eCommerce Fastlane: Shopify Growth Strategies—Where AI Efficiency Meets Human Connection
Steve Hutt | Shopify and eCommerce Expert
Running a Shopify store? You already know success isn't about finding the right app—it's about knowing which strategies actually work at your specific stage of growth.
I'm Steve Hutt, and I've lived every level of the ecommerce journey. From eBay Power Seller shipping products from my garage, to co-founding and scaling VisionPros.com (an optical DTC startup) through to a successful exit, then spending 6+ years as a Shopify Merchant Success Manager helping 100+ brands from startup to enterprise scale, including working with teams at Tentree, Dr. Squatch, Bulletproof Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, MUD/WTR, Bokksu, and many more.
Here's what makes this podcast different: I've been on both sides of the table.
6+ years working inside Shopify gave me access to what's coming before most merchants know it exists. Building, scaling, and successfully exiting my own ecommerce businesses taught me what actually works when your money and reputation are on the line. That combination of insider access plus real operator experience gives you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.
Since 2018, eCommerce Fastlane has delivered over 430 episodes and more than 2 million downloads to ambitious Shopify founders and marketers. Every week, I chat with operators, developers, and experts who share what's actually moving the needle right now—not theory, but patterns I've seen work consistently across dozens of brands at multiple stages.
Whether you're launching your first store or scaling past seven figures, every episode gives you stage-aware strategies you can implement this week. We dig into Shopify apps, digital marketing, retention tactics, AI tools, and the operational stuff that actually reduces overwhelm—while building customer loyalty that lasts.
You'll learn how to leverage emerging tech without losing what makes your brand unique. You'll also hear real founder stories, including lessons from my own journey building and exiting a DTC brand, plus insights from guests across 430+ episodes who've been exactly where you are.
This isn't content for content's sake. It's what you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's built, scaled, and exited—and helped hundreds of others do the same.
Ready to grow smarter, not just faster? Join thousands of founders and marketers in the eCommerce Fastlane community through our podcast, newsletter, blog, and forthcoming book "Thriving with Shopify."
Steve Hutt
DTC Founder | Podcast Host
Find Us Online
Website: eCommerceFastlane.com
Newsletter: FastlaneInsider.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shutt
X: x.com/stevenhutt
Instagram: instagram.com/ecommercefastlane
Email: steve@ecommercefastlane.com
I'm Steve Hutt, and I've lived every level of the ecommerce journey. From eBay Power Seller shipping products from my garage, to co-founding and scaling VisionPros.com (an optical DTC startup) through to a successful exit, then spending 6+ years as a Shopify Merchant Success Manager helping 100+ brands from startup to enterprise scale, including working with teams at Tentree, Dr. Squatch, Bulletproof Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, MUD/WTR, Bokksu, and many more.
Here's what makes this podcast different: I've been on both sides of the table.
6+ years working inside Shopify gave me access to what's coming before most merchants know it exists. Building, scaling, and successfully exiting my own ecommerce businesses taught me what actually works when your money and reputation are on the line. That combination of insider access plus real operator experience gives you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.
Since 2018, eCommerce Fastlane has delivered over 430 episodes and more than 2 million downloads to ambitious Shopify founders and marketers. Every week, I chat with operators, developers, and experts who share what's actually moving the needle right now—not theory, but patterns I've seen work consistently across dozens of brands at multiple stages.
Whether you're launching your first store or scaling past seven figures, every episode gives you stage-aware strategies you can implement this week. We dig into Shopify apps, digital marketing, retention tactics, AI tools, and the operational stuff that actually reduces overwhelm—while building customer loyalty that lasts.
You'll learn how to leverage emerging tech without losing what makes your brand unique. You'll also hear real founder stories, including lessons from my own journey building and exiting a DTC brand, plus insights from guests across 430+ episodes who've been exactly where you are.
This isn't content for content's sake. It's what you'd get sitting at a mastermind table with someone who's built, scaled, and exited—and helped hundreds of others do the same.
Ready to grow smarter, not just faster? Join thousands of founders and marketers in the eCommerce Fastlane community through our podcast, newsletter, blog, and forthcoming book "Thriving with Shopify."
Steve Hutt
DTC Founder | Podcast Host
Find Us Online
Website: eCommerceFastlane.com
Newsletter: FastlaneInsider.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shutt
X: x.com/stevenhutt
Instagram: instagram.com/ecommercefastlane
Email: steve@ecommercefastlane.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 17, 2019 • 34min
39: Learn How To Collect Photo Reviews From Your Happy Customers To Increase Conversions, Attract Quality Traffic, And Encourage Repeat Purchases
Today I’m chatting with Yoni Elbaz the Co-founder and CEO of Loox. An exclusive Shopify App that allows you to collect photo reviews for your happy customers which will strengthen your brand and drive more sales through social proof.What You Will Learn Today…How photo reviews increasing trust and conversion rates.Consumers trust other consumers much more than they trust brands.85% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.How user-generated content (UGC) is being repurposed for marketing and branding to drive new traffic to a site.How to boost your sites conversion rate.How to boost your Shopify stores credibility, conversions, and sales with strong social proof.Listener Only PromotionAs a listener of today’s show, Loox has been so kind as to offer a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL. Follow this link https://ecommercefastlane.com/loox and then you will have 30 days to build your photo reviews and prove it's ROI.Thank You For ListeningI really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and everyone personally!Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. All it could take is a new idea, Shopify app, or marketing tactic to be the next big thing you need to drive more traffic, revenue, and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store.^^ Get notified by subscribing above and never miss an episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 8, 2019 • 31min
38: Learn How To Implement A Personalized Shopping Experience To Optimize Conversions And Drive Revenue
Today I’m chatting with Sergiu Ciumac, the Co-Founder and CEO of Visely, a compelling solution that offers meaningful and effective product recommendations for Shopify store owners.What You Will Learn Today…How to optimize your conversion rate.How to increase customers engagement with relevant product recommendations.Learn how strategic product recommendations with decrease bounce rates and work as an automated salesman on your site.Listener Only PromotionAs a listener of today’s show, Visely has been so kind as to offer a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL. Add the solution to your store and enter the coupon code "fastlane" and then you will have 30 days to prove it's ROI.Thank You For ListeningI really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and everyone personally!Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. All it would take is a new idea, Shopify app, or marketing tactic to be the next thing you need to drive more revenue and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store.I don’t want you to miss any episodes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 29, 2019 • 35min
37: Learn How Marketing Technology Can Help Find And Capture New Customers For Your Shopify Brand
Today I’m chatting with Dave Atchison, the Co-Founder, and CEO of New Engen a Shopify Plus Agency Partner that exclusively focuses on new customer acquisition.New Engen is uniquely positioning itself in the Shopify ecosystem to help brands drive new visitors to a site either through a done for you Agency model or now with their public release, in-house, purpose built marketing technology solution.What You Will Learn Today…The traffic challenges that many Shopify store owners have and the solution.The realities of doing business online in 2019.Smart strategies to diversify how you can build awareness and consideration for your brand.How marketing technology is the only way to win. without it your just being average at best.Listener Only PromotionAs a listener of today’s show, New Engen has been so kind as to offer a FREE AUDIT of any of your digital ad campaigns! Sign up for a digital marketing audit of Google, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or other channels, and have a Performance Marketing Expert assess your paid media program. If you need expert advice around launching new ad campaigns, expanding to new digital channels, refreshing creative and copy, customer targeting and segmentation, New Engen can help.This offer is available to the first 20 companies that sign up. Minimum advertising spend criteria may apply in order to reveal meaningful data.Head on over to the New Engen contact page here and select eCommerce Fastlane Podcast in the “how did you hear about us” section and you’ll be taken care of. Minimum advertising spend criteria may apply in order to reveal meaningful data.Thank You For ListeningI really appreciate you choosing to listen to the show and for supporting the podcast. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and everyone personally!Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify. All it would take is a new idea, Shopify app, or marketing tactic to be the next thing you need to drive more revenue and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store. I don’t want you to miss any episodes! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 14, 2019 • 32min
36: Get The Capital You Need To Fuel The Growth Of Your Shopify Store Without Giving Up Equity
Today I’m chatting with Michele Romanow, the Co-founder and President of Clearbanc. They are redefining banking that is tailored to the needs of e-commerce entrepreneurs. They help Shopify businesses secure credit without personal guarantees, equity, or credit scores.If you're looking to increase traffic and revenue to your Shopify store, Clearbanc funds your digital ad spend so you acquire more customers and grow your business...they even offer more capital as you grow!Clearbanc is uniquely positioning itself in the market by looking at your data and then offering capital to fuel new customer acquisition without taking any equity.A true partner and advisor to help your brand grow and scale.Let’s jump into the show to learn more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 7, 2019 • 1h 7min
35: Get The Latest Influencer Marketing Strategies That All Shopify Store Owners Should Implement To Drive Brand Awareness, Conversion, And Retention
Today I’m chatting with Joe Gagliese, the Co-founder of Viral Nation. He talks about one of the hottest topics in eCommerce, Influencer Marketing.We dig into specific strategies, tactics, and most importantly, what you as a Shopify store owner should consider today to move the needle in improved brand awareness, conversion, and retention.On this episode you will learn:Why influencer marketing is so effective for e-commerce companies.What the biggest challenges are when it comes to social for e-commerce companies, and what you can do to solve it.The benefits of spending more time on ways to grow your social media footprint than on content to feed it.…this is an incredibly educational episode, so click play and let's learn! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2019 • 1h 4min
34: Significantly Increase Revenue With Conversational Commerce Using Facebook Messenger
Today I’m chatting with Matt Schlicht, the Co-founder, and CEO of Octane AI. They are a Shopify App Partner that enables merchants to increase revenue with a Facebook Messenger solution.There is a massive opportunity for those that implement a Facebook Messenger advertising strategy in 2019 and beyond!The case studies from other Shopify brands have proven that Octane AI is having a significant impact in driving more sales (and improved customer experience) through abandoned cart messages, receipts, shipping notifications, proactive customer support, back-in-stock notifications, win-back campaigns, and so much more!On this episode you will learn:How Shopify store owners are earning 5-10% of their monthly revenue from the Octane AI platform and Facebook Messenger.The importance of connecting your Messenger strategy with the other Shopify apps you use for Reviews, Referral Programs, and email.Why every Shopify store owner will be including Facebook Messenger in their advertising strategy in 2019.AI (artificial intelligence) and the future of customer relationship management.…let’s jump into the show and learn more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 18, 2019 • 47min
33: Get The Complete Picture Of Your Shopify Stores Performance With Deeper Marketing Insights
Today I’m chatting with Ed Upton, the Founder & CEO of Littledata. They are a Shopify App Partner that has created an analytics platform that takes Google Analytics and literally puts it on steroids.It closes the loop on all of your data including your Shopify store orders, marketing channels, and lifetime customer value.What this means for you as a marketer or store owner, is you can make smarter business decisions with industry benchmarks, a significantly improved data stream into Google Analytics, and finally….actionable missions that literally hold your hands by offering specific improvement advice to increase sales and conversions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 1, 2019 • 37min
32: Learn How To Drive Repeat Business By Rewarding Loyal Customers With Timely Birthday Incentives
On today’s episode, I’m chatting with Sam Henning, the Co-founder of Union Works. They are a Shopify App Partner with 7 apps including the Happy Birthday App that we discuss today.Building strong relationships with your customers is vital to the long term success of your business. Birthdays represent a unique opportunity to get in touch with your loyal customers and offer them a great reason to revisit and buy from your store.The Happy Birthday App is a great retention strategy!It can Increase your brand's visibility — Birthday campaigns are a great way to remind your customers of your store and your productsReward loyalty — Say thank you to your loyal and regular customers with a special birthday offerDrive repeat business — Unlike BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday), birthdays happen all year round and are a great way to encourage repeat businessImprove your store's conversion rate — Data proves that birthday email campaigns are one of the best-converting marketing campaigns available to merchants today.…let’s jump into the show and learn more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 11, 2019 • 28min
31: Learn How To Build Trust And Lifetime Customer Loyalty With A Painless Return Experience
On today’s episode, I’m chatting with Guillaume Racine, the Co-founder of Return Magic.The return touchpoint is critical for building long-term relationships with your buyers. The way merchants approach returns and the kind of experience offered to buyers has significant ramifications on conversion, frequency, and loyalty.In a world where Amazon and other large players invest to differentiate with post-sale convenience, Return Magic equips independent Shopify merchants with the tools to exceed buyers expectations.…let’s jump into the show and learn more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 7, 2018 • 33min
30: Give Your Shopify Thank You Page A Superpower Of Revenue And Retention
On today’s episode, I’m chatting with Ruth Even Haim, the Co-founder of ReConvert. It's an interesting and dare I say, an exciting innovation, in what used to be a boring thank you page. It’s really cool what they’re doing to improve the customer experience and customer lifetime value through the Shopify thank you page.Most stores try to re-engage customers with email, social media, push and SMS messages, but the open and click rates are going down. However, your store's thank you page gives you the perfect retention boosting opportunity. Not only that, customers will visit the order status page a few more times when receiving default notifications from your store; like shipping updates to their email.By optimizing your thank you page for conversions, you will re-engage customers who just completed a purchase with your store, and catch them when they are most likely to buy again, in the near future, or to comply with other requests....let's jump into the show and learn more :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
