

Secrets To Scaling Your Ecommerce Brand
Jordan West
TL;DR: Secrets to Scaling Your E-commerce Brand PodcastHosted by Brand + Agency Owner Jordan West, delve into the essentials of e-commerce growth, including:Paid Advertising: Master the art of paid ads across platforms.Creative Strategy: Unlock innovative approaches to marketing.TikTok Shop & Ads: Explore the potential of TikTok for e-commerce.Facebook Ads: Leverage Facebook's vast network for your brand.Influencer Outreach: Harness the power of influencer marketing.Real Successes & Failures: Learn from real-life experiences and case studies.Industry Leader Insights: Gain wisdom from top figures in the e-commerce world.Join us for invaluable advice and strategies to elevate your e-commerce store.Welcome to "Secrets to Scaling Your E-commerce Brand," the podcast where we dive deep into the mechanics and strategies of growing your online store. I'm your host, Jordan West, a seasoned entrepreneur who has navigated the highs and lows of owning six e-commerce brands and leading a DTC marketing agency.In this podcast, we're not just scratching the surface. We're dissecting the very core of what it takes to amplify your e-commerce store's revenue. From mastering paid ads and unravelling the mysteries of creative strategy to leveraging TikTok Shop and TikTok ads, Facebook ads, and beyond. I'll share the tactics that have propelled my businesses forward and the lessons learned from the pitfalls I've encountered along the way.But that's not all. "Secrets to Scaling Your E-commerce Brand" is also about the voices of industry leaders who've made significant impacts in the e-commerce world. Join us as we talk to these pioneers, extracting valuable insights and actionable advice that you can apply directly to your business.Whether you're a budding entrepreneur eager to make your mark or an established brand looking to break through to the next level, this podcast is your go-to resource for strategies that work. Join me, Jordan West, as we unlock the secrets to scaling your e-commerce brand, transforming challenges into opportunities, and visions into realities.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 24, 2023 • 37min
Ep 503: Tiktok Shops - Don't Miss Out On This Once In A Lifetime Opportunity! With Jake Bjorseth, Trndsttrs
Send us a textTraditional influencer marketing might not yield the desired results anymore. Start focusing on creating viral content rather than just growing your follower count to capture the attention of potential customers.In this episode, Jordan West and Jake Bjorseth, Founder of Trndsttrs, an expert when it comes to leveraging the power of TikTok, and he's here to share his insights on how to set up TikTok shops and tap into the potential gold rush of creators on the platform. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:The importance of creating compelling content on TikTok that convinces people to buy, rather than focusing solely on follower count.The value of understanding TikTok both as a consumer and in a business context.The benefits of TikTok shops in solving the attribution issues of TikTok ads and providing trustworthy purchase data.The importance of understanding and leveraging the features and algorithms of TikTok to reach and engage potential consumers on the For You page.The value of posting multiple times a day on TikTok to maximize reach and visibility.Recommended App/Tool:Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/Whoop: https://www.whoop.com/us/en/Recommended Book/Podcast:The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqqjU7zCI10Gary Vee: https://garyvaynerchuk.com/podcast/Alex Hormozi: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YNopzKDGDwf0auIpPTIIDToday’s Guest:Jake Bjorseth, Founder of Trndsttrs, driven by his passion for content creation and the desire to create a supportive community for like-minded individuals, Jake decided to establish his own content house. Bringing together a group of talented Gen Z influencers, they found a space where they could live, collaborate, and create content round the clock. Connect and learn more about jake and Trndsttrs:Website: https://www.trndsttrs.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trndsttr/

Nov 21, 2023 • 33min
Ep 502: Surviving 2024 - The Hiring Moves You Must Make with Joel MacPherson, TrueOps
Send us a textExplore the crucial art of recruiting top talent so that you can build an unstoppable team. It's all about finding the perfect fit for specific tasks and the value they bring.In this episode, Jordan West and Joel MacPherson, Co-Founder of True Ops share the challenges of hiring and scaling teams, emphasizing the need for talent density and a proper qualifying process. They also shared valuable insights on hiring locally or internationally, especially in Argentina and the Philippines. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Focus on building a hiring process that identifies the right talent for your business.Consider outsourcing or hiring internationally based on specific role requirements.Stay updated on big companies setting up in certain locations for hiring and cultural alignment opportunities.Take advantage of currency differences in hiring decisions to gain a competitive advantage.Break down the organization into manageable chunks and establish internal checks for accountability.Identify areas of the business with a clear return on investment when making the first hire.Recommended App/Tool:Breezy HR: https://breezy.hr/Bryq: https://www.bryq.com/Test Gorilla: https://www.testgorilla.com/Superpowered: https://superpowered.me/Airtable: https://www.airtable.com/Sandler: https://www.sandler.com/Recommended Book/Podcast:Spin Selling: https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/0070511136Today’s Guest:Joel MacPherson, Co-Founder of TrueOps, is a firm believer in breaking the rules and finding unconventional approaches to success. He values the principle of minimizing management overhead and maximizing individual contributions. Connect and learn more about Joel and TrueOps:Website: https://www.trueops.ai/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-macpherson-cpa/

Nov 17, 2023 • 39min
Ep 501: Performance Influencers - This Is The Way with Noah Tucker, Social Snowball
Send us a textDiscover how to leverage your existing customer base by transforming them into valuable affiliates. In this episode, Jordan West and Noah Tucker, CEO of Social Snowball, dive into a game-changing affiliate marketing strategy that can revolutionize your customer acquisition efforts. They share real-life success stories and discuss how even creators with smaller followings can make a significant impact when their content is high quality. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:The Lifetime Value (LTV) of a brand impacts customers' motivation to refer friends.Treating customers as actual affiliates in affiliate programs leads to better customer acquisition results.Referral programs should be seen as customer acquisition channels, not just loyalty programs.Brands are exploring partnerships with TikTok creators for customer acquisition.TikTok creators don't necessarily need a large following, but the quality of their content matters.Recommended App/Tool:Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com/Sendlane: https://www.sendlane.com/Repurpose.io: https://repurpose.io/Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/Arc Browser: https://arc.net/Mantle: https://heymantle.com/Recommended Audiobook/Podcast:Rob Walling: https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/Today’s Guest:Noah Trucker, CEO and founder of Social Snowball, an affiliate and referral marketing platform for ecommerce. With a background of 5 years in the ecommerce space, Noah built Social Snowball out of his own needs. After experiencing frustration with the lack of functionality in existing affiliate programs and software, he embarked on a journey to create something better. Connect and learn more about Noah and Social Snowball:Website: https://socialsnowball.io/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-tucker-71a294154/X: https://twitter.com/noatuck

Nov 15, 2023 • 37min
Ep 500: Send Them What? The Marketing Channel That No One Is Using with Mandy Herrmann
Send us a textPartner integrations and the need to explore marketing channels well beyond social media and Google will be explored. It’s all about reaching potential customers wherever they may be.In this episode, Jordan West and Mandy Herrmann, a seasoned CMO, discuss the emotional power of physical books and the impact on brand loyalty. They discussed QR codes, direct mail, and collaboration with other brands in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce marketing. Key takeaways from this episode:Home decor and fashion brands effectively use catalogs for emotional attachment and inclusivity.Catalogs are beneficial for starting conversations and building brand loyalty.Catalog targeting can be highly specific, allowing for precision in reaching intended audiences.Exploring marketing activities beyond social media and Google can help reach potential customers.Sustainability considerations, such as using recycled paper, are important for environmentally-conscious customers and brand perception.Collaboration with other brands for catalog distribution can expand reach and be cost-effective.Recommended App/Tool:Krisp: https://krisp.ai/PostPilot: https://www.postpilot.com/Rockerbox: https://www.rockerbox.com/Million Dollar Offer: https://upgrowthacademy.podia.com/offer-courseRecommended Audiobook/Podcast:WTF: https://www.wtfpod.com/podcastToday’s Guest:Mandy Herrmann, seasoned CMO, a German living in the Bay Area who is passionate about 360 Marketing. Her passion lies in growing businesses profitably by putting the customer in the focal point of Marketing. Reaching them from the first touch all the way through the conversion and post-purchase with paid and unpaid channels gets her excited. Connect and learn more about Mandy:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-herrmann/Improve your gross margins by up to 40%!Facing inventory headaches this Q4 season? Dreading those long 45-60-day waits for product arrivals? Portless is the fulfillment game-changer for e-commerce brands. Why Portless? Direct Shipping: From China to customers in just 6-8 days, covering 55+ countries. Domestic Feel: Custom packaging, local tracking from carriers Cost-Effective: Slash those cargo shipping and customs fees Cash Flow Positive: No more tied-up cash flow in inventory. Relieve yourself of frozen cash within a couple of days.

Nov 10, 2023 • 23min
Ep 499: Jordan West Gets Coached By Jordan Salvit And Things Get Uncomfortable, Salvit Advisors
Send us a textImagine hearing the insights of a brutally honest analysis of an e-commerce business that has endured the trials of the past year and still managed to grow—sound like something you'd want to dive into?In this episode, Jordan West and Jordan Salvit, Salvit Advisors engages in a revealing conversation. They delve deep into the numbers of Little and Lively, uncovering some hard truths and incredible insights that have propelled the business forward, even amid challenging times. They peels back the layers of Little&Lively story, providing an expert analysis of the brand's performance, customer dynamics, and game-changing action steps that have the potential to drive monumental growth. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Analyzing customer data and understanding the breakdown of existing and new customers is crucial for continued business growth.The importance of identifying and leveraging high-performing and profitable products within the brand's product lineup with a high lifetime revenue value.The significance of continuous testing and optimizing of marketing channels and strategies for customer acquisition, including considering platforms like TikTok and YouTube and refreshing ad accounts and pixels.Creating a strong referral program to capitalize on the highly engaged customer base and leverage word-of-mouth marketing.Prioritizing key focus areas, such as increasing new customer acquisition and emphasizing the first product customers purchase, to drive consistent and continuous brand growth.Recommended App/Tool:Social Snowball: https://socialsnowball.io/Google Shopping: https://shopping.google.com/?pli=1Performance Max: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10724817?hl=enMillion Dollar Offer: https://upgrowthacademy.podia.com/offer-courseElevar: https://www.getelevar.com/Converge: https://www.convergehub.com/Today’s Guest:Jordan Salvit, CEO and Founder of Salvit Advisors, embarked on a journey of self-discovery after selling a successful business. Unsure of his next move, he ventured into consulting for brands, using his expertise in helping founders leverage a playbook to focus on key opportunities that will have a significant impact on their business growth. With his extensive background in computer science and analytics, he specializes in developing churn management systems and analyzing business data to identify priorities for exponential growth. Connect and learn more about Jordan and Salvit Advisors:Website: https://www.salvit.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvit/X: https://twitter.com/jordansalvit

Nov 8, 2023 • 11min
Ep 498: BFCM Part 3 - Email + SMS Strategies To Add 30% Cash!
Send us a textCreate some buzz with warm-up emails and effectively leverage SMS marketing that teases your BFCM offers without cannibalizing current sales. Think early bird specials and thank-you messages to loyal customers – building anticipation and showing appreciation goes a long way! In this episode, Jordan West covered essential strategies to prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023. He talked about optimizing your site for email capture, launching email campaigns early, personalizing your emails, and updating your homepage with seasonal creatives. He also emphasized the importance of mobile and desktop friendliness and gathering feedback to ensure a top-notch shopping experience. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Planning and launching email marketing campaigns early for BFCM.Optimizing your site for email capture and testing different offers to entice sign-ups.Setting up data feed for personalizing email campaigns for different customer segments.Sending warm-up emails with hints and teasers to create excitement without cannibalizing current sales.Updating your homepage with seasonal creatives like creating gift guides and ensuring mobile and desktop friendliness.Auditing your entire email sequence and series, updating them to be holiday-themed for BFCM readiness.Recommended App/Tool:Million Dollar Offer: https://upgrowthacademy.podia.com/offer-courseShopify: https://www.shopify.com/

Nov 6, 2023 • 13min
Ep 497: BFCM Part 2 - How To Deal With Your Loyal Customers
Send us a textYour loyal customers are your advocates and can be a powerful marketing force for your brand. By showing appreciation, you not only strengthen your relationship with them but also boost your bottom line.In this episode, Jordan West dives deeper into BFCM discussion to help you make the most out of this year's holiday season. He also shared that having a clear plan helps everyone stay on track and make informed decisions. Staying agile and adaptable based on customer response and market dynamics is essential. You must possess the ability to adjust your strategies because it will help you optimize your sales and achieve better results.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Loyal customers should be given special treatment and incentives such as early access, better discounts, referral codes, and bonus points in customer loyalty programs. The importance of being organized, particularly for visionary-minded individuals. A planned sales map and clear communication within the team are essential.Transparency and visibility within the team, even for smaller teams, are crucial for effective communication and coordination. The ability to pivot and make changes based on performance is important, even with a planned sales strategy.Recommended App/Tool:PostPilot: https://www.postpilot.com/Sendlane: https://www.sendlane.com/Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com/

Nov 3, 2023 • 16min
Ep 496: BFCM Part 1 - Is This The Last One?
Send us a textThis year has been challenging for many brands, but there's hope on the horizon. Unlocking here insights and expert tips on how you can tackle Black Friday Cyber Monday head-on and come out stronger than ever. In this episode, Jordan West shares an exclusive series dedicated to preparing your brand for the holiday shopping season! He dives into the essential strategies to make the most out of this year's BFCM. He also shares a Viral Topic: Using an irresistible offer to attract customers. If you’re a DTC brand, be sure to never miss this one.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Consider starting your promotions early and extending them into December to tap into the gift-giving season. Instead of offering better discounts as Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, provide different promotions throughout the sales period. Avoid pricing strategies that may frustrate customers, such as increasing discounts as time goes on. You don't have to put your entire store on sale. Use data from Shopify reports to identify the products that are most likely to sell well during the BFCM promotion. Make sure to order products early to ensure availability from your suppliers. Rather than highlighting the percentage off, display the resulting slashed price.Consider the potential seasonal demand and forecast accordingly using Shopify reports.Recommended App/Tool:Tapcart: https://www.tapcart.com/ABC Analysis: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/inventory/abc-analysisTriple Whale: https://www.triplewhale.com/Lifetimely: https://www.lifetimely.io/

Nov 1, 2023 • 27min
Ep 495: Major Celebrity Endorsements And Investors - Do They Actually Work? With Henry Murray, Waterdrop
Send us a textThink outside the box for impactful activations. Take inspiration from their creativity and find unique ways to make a statement for your brand.In this episode, Jordan West and Henry Murray, Co-Founder of Waterdrop discussed the importance of strategic partnerships and investments, which led them to an unforgettable activation in Times Square. They built a tennis court and had the privilege of playing a match with none other than Novak Djokovic, the tennis legend and an investor in Waterdrop. This publicity stunt not only brought awareness to their mission but also showcased their commitment to reducing single-use plastic bottles.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Having a clear and impactful mission for your brand can attract major investors and celebrity endorsements. When expanding internationally, design your business and brand to be appealing and accessible to a global audience. Thoughtful and creative activations with influencers or celebrities can generate buzz and attention for your brand, but they require careful planning and resources. The impact of such activations can be measured through factors like website traffic, incrementality testing, and customer feedback. Leveraging the influence and status of celebrities can open doors and garner positive attention for your brand. Planning and preparation are key to ensuring the success and cost-effectiveness of big activations. Tracking and analyzing the impact of major activations can provide valuable insights for future marketing strategies.Recommended App/Tool:Fairing: https://fairing.co/By the Numbers: https://www.bythenumbersapp.com/Loyalty Lion: https://loyaltylion.com/Recommended Podcast:Lex Fridman: https://lexfridman.com/podcast/Today’s Guest:Henry Murray, Co-founder of Waterdrop is the visionary behind Waterdrop, a revolutionary product with a clear mission: eliminating prefilled beverages and plastic bottles from the world. In 2016, Henry and his team in Germany created Waterdrop, a small hydration cube that can be dropped into water. This innovative product is not only lightweight but also uses 98% less plastic, as it solely contains fruit and plant extracts. With this eco-friendly approach, Henry and his team were able to bypass traditional distribution channels and go direct to consumers, making water readily available and free.Connect and learn more about Henry and Waterdrop:Website: https://www.waterdrop.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-murray-00578a55/

Oct 27, 2023 • 28min
Ep 494: The Untapped Market No One In DTC Knows About with Ramiro Velasco, GoAvance
Send us a textDigitization is on the rise. In the next 10 years, an estimated 700,000,000 people will digitize their shopping habits, creating a vast market full of untapped potential.In this episode, Jordan West and Ramiro Velasco from GoAvance share how he initially engaged in business activity for personal gain and discovered an inefficient yet full-of-opportunity market. They emphasizes the importance of being part of a growing market and sheds light on the challenges one may face when trading in a shrinking market, citing examples such as bear markets and competition from the likes of Amazon. Capital raising, the role of YouTube, and the challenges faced by agencies are also explored, along with surprising connections between business and music. He anticipates a significant increase in digitized shopping habits over the next decade, creating a larger market and exciting opportunities.Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Recognize the importance of being part of a growing market and the challenges of trading in a shrinking market. Avoid being a bad client by putting yourself in the shoes of service providers and understanding their perspective. Acknowledge that nobody has all the answers and that everyone is continually learning and figuring things out. Realize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to raising capital for businesses. Be upfront, honest, and set realistic expectations when working with agencies or service providers. Explore and leverage diverse backgrounds and experiences to find unique opportunities in the e-commerce market. Understand the changes in consumer behavior and the digitization of shopping habits, which present new opportunities for businesses. Recognize the potential of underrepresented categories and the importance of strategic planning when launching products. Seek expert guidance when entering new markets to avoid costly mistakes. Explore unique payment solutions like installment plans to overcome payment issues and attract more customers.Today’s Guest:Ramiro Velasco Mesina, President and Co-Founder, GoAvance specializes in Amazon and Latin American e-commerce, with a track record of achieving substantial growth for more than 50 seven-figure brands on the Amazon platform. His expertise lies in assisting brands in entering the Latin American e-commerce markets and addressing the various challenges that foreign brands typically encounter in these markets.Connect and learn more about Ramiro and GoAvance:Website: https://goavance.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramiro-velasco-mesina-a96bb8143/?originalSubdomain=mxEmail: info@goavance.com