Ecommerce Marketing School

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After 40+ episodes, we finally found our sweet spot. Now before you start thinking, "40 episodes?! You've got to be kidding!" hear me out. Between January and today, our team has talked with more ecommerce entrepreneurs than we can count. And like you, they're working toward that first million in sales. And you know what? They all want how-to, tactical advice they can walk away with and test out ASAP. So that's exactly what we're bringing you. Founders and marketers who've been there and can share exactly what they've done along the way. And we've got a daily podcast coming. 👀

Orion worked in brand before she launched her own business. But it was just brand at any old company. She worked her way up at Kraft (yes, that Kraft) and started her own brand as a side hustle to solve her own problem. On this episode, she shares:Building a consistent and compelling story.Why you should start with automated emails first.Why you need role models.Orion’s secret for consumer insights.Show Notes & Links[10:04] Launching Black Travel Box.[14:30] A/B testing the tagline.[22:37] How to nail your product pages.[27:31] Driving sales and knowing where your customers hang out.[33:42] How to get around paying for photoshoots and models.[35:55] Orion’s biggest aha moment with email.[42:41] Best campaign ever.[48:38] Getting featured on Beyonce’s blog and turning that into other PR.Orion Brown on TwitterBlack Travel BoxDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Before you obsess over A/B testing and optimization, make sure you have a solid foundation. On this episode, Jon shares:The best way to get feedback on your site.Why you need to get ads running from day 1.The first thing you need to do with Google Analytics.The concept of rage clicking.Show Notes & Links:[5:34] Targets for add to cart and conversion rates.[8:04] Why John isn’t a fan of discounting.[11:28] Alternatives to offering welcome discounts.[18:29] What to do if your paid ads aren’t converting.[23:49] Landing that first sale.[40:08] Where to start with Google Analytics.[42:58] How often should you be updating your homepage?[50:07] Why you should remove the carousels on your site.[52:14] The right time to start A/B testing.Jon MacDonald on TwitterThe GoodHotjarDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

We had over 100 brands submit their stores to be reviewed. And even though we couldn’t get to all 100 in an hour, you can still apply all her feedback to your own store. On this episode, Kelly shares:The goal of your website.Why you need to treat your product pages as their own landing page.Why you should be spending more time on content.The most important pages on your site.Her favorite Shopify themes.Show Notes & Links:[2:45] The benefits of using Shopify.[4:21] Teardown #1.[6:42] Why you should lean into being a small business.[7:28] Why you shouldn’t add text directly on images.[12:07] Teardown #2.[12:53] The information that actually belongs in your navigation.[16:56] Why you need to think about your homepage as landing page.[20:01] Teardown #3.[21:17] Why the product description needs to be below the add to cart button.[23:14] Why you need an app for product reviews even if you don’t have a single review yet.[24:16] The benefit of including shipping information on your product pages.[26:15] Kelly’s favorite apps for social proof.[29:08] Where should testimonials live?[30:40] Teardown #4. [31:56] Why you should offer a subscription if it makes sense for your brand.[35:54] The most effective ways to get more reviews.[40:19] Q&A[42:14] Should you increase prices to be able to offer free shipping?[43:45] How to measure improvement when you make changes to your site. [45:51] Kelly’s favorite Shopify themes.[48:32] How to get traffic without paying tons of money.Kelly Vaughn on TwitterThe Taproom AgencyUpper Notch ClubSweet Grass DairyStatement HomeEpic Water FiltersJudge.meOkendoJunipReChargeBold SubscriptionsDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

If I've learned one thing from this podcast, it's that most successful ecommerce founders just figure things out on their own. That's exactly what SpyGuy's Allen Walton has done since the very beginning. On this episode, he shares:The best books for learning Google Ads.Why you should learn the basics before hiring someone else to do a job for you.His $63k agency mistake.Groups other ecommerce founders should know about.Show Notes & Links:[0:47] Allen’s experience going on The Tim Ferris Show.[3:16] Why Facebook hasn’t worked well for SpyGuy.[5:14] How Allen taught himself Google Ads.[15:38] Why it took him so long to get started with email marketing.[17:41] His disastrous agency experience.[32:04] Parlaying press into new opportunities.[34:38] How he thinks about SEO.[40:27] Where other ecommerce founders should be spending their time.Allen Walton on TwitterSpyGuyAllen’s episode of The Tim Ferris ShowPPC HeroThe Paid Search PodcastThe Ultimate Guide to Google AdwordsPay Per Click Search Engine Marketing For DummiesUltimate Guide to Pay-Per-Click AdvertisingHARODropInBlogeCommerceFuelThe Dynamite CircleDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

And get your tissues. Because this is the last episode of Ecomm Noms. Kristen is off to do big things at Shopify. Why Everlane and Reformation are under fire.Ty Haney is back at Outdoor Voices.What’s next for Kristen.Show Notes & Links:[1:11] Some of the brands being criticized for exclusionary cultures.[4:57] Why brands need values.[8:34] Outdoor Voices’ BOD overhaul.[11:00] Brands who truly live out their values.[14:23] Where you can catch Kristen next.Kristen LaFrance on TwitterHow DTC startups fall flat in marketing their valuesTyler Haney Returns to Outdoor Voices With a New Vision—One That Starts With a Female-Led TeamEverlane’s Convenient Transparency

Since Rachel and Sade launched Sade Baron back in 2016, they've made a lot of progress with their marketing efforts. Most of it, Rachel learned on her own. On a budget. By scouring the internet. She probably sounds a lot like you. On this episode, she shares:Why you need pop ups on your site.How to get responses to your welcome series.Why you should ‘uglify’ your ads.Why you need role models to build your site.Show Notes & Links:[2:10] Starting a brand at 50.[7:42] How they tell their brand story in their marketing.[9:26] How they knew they were ready to launch.[17:47] Getting the website off the ground.[19:27] Do people really want pop ups?[20:40] Segmenting welcome offers based on location.[23:02] The email flows they have set up.[29:01] Wtf does uglifying your ads mean?[32:00] How to turn a TikTok into ad creative.[38:27] Marketing advice for other brands.Rachel Lambo on TwitterSade BaronDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Content helped Fred grow subscribers, unlock the power of SEO, and build a repeatable sales process. On this episode, he shares:The book that inspired their business.How their content strategy drives traffic and purchases.How you can use products that aren’t selling as part of a welcome offer.Why you need to focus on 1-2 channels.Show Notes & Links:[2:27] Lessons from The 4-Hour Workweek.[9:31] What moved the needle for more repeatable sales.[11:23] Why they publish who their ideal customer is.[15:15] How their marketing team has changed over time.[17:03] Driving repeat purchases for a product that’s built to last.[24:41] What their content and email strategy looks like.[26:44] How to plug your product in content.[29:58] Advice for scaling to your first million in sales.Fred Perrotta on TwitterTortuga BackpacksDave Gerhardt on TwitterThe Ecommerce Marketing Show Home

Show Notes & Links:[3:42] The two big challenges that perpetuate the problem.[8:53] The power of mentorship and internships. [18:49] Steps for moving forward and making a difference.[36:41] Why everyone has something to offer when it comes to mentoring.Kunle Campbell on Twitter2X Ecommerce2X Ecommerce podcastKristen LaFrance on Twitter