The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Welcome to Part 2 of our How to Build a Brand series. Last time we went over a few things to get you thinking about your brand, but on today’s episode Grant and I are getting into the nitty gritty and talking about the tools you’re going to need to build your brand successfully. Remember, branding is always easier if you can inspire an emotional reaction or attachment with your product. But finding that product is easier said than done. Both of us have our hands in several niche businesses, and we have some pointers to get you thinking about what kind of product you want to invest your brand in and where you can find it. Sometimes you have to wait around for inspiration to hit, but in the meantime you can develop your domain, establish an SEO engine, and find a way to make social media work for you. Grant and I explain exactly how to do this with a little insight into: How to accommodate shipping costs with your product Focusing on consumable goods customers use over and over again How to make your product stand out from the rest Using social media to help your product stand out (if you dare!) What to do when you can’t find the niche you’re looking for Our production and shipping process and how we keep them speedy The difference between standard listings and “Amazon Super Listings” Using SEO to your advantage Whatever you are choosing to brand, the tips we share in this second part of our How to Build a Brand series will help you advertise better, sell better, and maintain long-lasting and reciprocal relationships with your customers. And stay tuned for our third and final installment of How to Build a Brand! If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast please go to ecomcrew.com and fill out the contact form. Also we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes.

This episode is part one of what will be a two or three part series on brand building.  You hear a lot about selling your products to make thousands on Amazon, but the way that we look at it is that those things are just get-rich-quick schemes. You’re not building a long term presence or brand, which is what we’re here to talk about today: how to build your brand.  Personally, we have our own brands that have all individually reached success. We discuss the strategy we’re using of researching a market in depth and looking at other products in the same niche that are similar to what we want to do that we can do better. We see their rankings and figure out how to improve the product and build a brand around those improvements. We’re here to talk to you about how to do that, and so much more like: How we used Amazon as a strong sales channel to bootstrap their brand Things that you need to be looking for when you're starting your own brand The pros and cons of owning your own brand The truth about being a seller on Amazon Cash-flow and higher margins Our newly newly-launched business The dangers to avoid when starting up your brand Before you really commit to your brand, be sure to test it out first. It comes down to reducing the damage of your bad decisions and asking yourself: “Are we still gonna sell enough every day to make it worth our while?” It’s really necessary to get the confidence under your feet to be able to pull the trigger on  larger purchases, as well. Having an idea of how much money you can put into your brand for most people will be the predominant factor in deciding what kind of brand you can even launch. If you’re just trying to get an idea of the market, we tell you about a quick test you can do with $500 or less. If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast please go to ecomcrew.com and fill out the contact form. Also we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes.     

Today’s podcast focuses on niching down your audience, but first a listener question. Tyler asks, “If you can share experience with MAP pricing?” If you would like to ask Ecom Crew a question head over to our contact form or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook. Grant says MAP pricing was used on Treadmill.com. MAP pricing is the minimum advertised price, and it is an agreement between vendors and sellers stipulating the lowest price the item can be advertised at. Some even argue whether MAP pricing is legal or not. Our experience was that we abided by it. The decision to use MAP really comes down to the vendor and seller relationship. If you aren’t making any money, you may want to reconsider your strategy. Mike says that MAP pricing can make things really tough if you are selling on MAP, but others aren’t. There are some ways to work around it such as free shipping or coupons, but we prefer not to have to deal with MAP pricing if we don’t have to. Niching down ad campaigns is a topic that came up in Mike’s mastermind group. Ecom Crew has really been ramping up our advertising campaigns. Mike was sharing advertising campaigns with the group, and the advice is to niche down to a smaller audience. Campaigns can be targeted by state, sex, age, and income this really focuses on who the customer is. Likewise, Grant feels that finding a profitable sector in any paid advertising is the way to go. It’s common for people to shop in the mornings between 8 am and 10 am. Monday is a good shopping day as opposed to Friday. People from states with higher incomes often buy higher priced items. It pays to modify the spending budget to focus on profitable sectors and lower the budget on unprofitable sectors. Negative keyword lists are a great way to avoid wasting money and not paying for tire-kickers. IOS users seem to perform better than Android users. IE users may be older and less sophisticated on Internet, may not comparison shop. Earlier in the day performs better with returns on ad spend. Geographic sectors and states with more money or most populous states can perform better. States like Oregon and Washington do better with coloring books. Campaigns on Facebook are broken down by sex, 10 year age blocks, and $50,000 income blocks. Niche down to a smaller audience, look at performance, and find small profitable niche. Niching by job titles can find movers and shakers in certain sectors. Next week we’ll be talking about how to build your own brand. This should be a multi-part series that can help avoid issues like MAP pricing. Mentioned on this podcast: CuttingBoard.com ChoppingBlocks.com Treadmill.com Ecom Crew Facebook Page Ecom Crew Twitter If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast please go to ecomcrew.com and fill out the contact form. Also we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes.   

Welcome to our last podcast of 2015! We love all the feedback we’ve received since we launched our podcast, and we can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say next year. That’s why on today’s episode we’re answering a listener’s questions! On our forum, David recently asked how we managed the logistics of owning and maintaining multiple brands under one business. Many of you out there may have quite a few small businesses under your belt, and managing the paperwork, the inventory, and the accounting of each of these different gigs can be really frustrating, especially when it comes down to multiple platforms, different social media accounts, and advertising for each and every one of your new products. Grant has even done very thorough research trying to find the best software to help us manage all of our different brands. He discusses this research on today’s podcast, and we cover a few points we’ve had hands-on experience with, including: Balancing the multiple brands within your business How to merge and manage inventories for multiple brands Common inventory errors and how you can avoid them Using tech and software to help you handle the logistics of your business Grant’s personal research on different management software The pros and cons of using various software and how we use them for shipping, accounting, and inventory management How we – two guys who really hate accounting – find the best ways to manage our accounts and taxes Telecommunication tips to keep you visible and accessible for your customers Resources Mentioned: StitchLabs ShipStation Sellbrite TradeGecko Orderhive HubLogix Skubana Xero Quicken Phone.com eVoice.com Mike’s 2015 Year in Review Blog Post If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast please go to ecomcrew.com and fill out the contact form. Also we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes.

Today we are giving you the Grant and Mike fireside chat as we take a look at how things have been going for us for the past 30 days and talk about some of our goals for 2016.  For both of us sales have been going really well and we have some exciting things to look forward to as we head into the new year. Grant explains that sales have exploded over the holiday buying period at CuttingBoard.com.  Things are also going well at sister site ChoppingBlocks.com.  He talks about other Amazon projects he has going on too.  Grant notes that container pricing has dropped and talks about the impact of decreased shipping costs. His long-term goal is not to have to package anything himself ever again. Mike has seen substantial growth in sales as well.  He has taken a major step in his business by eliminating dealing with third-party items from Amazon.  Mike has replaced those third-party items with items that have his brand name.  He has also hired his second full time employee and moved operations to a larger space which allows for a better office environment.  Mike’s long-term goal is to not have to ever move again.  He explains his plans to use third-party fulfillment going forward. We also take the wraps off some new things we’ve been working on: Grant has a supplier lined up his leatherjacket.com domain and believes he will be able to carve out a great small niche in the business. Mike has launched colorIt.com, which offers high-end premium coloring books for adults.  He will round out the brand with journals, sketchbooks and other items. We also talk a bit about logistics, which we will get into greater detail on the next Ecom Crew podcast episode.   Mentioned on this podcast: CuttingBoard.com ChoppingBlocks.com Ironlinx Fulfillment by Amazon StitchLabs ColorIt.com If you have any questions or anything you’d like us to discuss on the podcast please go to ecomcrew.com and fill out the contact form. Also we would really appreciate if you would leave us a review on iTunes.         

Today I’m flying solo again, but I have a great email to share with you. Jay from New Jersey sent me some questions about my recent trip to China. For those who didn’t know I have covered this extensively in our blog and the last episode. But today I’m going to answer Jay’s questions and hopefully encourage other listeners to send in more feedback. We went to China to check out both the Canton Fair and the Hong Kong Mega Show. It was a great experience and even though I was a little disappointed in one of my niche market searches I still found some great deals for some of our other brands. Jay asked some awesome questions. Here are some of the topics I covered in today’s episode: How did I get a visa? What did I buy? What did I buy at the show that excited me? Did I save money on products?  How long will shipments take?  What currency was I asked for? These questioned opened the door to some deeper discussion and I tried to answer them to the fullest I could and still be comfortable, These are some of the tips I have: When you purchase a Chinese visa, go ahead and pay for a 10 year pass. Why projected shipment times are never accurate. Why I always pay my first payment with Paypal. If you are still curious about my trip to China, you can read more on our blog at ecomcrew.com. Also check us out on iTunes and leave an honest review of the show. We want to know if our content helps you and your honesty is the only way to know. Next time Grant should be back to discuss the inspection process with me. Until then, special thanks to Jay from New Jersey for today’s questions!

I just got back from China and I am exhausted. My wife and I spent over three weeks visiting and mingling at the Hong Kong and Canton trade fairs. It was a great trip, but unfortunately Grant was unable to join us. New babies make international travel a tad bit difficult, but it was still one of the best trips I’ve ever taken for my career and my business. I like to call this trip my Leap Frog Event. Going to these trade shows gives me the opportunity to see my manufacturing and buying process first-hand, and it’s much easier to break through the language barrier when you can talk face-to-face. Seeking out the higher quality manufacturers can be tricky because these trade shows are huge, bigger than any I’ve ever been to in the States. Working these events, I walked a minimum of 5 miles every day – surpassing 12 miles one day! So in today’s episode not only am I going to discuss all I saw and who I worked with, but I’m also going to offer up my own traveler’s advice. Tune in and hear all about: Tips for international travel, including getting your Visa, finding a flight, dressing comfortably, and preparing for your trip Hotels and accommodations in Asia, including internet connections in Hong Kong and mainland China Mike’s insight on his experience at the Hong Kong and Canton trade shows The major differences between these two fairs and how they compare to local trade fairs in the United States How to look for the best manufacturers at these crowded trade shows How to find middle-ground on quality when working with international manufacturers Networking tips and how to navigate the international scene of manufacturers and buyers Check out our blog at www.ecomcrew.com for photos from my trip and more about my favorite manufacturers and tips for navigating Mainland China without an internet connection. And if you’ve been to China (or are thinking of going) leave us a review on iTunes and let us know about your own experiences!  

Today Mike and Grant are going to give some guidelines on when to invest in your growing business. In any business there are aspects that are necessary to invest in and things that can be added as the business grows. This episode offers sound advice on when to recognize that need to grow and when your business has reached a peak.   Other bits of advice are: Keep your costs as low as possible or your “burn rate.”   Know what items you need to spend money on how they will save you time.   Check out the work  of Chris Ducker and the concept of “Superhero Syndrome.”   Mike and Grant want to give you a realistic portrait of how a business grows and why investing in that business will fuel growth. Their advice is meant for longevity and will give up and coming business owners great food for thought.   Leave us a review iTunes and head over to our site www.ecomcrew.com for more news and updates on what’s working for e-commerce today.

I’m casting solo today because Grant just had a baby! Congratulations! He’ll be back next week, but in the meantime, I’m going to talk about one of the best experiences I’ve had since becoming an online entrepreneur. I recently joined a forum called eCommerceFuel, a private online community for business owners that’s secure enough for candid business discussion and social enough to connect you with some new and exciting people. I’ve been attending their live events since I joined a few months ago, and this past conference I just attended blew my mind. Beyond the free food and open bar, the conference hosted networking events, group sessions, and keynote speakers discussing everything from personal business anecdotes, economic philosophies, to tips for using Facebook advertisements. Now, I’m not the kind of guy that likes to speak in front of crowds, but the breakout sessions and mastermind groups at this conference pushed me out of my comfort zone – in the best way! I’ve since joined two mastermind groups, and communicating with these amazing business owners through the forum is a great way to keep in touch and grow your business at the same time. Tune in now to find out how you can join the forum and hear about: eCommerceFuel and their amazing live events Mike’s first-hand experience with eCommerceFuel Mike’s favorite speakers and breakout sessions from eCommerceFuel Travel tips so you can get the most out of your e-commerce events What mastermind groups are and how valuable they can be You can apply for the eCommerceFuel forum online at www.ecommercefuel.com. You don’t have to be a member to hear their podcast, so tune in and test them out to see if they work for you. Leave us a review iTunes and head over to our site www.ecomcrew.com for more news and updates on what’s working for e-commerce today.

On our podcast today we play host to James Peacock, president of the Arizona branch of inXpress, the international shipping guru that has saved both Grant and myself tons of money shipping overseas. What makes his website great is the fact that it requires no extra fees. You only pay when you ship, and the discounts you receive from inXpress can be combined with your existing discounts from USPS and UPS. James offers up some insightful tidbits of business information that can help you conquer the biggest challenge of e-commerce: Shipping! “People use our account as a barometer to see what kind of deals you’ll be getting,” James says as he explains the price of goods both domestically and abroad. “Every small to mid-size company are all receiving a discount…the problem is that, because international is the smallest amount of their shipping volume, the discount equals the volume. So if you have low volume, you have low discounts. We’re saving people over 40% [internationally] on top of their discounts from USPS.” Beyond telling you how to save money, James also shares his opinion on: The cost benefits of air shipping over sea shipping and vice-versa The pros and cons of purchasing from overseas vendors, including China, Canada, and Europe The meaning of “all-in pricing” when it comes to security, fees, and taxes involved with importing and exporting abroad How you can save money on your logistics by shopping for smart shippers To learn more about James and his work with inXpress, tune in today and visit his website at www.intlshippingrates.com. You can also reach him directly by phone at 480-405-6390 or online at james.peacock@inxpress.com. Don’t forget to leave us a review on iTunes and sign up for our newsletter at www.ecomcrew.com if you haven’t already. Enjoy the show!