they will try to get more sellers to send more of their inventory into FBA, or push them towards Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) or merchant-fulfilled models.    In particular, we’ll go over key factors that might be affecting Amazon’s recent moves, including COVID, supply chain disruptions, and rising labor costs.   We’ll also look into Amazon’s recently-updated inventory and restock limitations, how it shakes things up for third party sellers, and what strategies we are putting in place to stay ahead of the curve.    Finally, we’ll talk about our general fallback options in case FBA does cease (whether partially or entirely) to make sense for ecommerce sellers.    If you’re looking for some insights as to what’s been going on with FBA and how you can plan your business around that, definitely give this one a listen.    Timestamps: Is FBA dying? – 4:24 How rising wages could affect Amazon’s mindset on FBA – 12:10 Dealing with Amazon’s new inventory and restock limits – 14:25 The pains of managing your own warehouse – 23:57   It’s always a pleasure having Dave to bounce my ideas off of. Feel free to check out his piece on Amazon’s Storage Limits in 2021 and all the other good stuff over on the EcomCrew Blog.   Also, in case you missed it, today is the last day that EcomCrew Premium will be open for the quarter. We limit our openings to make sure that we can cater to all of our Premium members, so if you’re someone who could use unlimited email support from two 7-figure sellers, finds value in webinars presented by industry experts, and are looking to join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs, give Premium a try.   Finally, leave us a review over on iTunes if you liked this episode. Until the next one, happy selling and we’ll talk to you soon!