Ecommerce Conversations: Recent Episodes
Practical Ecommerce
Ecommerce Conversations is the long-running weekly podcast from Practical Ecommerce, hosted by ecommerce entrepreneur Eric Bandholz.
•• Listen in as Eric interviews in-the-trenches founders and executives who address the essentials of launching, growing, and sustaining an online business. Hear their successes, mistakes, and plans — addressing customer acquisition, web traffic, marketing tactics, on-site conversion, shipping, favorite tools, funding, obstacles, and much more.
•• New episodes every Friday. Subscribe to the podcast here, and then read a condensed transcript at https://www.PracticalEcommerce.com/tag/podcasts.
Sarah Levinger consults with ecommerce brands on marketing psychology. She says shoppers' emotions drive ad performance, and success comes from aligning messaging with those feelings.
She did that with a D2C maker of hop-flavored teas, lowering acquisition cost by 30%. She shares that example and other ad tactics in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see:
https://www.practicalecommerce.com/emotion-led-ads-cut-costs-30
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Nabeel Azeez runs a Dubai-based email marketing agency with clients in ecommerce, SaaS, and more. He emphasizes engagement-based segmentation and high frequency, sending for one client eight emails per day, each to a unique segment.
In this episode, he shares his methods for driving revenue from ecommerce emails, including unorthodox views such as the open rate is a vanity metric and never unsubscribe dormant recipients.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/email-pro-open-rate-is-a-vanity-metric
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Brett Fish sees a lot of wasted ad spend. His company, TagHero, tracks clients' advertising performance on platforms such as Meta, Google Ads, and TikTok. He says the platforms are merely algorithms that respond to data. Good data leads to good results. Bad data wastes money, a kind of "garbage in, garbage out."
In this episode, Brett addresses common ad setup errors, optimization opportunities, campaign management tools, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/a-top-cause-of-wasted-ad-spend
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Sean Stone advises ecommerce merchants to adopt a one-two punch for growth. Punch one is developing a profitable, branded website. Punch two is converting the likely spillover traffic on Amazon.
That tactic inspired the name of Sean’s latest agency, Spillover Commerce. He’s a longtime Amazon consultant who now says brands should focus on their own domains while selling Amazon-only items secondarily.
In this episode, he addresses one-two strategies, commodity goods, traffic sources, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/a-one-two-punch-drives-ecommerce-growth
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Paolo Vidali has a suggestion for merchants looking to add advanced features to their ecommerce sites: Be careful. Focus first on profitability, he says, and solve the basics of product returns, customer service, and free shipping.
Paolo is a developer and marketer who launched Hidden Gears, an ecommerce agency, in 2014. It's now a Hawaii-based Shopify expert partner with a varied client base: wholesalers, physical retailers, and D2Cs. His second site, SuperBuilt, offers vetted developers for hire.
In this episode, he shares pointers for new and seasoned merchants, video tactics, inspirational sites, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/nail-profit-before-site-extras-owner-says
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Nate Lagos is a seasoned conversion rate optimizer, yet a recent A/B test surprised him.
A client used all caps in key landing page headlines. Nate, having read a tip on X, suggested they test headlines that capitalized only the first letter of each word.
The result? Conversions increased by 25%
Nate first appeared on the podcast in 2025, when he addressed Facebook ad performance. For this episode, he focuses on "bottoms-up" testing, audience targeting, and marketing male products to women.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/avoid-all-caps-headlines-says-cro-pro
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Thanks to companies such as Printful, an enterprising entrepreneur can select a product, upload an image to place on it, sync it with her ecommerce site, sell it, and then pay for it.
Print-on-demand is big business, and David Hooker is a prominent participant. He's the brand director at Printful and a long-time SaaS executive.
In this episode, he addresses POD pricing strategies, sales tactics, merchandising, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/printful-exec-on-profitable-print-on-demand
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
The last few years have been rough for Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer company that host Eric Bandholz founded over a decade ago. He says pretty much nothing has worked post-pandemic. The business is finally seeing revenue growth, but costs are rising too.
In this week's podcast episode, Eric departs from interviewing guests to share his own experiences at Beardbrand and his evolution to a more balanced life.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/building-a-life-not-just-a-business
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2019 Dane Witbeck had a problem familiar to parents: What were his kids doing on their smartphones?
That problem became his motivation to launch Pinwheel, an Austin, Texas-based seller of Android phones with parental controls for apps, usage limits, monitoring, and more.
Fast forward to 2026, and Pinwheel is thriving and profitable. In this episode, Dane shares his company's production process, marketing tactics, economic model, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/pinwheel-ceo-on-selling-kid-safe-phones
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Florence Morin is an artist-turned-engineer-turned-entrepreneur. She graduated from Canada's Polytechnique Montréal in 2013, only to realize she disliked engineering work. She longed to earn a living from making art.
Fast forward to 2026, and Florence Art & Drawing is her online art school, launched in 2020, selling classes and instruction. Her 10-person team includes web developers, instructors, and support staff.
In this episode, she shares her tactics for course content, customer acquisition, hiring, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/engineer-quits-launches-online-art-school
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
For four years Eric Steckling has run two direct-to-consumer brands. Brio, the company he founded in 2014, sells beard trimmers and related goods. In 2022, he acquired Ollie, then a seller of teeth-whitening strips and now an expanded oral care provider.
Eric first appeared on the podcast in 2023. In this latest conversation, he addresses Brio's challenges of selling long-lasting goods, Ollie's opportunity with consumable items, and juggling the two.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/2-bootstrapped-d2c-brands-1-ceo
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in April 2025.
Mehtab Bhogal is the co-founder of Karta Ventures, a Canada-based acquirer of troubled ecommerce businesses. The firm seeks companies with "issues," such as unpaid taxes, regulatory problems, and founder disputes.
He says buying distressed companies is like salvaging a crashed car. "What are the parts worth?" he asks.
In this episode, he addresses identifying hidden value, turnaround tactics, seller concerns, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-investor-on-turnaround-tactics
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
When he appeared on this podcast in 2021, Bryan Mahoney had just co-founded Chord, an ecommerce platform that separated the public frontend from the nuts-and-bolts backend. It was a "headless" structure that enabled merchants to connect with their preferred external providers rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
The problem, Bryan says in retrospect, was a complicated setup that required replatforming. What merchants wanted was his tools that consolidated data from external vendors for a holistic view across channels, customers, and more.
So he pivoted. In 2023 Chord became an ecommerce-focused data management company, no longer requiring customers to use its frontend layer.
In this episode, he explains the transition and the importance of data in an AI world.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/chord-commerce-ceo-on-pivoting-to-data
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
We've hit a plateau at Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer business I launched 15 years ago. Our revenue is down from its peak. We've made mistakes.
The beard care space has dried up. We've moved from a blue ocean of growth and opportunity to a red ocean of fierce competition. If Beardbrand grows, a competitor loses, and vice versa.
In this episode, I'll depart from my typical interview format and share our plans for moving Beardbrand forward. My goal is to help other merchants in similar circumstances.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/inside-beardbrands-expansion-plan
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Contrary to much U.S. sentiment, Molson Hart sees opportunity in China. His direct-to-consumer toy brand, Viahart, sells mostly on Amazon, though growth has slowed in recent years. China, he says, offers promise.
In this our third interview (following episodes in 2022 and 2024), recorded from an X live stream, he shares his plans to sell toys in China, addressing cultural nuances, legalities, shopping preferences, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/viahart-founder-eyes-sales-in-china
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Chris Wichert is an investment banker turned direct-to-consumer entrepreneur.
His luxury shoe brand, Koio, launched in 2015 and quickly scaled. Then the pandemic hit. By late 2022, he says, the D2C hype and funding had collapsed.
He slashed costs, stabilized cash flow, and successfully exited the company. In this episode, he shares his story of boom, bust, and survival.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/surviving-d2cs-boom-and-bust
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Host Eric Bandholz has interviewed a slew of impressive entrepreneurs on this podcast. He says Drew Fallon is among the most versatile. Drew last appeared on the show in 2022 when he had co-founded a tattoo skincare company. Before that he was an investment banker.
He now runs Iris, an AI-driven financial modeling platform, while also tracking and reporting on consumer-focused M&A transactions.
In this episode, he shares the benefits of agent-powered financial automation, common merchant use cases, and, yes, the enterprise M&A boom in 2026.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/iris-founder-talks-ai-powered-finance
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
For years EcomFuel has surveyed its community of ecommerce merchants about their growth, margins, tactics, and more. The company released this year's findings last week.
In this episode, founder Andrew Youderian recaps the report, addressing the state of ecommerce among 300 participating businesses — mostly seven, eight, and nine-figure brands.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecomfuel-founder-on-2026-industry-trends
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Molson Hart is the founder of Viahart, a D2C toy brand, and Edison, a legal technology company. He says every entrepreneur should own two businesses, where one offers more opportunities to scale, is more profitable, or diversifies risk.
I'm all in on Beardbrand, my own D2C brand launched in 2014. Molson is a two-time guest on the podcast. His comment got me thinking about an attractive second company, one that would enhance my life without creating stress and headaches.
So in this episode I'll depart from my typical interviews and, instead, describe my ideal business.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/my-ideal-second-business
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider.
https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Dave Diederen is the founder of Syntra, a Netherlands-based conversion rate optimization agency. He encourages ecommerce brands to test product pages, ads, and, well, everything.
He says merchants often prioritize their sites' aesthetics over copy and content, a big mistake. "Content and copy play a very big role in conversions, if not the biggest," he states.
In this episode, he shares conversion wins, product and home page tactics, A/B strategies, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/content-beats-design-says-cro-pro
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Since 2013 Cherene Aubert has managed, advised, and executed ecommerce marketing campaigns. She's worked for agencies, merchants, and as a freelance consultant. Her D2C advisory firm, Growth Capital, helps scale premium, high-growth brands.
Experience guides her advice. Brands are too quick to discount slow-moving products, she says. Bundles or buy-one-get-one offers are often better. Higher-priced goods typically appeal to existing customers, not new ones. Influencers drive acquisition.
She shared those views and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/brand-strategist-ditch-the-discount
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ray Hua is the director of ecommerce at Vessi, a Canada-based direct-to-consumer seller of waterproof sneakers. The brand launched in 2017 after its founders developed and patented breathable fabric that repels water. Ray joined the company in 2021.
In this episode, he shares the challenges of targeting the right audience, cross-border selling, diversifying, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-vessi-sells-waterproof-shoes
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2019 Nasrin Jafari was a middle school teacher in New York City. She had no ecommerce experience but was drawn to creating and building, which led her to sew and sell face masks during Covid.
Fast forward to 2026, and Mixed, her direct-to-consumer fashion brand, designs and produces female apparel and accessories. Referring to the company's launch, she says, "I had no idea how to make clothes."
She does now, with multiple manufacturers, a thriving community, staff, and eager customers.
She shares her impressive story in this conversation.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/from-teacher-to-fashion-brand-founder
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kaleigh Moore is a 12-year freelance writer and editor. She has contributed to Shopify, Forbes, Vogue, Adweek, and various B2B providers, among others. She's now grappling with the promise and limits of AI.
She calls AI a "fire hose of information" that greatly increases efficiency. She also cautions on what it cannot do, such as interview humans or learn from experience.
She shares those views and more in this episode, including her preferred AI platform, use cases for entrepreneurs, and getting started with AI-driven composition.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-a-pro-writer-uses-ai
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Occasionally on the podcast host Eric Bandholz departs from interviewing guests to share his own experiences running Beardbrand, the D2C company he founded in 2012.
In this episode, he addresses his favorite ecommerce tools in 2026, 18 platforms and apps essential to his business — from foundational site infrastructure to solutions for marketing, operations, creative, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/beardbrands-top-ecommerce-tools
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Chris Hall is an ecommerce entrepreneur turned media operator. His new "Ecomm Cowboy" show broadcasts live Monday through Friday on X and YouTube. The mission, he says, is twofold: deliver daily news to sellers and offer companionship to those working alone.
Chris first appeared on the podcast in 2023 as the marketing head of a D2C brand. In this our latest conversation, he addresses his goals for Ecomm Cowboy, production challenges, and, yes, the power of AI tools for one-person brands.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecomm-cowboy-talks-ai-and-underdogs
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in September 2024.
David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of the Ruby on Rails software framework, the co-founder of Basecamp, a member of Shopify's board of directors, an investor in multiple tech startups, a racecar driver, and a family man with children. He's a modern-day polymath.
Yet his workday calendar is not full of appointments and meetings. He abhors managing employees and attending meetings. His is a maker's schedule, he says, with much uninterrupted time dedicated to solving problems he cares about.
In this episode, Heinemeier Hansson addresses the rise of Rails, Basecamp, and, yes, time management.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/save-time-by-managing-less-says-dhh.
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Phillip Jackson's media company, Future Commerce, focuses on trends and developments in business.
The company surveyed U.S. shoppers during the 2025 holiday season. He says one insight stood out: when AI recommends a product, 77% of respondents leave the platform to buy on the brand's site.
Phillip first appeared on the podcast in early 2024. In this, his latest episode, he addresses the downsides of optimized ecommerce sites, the outlook of traditional search, and, yes, the rise of autonomous shopping agents.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-product-discovery-drives-brand-traffic
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Frank Kosarek is the co-founder of BizPort, a mergers-and-acquisitions marketplace launched in November 2025. Before that, he was head of acquisitions for a large ecommerce aggregator.
He says buyers of ecommerce businesses today focus on discretionary earnings, not revenue, and seek recurring sales, such as subscriptions.
He addresses those items, the state of ecommerce M&A, and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ma-advisor-on-ecommerce-valuations
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Chris Harrison says it all started with a single pot on a stove. He and two high school buddies launched Liber & Co., a manufacturer of premium cocktail syrups, with that tiny test batch in 2011 in Austin, Texas.
Fast forward to 2026, and batches are now in 1,500-gallon tanks and sold worldwide to restaurants, bars, and consumers. But the culture remains hands-on, do-it-yourself, and learn-by-doing.
Chris first appeared on the podcast in 2022. In this latest episode, he shares the company's origins, sourcing tactics, growth plans, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/diy-approach-fuels-craft-cocktail-brand
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In his previous appearance on the podcast, in November 2022, Jai Dolwani was the CMO of a wine subscription company that would shortly declare bankruptcy. It was his third struggling startup, he says, prompting "serious self-reflection."
He pivoted to entrepreneurship and launched The Starters, a marketplace for fractional ecommerce talent, in late 2023. The company has thrived, having attracted more than 600 freelancers and 500 client brands.
In this episode, Jai addresses the demand for ecommerce talent, tips for hiring freelancers, and plans for 2026 and beyond.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-success-with-fractional-talent
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in January 24, 2025.
According to Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR, success in a competitive market requires finding its uncompetitive niches. He did that with his flagship protein bar, which is plant-based, low-sugar, and plainly labeled.
That was seven years ago when he launched the company with a $75,000 Kickstarter campaign.
Fast forward to 2025, and IQBAR also makes IQMIX (hydration) and IQJOE (coffee). All promote brain health without competing against each other.
Will shares his journey in this episode — from his initial capital raise to scaling revenue, adding products, and managing wholesale channels.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/protein-bar-founder-thrives-in-a-crowded-field
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In this episode, host Eric Bandholz reflects on his business and life at year-end.
He reviews what worked for Beardbrand in 2025, what didn't, what was painful, and what made it all worth it.
It's a reminder, he says, to take stock of our own priorities — how we allocate time, energy, attention — and whether they align with the life we're trying to build.
Longtime listeners know that 2023 and 2024 were extremely challenging for Eric personally and for Beardbrand. The good news is that the company became profitable again in 2025.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-2025
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In "How to Leave the U.S.A.," the venerable New Yorker magazine recently addressed what many residents have apparently considered.
Yet Mikkel Thorup has lived outside of his native Canada for 25 years. He's visited 120 countries and resided in nine of them. His business, Expat Money, helps others do the same while protecting assets and lifestyle.
Why relocate overseas? What are the risks and the rewards? Mikkel addressed those questions and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/expat-money-ceo-on-moving-abroad
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Abir Syed is an accountant turned marketer turned chief financial officer. He says ecommerce marketing success largely depends on creative volume, and few merchants have exhausted any channel, much less Meta.
Abir is co-founder of UpCounting, an accounting and fractional CFO firm in Montréal, Canada. In this episode, he shares common financial mistakes of merchants, key metrics to monitor, and, yes, how to grow ecommerce ad revenue on Meta.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/cfo-brands-rarely-max-out-meta-ads
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jeff Oxford is our go-to interview for ecommerce SEO. The founder of Oregon-based 180 Marketing, an agency, Jeff first appeared on the podcast in 2022 when he addressed SEO's "four buckets." We invited him back late last year to explain AI's impact on search traffic and how merchants can adapt.
In this our latest interview, he shared optimization tactics for ChatGPT, with a caveat: Google's AI Mode could eventually dominate.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/will-googles-ai-mode-dominate-chatgpt
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Chris Elrod is a renewable power entrepreneur. His company, Treaty Oak Clean Energy, builds massive solar projects that provide electricity for large corporations and utility firms.
It's boom times for electricity generators as the likes of Google, ChatGPT, and Amazon scramble for reliable sources.
How, exactly, does a company build a solar-generating plant and then sell the electricity to end users? Eric asked Chris those questions and more in this conversation.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/solar-power-developer-on-fueling-the-grid
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Seth Spears is a Colorado-based entrepreneur who once taught consumers how to make their own non-toxic personal care products. He says customers valued the results but not the actual production process. "They kept asking us for ready-made versions," he told me.
So he launched Wellnesse, a direct-to-consumer brand producing all-natural self-care goods, in 2020. Toothpaste quickly became the dominant item.
In our recent conversation, Seth shared the origins of Wellnesse, the demand for holistic oral care, marketing challenges, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/natural-toothpaste-propels-wellnesse-com
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kevlyn Walsh is a Denver-based art teacher turned entrepreneur. She launched Festive Gal, an Etsy shop, in 2019 after her handmade headband was a hit among Christmas party attendees.
Fast forward to 2025, and Festive Gal is thriving, selling custom gifts and party supplies. A new second site, Bake It Fancy, on Shopify, sells cooking accessories.
Amid the growth, Kevlyn manages employees, production, and, yes, Etsy constraints. She addresses those challenges and more with host Eric Bandholz.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/etsy-merchant-eyes-shopify-dual-brands
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Andy Gould co-founded Batch, a Wisconsin-based D2C cannabis brand, in 2018. He says the company struggled for years until it perfected content creation and advertising. “Once we dialed in our Meta ads and built a strong creative flywheel, everything took off,” he said.
Host Eric Bandholz first interviewed Andy and his two co-founders in 2023.
In this latest conversation, Andy addresses video production, regulatory scrutiny, and “hockey stick” growth — from annual revenue of $5 million to $50 million in two years.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/batch-cannabis-scales-to-50-million
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
By late 2023 Aaron Powell had become disillusioned with Bunch Bikes, the electric cargo bicycle company he founded in 2017. Costs were rising, cash was scarce, and the supply chain was chaotic.
He contemplated chucking it all, selling the business, and moving his family to Europe from his base in Texas.
Then he reconsidered. Bunch Bikes had many positives, including a sense of purpose and meaning from improving customers' lives. So he stayed.
Aaron first appeared on the podcast two years ago. In this latest conversation, he addresses business uncertainty, resilience, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/e-bike-founders-path-to-purpose
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com/
Few companies have done more for global prosperity than Alibaba.com. Launched famously in China by Jack Ma, a former school teacher, in 1999, the company now connects 200,000 suppliers with millions of retail merchants. Suppliers grow, retailers diversify, and consumers have more choice for less money.
Yet the B2B giant is not perfect. Language differences, intellectual property theft, and quality control can upend a supplier-buyer relationship.
Rah Mahtani is Alibaba.com's head of commercial strategy in the U.S. In this episode, he responds to those challenges, tariffs, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com /alibaba-exec-on-suppliers-tariffs-ip
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webcasts. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
For 12 years Andrei Rebrov managed infrastructure and operations at Scentbird, a perfume subscription company he co-founded in 2013. He learned the importance of acquiring the right subscribers, those who stay for a while and generate lifetime value for the business.
The key, he says, was accurate, timely analytics to assess channels, creative, and promos. Finsi, his new company, provides those metrics, enabling merchants to predict a prospect's value over the long term.
In this episode, Andrei shares acquisition tactics, churn avoidance, product selection, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/subscription-pro-on-growth-churn-ltv
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Jon Shanahan destroys the myth that founders make lousy employees. He co-founded Stryx, a men's cosmetics provider, in 2017 and is now the marketing head at TRX, the storied exercise equipment company. He has thrived in both roles.
He joined TRX in late 2022 amid a post-Covid hangover and a stale legacy brand. Fast forward to late 2025, and TRX is refreshed and flourishing, thanks in part to Jon's entrepreneurial mindset.
While at Stryx, Jon appeared on the podcast twice, in 2020 and 2022. In this latest conversation, he shares transitioning to a large corporation, the challenges of reviving a brand, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/startup-vet-revives-legacy-fitness-brand
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
In 2020, Karim Abed was the chief financial officer for a Texas-based home builder. The job paid well, he says, but he yearned to launch his own business and reconnect with his Egyptian heritage.
Fast forward to 2025, and that business is WYR, a men's apparel brand utilizing Giza cotton, the storied fabric, and small Egypt-based factories. The company is thriving.
Karim shares his story with host Eric Bandholz, addressing WYR's initial struggles, subsequent growth, and, yes, the benefits of Egyptian cotton and craftspeople.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/cfo-shifts-to-menswear-egyptian-roots
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Ecommerce marketers know the challenge of delivering relevant promotions to prospects without violating privacy rules and norms. Yet many providers now offer solutions that do both — personalize offers and respect privacy — for much greater performance.
Two of those providers are guests in this week's episode. Sean Larkin is CEO of Fueled, a customer data platform for merchants. Francesco Gatti is CEO of Opensend, a repository of consumer demographic and behavior data.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-brands-boost-roi-with-smart-data
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Host Eric Bandholz occasionally departs from interviews to share his experiences owning and operating Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer brand he launched a decade ago. To date, he has addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, exiting, overcoming setbacks, and top business models.
This too is a solo episode, addressing entrepreneurial doldrums, when a business is seemingly stuck in no growth or worse. That's been the case with Beardbrand over the past couple of years, as Eric explains.
In this episode, he shares 36 ideas to jolt a company forward. It's a checklist for tackling new projects, cutting costs, or simply resetting your focus.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/36-ways-to-revive-an-ecommerce-business
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate its visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode first aired in September 2023.
Andrew Faris is the former CEO of 4x400, an ecommerce aggregator. He left that job in 2021 and now consults with merchants and manages their advertising campaigns, mostly on Meta. I asked him for his keys to successful Meta ads, having spent nine years on that platform.
"The best ad managers are writers," he told me. And "there's no reason a brand under $50 million in revenue needs an attribution tool."
Faris first appeared on this podcast in early 2022. In our recent discussion, he addressed the joys of solo freelancing, working with entrepreneurs, and, yes, how to run high-performing Meta ads.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p2Q
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
On-again, off-again tariffs have not lessened the opportunities for cross-border expansion. Global consumers still seek quality goods from trusted merchants.
Yet success in international selling requires careful attention to fulfillment, customs, duties, and more. That's the role of Passport, the provider of cross-border logistics, localization, and support for ecommerce sellers.
In this episode, Alex Yancher, Passport's founder and CEO, shares tactics for profitable global ecommerce sales.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/smarter-paths-to-global-sales
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others learn from the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
We've all heard the buzz surrounding agentic AI agents. What's missing for many of us is how they can help our business. What is an AI agent? Can it really perform tasks and get things done?
In this episode, host Eric Bandholz asks those questions and more to Anthony DelPizzo. He is the head of product marketing with Triple Whale, the Shopify-backed ecommerce analytics platform that has launched its own AI agent called Moby. It responds to ChatGPT-like prompts, suggests marketing channels, and even composes emails.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/triple-whales-moby-ai-gets-things-done
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Throughout 2025, host Eric Bandholz has occasionally shared his experiences owning and operating Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer brand he launched in 2014. He has addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, exiting, and overcoming a million-dollar loss.
In this episode, he shares what he believes is the best bootstrapped ecommerce model and why others should consider it.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-best-ecommerce-business-model
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Customer acquisition costs can ruin a business. Some merchants limit acquisition spend to the gross margin of the first sale. Others look to customers' lifetime value.
Yet Taylor Holiday, CEO of the agency Common Thread Collective, profits from acquisition marketing. He calls it "negative CAC."
Taylor first appeared on the podcast in 2020. In this episode, he explains his acquisition strategy, experiences with employee ownership, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-achieve-negative-cac
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
John Melizanis believes third-party logistics fees often produce surprise charges. Per-item pricing for picks, packs, and receiving can turn an anticipated $1 per order fee into $2.50 or more, he says.
John is the co-founder of ShipDudes, a New Jersey-based 3PL launched in 2020. His company uses flat-rate pricing for pick-and-pack and warehousing, and no markup for shipping. "Brands appreciate knowing their exact costs," he told me.
In this episode, John addressed the origins of ShipDudes, in-store retail, warehouse automation, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/the-no-surprise-3pl-pricing-model
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Nate Lagos is vice president of marketing for Original Grain, a direct-to-consumer seller of luxury watches. He relies on Facebook advertising, but not for immediate customer acquisition.
“Platforms such as Facebook are megaphones, not salespeople,” he says.
In this episode, Nate shares his marketing origins, advertising tactics, influencer management, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/facebook-megaphone-powers-d2c-watch-brand
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Ray Reddy is a two-time mobile commerce entrepreneur, a Google veteran, and, now, the head of Shopify POS, the company's in-store platform. He says the future of retail is location-agnostic, where shoppers can easily move from online to brick-and-mortar without losing account details, order history, and shipping info.
That, he says, is the path of Shopify POS.
In this episode, he addresses Shopify's physical-store penetration, the needs of modern shoppers, backend complexities, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/shopify-pos-exec-on-future-of-retail
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
This year host Eric Bandholz has sprinkled occasional episodes with real-life master classes from Beardbrand, his company. To date he's addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, and exiting.
For this installment, he shares Beardbrand’s experience of losing nearly $1 million across 2023 and 2024. It got bad. Cash levels dropped to where they were in year one, 2014. The business was hemorrhaging money.
But it survived. It made it through without outside funding. Eric and his company are now growing and building, eager for the future.
He recaps the journey in this incredible, transparent episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/how-to-survive-a-million-dollar-loss
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Next-gen health and wellness is an apt description of MNLY. Luke Hartelust launched the platform in 2021, pronouncing it “Manly,” and then pivoted twice while remaining focused on modern care for men.
The current version combines AI with home-based testing, diagnoses, and nutrition. Customers pay an upfront fee and a monthly subscription afterward.
In this episode, Luke shared the company’s origins, growth, mistakes, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/mnlys-at-home-ai-powers-mens-health
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations enhance visibility and help others learn from the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Shakil Prasla once owned 12 ecommerce consumer brands generating $50 million in combined annual revenue with 50 employees. But he grew wary of the fluctuating revenue and non-stop marketing, so he pivoted during Covid to wholesale personal protective equipment.
That's when he and I last spoke. The PPE business, Gloves.com, had misgauged demand and lost, initially, a whopping $6 million. He has since recovered and pivoted again, this time to real estate and convenience-store gas stations.
He's an inspiring example of resilience, priorities, and seizing opportunities. He shared those lessons and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-to-real-estate-an-owners-story
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.
Michael Simpson is a New Mexico-based father of seven and a National Guard veteran. Returning from a 2021 deployment, he sought a business to acquire, hoping to avoid his previous job. A listing from a brokerage caught his attention.
Discount Catholic Products had launched in 2003 and was for sale. The company's mission appealed to Michael. Plus it was not reliant on Amazon or a single product or imports from China — all key requirements. He purchased the business.
Fast forward to 2025, and the retailer perseveres. Michael's role has evolved to part-time oversight. A single employee, his sister-in-law, runs daily operations with help from his kids.
In this conversation, he shares financing the acquisition, cash flow challenges, marketing tactics, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/faith-family-and-ecommerce
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Host Eric Bandholz, a seasoned entrepreneur, evaluates good and bad reasons to sell a business.
He says that ideally, founders build a business they love, one that enhances their lives. To Eric, business is one of life's greatest gifts, offering freedom, wealth, connection, and the ability to serve, create, and leave a lasting mark on the world.
He reminds us that our possessions — the headphones we use, the tools we carry, the art on our wall — exist because someone built them. Entrepreneurs shape society. That's the power of business.
This is Eric's fifth master class on entrepreneurship, following installments on hiring, branding, profit-building, and priority-setting.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/dont-exit-for-the-wrong-reasons
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
For years Jack Oswald was a touring tennis professional. He aimed for top worldwide rankings, the key to serious earnings. The rankings never came, but constant travel exposed a nagging problem: his tennis bags kept breaking.
Thus began his passion for designing a better bag for athletes on the go. And that led to Cancha, a direct-to-consumer seller of sport and travel bags, which he launched in 2019 from his base in the U.K.
In this episode, Jack discusses his transition from tennis to entrepreneurship, including early struggles, raising capital, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/pro-tennis-player-pivots-to-ecommerce
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Sally Wilson is a lawyer turned craft entrepreneur. She's also an involved mother who shares her business and passions with two kids. She says being a great mom doesn't mean sacrificing who you are.
Sally launched Caterpillar Cross Stitch a decade ago from her home in England. Fast forward to 2025, and her company has 12 employees, selling cross-stitch supplies, courses, and events to customers worldwide.
In this episode, she addresses early struggles, leadership lessons, global selling, and, yes, raising kids.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/great-mom-builds-global-craft-biz
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
As a kid, Brett Curry was fascinated by TV commercials. Now the owner of OMG Commerce, a leading ecommerce marketing agency, he says YouTube ads are similar. "A good TV ad often makes a good YouTube ad," he stated.
Host Eric Bandholz asked for details. What's a good YouTube ad strategy for ecommerce? How much should an advertiser spend? Which products work the best?
Brett addressed those questions and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com youtube-ad-secrets-for-ecommerce
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
To host Eric Bandholz, the best companies have a purpose, and the happiest owners set priorities for business and life.
In this episode, Eric offers another master class on entrepreneurship. It’s his fourth this year, following installments on hiring, branding, and profit-building.
He aims to help existing and future entrepreneurs based on operating Beardbrand, his direct-to-consumer company, for a decade now. He says this master class is the most important to date. He addresses the "North Star" essentials for his company, family, health, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/build-a-business-you-love
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Raphael Schneider launched Gentleman's Gazette in 2010 as a blog for men's style and apparel. He added his own product line in 2013, selling menswear and accessories.
He emphasizes quality in apparel and content. His YouTube channel, launched in 2015, remains essential for traffic and conversions, owing, he says, to the quality of the videos. "Ten years from now, someone can still benefit from a video we produce today," he stated
Raphael first appeared on the podcast in 2018. In this episode, he addresses the company's origins, Google search, and, yes, his focus on YouTube.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/gentlemans-gazette-thrives-on-youtube
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
For $60, Bob DeMars’s company, Blind Barrel, will ship a package of four craft-distilled whiskey samples, unmarked, with a tasting glass. Recipients can then try them and guess the whiskey type, age, and proof.
It’s a game using Blind Barrel’s app, preferably with friends. Participants can purchase entire bottles at discounted prices.
Bob launched the business in 2021 from his base in California. In this conversation, he addresses the company’s growth, marketing tactics, legalities, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/craft-whiskeys-home-delivered
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Weston Jon Bouchér is a California-based menswear brand and the name of its founder. He launched the company in 2019 after a decade as a full-time apparel and lifestyle model.
He initially sought a white-label supplier with like-minded quality standards. Unsuccessful, he opted instead for “cut-and-sew manufacturing.” The result is a network of global manufacturers, all producing apparel to Jon’s designs and specifications, and sold entirely from his Shopify site.
He joins host Eric Bandholz in this episode, addressing the brand’s launch, production challenges, marketing tactics, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/from-model-to-menswear-founder
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mehtab Bhogal is the co-founder of Karta Ventures, a Canada-based acquirer of troubled ecommerce businesses. The firm seeks companies with "issues," such as unpaid taxes, regulatory problems, and founder disputes.
He says buying distressed companies is like salvaging a crashed car. "What are the parts worth?" he asks.
In this episode, he addresses identifying hidden value, turnaround tactics, seller concerns, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-investor-on-turnaround-tactics
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Josh Durham launched Aligned Growth Management, an influencer marketing agency, in 2020. He says the influencer industry has evolved from the halcyon days a decade ago when affiliate-based creators could generate 5x returns.
Influencer marketing circa 2025, according to Josh, is a long-term play. Success depends on quality products, engaged creator audiences, and content that supports multiple channels.
In this episode (his second on the podcast), Josh shares the essentials for scalable, high-performing influencer programs.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/a-playbook-for-influencer-marketing
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This episode continues my masterclass series on ecommerce entrepreneurship. Thus far in 2025 I've addressed branding and profitability.
For this installment, I'll focus on hiring, specifically for marketing, operations, and product personnel. I launched Beadbrand over a decade ago and have hired plenty of employees. Mistakes can be hugely expensive.
I now apply eight steps to ensure the right employee at the right time. I explain my process here.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/my-8-step-ecommerce-hiring-process
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ryan Rouse has a formula for scaling physical retail sales. First penetrate niche markets, he says, then leverage that success into mainstream chains.
He does that with MALK Organics, an Austin, Texas-based plant milk provider. Ryan is MALK's president, having launched and exited a meal-delivery business and served in executive roles of other consumer brands.
He speaks with host Eric Bandholz in this episode — addressing critical retail tactics such as packaging, pricing, marketing, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/malk-plant-milk-masters-in-store-retail
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Host Eric Bandholz continues his masterclass series on entrepreneurship. Last week he addressed tactics to increase ecommerce profits amid a slump for many businesses.
This week he focuses on branding. He says most people think of branding as logos or design elements. But those items are components, not the essence. A brand is synonymous with a company — its mission, values, and purpose.
Eric shares his own mission, values, and purpose — and thus those of his company, Beardbrand.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com//branding-is-more-than-a-logo
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Many ecommerce businesses are struggling. Profit margins are thin; cash is low.
As the host of "Ecommerce Conversations," entrepreneur Eric Bandholz typically interviews other owners and executives. But he departs in this episode, sharing lessons from running Beardbrand, his company, for over a decade.
What follows are Eric's tips for adding margins to an ecommerce business. He addresses tighter focus, operational improvements, better marketing, brand boosters, and even checkout enhancements.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/margin-hacks-for-cash-strapped-ecom-stores
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Montana Knife Company launched in 2020 in a two-car garage near Missoula. One co-founder is a certified “Master Bladesmith” who has produced handmade knives since he was 11. The other, Brandon Horoho, is a seasoned digital marketer and ecommerce pro.
Combined, the entrepreneurs prove the value of craftsmanship at scale marketed directly to consumers. Business is booming, and the company will soon move into a 50,000 ft. manufacturing facility.
In this episode, Brandon shares the company’s origins, culture, “drop” selling, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/montana-knife-co-blends-craft-with-scale
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Andrew Youderian launched eCommerceFuel in 2013 after stints in corporate finance and online selling. The vetted community consists of ecommerce owners whose businesses have $1 million or more in annual revenue.
He says ecommerce in 2025 has matured. "Brands that adapt," he stated, "will survive in the next five to seven years."
Host Eric Bandholz is a member of eCommerceFuel. In this episode, he queries Andrew about the community, the state of ecommerce, work-life balance, and change.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/adapt-to-survive-says-ecommercefuel-founder
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2023 Mathias Schrøder was stressed, burned out, and perplexed. He had scaled revenue on his Denmark-based clothing company, but bloated overhead meant little profit and even less free time.
"I felt lost, unable to fix our predicament," he said, "until I realized I was trying to solve the wrong problem."
His solution was to scale down. He fired employees, lowered warehouse costs, and eliminated stagnant inventory. The result was 60% less revenue and 25% more profit.
He shared his inspiring journey in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/merchant-cuts-revenue-60-profit-rises-25
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Matthew Gattozzi realizes creativity and efficiency often conflict. His firm, Goodo Studios, produces commercial content that attracts visitors and converts them into customers. It's a creative process with time and budget constraints.
"It's a balancing act," he stated. "On the one hand, you need efficiency. On the other, creativity requires time and space to flourish."
A former ballet dancer, Matthew first appeared on the podcast in 2021. In this episode, he shares his firm's content-creation strategy, client needs, and, yes, the impact of AI.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ai-wont-replace-creativity-says-studio-founder
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jesse Hanley is a self-taught developer and marketer from Australia who lives in Japan. He launched Bento, an email service provider, in 2018 after managing campaigns from his marketing agency.
He says Bento is an artisanal provider, akin to a high-end coffee shop. He aims for self-funded growth and quality customers who seek excellent email deliverability.
He addresses those goals and more — automation flows, integrations, ISPs, reputation — as well as the realities of running an ESP.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/bento-elevates-ecommerce-email-marketing
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Before Brexit, merchants could sell cross-border into the U.K. and mainland Europe with relative ease. Both belonged to the E.U. It's now more complex and expensive, with separate customs and taxes for each region — unless the shipments come from Northern Ireland.
Through a Brexit exception, fulfillment companies (and merchants) in Northern Ireland can ship to the U.K. and the E.U. with fewer complications. It's been a boon to John Heenan's Belfast-based 3PL, The Distribution Solution.
Host Eric Bandholz met John years ago (pre-Brexit) when Beardbrand sold products in Europe via John's company. They reconnected for this episode, addressing the nuances of selling internationally in the U.K. and the E.U. and how to streamline the process.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/northern-ireland-key-to-e-u-u-k-fulfillment
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
According to Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR, success in a competitive market requires finding its uncompetitive niches. He did that with his flagship protein bar, which is plant-based, low-sugar, and plainly labeled.
That was seven years ago when he launched the company with a $75,000 Kickstarter campaign.
Fast forward to 2025, and IQBAR also makes IQMIX (hydration) and IQJOE (coffee). All promote brain health without competing against each other.
Will shares his journey in this episode — from his initial capital raise to scaling revenue, adding products, and managing wholesale channels.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/protein-bar-founder-thrives-in-a-crowded-field
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kurt Elster launched his ecommerce agency in 2009 and his first Shopify store in 2011. His “Unofficial Shopify Podcast,” which he started in 2014, is now required listening for that community of merchants, developers, and vendors.
He and I recently discussed the state of Shopify — themes, upgrades, user engagement, and the overall ecosystem.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/shopify-pro-on-themes-upgrades-ecosystem
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jeff Sheldon is a designer turned entrepreneur. He started Ugmonk, a Pennsylvania-based direct-to-consumer brand, in 2008 as a seller of graphic-inspired t-shirts. His desktop organizers, which he added in 2020, are seemingly unrelated until realizing he designed both — the t-shirt graphics and the desk tools.
Jeff first appeared on the podcast in 2020. He had just moved t-shirt fulfillment in-house and launched a Kickstarter campaign for his first desktop tool.
In this episode, he addresses phasing out the t-shirts, expanding the (successful) desktop line, and the dilemma of selling on Amazon.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ugmonk-brings-design-to-desk-tools
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
This episode first aired in July 2024.
Barry Hott is a longtime Facebook advertising consultant. He says first reactions to an ad largely determine its performance. He advises merchants to create ugly ads, those that people won't skip over.
"I'm the Ugly Ads Guy," he stated.
In this episode, Hott addresses key Facebook ad metrics, budgeting, testing, and, yes, ugly creative.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ugly-ads-perform-best-marketer-says
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jeff Oxford's initial attempt at ecommerce was selling dropshipped beer pong tables in 2013. The business, he says, didn't survive, but his love for optimizing organic search traffic did. Thus began his SEO career and the launch of 180 Marketing, his agency.
Fast forward to 2024, and Jeff is an ecommerce SEO authority. Link building was on his mind when he appeared on the podcast in 2022. He now advises engagement — getting folks to click an organic search listing and consume the page's content — and reminds merchants that AI search has helped ecommerce rankings.
He discusses those tactics and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ecommerce-seo-pro-on-ai-2025-tactics
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Roman Zrazhevskiy is a survivalist of a sort. His company, Mira Safety, sells protective gear for seemingly existential events such as nuclear attacks or chemical warfare. He calls the threat of such events "red alerts," when geopolitical crises prompt fear into consumers.
Zrazhevskiy first appeared on the podcast in 2021. In this episode, he shares the evolution of Mira Safety, staffing strategies, growth plans, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/mira-safety-thrives-on-red-alerts
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Lawmakers worldwide are recognizing the medicinal benefits of natural compounds, such as those in cannabis and mushrooms. Once considered dangerous "drugs," both are now widely legal. And both are the focus of entrepreneur Alex Wolfe.
He co-founded a cannabis business in 2017, built a 650,000 sq. ft. growing facility, and took the company public. He now runs a mushroom-based nutritional supplement provider called Eons, which he launched in 2021.
In this episode, he shares the mental-health mission of Eons, the challenges of regulated industries, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com//eons-founder-on-mushrooms-and-mental-health
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Host Eric Bandholz occasionally focuses an "Ecommerce Conversations" episode on Beardbrand, his business. He does that not to promote the company but to share challenges and successes in the hopes of helping others.
In 2024 alone, he has addressed last year's sales decline, continued hurdles, and the hassle of changing fulfillment providers. He also interviewed Beardbrand's attorney, who successfully defended it in a lawsuit alleging accessibility violations.
Beardbrand has now overcome many of its operational setbacks. It had to relaunch certain products and switch its manufacturer. It moved to a nearby warehouse in Texas for more oversight. With these problems solved, the company's focus shifts to growth and finding new channels.
Eric discusses discusses that focus and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/beardbrand-shifts-to-growth-new-channels
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Brendan Marquardt knows the effect of entrepreneurship on a marriage. He's the co-owner of Lori Beds, a direct-to-consumer seller of Murphy beds, those that fold into a wall, and the now-divorced father of two children in grade school.
Unlike most divorced entrepreneurs, Marquardt chooses to publicly share his experience in the hopes of helping others.
He did that in this episode (his second on the podcast), addressing kids, joint property, lawyers, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/entrepreneur-on-business-and-divorce
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kevin Dahlstrom once paid cash for a $211,000 Porsche. He was in his 30s, living in Texas, holding down high-powered corporate marketing jobs, such as with Mr. Cooper, a mortgage services company, and Elevate, a credit solutions firm.
He says the Porsche created more stress than joy and started his practice of minimalism — letting go of material things. So in his 40s he chucked it all, moved his family to Colorado, and focused on "a more meaningful and balanced life."
He shares his evolution in this episode — from money-seeking to happiness, purpose, rock climbing, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/from-porsche-to-purpose-a-cmos-journey
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Dean Brennan says a diet of beer, pizza, and fast food led to his ulcerative colitis. His doctors diagnosed it years ago in his twenties and told him he'd need medications for life. But Brennan decided otherwise.
"I didn't want to take lifelong medication," he states. "It sparked my passion for health and led me to want to help others."
Fast forward to 2024, and Brennan is the CEO of Heart & Soil, a nutritional supplement company doing $50 million in annual revenue.
In this episode, he addresses his journey to Heart & Soil, key supplement ingredients, supply chain challenges, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tVK
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Patrick Coddou’s entrepreneurial journey is impressive. In 2015 he launched Supply, a direct-to-consumer seller of razors and shaving goods, and then sold the business in 2022. He conceived the idea, hired staff, scaled revenue, and exited profitably.
His journey is incomplete, however. His talents apply to seemingly any industry, but his identity for years was tied to Supply. He’s now adjusting and charting his next moves.
Patrick is among the most popular guests on this podcast, starting in 2020 and followed by appearances in 2021, April 2022, and October 2022.
In this episode, he shares his post-Supply life, the emotions of stepping away, and looking forward.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tPc
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
To Dean Pohlman, long-term business success stems from a purpose. His is to help men improve their health and fulfillment through fitness and personal connections. That's the mission of Man Flow Yoga, the company he founded in 2012, which offers memberships to workout programs and a paid community.
Pohlman, a former college lacrosse player, is an authority on yoga instruction for men and a published author on the topic.
He first appeared on the podcast in 2021. In this episode, he shares client success stories, YouTube tactics, and the "why" behind his business.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tLu
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
In late 2020, host Eric Bandholz interviewed a developer who had launched a Shopify app for sending manual text messages to cart abandoners. Eighteen months later, they spoke again, this time to discuss his sale of that company and purchase of another, an app that offered upsells in a Shopify checkout.
By early 2023 he had sold the second company and launched a third one, an app to recover coupon leaks.
Which brings us to Eric's fourth conversation with Dennis Hegstad. He has shut down the coupon-leak app business and started his fourth, a data provider for the ecommerce industry called Internet Research Unit. What, exactly, is Internet Research Uniit? Eric asked him that question and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tGA
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Host Eric Bandholz has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs for this podcast. Most are problem solvers and optimists, confident in their ability to fulfill a need.
Take Lloyd Armbrust. He's an editor turned software founder, having launched OwnLocal, a Y Combinator-backed portal for local newspapers.
When the pandemic hit, he observed doctors and nurses struggling to obtain protective masks and gloves. He thought, "This is ridiculous. How hard could it be to make these things?"
His solution was Armbrust American, an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of personal protective equipment, which he started in May 2020 and remains viable despite the dramatic drop in demand.
He shares his lessons in this episode, addressing manufacturing, ecommerce, and family-first priorities.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tC7
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Scaling down a business is less fun than scaling up. The issues might be similar, but the process is different.
In this week's episode, host Eric Bandholz addresses the recent experience of Beardbrand, his company, changing 3PLs — third-party logistics providers.
He describes the need to reduce warehouse and fulfillment costs, having lost a large wholesale customer. He explains why he chose an initial provider, only to encounter higher-than-quoted rates and poor service. He switched again, this time returning to Texas near his manufacturer and his own home base.
As always, Eric transparently shares his lessons — good and bad decisions — in the hopes of helping others.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/lessons-from-changing-3pls
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
To Nik Sharma, companies that pursue short-term profits at the expense of branding face long-term hurdles. They often rely on advertising to gain sales and then struggle when the cost becomes prohibitive.
His agency, Sharma Brands, counsels the opposite: Create a positive name identity first. Affordable acquisition and retention follow.
In this episode, he addresses brand strategies, successful companies, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tsI
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mark Berkowitz is an attorney and partner at Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP in New York who works extensively with ecommerce merchants, including Amazon sellers, handling various forms of litigation.
Last year, host Eric Bandholz's company, Beardbrand, was sued for alleged violations of New York laws similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The claim was frivolous.
Bandholz hired Berkowitz, who is experienced in accessibility matters. He made Beardbrand's refusal to pay the claim clear to the plaintiff's attorney, who eventually dropped the case.
Berkowitz recaps the lawsuit in this episode and offers advice for other merchants in similar circumstances.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6toH
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jacob Posel is a software engineer with Common Thread Collective, the ecommerce agency. He focuses on strategies for integrating artificial intelligence into a business. The best use, he says, is to streamline operational processes, those that might otherwise go to virtual assistants or inexpensive labor.
In this episode, he addresses AI versus human creativity, commercial uses, image generation, cost, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6tke
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of the Ruby on Rails software framework, the co-founder of Basecamp, an investor in multiple tech startups, a race car driver, and a family man with children. He's a modern-day polymath.
Yet his workday calendar is not full of appointments and meetings. He abhors managing employees and attending meetings. His is a maker's schedule, he says, with much interrupted time dedicated to solving problems he cares about.
In this episode, Heinemeier Hansson addresses the rise of Rails, Basecamp, and, yes, time management.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6teG
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Resilience comes to mind when describing Hunter Durham. In eight years, he went from a college graduate to a Facebook employee to a company owner to bankruptcy.
Fortunately, he’s willing to share his experience in this episode. It’s a helpful case study on borrowing money, riding an ecommerce boom, and relying on a single client.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6taN
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Eric Bandholz hosts "Ecommerce Conversations" while running Beardbrand, his direct-to-consumer provider of men's grooming supplies. Periodically he diverts an episode to share the details of his business, hoping it helps others.
He's done that three times in the last year, a challenging period for many ecommerce companies, including his own. He's addressed Beardbrand's initial sales decline, plans for recovery, and, most recently, a year-end recap.
In this episode, he shares Beardbrand's recent changes to persevere for better times.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sOC
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Braxton Manley first appeared on the podcast in 2021. As a college student, he had launched Braxley Bands, a maker of Apple Watch bands. Last year he returned with an update on that business after operational and sales challenges.
He's back, having launched his latest company, Mystic, a direct-to-consumer maker of health-focused chewing gum. In this episode, he shares the origins of Mystic, marketing plans, early successes, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sJy
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
The reality of post-pandemic ecommerce has been tough for many direct-to-consumer merchants. Take Molson Hart. His company, Viahart, makes innovative educational toys and sells them on Amazon, Walmart, and other marketplaces.
The last two years have been challenging for Viahart. What worked before and during Covid doesn't apply now, Hart says.
Host Eric Bandholz shares those sentiments, as Beardbrand, his firm, has similar struggles.
This is Hart's second appearance on the podcast. In this episode, he addresses surviving the downtimes, TikTok successes, and the importance of persistence and optimism.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sDJ
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Barry Hott is a longtime Facebook advertising consultant. He says first reactions to an ad largely determine its performance. He advises merchants to create ugly ads, those that people won't skip over.
"I'm the Ugly Ads Guy," he stated.
In this episode, Hott addresses key Facebook ad metrics, budgeting, testing, and, yes, ugly creative.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6sy2
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Lukas Tanasiuk once paid a firm to redesign his Shopify site, a seller of electric scooters. The result was slow page loads and his efforts to improve them. What he found, he says, was a lot of false claims.
"I discovered corruption among folks who say they are page-speed optimizers," he says.
Page-speed optimization became Tanasiuk's next opportunity. In 2023 he launched The Nice Agency, focusing on Shopify page loads.
In this episode, he shares his journey from merchant to agency owner, slow Shopify sites, and more.
He addresses:
- His firsthand experiences with slow page speeds.
- The root causes of slow Shopify sites.
- The downsides of adding third-party Shopify apps.
- His efforts to out a company making false page-speed claims.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6ssX
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Corey Wilks is a clinical psychologist turned business coach. He helps entrepreneurs and creators improve their mindset and overcome self-imposed obstacles.
He says a common obstacle is overthinking a problem. Others involve perfectionism, doubt, and even fear. In this episode, he addresses those mental hurdles and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6smD
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Natalie Mounter is a stay-at-home mom and entrepreneur. Her company, Totally Dazzled, sells craft supplies for weddings and creative projects. She says the business has prospered due to other stay-at-home moms — her employees and affiliates.
"Being a stay-at-home mom and hiring other stay-at-home moms has been key to our success," she stated.
In this episode, she shared Totally Dazzled's origins, its affiliate marketing success, and the value of smart, hardworking moms.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6shr
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Bill D'Alessandro is a 14-year ecommerce owner. Natural Dog Company, an omnichannel seller of canine health products, is his eighth brand. "My niche is acquisition entrepreneurship," he stated. 'll buy a small brand, grow it, improve it, and eventually sell it."
Along the way, he's learned lessons such as focus, industry selection, and product pricing. He shares those experiences and more in this episode.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6scy
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Shahzad Chagani runs operations for PE Energy, a Houston, Texas-based supplier of industrial equipment and supplies. The company collects leads online from worldwide B2B buyers and relies on its Columbia-based sales team to convert them into sales.
"Colombia is pretty Westernized," Chagani stated. "We find a lot of college-educated talent there."
In this episode, Chagani addresses his company's backend setup for 100,000 SKUs, the benefits of an offshore sales staff, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6s96
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
For years Brandon Eley's online shoe company, 2BigFeet, prospered by reselling prominent brands. But the profit margins slowly narrowed as did the sources for large footwear sizes, Eley's niche.
The solution is Michael Ellis Footwear, Eley's direct-to-consumer brand, launched in 2021. "We finally decided to take matters into our own hands," he said.
In this second appearance on the podcast, Eley shares the evolution of 2BigFeet, the launch of Michael Ellis, custom manufacturing, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6s2H
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mickey Friedman co-launched Flair.ai in 2022, a year after graduating from the University of Chicago. The company, which has raised $5 million in seed funding, deploys artificial intelligence to perfect product photos, providing entire virtual scenes and setups.
The process, she says, dramatically lowers the cost of photo shoots while improving quality.
In this episode, she addresses the rise of visual AI, the necessity of human intervention, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rYb
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Matt Ragland is a 10-year email marketer, first at ConvertKit and now at Good People Digital, the Nashville-based agency he launched in early 2023. His approach to superior email performance is storytelling.
He says, "Brands that excel at email marketing frequently tell a story to their ideal audience."
In this episode, he addresses storytelling tactics, email design, automation strategies, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rUb
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 1962 Arto Alajian arrived in the U.S., having fled Egypt and his shoe-manufacturing business. He became a milkman in Los Angeles, and then a ceramic tile installer, and then a tile maker. That was 1966.
Fast forward to 2024, and Arto, the company, is a global supplier of handcrafted ceramic, porcelain, and concrete products. Armen Alagian, the founder's son, now co-owns the business.
In this episode, he addresses the challenges and rewards of generational, family-owned companies.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rNN
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Before Shopify, YouTube, and Facebook, there was OverstockArt. David Sasson launched the company on the Yahoo Store platform in 2002 in Wichita, Kansas. It sells original, hand-painted reproductions of works by Van Gogh, Monet, and more.
Much has changed since 2002, but not Sasson's passion and resilience. He has faced legal crises, replatforms, and competitors. Yet OverstockArt thrives.
In this episode, he shares his journey, outlook, and advice for budding entrepreneurs.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rIT
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
No one can accuse ecommerce copywriter Chris Orzechowski of mimicking others. In an era of image-heavy emails, he prefers plain text. Amid the Facebook-Google advertising juggernaut, he likes X.
Orzechowski is an 11-year writer and marketer, first as a freelancer and then, in 2020, at Orzy, the agency he founded.
In this episode, he addresses his keys to successful product copy, frustration with Meta, and migration to X Ads.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rAx
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Rabah Rahil first appeared on this podcast in September 2022. He was the chief marketing officer of Triple Whale, an analytics platform. He addressed customer acquisition, attribution, and more.
He’s now the CMO of Fermàt Commerce, a SaaS provider of customized customer journeys. Founded in 2021, it has raised nearly $30 million in venture capital funding.
In this episode, Rahil discusses Fermàt’s software, target customers, and his role with the company.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rwr
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
The post-Covid ecommerce hangover has hit Roman Khan. He launched his first direct-to-consumer brand in 2013, acquired others, and in 2021 founded Peak 21, an aggregator with equity investors. The outlook was good.
Fast forward to 2024, and many ecommerce companies are struggling. Mergers and acquisitions have cratered. Yet Khan perseveres. His team reviews dozens of purchase candidates every month, albeit cautiously.
In this conversation, Khan shares his investment criteria, current market conditions, and predictions for a recovery.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rpD
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Faraz Kahn began losing his hair at age 21. Years later, when searching for startup business ideas, he focused on own experience. The result is Fully Vital, a direct-to-consumer seller of hair loss serums and supplements that he launched in 2021.
In this episode, Kahn addresses his launch of Fully Vital, marketing challenges, and lessons learned along the way.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rli
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
BGR is a media site covering consumer technology, such as games and devices. Jonathan Geller launched the company in 2006 and sold it to Penske Media in 2010. He remains its president and general manager.
The site has long relied on organic search traffic, which it monetizes with advertising and affiliate commissions. But the tsunami of low-grade AI content has upended search rankings and thus BGR's business.
In this episode, Geller addresses the future of search engines, the era of weak content, the importance of branding, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6ri7
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Phillip Jackson launched Future Commerce in 2016. The company produces articles, newsletters, and podcasts focusing on coming trends and developments in business.
He believes commerce produces a gentler society, one that fosters culture and stability. Commerce is culture, he states.
In this episode, he discusses his company's mission, large versus small brands, the maturity of ecommerce, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6rdY
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Study a successful entrepreneur, and you'll likely uncover resilience. Take Aaron Marino. Twenty years ago his first business, a fitness center, failed, leaving him with half a million dollars of debt.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Marino is a YouTube celebrity and thriving serial entrepreneur, mainly with men's grooming products.
He first appeared on the podcast in 2020. In this episode, he discusses failure, success, helping others, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6r8F
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Jake Zaratsian is a content creator at Jungle Scout, the Amazon seller platform. He's also a part-time brand owner on that marketplace, selling disposable dinnerware plates made from palm leaves. Curious, we asked him, "Why palm plates?"
He cited three reasons. He sought a product with at least 300 monthly sales, a selling price of $20 each, and consumable for repeat buyers. Disposable palm-leaf plates fit the need.
In this episode, Zaratsian addresses dos and don'ts for Amazon sellers, Jungle Scout's tools, and much more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qRe
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Andrew Faris once managed huge Meta Ad budgets while CEO of ecommerce brands. He still manages huge budgets, but now at his agency on behalf of ad clients.
We asked him for pointers on advertising bread-and-butter commodity-type products.
"Directness is the answer," he replied. "The more tightly you communicate your product and what it does, the better."
This is Faris's third appearance on the podcast. In 2022 he discussed his career transition, having left the CEO role. Last year he addressed his new agency and its focus on Meta Ads management.
This interview continues with Meta advertising — testing, tactics, creative, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6r0W
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Bryant Jaquez picked a heck of a time to become a CEO. A longtime CMO for direct-to-consumer brands, Jaquez accepted the CEO job early this year for BuddyLove, a Dallas-based women's apparel company coming off a pandemic-fueled boom and a dismal 2023.
"The overhead and debt service caught up with them," he said. "Thus far my job has been a lot of restructuring, evaluating expenses, and making deep cuts — some were painful, such as layoffs."
In this episode, he shares his journey from chief marketer to chief executive — addressing decision-making, stress, compensation, equity stakes, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qY6
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mike Tecku first appeared on this podcast in 2019 as an Amazon marketplace seller. He then sold that business, a maker of floormats, shortly afterward. He retired, became bored, and in 2022 launched Momentum, a direct-to-consumer nutritional shake producer. He and I discussed that venture last year in his second appearance.
He's back. Momentum Shake is flourishing, as is Tecku. He's evolved from the nuts and bolts of making money to achieving a purpose, building a team, and self-improvement. "If I'm not growing, I'm dying," he told me.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qRe
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Allen Walton is the founder of SpyGuy, a seller of surveillance cameras from his base in Texas. He's also a world traveler and a seasoned acquirer of airline travel points. Ecommerce merchants who pay with a rewards credit card for advertising, shipping, and other expenses can "rack-up crazy points," he told me.
In our recent interview, his third for this podcast, he elaborated on his methods for obtaining cheap airline tickets and hotel accommodations.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qQQ
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Aaron Orendorff is a chaplain turned writer turned digital marketer. He was the first editor-in-chief at Shopify Plus and then vice president of marketing at Common Thread Collective, an ecommerce agency.
He's now head of marketing for Recart, an SMS platform, but his passion is empowering colleagues and clients. "I find joy in bigging others up," he says.
In this episode, he shares his ecommerce journey, communication methods, and, importantly, achieving sobriety.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qNS
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mike Carroll, a weightlifting buddy of host Eric Bandholz, lost his job last fall. He had been an insurance salesman for 25 years and is now contemplating a new career. Eric asked him, "Have you thought about ecommerce?"
He had not.
Launching an ecommerce company intrigued him, but he was unsure where to start. Knowing many would-be entrepreneurs with similar concerns, Eric invited him on the podcast.
Here's that conversation.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qKi
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Hosting "Ecommerce Conversations" is a welcome respite from my day job of running Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer company I co-founded in 2012. I periodically post updates on Beardbrand's performance, hoping the transparency helps other entrepreneurs.
This episode is my recap of 2023.
It was a terrible year for me and Beardbrand — the first year we were in the red. We've always had around 15% margins, but not in 2023.
We experienced declining sales, unexpected tax bills, a frivolous lawsuit, and the loss of a key wholesale account. Yet we persevered by raising prices, reducing expenses, opening a new sales channel, and changing manufacturers.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qEE
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mike Beckham sees the benefits of competitive markets. Simple Modern, a company he co-founded in 2015, sells insulated drinkware, competing against Yeti and other large providers. He says markets are competitive because many consumers value those products.
"Capturing a small percentage of a competitive market can make you insanely successful," he stated.
Beckham shares his ecommerce journey in this episode, addressing Amazon, digital-first merchandising, physical-store sales, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qBV
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Joe Anhalt is a New York-based copywriter turned designer turned all-around marketer. He consults with direct-to-consumer ecommerce companies on growth strategies, including branding.
He emphasizes storytelling and conveying a brand’s point of view. “You can bring shoppers into your world,” he said. “Brand-building is like world-building.”
In this episode, he addresses multiple growth tactics, including marketing channels, design essentials, multichannel selling, and, yes, the importance of the brand.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6quN
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
David Perell helps folks improve their writing skills. His company offers an online course, YouTube author interviews, and a weekly newsletter. But his broader goal is supporting excellence.
He stated, "It's worth doing exceptional work with whatever you do. The modern world is polluted with mediocrity."
In this episode, Perell addresses writing and speaking and their impact on entrepreneurial success.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see:
https://pec-ly.com/?6qr9
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Postscript is an SMS marketing provider for Shopify brands. The company launched in 2018 and has since raised a whopping $106.2 million across four funding rounds, per Crunchbase. Alex Beller is Postscript's president and one of three co-founders.
Postscript's marketing platform is SMS-only and Shopify-only. To Beller, that translates to "best in class" performance.
In this conversation, Beller addresses the company's focus, regulatory compliance, 2023 results, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qoD
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved.
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2016 David Gaylord was a Shopify employee looking for a side hustle. Then he came up with a funky idea: skincare lotions for hair removal along bikini lines. The business name was even funkier: Bushbalm.
Fast forward to 2023, and Bushbalm is booming, selling lotions and trimmers directly to thousands of consumers and wholesale to Ulta Beauty and 3,000 waxing salons. It spends a whopping $200,000 per month on Facebook ads.
In this conversation, Gaylord shares his journey, addressing sales channels, marketing tactics, and, yes, the name.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qjY
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Listener reviews of Ecommerce Conversations elevate visibility and help others experience the lessons of online entrepreneurs. We invite you to leave a review on this channel if you're so moved!
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Merchants often default to China for outsourced manufacturing. Yet competitive suppliers exist worldwide. For Palermo House, a direct-to-consumer provider of luxury furniture, Argentina is a natural source.
Marco Ferro is the company’s California-based founder with Argentina roots. He was born there, as were his parents, co-owners of the business.
In this episode, Ferro addresses importing goods from South America, shipping furniture to customers, bootstrapping challenges, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qgk
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2014 Eric Steckling launched Brio, a Michigan-based direct-to-consumer seller of beard trimmers. In 2022 the company acquired Ollie, a subscription-based provider of teeth whiteners.
The brands are seemingly complementary. Both sell grooming products. But merging them was challenging. Having been combined post-acquisition, they now function separately.
In our recent conversation, Steckling addressed launching Brio, acquiring Ollie, and lessons learned along the way. The entire audio of our discussion is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6qcn
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mark Wagner believes the best payment chargeback recovery systems are automated and data-driven. He founded Disputifier, an Austin, Texas-based chargeback software company, on that premise in 2021.
He told me, "We've developed an intuitive system over the years. It combines data from the transaction with our testing and identifies an appropriate response."
In this episode, Wagner discusses the state of ecommerce chargebacks and how merchants can recover false claims.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pYN
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ryan Hunter Masters is a Colorado-based musician who loves to dance. In 2015 he launched Show Her Off to teach swing dancing online. The business sells video courses — streaming and DVD — to booming success.
Hunter Masters first appeared on the podcast in 2019. In this second conversation, he addressed the origins of Show Her Off, customer acquisition channels, and his internal litmus test for starting any new company.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pSl
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
The last time host Eric Bandholz discussed his company in an episode was in July. Things were close to their worst. He had furloughed his team for a month. But now the team is back to full-time. His strategy is focusing on Facebook as an acquisition channel. He switched the company's Facebook marketing approach from multi-phase testing to bid caps.
He made the change at the beginning of October, and he's seeing cost per acquisition fall in line with profit expectations. The downside is that there are only a few conversions daily due to the negligible budget.
Beardbrand is now at a breakeven profit-wise. That's not what he expected after 11 years, but he has "come to terms with the fact that this is essentially a new business. I have to look at Beardbrand from a startup perspective. What worked for us when we launched in 2012 is entirely different than now."
It's a new beginning for a venerable, 11-year business, as told here in an admirably transparent manner.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pO3
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Adam Robinson is a former Lehman Brothers financier who in 2012 founded and later sold an email marketing company. Among the company's features was "identity resolution" — the ability to locate folks' email addresses.
That identity technology is the basis of Retention.com, which he launched in 2019. The firm can link anonymous website visitors to their email addresses. The website can then email those folks, soliciting their business. Robinson calls the process "email laundering."
In this conversation, he addresses privacy rules, spam concerns, and acquiring the Retention.com domain.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pIQ
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Paul Jauregui had much to celebrate when he first appeared on this podcast in 2020. BK Beauty, the cosmetics company he co-founded with his wife, Lisa, had reached $1 million in sales in its first year. He returned in early 2022 with more good news: The company had launched a thriving affiliate marketing program and bypassed the Facebook ad meltdown from iOS 14.5.
He's back, having surpassed a whopping $10 million in annual revenue, bolstered by early success on TikTok Shop. In this our third interview, he shares BK Beauty's growth challenges, positive TikTok vibes, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pD7
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
John Ruggiero is co-founder with his wife, Michelle, of Manly Bands, a Utah-based direct-to-consumer seller of men's rings. The company launched in 2016 after John couldn't find a suitable wedding band.
This is Ruggiero's second appearance on the podcast. In April 2021, we discussed the company's founding, unique ring materials, and more.
Since then, Manly Bands has acquired its manufacturer. Filming the making of rings from, say, Jack Daniel's whiskey barrels or Fender guitar strings creates compelling video, says Ruggerio, perfect for storytelling on social media and elsewhere.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6ps5
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Consumers are discovering the medicinal benefits of cannabis plants. Three college grads in Wisconsin saw the opportunity in 2018 when they launched Batch, a direct-to-consumer seller and custom manufacturer of products from CBD, the non-impairing marijuana and hemp extract.
Fast forward to 2023, and Milwaukee-based Batch produces CBD oils, gummies, and other products for itself and external brands.
I recently spoke with the founders, Dennis Mistrioty, Andy Gould, and Griffin Lynch — all lifelong buddies — about launching the company, manufacturing products, acquiring customers, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6pnB
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2013 David Lindahl opened a sort-of public service Twitter account. Its purpose was to alert folks in his native Washington State when Mt. Rainier was visible, unobscured by clouds. He called the account Rainier Watch, as in keeping watch on that dominant landmark.
Fast forward to 2023, and Rainier Watch is a community, a website, and a manufacturer of mountain-themed apparel. The business is a side hustle to Lindahl's day job as a web developer. But it may soon require full-time focus. Sales have increased dramatically, owing in part to in-person markets and local REI stores.
In this episode, Lindahl discusses the company's origin, launching the apparel component, and the benefits of in-person selling.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6piA
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded
Jimmy Kim founded Sendlane, an email, SMS, and reviews platform, in 2013. He believes the key to selling SaaS software is humanizing it. And for Kim that's one-on-one engagement, often at in-person events.
"I always set a goal in an event of shaking everyone's hand and saying hello. I'm not immediately after their business. I want them to think about me."
In-person events are frequently Kim's first step in building a Twitter relationship and a growing community.
He discusses in this episode those community-building strategies, competing with Klaviyo, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p9P
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Accessibility is important to host Eric Bandholz's company, Beardbrand. The business respects consumers with disabilities and tries to serve them. Still, it was recently sued for alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Stunned, he turned to a fellow entrepreneur whose company has dealt with frivolous lawsuits. He first interviewed Joel Runyon for this podcast in May 2022 when they discussed Impossible, Runyon's nutritional performance company. In this recent interview, Runyon shared his experience of getting sued.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p6p
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Andrew Faris is the former CEO of 4x400, an ecommerce aggregator. He left that job in 2021 and now consults with merchants and manages their advertising campaigns, mostly on Meta. I asked him for his keys to successful Meta ads, having spent nine years on that platform.
"The best ad managers are writers," he told me. And "there's no reason a brand under $50 million in revenue needs an attribution tool."
Faris first appeared on this podcast in early 2022. In our recent discussion, he addressed the joys of solo freelancing, working with entrepreneurs, and, yes, how to run high-performing Meta ads.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6p2Q
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
An entire business focused on pet frogs may be the ultimate long-tail venture. Josh Williard's company, JoshsFrogs.com, breeds and sells frogs and the products that support them. Founded in 2007, Josh's Frogs has scaled to 90 employees across two Michigan-based facilities.
"We've been growing by leaps and bounds," he told me, seemingly in frog-speak.
Selling frogs, while unique, has many of the same challenges as other online merchants. Willard discussed those challenges and more with host Eric Bandholz.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oZc
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ten years ago Rasmus Cort needed a vocation. He was in his 20s and living in Denmark, his home. That's when his stepfather introduced him to a tattoo artist.
Fast forward to 2023, and Cort is co-owner of five tattoo shops — four in Denmark and one in Los Angeles — and a direct-to-consumer provider of tattoo skincare products.
He's found his vocation.
I first interviewed Cort in 2020 when we discussed Sorry Mom, the skincare line. We recently hooked up again, this time addressing Iron & Ink, his tattoo chain.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oVW
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2009 Rasmus Albrechtsen began offering men's hairstyling tutorials on YouTube. He called his channel "Slikhaar TV," as in "slick hair." The channel scaled to over 2 million subscribers.
Then came YouTube's artificial intelligence-driven browse feature, showing viewers the videos that likely interest them. Suddenly, Albrechtsen's 2 million subscribers seemed less impactful. He's now producing videos "for the browse feature more than for the subscribers."
Albrecthsen is based in Denmark. In this interview he addresses Slikhaar TV, By Vilain (his line of hair products), and the impact of AI on video marketing.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oP5
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Chad Rubin is an ecommerce pioneer and serial entrepreneur. Profasee, an Amazon repricing tool, is his fourth company, having founded Crucial (a seller of vacuum and coffee filters), Prosper Show (an Amazon conference), and Skubana (an order management platform).
He's hired a lot of employees, in other words. He's also fired a lot — over 100, he says.
His employee screening process now involves an IQ test to evaluate long-term potential. But his key metric on employee success is happiness, believing an unhappy employee is a low performer.
"Success with employees stems from happiness," he told me. "When I have a one-on-one employee meeting, I typically start by asking if they're happy."
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oK9
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Leave it to a customer to speak truth to an entrepreneur. That's what happened when Lelac Almagor, a Washington, D.C. school teacher, purchased an electric kid-hauler cargo bike from Bunch Bikes, a Texas-based direct-to-consumer manufacturer and seller.
Supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic almost shut down Bunch Bikes. Then the founder, Aaron Powell, met Almagor at a bike event. "I learned she is much better at selling the bike than me," he said.
Powell shares his story in this episode — from launching the company in 2017 to its near demise a few years later to hiring Almagor.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oGc
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Patrick Campbell founded ProfitWell, an advisory platform for SaaS companies, in 2012 after stints at the U.S. Department of Defense and Google. He sold the business last year for $200 million.
ProfitWell had no outside investors. Campbell paid himself a $74,000 annual salary. He had $20,000 in the bank when the deal closed.
How does a founder, or anyone, adjust to $200 million from $20,000? Campbell addressed that question and more in this thoughtful interview.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oBX
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Harry Joiner launched his ecommerce recruiting firm in 2005. He's witnessed many employment fluctuations since. Early 2008 was bad, he says. No companies were hiring. The onset of Covid was equally bad.
He calls the state of ecommerce jobs in 2023 "a zoo" with many more candidates than positions and likely permanent structural changes in the overall hiring market.
Here's his perspective as an 18-year recruiting veteran.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6oxW
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ecommerce Conversations host Eric Bandholz is the founder of Beardbrand, a leading direct-to-consumer seller of men's grooming products. 2023 has been challenging for the business — "a perfect storm of calamities" per Eric.
This episode is admirably transparent with Eric sharing his view of good and bad decisions, supply chain hurdles, marketing missteps, and much more. It's a story of perseverance and determination. It's an entrepreneur opening up, hoping to help others in similar circumstances.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see:https://pec-ly.com/?6otj
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Elizabeth Mercer had her first child four years after launching Sleekform, an online seller of ergonomic office furniture. Returning to work after childbirth was a challenge.
"I thought I could just come back and be off to the races," she said. "I knew my body would take time to recover, but I did not expect the mental taxation of childbirth."
She persevered. In this episode, she describes adjusting to motherhood while running a company — including priorities, time management, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?P71
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Steve Chou is a merchant, blogger, podcaster, and trainer. He's now a book author with the release in May of "The Family First Entrepreneur," his HarperCollins title on business, freedom, and priorities.
This is Chou's third appearance on the podcast. In 2020 he discussed Bumblebee Linens, his osCommerce store. In 2022 he described his preference for frugal living despite having achieved financial success.
In this interview, Chou addresses the process of publishing and promoting his book, now a Wall Street Journal bestseller. He recounted finding a publisher, securing an advance, appearing on hundreds of podcasts, and his hopes for long-term sales.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6odw
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Brad Moss is a former Amazon product manager turned video game developer. He's now chief Amazon officer at Brandless, a direct-to-consumer seller of home, health, and beauty goods and an active acquirer of other companies.
Brandless launched in 2017 and famously flamed out in early 2020 after raising close to $300 million in funding. A private equity firm purchased the assets, regrouped, and is now thriving by all accounts.
In this interview, Moss discusses Brandless's journey, its acquisition criteria, and his own interests, which include a side AI project.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6o90
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Athena Severi co-founded Titan Network, an Amazon-seller community, in 2019 with Dan Ashburn, a U.K.-based merchant. Before that, the pair launched China Magic for product sourcing.
Titan Network hosts in-person events and offers workshops, mentoring, and collaboration.
In this conversation, Severi discusses Titan, selling on Amazon, the benefits of community, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6o3O
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
I recently joined a group of ecommerce owners on a hiking trip in Utah. It was 15 of us more or less, sharing our entrepreneurial journeys amid stunning scenery.
Late one night, four of us gathered around a table for this episode — three former guests of the podcast and me.
Mark Taylor is the founder of Warehouse Republic, a 3PL. Mike Tecku started Momentum, a nutritional supplements brand, after selling his Amazon Marketplace businesses. Will Roman is the owner of Chisos, a direct-to-consumer boot brand. My company, Beardbrand, is a DTC seller of men's grooming products.
We reflected. Why own a company? Is it worth the hassle?
We discussed those questions and more. Our entire audio conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited and condensed.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nZf
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Brandon Chicotsky is a professor of marketing at Texas Christian University. He states that his students have endured years of standardized, grade-level tests and are focused on the right answer or the best GPA.
But Chicotsky realizes businesses often face decisions with no right answer. And that has impacted his method of teaching. "I don't offer exams in my class," he said. "Everything I offer has a subjective outcome, not a definitive answer."
In this interview, Chicotksy addresses the role of a college-level business curriculum, discussing the overall experience, monetary value, benefits and drawbacks, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nVd
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Josh Paulson acquired his grandfather's pet accessories company in 2015 when it was losing $25,000 per month. Three months later it broke even. The company, Quality Cage, manufactures products for pet owners and veterinarians.
When Paulson arrived, the company had 2,000 SKUs across multiple pet verticals. Focusing on chinchillas provided the long-term turnaround. "We niched down into only chinchilla products," he said.
Paulson shares his journey in this episode, addressing custom manufacturing, organic marketing, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nRT
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Bruce Bolt is a direct-to-consumer baseball batting glove company in Austin, Texas. The business launched in 2017 when its founder was 16. He needed a better batting glove and a job. Making and selling his own gloves solved both needs.
Chris Hall is Bruce Bolt's director of marketing. He and I recently spoke, addressing acquisition tactics, ad performance, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nOW
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
In 2019 Joe Spisak's ecommerce company had gone through three third-party fulfillment companies in just 18 months. Frustrated, he began fulfilling in-house, which led to offering fulfillment services to other brands. And that led to Fufill.com, a marketplace of nearly 600 fulfillment companies worldwide, connecting merchants to providers.
In this conversation, Spisak describes his fulfillment experiences as a seller, the pain and expense of changing providers, the need for 3PL transparency, and much more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nIM
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Adam Hendle had a dream job with Google. Then he had an idea in 2017 to launch a hygiene brand focused on men's privates. He named the brand Ballsy and launched it on Black Friday 2018. It quickly scaled. By 2021, Ballsy was an eight-figure revenue business and entertaining offers from potential acquirers. Hendle sold it that year.
He's now focused on his new venture, a laundry-detergent sheet. He shares his journey — from launching, scaling, and selling Ballsy to, now, his new company.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nCZ
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Andrew Foxwell co-launched Foxwell Digital, an agency, in 2012 from his base in Wisconsin. The firm now manages social media ad campaigns for brands worldwide. Having experienced much industry change, Foxwell concludes the key to a successful marketer is a nonstop desire to learn.
He describes in this interview his agency's approach to paid social campaigns, building a team, overall paid social strategy, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nxa
For all condensed episode transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Mike Lee was once a 12-0 middleweight boxer who fought for a world title. Then anxiety and injuries took a toll. His search for a cure led to cannabidiol, the non-addictive, non-impairing marijuana extract. And that led him to Soul, the CBD brand he co-founded with his sister Angie.
He shares his story in this interview, addressing his health issues, CBD's benefits, launching Soul, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nsg
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kevin Williams owns KDF Aegis, a U.S.-based consulting and investment firm. In 2021 he invested in Balls.co, a U.K. seller of grooming supplies for male private parts. He says, "The notion of running Balls is hilarious to everyone who knows me. But it's a gift to a marketer to work with an edgy product."
Humor ended up being the company's principal marketing vehicle when it retained comedians in Europe to ask bystanders, "Do you shave your balls?" The resulting videos produced 150 million views on TikTok.
Willaims discusses the business of male grooming in this interview.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nkY
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Kevin Stecko launched 80sTees.com in 2000 selling t-shirts imprinted with pop-culture items. The process requires obtaining permission from the rights holders, which is not easy. He says, "I started the company with designs of He-Man, a toy cartoon. I obtained that license, and then they wouldn't approve hardly any of my designs."
Fast forward to 2023, and 80sTees.com has 120,000 SKUs. It no longer warehouses and fulfills products but, instead, sends the designs to printers who then drop-ship them.
He discusses his journey here, addressing licensing risks, competition, drop-shipping, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nhq
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Allen Walton launched SpyGuy, an online retailer of surveillance cameras, in 2014. The business quickly scaled, experiencing much success. Then Google Ads banned it. Then competitors arose, narrowing margins.
Still, Walton preserves. Google lifted the ban, and he has doubled down with a renewed focus on sales channels, customer service, vendors, and more.
This is Walton's second appearance on the podcast. The first, "Banned by Google Ads, SpyGuy.com Ponders Alternative Channels," occurred in 2020. — https://pec-ly.com/?1uAy
In his conversation, Walton shares his journey, addressing professional and personal setbacks, marketing initiatives, fulfillment changes, and more.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6ndp
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
••••••
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Katrina McKinnon owns CopySmiths, a global blog-writing agency for ecommerce companies. Once wary of artificial intelligence-powered writing tools, she now embraces them. Moreover, she sees a coming sea change where storytellers — liberal arts folks — are the AI "prompt engineers" that drive much of marketing.
She discusses the evolution of her business, working with Kenya-based writers, and the benefits and opportunities of AI tools.
For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6nbi
For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company, founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Ten years ago Ken Freeman was a drop-ship Amazon seller. The business grew beyond drop shipping to seven figures (revenue) utilizing FBA. He sold to Thrasio, the aggregator, in 2019. He now advises established companies via Full Circle, his agency.
Amazon's marketplace circa 2023 is ruthlessly competitive, unlike in the mid-teens when, per Freeman, "you could get rich selling yoga mats." In this interview he addresses competitive tactics, black-hat sellers, and more.
For a condensed transcript with embedded audio, see https://pec-ly.com/?6n84
For condensed transcripts with embedded audio of all episodes, see https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Tony Smith acquired TimberVaults, a direct-to-consumer seller of concealed gun safes, for expansion opportunities beyond firearms. He foresaw hidden storage of other valuables, such as jewelry and documents.
That was in mid-2022. He's now learning the ropes of running an ecommerce business. In this conversation, he shares his early mistakes, operational decisions, and growth plans.
For an edited transcript of the interview with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6n4d
For transcripts and embedded audio of all episodes, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Zach Stuck is an agency founder turned ecommerce owner. The agency, called Homestead, runs marketing campaigns for direct-to-consumer businesses. And lessons from those campaigns drive his second venture: acquiring and launching his own brands.
His top lesson? A customer from paid acquisition has to be profitable on the first sale.
He shares his journey — from running an agency to owning and operating ecommerce brands — in this episode.
For a transcript of the episode with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mXE
For all episodes and embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Mike Tecku sold his Amazon businesses, retired, and became bored. He's back, having just launched Momentum, a maker of nutritional shakes, which he calls "the Rolex of supplements." He describes his journey in this week's episode, addressing personal priorities and Momentum's market position, growth plans, and more.
For an edited transcript with audio embedded, see https://pec-ly.com/?6mTV
For all edited episodes with embedded audio, see https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Isaac Medeiros's company, Mini Katana, is a direct-to-consumer seller of Samurai-themed letter openers, swords, and related accessories. Just two years old, the business produces a whopping six videos every day from a team of creators, writers, and editors. That's 3,000 videos to date.
How can a small company produce and post six videos every day? He explains that and more in this fascinating discussion.
For a condensed transcript with embedded audio, see https://pec-ly.com/?6mOJ
For condensed transcripts of all episodes, see https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Braxton Manley launched Braxley Bands, a DTC seller of Apple Watch bands, in 2017 while a college student in Texas. The business grew quickly. He's now looking to diversify beyond Apple Watches to products from the same sustainable material as his bands.
In this conversation, he shares successes and challenges from 2022, international expansion plans, and the evolution of his company. It's an inspiring lesson in innovation and resilience.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see https://pec-ly.com/?6mIx
For all transcripts of all episodes (with embedded audio), see https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Sean Frank hopes to sell Ridge, the maker of metal-clad wallets, within three years — for $1 billion. In this conversation, he discusses that goal, the overall state of ecommerce, the perils of excessive debt, and the need to disrupt the dental market.
For a condensed transcript (with embedded audio), please see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mD2
For all transcripts and audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Dennis Hegstad's third Shopify app is called Vigilance. It monitors and blocks the injection of unwanted coupon codes at checkout, saving merchants big bucks. He discusses the financial harm to merchants of "leaked" coupon codes, Vigilance's method of blocking their use, and more.
Hegstad previously launched and sold LiveRecover, an SMS-based Shopify app for recovering abandoned carts. He then acquired and sold OrderBump, an app for Shopify upsells.
To read the condensed transcript (with full embedded audio): https://pec-ly.com/?6mA6
For all past transcripts, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Tim Conley helps founders overcome mental hurdles and grow their businesses. Most entrepreneurs, he's observed, prefer daily operations and putting out fires. If there are no fires, entrepreneurs will sometimes set them to put them out.
In this conversation, Conley explains why entrepreneurs must evolve from the daily nitty-gritty into long-term strategists. This requires delegation, new creative outlets, and a shift in roles.
To read the edited and shortened transcript (with embedded audio), please see https://pec-ly.com/?6mt9
For all edited transcripts, see https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Beardbrand founder Eric Bandholz, the host of "Ecommerce Conversations," looks back on his company's 2022 performance in detail and outlines (major) plans for 2023. It's impressive transparency to help all merchants — a must-listen.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mvL
For transcripts of all episodes with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
OneBlade COO Charles Pyles implemented forced economizing last spring when the company's sole investor couldn't inject additional funds. He shares his story in this week's episode, addressing cost savings, high-dollar razors, acquisition tactics, and more.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mit
For all transcripts and audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Jackson Reiter is paid media marketer for PetPlate, a direct-to-consumer dog-food provider launched in 2016. The company sells subscriptions to "human grade" meals for dogs and, to date, has raised $32 million in funding. Reiter addresses the company's marketing funnel, paid media channels, video production, and more.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mgC
For all interviews and transcripts, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
CMO Daniel Lacey tells the story of Pura, which makes and sells devices that emit fragrances and are controlled via a smartphone app. Launched in 2015, the business has scaled to 180 employees and relies mostly on influencer marketing for sales on its website and via retail partners.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6mdA
For all edited transcripts and embedded audio of all episodes, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Persistent stomach pain prompted Allison Ellsworth to formulate a prebiotic soda, which she named Poppi. That was in 2018. It's now among the fastest-growing beverage brands in the U.S., with sales of $300,000 per month.
She describes her journey to host Eric Bandholz in this episode, addressing Shark Tank appearances, dramatic scaling, plans, and more.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, see: https://pec-ly.com/?6m3F
For all episode transcripts with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Ryan Hartman is chief marketing officer and co-founder of Chaiz, a startup comparison marketplace for extended automotive repair warranties. He joins the show to address the need for lower-priced warranties, the challenges of reaching consumers, signing up providers, raising capital, and more.
For an edited transcript with embedded audio, please see: https://pec-ly.com/?6m1o
For edited transcripts of all episodes, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts
Jai Dolwani is chief marketing officer of Winc, a publicly-traded wine membership club. His responsibilities extend beyond marketing to technology, engineering, ecommerce, and overall omnichannel growth. Selling alcohol in the U.S. is challenging owing to 1920s-era laws on distribution and marketing and to the logistical headaches of shipping liquid.
Dolwani addresses those challenges and more, including customer acquisition, subscription models, and in-house brand development.
See the edited transcript (with embedded audio) at: https://pec-ly.com/?6lUP
See all weekly transcripts and audio embeds at: https://bit.ly/3iddPNt
Jordan Elist is the founder of Mate, a direct-to-consumer seller of supplements for male sexual health. Elist launched the business in 2020 after a career in investment banking. He addresses in this conversation his mission of destigmatizing sexual healthcare, marketing challenges, and his insistence on science-backed product formulation.
For an edited transcript, please go to https://pec-ly.com/?6lLb.
Andrew Bialecki co-founded Klaviyo in 2012 as a data repository for business. Then a friend told him about Shopify. Klaviyo is now a global ecommerce-marketing juggernaut with 1,500 employees, $140 million in revenue, and $778 million in equity funding to date — including a $100 million round in August from Shopify itself.
But the management of data remains central to Klaviyo’s mission. “We’re really good a storing data,” Bialecki said. He speaks with host Eric Bandholz in this week's episode.
The edited transcript is at https://pec-ly.com/?6lNM.
Having achieved financial success, many entrepreneurs buy a big house, perhaps an expensive vehicle. But not Steve Chou. He co-owns a thriving ecommerce business, runs a growing YouTube channel, and teaches popular courses from his "My Wife Quit Her Job" website. And he loves frugal living.
"Being frugal and spending less is great for my peace of mind," he said.
This is Chou's second interview for this podcast. Two years ago, he addressed Bumblebee Linens, his ecommerce company. Today's conversation extends beyond that business, to cover stress, quality of life, and, yes, frugal living.
See https://pec-ly.com/?6lC9 for an edited transcript.
In 2021 Tim Aton was working at a marketing agency in Spokane, Washington, running campaigns for clients. Then a friend who owned a leather-goods company in Wyoming called, asking "Want to help me grow the company?"
Aton made the jump, moving his family to Laramie. He's now the COO of Range Leather. Here's his story.
For an edited transcript, please see https://pec-ly.com/?6lyg.
In 2015 Mike Pfeiffer made a few firearm holsters at home for his own use. Then he mentioned them on his YouTube channel, Last Line of Defense. Followers began asking if they could buy them.
Fast forward to 2022, and Last Line of Defense is a Drupal-powered direct-to-consumer ecommerce business with annual revenue of $500,000.
Here's his story. An abbreviated transcript is at https://pec-ly.com/?6lt4.
Until early 2020 Matthew Gattozzi was a professional ballet dancer. Then a back injury forced a career change and the launch of Goodo Studios, his photo and video production company for ecommerce brands. "I work with established and up-and-coming brands by understanding how to use and leverage content for revenue, " he says.
For an edited transcript, see https://pec-ly.com/?6ljo.
Patrick Coddou co-founded Supply.co in 2015. The DTC seller of razors and shaving supplies has experienced the rise and fall and rise again of many ecommerce brands. Covid created a sales boom. iOS 14.5 decimated profits. Diversifying acquisition channels has restored growth and earnings — so much so that Coddou has sold his business. He tells the story in this episode with host Eric Bandholz.
For an edited transcript, please see https://pec-ly.com/?6l8G.
Fringe Sport is a leading online seller of home-based barbells and exercise equipment. Peter Keller founded the company in 2010 in Austin, Texas, where it remains. In this his second appearance on the podcast, he speaks with host Eric Bandholz on priorities — business and life — and his motivations for running Fringe.
See the edited transcript at https://pec-ly.com/?6l4m.
Jon Tucker founded HelpFlow, an outsourced customer service provider, in 2015. The company has thrived, focusing on ecommerce brands and an extensive onboarding process to understand a client's products, customer needs, and much more. In this episode, Tucker discusses his company's journey with host Eric Bandholz.
For an edited transcript, please go to https://pec-ly.com/?6kYz.
Apple's iOS change in May 2021 continues to impact advertising. To Triple Whale, an Austin, Texas-based analytics provider, the change is a debacle for merchants and an opportunity for the company.
Rabah Rahil is Triple Whale's chief marketing officer. He recently joined host Eric Bandholz to discuss the impact of iOS 14.5 and the need for accurate attribution, ad testing, and more.
For an edited transcript, please see https://pec-ly.com/?6kVr.
PeachBbies launched in 2019 as a direct-to-consumer seller of slime, the squishy-stretchy substance, mostly for kids. Fast forward to 2022 and the company's TikTok and YouTube channels have a whopping 5 million and 1.5 million followers, respectively. PeachyBbies' co-founder tells the story.
Drew Fallon launched Mad Rabbit, a direct-to-consumer tattoo skincare company, with two college buddies shortly after graduating in 2019. Two years later, the company hit $3 million in annual revenue — as a side hustle. He describes the company's rise and future in this terrific interview. (Read the edited transcript at https://pec-ly.com/?6ke7.)
Chisos Boots, a handcrafted bootmaker in Austin, Texas, drives 90% of its revenue online. But its sole physical store serves as a gathering place and hosts two large annual events. Founder Will Roman explains in this week's episode with host Eric Bandholz.
Nathan Allebach began managing the Twitter account for Steak-umm, the food brand, in 2017. It had 1,000 followers. It's now over 200,000. He speaks with host Eric Bandholz in this week's episode, addressing social media branding, divisive content, and more.
Having successfully launched Spiceology, a DTC food seller, in 2012, Pete Taylor semi-retired. That was three years ago, after he had hired executives to run the company. He moved to Maui, took a year off, and reflected on his next venture. Fast forward to 2022, and that venture is Midas Brands, a multi-site consumer package goods company.
Mark Taylor is a former Fulfillment-by-Amazon seller weary of paying expensive long-term storage fees. He said, “We started looking for ways to solve the warehousing problem for ourselves, and in doing so, we thought it might be interesting for others.” His solution is Warehouse Republic, a 3PL serving mainly Amazon sellers, which he launched in 2018.
He discusses his journey with host Eric Bandholz, addressing FBA policies, warehouse leasing, fulfillment technology, and more. See, also, the condensed transcript at: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/fba-seller-tired-of-storage-fees-launches-3pl.
The year 2021 produced dramatic escalations in influencer marketing rates and upheaval in Facebook ad performance. Both are critical marketing channels for Ridge Wallet, the maker of metal-clad billfolds. But CEO Sean Frank is unfazed, and the company is thriving.
It sounds like a movie script. A gay entrepreneur in Guatemala launches a cookie company in 2012 from his mom's kitchen. He meets another Guatemalan entrepreneur, also gay, who joins the business. They get married, immigrate in 2019 to the U.S., and, overcoming a slew of obstacles, relaunch the company from their base in Austin, Texas, achieving success.
The company is called Wunderkeks. The entrepreneurs are founder Hans Schrei and his co-owner husband, Luis Gramajo.
I recently spoke with them. Our conversation addressed much more than selling cookies.
Folks who grind their teeth while sleeping rely on custom-fitted guards for prevention. For sellers of those guards, the complication is the custom-fitting. It requires an exact teeth impression, which presumably calls for an in-person visit.
But not if the seller is Pro Teeth Guard, a San Diego, California-based online dental lab that sells made-to-order teeth guards via ecommerce. Its impressions-by-mail process facilitates custom manufacturing — and satisfied customers.
I recently spoke with JP Ji, Pro Teeth Guard's president, on production challenges, customer service strategies, marketing, and more.
Host Eric Bandholz's company, Beardbrand, recently completed a migration to Shopify 2.0 and a new premium theme, the fourth since its inception in 2013. Jenny Durre, Beardbrand's in-house designer, managed the entire 2.0 process — selecting the theme, customizing pages, streamlining the layout, and ultimately going live with the new version. She describes it all in this conversation.
A condensed and edited (for clarity) transcript is at: https://pec-ly.com/?6jBh.
Search engine optimization for ecommerce boils down to four buckets. That's according to Jeff Oxford, founder of 180 Marketing, an Oregon-based firm.
Read a condensed and edited (for clarity) transcript at https://pec-ly.com/?6jrc.
Apple's iOS 14 privacy changes have created a windfall for direct mail providers such as PostPilot. Owners Drew Sanocki and Michael Epstein explain how modern postcard programs mimic email campaigns.
Read a condensed and edited (for clarity) transcript at https://pec-ly.com/?6jhw.
Chris Harrison co-founded Liber & Co., a maker of cocktail syrups, in 2012. The Austin, Texas-based company thrived by selling mostly to bars and restaurants. Then Covid hit.
Joel Runyon launched Impossible, a fitness and performance company, in 2010. The company sells digital training programs, apparel, and nutritional supplements. "Sleep," a powder drink, is the latest. It helps high performers recharge and recover via deep sleeping.
Molson Hart launched Viahart, a manufacturer of educational toys, in 2010, selling mainly on Amazon. The company experienced repeated intellectual property theft, which prompted his launch of a second company, Edison Litigation Financing.
Thanh Pham, the founder of Asian Efficiency, a productivity training company, once focused on efficiency to help folks get more done. Then he realized the real driver of productivity is happiness, not time management or focus.
In 2018 Sarah Moret, an accountant and athlete, couldn't find a suitable aluminum-free deodorant. So she made her own. Fast forward to 2022, and that deodorant business is now Curie, a thriving direct-to-consumer seller of personal care and lifestyle goods.
Supply.co, a DTC seller of shaving supplies, endured a tough 2021, as did its founder, Patrick Coddou. By year's end, he was exhausted, burned out. He turned to the Entrepreneurial Operating System, a management framework. The results? "It has changed the company, and it’s changed me."
Joshua McKee founded Atlas Staffing 11 years ago. The company now has five locations in the western U.S., serving a light industry niche. McKee advocates core company values and communicates them to his staff. "Embrace growth," his favorite, refers to personal growth, not financial.
Lea Richards founded Pig of the Month, a DTC seller of barbeque, in 2011. After Apple's iOS 14 privacy change, she shifted to direct mail for customer acquisition — to good results. She explains that switch, the logistics of shipping perishable goods, and more.
Christopher Silvestri is an ecommerce copywriter and UX designer who launched Conversion Alchemy, an agency, two years ago. The key to high-converting copy, he says, is researching the target audience. He explains how he does that, including his go-tool tools and common merchant mistakes.
Ravi Kurani is an engineer and former venture capitalist who launched Sutro, a water sensor manufacturer, in 2012 in India. His initial go-to-market strategy failed. So he moved to California, his home, and shifted to measuring swimming pool water from the drinking kind.
Ayman Al-Abdullah joined AppSumo, the daily deals site for digital goods, in 2015. Annual revenue was $3 million. When he left the company in 2021, revenue was a whopping $80 million. How did he do it? "People development," he said.
Kamil Banc is co-founder with his brother Jeremy of Fragrance One, a direct-to-consumer seller of colognes and perfumes — entirely online. Sales are booming despite buyers never smelling the fragrances. He explains how in this conversation with host Eric Bandholz.
In 2009 Judi Fox began networking on LinkedIn, having lost her job early that year. She now, in 2022, has nearly 39,000 LinkedIn followers. Her business advises companies and professionals on marketing strategies for that platform.
Jon Shanahan is the co-founder of Stryx, the pioneering direct-to-consumer seller of men's cosmetics. The company is soon to launch its products in 950 Target stores. The decision comes with risks. Shanahan discusses those issues and more with host Eric Bandholz.
In 2015 Brenden Marquardt was a Texas-based investment analyst. He met a homesteader named Lori who made custom Murphy beds, those that fold up in a wall. Marquardt was looking for a side hustle. He acquired her business. Fast forward to 2022, and Lori Wall Beds is an eight-figure direct-to-consumer company.
Paul Jauregui first appeared on this podcast in 2020, having launched BK Beauty, a direct-to-consumer beauty brand, with Lisa, his wife, the year before. Unlike many DTC brands, BK Beauty does not rely on Facebook advertising. Affiliate marketing is the company's go-to channel.
In 2010, Spencer Jan and his brother launched Solo Stove, for camping. Fast forward to 2022 and Solo Stove is Solo Brands, a public traded aggregator of ecommerce companies, which rose from its acquisition of Jan's business. What's it like to watch others run a company he founded? Jan addresses it in this episode.
Dennis Hegstad co-founded LiveRecover, a real-time SMS app, in 2018. He sold the company in 2021. "I became bored," he said. So he purchased OrderBump, a Shopify app for product upsells.
Andrew Faris is a former pastor who migrated to digital marketing. From there he rose to CEO of 4x400, an ecommerce aggregator that once owned seven brands. Having recently resigned from that position, he's now assessing priorities and evaluating his next career move. It's a not uncommon position for many executives and entrepreneurs.
I first interviewed Sean McGinnis for this podcast in November 2020. He had recently arrived at Kuru Footwear, a direct-to-consumer shoe manufacturer, as chief marketing officer. One year later, he's president of the company, and sales are booming.
It's been a wild ride for Rick Wilson. He started in ecommerce in the 1990s as a salesman with Miva, the pioneering platform. In 2007 he joined an investor group that purchased the business. Fast forward to 2022 and Wilson is Miva's CEO. He recently completed the company's second capital raise and authored a second book.
Ryan Magin founded Viral Edits, a video agency, roughly two years ago. He creates original and repurposed videos for brands and influencers, focusing on TikTok and Instagram. The business has grown dramatically. The process is much more difficult than it appears, he says, requiring hours of video watching, editing, and nuance.
Having arrived from Estonia 14 years ago, Peep Laja has launched three companies: CXL for e-learning, Speero for conversion consulting, and Wynter for B2B customer intelligence. "I've always been entrepreneurial," he told me. "I like starting things."
Tracey Wallace is a longtime B2B exec and content marketer, having worked at BigCommerce and now, MarketerHire, a marketplace for freelancers. She addresses the post-Covid workforce, the benefits of hiring freelancers, and, yes, how to drive traffic with content marketing.
In 2012, Dean Pohlman was a collegiate lacrosse player who had taken up yoga. It so improved his on-field performance he began teaching the workouts to teammates. That led to DVD recordings, which led to a YouTube channel. He called it "Man Flow Yoga." Fast forward to 2021, and Pohlman is a global authority on yoga instruction for men.
Chris Williamson is a modern-day polymath with a fitting podcast. It's called "Modern Wisdom." Launched in 2018, it's experienced a whopping 30 million downloads across 400 episodes. He told me, "We talk about human nature, marketing, philosophy, life, life hacks, biohacking, fitness, health, pretty much everything."
The pandemic has upended the fitness industry. Having no access to public gyms, millions of folks turned to at-home workouts. According to Matt Reynolds, the founder of Barbell Logic, an online strength coaching company, the shift is permanent. "As the world has opened back up," he told me, "there's been a change of mindset, a paradigm shift in personal fitness training."
Clay Hebert once attended a conference in San Diego. He sat next to a fellow who inquired about his work. "What do you do?" the fellow asked. Describing the encounter, Hebert told me, "That question stumped me." He had fumbled his introduction to Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress.
This episode is different than most. I'm interviewing no one. Instead, I'm addressing a singular topic: bootstrapping, the concept of launching and growing a business without outside investors. My company, Beardbrand, is bootstrapped. It's a beautiful thing.
The year 2021 has been a doozy for Ben Smith. In March, he celebrated an investment round for Disco, his direct-to-consumer skincare company. In April, Disco's customer acquisition cost increased by a whopping 300% with the release of iOS 14.5. In May, he began selling on Amazon, only to see Amazon bid on the exact Google Ad keywords he relied on for traffic to Disco's website.
Andrew Youderian is the founder and CEO of eCommerceFuel, a leading online community of established store owners. He oversees a diverse team and manages a growing business with worldwide members. Surely, one would think, he works long hours with little downtime.
Where can you find a size 24 men's shoe? At 2BigFeet.com. Brandon Eley co-launched the business in 2000, before Google AdWords and long before Facebook and Shopify. "We've seen a lot of changes in 21 years," he said. "Keyword stuffing was legitimate search engine optimization back then."
Solving a personal hardship may be the most common motivator for starting a business. Clark Nowlin's hardship was acidity in coffee. It wrecked his stomach. Golden Ratio Coffee is Nowlin's solution. It's a producer of low-acid coffee. He founded the business last year in Austin, Texas, and it now sells direct-to-consumer in all 50 states.
Patrick Coddou is a direct-to-consumer pioneer, having launched Supply.co in 2015. The company designs, manufactures, and sells premium shaving products — all to great success. Until 2021. That's when Apple's iOS 14.5, which launched in April, upended Facebook's ability to hyper-target ads. Coddou's company relied on sales from those ads. He's retrenched the company and is soon to launch two new products.
Lauren Johnson says high-performing entrepreneurs have similar characteristics as professional athletes. Both have mental traits that lead to inevitable success. She first observed those qualities when working for the New York Yankees, teaching mental performance to accomplished baseball players.
Roman Zrazhevskiy's company, Mira Safety, sells protective gas masks. It launched in 2018, targeting consumers, medical providers, law enforcement, and others. The masks protect against tear gas, chemicals, and, yes, viruses. Still, reaching prospects was a challenge.
Josh Durham knows the downside of entrepreneurship. He founded an ecommerce company in 2015 and quickly grew revenue. Then it went out of business. Fast forward to 2021 and Durham has bounced back. He founded a successful marketing agency, Aligned Growth Management, that builds on his own early-day lessons.
Beardbrand's products are in all 2,000 Target stores. Lindsey Reinders, my business partner, drove that project in 2018. Selling goods to mass merchandisers is a goal of many direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands. Has it worked out for Beardbrand? I asked Lindsey that question and more.
Brian De Groodt launched Dispatch Custom Cycling Components in 2018 after a long career in enterprise software. The company sells bicycle headset caps, which sit atop the stem connecting handlebars to the frame. Customers can customize the caps, adding uniqueness to their bikes.
Nathan Chan seemingly had it all. His business, Foundr, is hugely successful, combining media with entrepreneurship training. He interacts with prominent global founders. Then came burnout. "I experienced burnout earlier this year for the first time ever," he told me. "It wasn't good. I realized I had just ground myself out."
Shreya Patel is a biologist and healthcare administrator who seeks to change how folks clean their home. Products that kill bacteria do more harm than good, she says. And that's why she launched Hyve, a direct-to-consumer seller of household cleaning goods. She says, "Cleaners that kill 99.9% of bacteria leave 0.1% that are likely the most harmful."
Ardon Lukas launched Shirtwascash in 2014, having spent several years in corporate finance. He sells t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, sweatshirts, you name it — all printed with cultural memes or images. Some are edgy; all are interesting. He's the "godfather of memewear," according to his LinkedIn profile.
Bryan DeLuca has a name for folks who build brands within large corporations. He calls them "intrepreneurs." He should know. Having co-founded and then sold a successful ecommerce business, DeLuca worked for a traditional retailer, creating brands within the company.
Chris Cage founded Greenbelly, a maker of high-nutrition meal bars for backpackers, after having left his accounting job and traveling the world. That was in 2014. Fast forward to 2021, and the business is thriving.
Shakil Prasla recently made a big mistake. An astute ecommerce operator and owner, Prasla purchased in late 2020 Covid-related protective gloves at roughly twice the ultimate selling price. His company, Gloves.com, lost $6 million.
Content marketing can be difficult. But not for Kyle Boureston. He's an editor and publisher. His company, Boureston Media, runs seven content sites around niches. He's refined his topic selection and production methods over the years to engage visitors from organic search. Boureston's insights can help ecommerce companies improve their content marketing efforts.
Adam Ryan joined The Hustle in August 2016, four months after its launch. He was a part-time employee responsible for generating advertising revenue. By February 2021, when HubSpot acquired it, he was president. Ryan is now an investor and consultant, advising companies on content strategies that engage prospects.
Having sold Grasshopper, the virtual phone service, for $175 million in 2015, David Hauser assessed his priorities. Grasshopper was his third launch and exit, following ReturnPath (email services) and Chargify (subscription management). "I decided to optimize for happiness, not for return on capital or profit," he said.
Felipe Correa is a pro at product development, custom manufacturing, and logistics. He also knows much about skin lotions, as he had eczema when young. And it's his frustrations with eczema that inspired Goodspread, a direct-to-consumer seller of skincare products that launched on June 7.
On his website, Antonio Centeno lists the businesses he owns. They include Real Men Real Style, a blog and a YouTube channel with millions of readers and subscribers. Menfluential Media is an influencer ad network. And there's Vitaman.com, a direct-to-consumer seller of organic skin and hair products for men. Centeno launched the site in early 2020.
What prompts an entrepreneur to enter the eyelash industry? For Jason Wong, it was watching his girlfriend apply makeup. Just 23, Wong is a Los Angeles-based serial entrepreneur and consultant. His latest company, Doe Lashes, launched two years ago as a direct-to-consumer seller of comfortable, lightweight eyelashes.
Berlin Brands Group started on eBay 15 years ago. It is now a global ecommerce powerhouse, with over $300 million in annual revenue across a dozen or more brands. Managing Director Christian Salza addresses the company's acquisition process, its focus on technology, and more.
Is there a more competitive consumer market than nutritional supplements? I asked that question to Damian Soong, the co-founder of Form Nutrition, a maker and seller of plant-based proteins and food products, which launched in 2017 in the U.K. He and I recently discussed starting the business, nutritional goods, bootstrapping, and more.
Ezra Firestone launched his first ecommerce business in 2007. It sold wigs. He's owned multiple brands since. BOOM!, which sells cosmetics, he co-founded in 2010. He focuses on key management metrics, such as spending 30-percent of ecommerce revenue on advertising.
The viability of open-source ecommerce platforms may seem limited given the rise of SaaS providers. Not so, says Ryan Szrama. He's the founder of Drupal Commerce. He wrote the code in 2005 as an addition to the open-source Drupal content management system. "Suddenly I was skyrocketed into collaborative development with a worldwide reach," he said.
Henry Davis and Bryan Mahoney foresaw in 2018 an avalanche of direct-to-consumer companies that served smaller, niche audiences. Chord, a DTC-first ecommerce platform, is their answer to bringing sophisticated, "headless" technology to smaller firms. "We like to call Chord the first headless platform with a brain," Davis told me.
Peter Keller launched Fringe Sport in 2010 to help folks assemble home-based gyms. He also wanted to make a lot of money. "I was very financially motivated," he told me. Then he attended a seminar a few years ago that focused on a company's purpose, its mission. He spoke with employees and customers. He discovered the real value in Fringe Sport.
The idea for Chisos boots started with back pain. Will Roman, the founder, owner, and lifetime cowboy-boot wearer, injured his back in a motorcycle accident. Wearing boots became painful. So he launched Chisos.com, a high-end, handcrafted bootmaker, in 2019. Quality and craft drive Roman and his outlook on life.
I've interviewed entrepreneurs for this podcast who developed organic consumer-care goods. But none did it before Eric Malka. He and his wife, Myriam, devised shaving oils from their kitchen in 1996 and then launched The Art of Shaving. Their new company, Ingredients, focuses on wellness and sustainability.
Imagine selling home gym equipment online at the onset of the pandemic. Athletic clubs were closed. Consumers were stuck in their houses. According to Kaevon Khoozani, the founder of Canada-based Bells of Steel, the demand for weight-training equipment was “obscene.” “We ran into two giant hiccups,” Khoozani told me.
Most entrepreneurs start with a business idea and then secure the domain name. Peter Askew does the opposite. He purchases domain names and then builds the business. Take VidaliaOnions.com, for example. Askew purchased the name in 2014. It's now a thriving farm-to-door seller of Vidalia onions.
Jay Sauceda launched his ecommerce fulfillment company, Sauceda Industries, in 2013 in Austin, Texas. He says packing and shipping products is easy. What's difficult, he stated, is managing unforeseen events. "The shipping business is, essentially, the exceptions management business," he told me.
Having co-founded Feat Socks in 2015, Taylor Offer hired Aly Raisman, the gymnast, to design and promote a custom sock. It generated $500,000 in revenue. Influencer marketing was clearly effective, and Offer wanted more. "I started looking at the kids that got famous from Vine, the short-video app," he told me.
Marco Marandiz is a musician turned software engineer turned product designer. He's worked for Capital One, HomeAway, and a failed startup. But it was his ecommerce consulting work for companies with unproven inventory that sparked the idea for Drop Party.
Johnathan Ruggiero and his wife Michelle founded Manly Bands, a direct-to-consumer online men's wedding-ring company, in 2016. To compete, their rings had to be unique — really unique. "We try to develop what we call show-stopper products," Johnathan told me. "People might say, 'You have dinosaur bones? That's crazy. You have meteorite? That's nuts.'"
Judson Morgan is a Los Angeles-based actor and director. He owns an agency that creates films and other visual content. He's also a successful ecommerce entrepreneur — with a purpose. He told me, "I have zero interest in making money off of a random product. I wanted to build a real brand that people could resonate with." That brand is Benevolence Los Angeles, an Amazon-focused gift boutique.
Kate Knecht is the fourth-generation owner-operator of Tomlinson's Feed, a family-owned retail business with 16 brick-and-mortar locations in Central Texas. The company is 75 years old. Amid the pandemic and the onslaught of online behemoths, can such a business transition to 2021 consumers? I asked Knecht that question and more.
Braxton Manley was a sophomore at Texas Tech University in 2017 when he attended a workshop on entrepreneurship. The purpose was to conceive a product based on market research. "My idea was cool Apple Watch bands," Manley told me. Fast forward to 2021 and his company, Braxley Bands, is a direct-to-consumer seller of elastic, colorful bands.
Ridge wallets launched via a Kickstarter campaign in 2014. Sean Frank is the company's chief operating officer. Ultra-thin, metal-clad, with RFID protection, the wallets are enormously popular in the U.S., with $50 million in sales in 2020 alone. Influencer marketing has driven much of the growth.
Patrick Coddou's company, Supply.co, sells razors and shaving accessories. My company, Beardbrand, sells beard products. He wants men to shave. I want them to grow a beard. We're both direct-to-consumer ecommerce merchants selling premium grooming products to males. We're direct competitors, in other words.
Industry pundits might say the future of retail is brands, manufacturers, and marketplaces. But don't tell that to Blair Budlong. His company, DecksDirect, doesn't own a brand, manufacture a product, or sell on marketplaces. And it thrives.
Dr. Squatch, Jack Haldrup's company, sells its own natural soaps and other grooming products for men. Revenue in 2020 was roughly $100 million, having exploded from $5 million just 18 months earlier. How does a company grow from $5 million to $100 million in 18 months? I asked him that question and many more in our recent conversation.
The required skills to launch a business are typically much different from managing it for the long term. Bill D'Alessandro has done both. He launched a single ecommerce business in 2010 and then transformed the company into an operator of multiple online brands. He has evolved from performing most every task to focusing on a few.
In 2012 Vivian Kaye was a successful wedding decorator. But she had a problem. The climate in Toronto, Canada, was brutal on her hair. Kaye's solution was hair extensions, which were easy and attractive. Fast forward to 2021, and KinkyCurlyYaki, Kaye's company, sells hair extensions, wigs, and more — all to empower Black women with confidence and beauty.
Finbarr Taylor moved to the U.S. with a goal. "I moved from Scotland to Silicon Valley nine years ago with the express intent of starting a tech company," he said. "I'm doing it, and I'm having the time of my life. I'm in no rush to stop." Taylor's tech company is Shogun, which provides innovative page-builder tools that enhance ecommerce sites. He is co-founder and CEO.
Perhaps no industry has been more disrupted by the internet than education. Online training is booming — from 1-hour courses to college degrees. Take Barbell Logic, for example. It provides one-on-one strength and conditioning training, entirely web-based. Matt Reynolds founded the company in 2016.
Online selling is increasingly competitive, forcing merchants to selfish and shortsighted decisions. That's according to Corey Blake, CEO of MWI, a digital marketing agency. "When we have a scarcity outlook with shortsightedness," he told me, "We're scraping and clawing to keep it all. A better approach is an abundance mentality."
Selling shoes online is notoriously competitive. Zappos, Amazon, big-box retailers, shoe brands — all are vying for a share of the consumer footwear market. Nonetheless, Sean McGinnis's employer, Kuru, is thriving by focusing on foot pain.
An ecommerce company is a collection of platforms, apps, and service providers. That's certainly the case with Beardbrand, the company I launched in 2012. James Wilson is Beardbrand's growth marketing manager. I asked James to describe our technology stack, hoping that the decisions we've made (good and bad) can help other merchants.
The mission of Anthony Frasier's company, ABF Creative, is to broadcast voices and stories from the African American community. He launched the company in 2016 from his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, having founded a tech conference and authored a book. To Frasier, ABF is much more than a business.
Most entrepreneurs in 2020 are uber connected: phone, text, email, Slack — you name it. But to Arri Bagah, the founder of Conversmart, an ecommerce agency, always-on connections means non-stop interruptions. "It's a matter of taking control of my time — trying to be less reactive and more active," he told me. "Receiving all of those notifications prompts you to react."
Kat McKinnon's agency, CopySmiths, produces hundreds of blog posts per month for, mainly, ecommerce clients. She's developed a formula of sorts for getting those posts ranked in Google's search results. "You need between 1,000 and 1,500 words for a blog article," she told me. "Definitely not 600. Avoid 800, unless you're literally just answering a short question. You need a heading that includes a keyword. You need three to four subheadings, H2s. And then within those H2s, you need three to four H3s. H3s are very important."
Dennis Hegstad believes the best way to recover abandoned carts is via text messages. But his messages are not automated or bot-driven. Hegstad's company, LiveRecover, sends one-to-one texts from a real person to folks who have left an ecommerce checkout process without completing a purchase."It's peer-to-peer texting," he told me. "We'll send messages from a real person. It's not a drip campaign. About 55 percent get replies. Our total recovery rate on average is about 21 percent, which is really good."
Jordan West launched Little & Lively, a direct-to-consumer children's apparel company, with his wife, Carmen, six years ago in Canada. The business has grown to mid-seven-figures in revenue selling through its website, mostly. He's a master at creating demand for his products before they are available for purchase.
Despite reaching a whopping $100 million in revenue in just two years, Moiz Ali, the founder of Native deodorant, says the initial version was less than stellar. "We had a pretty mediocre product," Ali told me. "We understood that people were looking for [aluminum-free deodorant] and were willing to pay a higher price point for it. But our first attempt wasn't that good."
Jon Shanahan wants men to wear makeup. He's a co-founder of Stryx, a direct-to-consumer manufacturer of concealer and tinted moisturizer for males. The company launched in 2017. Shanahan joined shortly afterward, having created his male grooming channel on YouTube.
In 2007 Steve Chou's wife, Jennifer, wanted to spend more time with their growing family. So she quit her job. Fast forward to 2020, and Bumblebee Linens, the Chou's ecommerce company, is prospering. Steve is now an ecommerce celebrity, having launched the "My Wife Quit Her Job" blog, podcast, and YouTube channel.
The YouTube-to-ecommerce business model may be the best way to build an audience of customers. It worked for Lisa and Paul Jauregui. Lisa’s passion for cosmetics led to her YouTube channel, which educated consumers on the use and selection of those products. And that audience generated customers for BK Beauty, a direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand that the Jauregui’s launched in August 2019.
American businesspeople tend to view Europe as a single market with like-minded consumers and cultures. But Rasmus Cort knows better. His company, Sorry Mom, sells tattoo ointments and lotions throughout the continent. I asked him how a U.S.-based company can succeed there.
By 2017, nine years after launching his t-shirt company, Ugmonk, Jeff Sheldon had expanded into posters and workspace products. Gather, Ugmonk's modular desk organizer, had just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign with two shipping containers of custom manufactured organizers en route, to send to customers. "There's no way my parents were going to let two shipping containers show up at their front door. So I used a 3PL. It was a very bad experience. We ran into every problem imaginable.
Patrick Coddou launched Supply.co with his wife, Jennifer, back in 2015. The company, which sells razors and shaving supplies, is bootstrapped — no outside investors. He has little patience with the concept of lifetime customer value or paying more to acquire a customer than he can recoup on the first purchase. That approach has produced, in five years, a profitable, mid-seven-figure-revenue business that, until recently, had just two employees: Jennifer and himself.
The progression for most direct-to-consumer entrepreneurs is to conceive a product idea and then locate a manufacturer to produce it. But Jaime Schmidt took the opposite approach when she launched Schmidt's natural deodorant in 2010. "I started in our kitchen with batch sizes of maybe 20 deodorants on the stove. The product turned into a business idea. So I kept the manufacturing in-house. I liked the control, which was born out of my love for making."
Ecommerce entrepreneurs understand the need for multiple revenue channels. Relying exclusively on, say, Facebook or Amazon or Google can lead to disruptions. And that's what happened to Allen Walton's company, SpyGuy, which relies on Google Ads for most of its traffic and revenue.
Having founded and sold multiple ecommerce companies, and having worked for numerous ecommerce startups, Web Smith believes broad economic trends determine entrepreneurial success as much as tactical execution. Successful entrepreneurs, Smith asserts, must be polymaths — possessing extensive knowledge across multiple subjects — to understand opportunities. And that's the purpose of 2PM, his latest company.
I asked Sam Parr, the founder of The Hustle, an email newsletter with curated business and technology news, how he has grown his list to over 1 million subscribers. “It’s fricking hard,” he said.
Entrepreneurs tend to become emotionally entwined with their businesses. "It's my baby," an entrepreneur might say when describing his company. But not Rohan Gilkes. "There's no emotion," he told me. "I have no babies. I build businesses for the cash flow."
Aaron Marino says he hates to read. He's bad at grammar and writing, he claims. But he's really good at making videos. "I had a fitness center that didn't work out," he told me. "I started making YouTube videos in 2008 with no idea that I could ever make a buck on that platform." Fast forward to 2020. Alpha M, Marino's YouTube portal, which focuses on male grooming and fitness, has 6 million subscribers. It has spawned multiple ecommerce businesses, including Pete & Pedro (haircare), Teige Hanley (skincare), and Enemy (sunglasses).
What's the most competitive product on Amazon? Smartphone cases. What does Matt Atschul's company, Smartish, sell? Smartphone cases. And it thrives.
Kurt Elster's "The Unofficial Shopify Podcast" has been downloaded more than 1 million times. His agency, Ethercycle, helps Shopify merchants drive revenue and profit. And his newsletter at KurtElster.com contains tips and strategies to scale a Shopify store. "I eat, sleep, and breathe Shopify. I even have a Shopify license plate," Elster stated.
Taylor Holiday runs three successful ecommerce businesses and a thriving, ecommerce-focused ad agency. He's developed definitive views on acquiring customers and advertising performance, among other insights. We recently spoke with Holiday about his ventures, the state of ecommerce, and advertising dos and don'ts.
In March 2015 Ryan Michler owned a successful financial planning company. His clients were medical professionals. He earned a comfortable living. "I was making great money, but I felt like something was missing. I thought there were opportunities to help men. And that's when I started." What he started was Order of Man, a website, podcast, Facebook group, and paid membership to help men become better financial stewards, better fathers and husbands, and better leaders.
Five years ago Greg Mercer was traveling the world, making a living by purchasing white-label goods from China and selling them on Amazon. "I realized that some of my products were doing better than others," he said. "I developed spreadsheets to estimate how well all products on Amazon were selling. I thought it would be cool if I could put this into a Chrome extension. I launched it as a fun, side project.” That side project, Jungle Scout, now has roughly 250,000 worldwide customers and 150 employees.
Conventional ecommerce wisdom is that merchants should sell across multiple channels, manufacture or control their products, and scale. Don't tell that to Brian Goulet, president of The Goulet Pen Company, which sells high-end fountain pens and writing accessories. "I wanted to be a craftsman," Goulet told me. "That approach shapes our whole business. We have a craftsmanship mentality of high touch, high quality, high level of service — with a lower volume. I was never trying to scale or sell as much as possible. We were after a discerning customer."Ten years after Goulet co-founded the company with his wife, Rachel, Goulet Pens has 35 employees and 4,500 SKUs — all in its headquarters of Henrico, Virginia — and one sales channel: GouletPens.com. We recently spoke with Brian about launching the business, content marketing, and managing an expanding team.
The global coronavirus pandemic is forcing many companies to adjust to a remote, home-based workforce. TaxJar, a sales-tax management platform, has been entirely remote since its founding seven years ago. All 160 employees work remotely, mainly from their homes. Mark Faggiano is founder and CEO of TaxJar. I recently spoke with him about managing a large, distant team.
In 2008 Robert Patton was coming off his second deployment in Iraq with the U.S. Army. “I was going to do 20 years in the Army,” he said, “But I'd already been on two deployments and was scheduled to go back for a third. I had a family. I didn’t want to spend half of my time in Iraq. So I had this idea.”That idea was a unique type of men's underwear. Fast forward to 2020 and his company, Sheath Underwear, is on track to record $2.6 million in sales.
Ronnie Teja immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 2008. He was 22. Fast-forward to 2020 and he owns and operates a thriving ecommerce company that sells men's watches and related accessories across 15 websites, including Branzio.com. His team consists of 30 employees in a dozen countries. We spoke with him about launching his company, acquiring websites, and the challenges of managing it remotely.
The rise of Amazon has prompted some observers to suggest independent ecommerce merchants are threatened. Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva, the ecommerce platform, disagrees. He says independent ecommerce is thriving. His new book "Dragon Proof Ecommerce," offers a roadmap for continued growth.
Anyone who has purchased used books on Amazon likely encountered Thrift Books. It launched in 2003 as a pure-play Amazon seller. It's now the largest used-book seller in the world. Its CEO, Mike Ward, has been with the company since inception. We recently spoke with him about the company, the industry, and the logistics of selling tens of millions of books every year.
This is the final episode in my "Building an Ecommerce Business" series. I've hosted 18 amazing guests who have provided much insight into launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business. There is no right way to do that. You'll likely find success, however, if you focus on three primary functions: vision, execution, and cash flow.
Launching and then growing an ecommerce business can be both exciting and stressful. Many entrepreneurs hope to someday sell their companies. For this installment in my series on building an ecommerce business, I spoke with Michael Jackness. He is the owner of Terran, a multi-brand ecommerce company. Jackness has sold several ecommerce sites. In this conversation, we discussed the latest sale, and why he made that decision.
An engaged, passionate community around an ecommerce business can drive referrals, loyalty, and repeat sales. But developing and growing that community is not always easy. For this episode in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up, I spoke with Andrew Youderian. He's the founder of eCommerceFuel, a popular, private community of ecommerce merchants who communicate via an online forum and, also, at meetups and at an annual conference.
Selling manufactured goods directly to consumers, with no retail middlemen, has exploded on the internet. An entrepreneur with an idea for an original product can design it, find a manufacturer for it, and sell it online. I'm the founder of Beardbrand, an ecommerce business in Austin, Texas that focuses on beard care and men's grooming. This is episode 16 in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up. For this installment, I spoke with Jimmy Hayes, the co-founder of Minaal, a manufacturer of "bags and gear for life on the move."
Content marketing for ecommerce businesses is much more than a sales pitch. Done well, it connects with prospective customers and tells the story of a brand. In this episode 15 of my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up, I spoke with Andrew Snavely, the founder of Primer, an online magazine, and Ryan Hunter Masters, the founder of Show Her Off, and a dance instruction site.
A successful campaign on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform, can help validate a business and a product. Catherine Lavery, the founder of BestSelf, a producer of productivity journals and tools, used Kickstarter in 2015 to launch the company. She describes the process to host Eric Bandholz, the founder of Beardbrand.
Launching an ecommerce business takes perseverance, passion, and, typically, money. Raising that money can be time-consuming and frustrating. For this interview, I spoke with Joshua Bingaman and Brad Day. Bingaman is the founder of creative director of Helm Boots, an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer and seller of hand-crafted leather boots. Day is the company's president. We discussed the process of evolving from a start-up, bootstrapped company to one that needs investors, money, and structure.
Shakil Prasla is co-founder of Pro Click Ventures, a holding company that owns and operates 12 ecommerce businesses. He speaks with host Eric Bandholz, founder of Beardbrand, on his process for evaluating, acquiring, and managing multiple firms.
A fundamental decision for many ecommerce entrepreneurs is whether to sell on Amazon. The potential is high but the competition is increasing tough. For this installment 11 in my series on building an ecommerce business, I spoke with Mike Tecku, co-founder of Sky Solutions, which manufactures and sells Sky Mats, a floormat, in high volume on Amazon's marketplace.
Selling apparel online is notoriously competitive. The margins are thin, typically. Inventory management can be complicated with hundreds of SKUs for size and color and styles. This is episode 10 in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up. For this installment, I spoke with Mike Schwarz, founder of RibbedTee, a Los Angeles-based manufacturer and retailer of men's undershirts and underwear.
Many ecommerce businesses spend large amounts of money generating video content that few consumers watch. But with the right mindset and strategy, viewers will engage with your videos. YouTube could become a successful channel for your business. This is episode nine in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
Startups and seasoned merchants alike can run into hiccups with managing customer service. Is it better to do it in-house or to outsource? Should you hire someone from the start? Cody McLain is CEO of SupportNinja, a customer service provider. He addresses the realities of operating a company in the Philippines, tips for business owners looking to expand customer service functions, and more.
A merchant who sells physical products has to figure out how to efficiently get those items into the hands of customers. It can become complicated as the business scales and receives international orders. This is episode seven in my series on building an ecommerce business from the ground up.
Without the right people, a new ecommerce business would almost certainly fail. Refining the hiring process can help find the perfect candidate. For this interview, we spoke with Ayman Al-Abdullah, president of AppSumo, a daily deals site for digital goods, about his hiring process and how it has evolved.
Knowing where to advertise can be daunting to new and experienced ecommerce entrepreneurs alike. There are many options, and it's often unclear which will fit your business. Digital marketing agencies can provide some answers. For this interview, I visited with Alex Hart, founder of Good Joo Joo, an Austin, Texas-based digital marketing agency.
Good copy sells. Generic imagery and descriptions might cause shoppers to move on without giving your product a second thought. Spicing up your copy, whether it be emails, social media, or product descriptions will give your online store a personality to stand above competitors.In this fourth installment in my series of conversations about building an ecommerce business, I'm visiting with Neville Medhora, founder of Kopywriting Kourse.
The early days of an ecommerce business are among the most important. Growing a business from infancy is complicated and unforgiving. There are many factors to consider, including platforms, inventory, social media, and more.This is the third installment in my series of conversations about building an ecommerce business. The previous installments were "Part 1: Choosing Partners" and "Part 2: Selecting Platforms."This time I visited with Andrea Nucete-Elliott, co-founder of TIY Life, a new ecommerce business offering premium hair ties for active women.
Selecting an ecommerce platform is among the most critical decisions of a new entrepreneur. There are hundreds of choices. This is the second installment in my series on launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business. For this installment on selecting an ecommerce platform, I spoke with Carson McComas. He is the founder and CEO of Fuel Made, a Spokane, Wash.-based ecommerce agency.
This is the first episode of an extended series on launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business. The topic of this initial episode is choosing business partners. My two partners at Beardbrand are supportive and knowledgeable. Our relationship has been critical to the company's growth. I asked one of them, Lindsey Reinders, to offer suggestions and tips for selecting partners.
Rand Fishkin founded Moz in 2001 as a blog, calling it at the time SEOmoz. It became an industry beacon, helping thousands of companies dissect and improve their search engine optimization efforts. He left Moz earlier this year. His new book, "Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World," is a transparent view of running that company and the lessons learned along the way.
Selling across international borders can provide helpful revenue to many merchants. But the complexity of laws, transit times, and delivery cost can be daunting. Eugene Laney is an authority on international shipping. He's the head of international government affairs with DHL, the worldwide logistics firm.
Amazon has made significant investments in its own private label brands, in areas such as diapers, dog food, and paper towels. The company's private label strategy could be indicative of a burgeoning trend in retail, one that mid-market ecommerce companies could try.To help us understand, we recently spoke with Ojastro Todd, marketing analyst at One Click Retail, an ecommerce data measurement, sales analytics, and search optimization firm for brand manufacturers in North America and Europe.
The recent South Dakota v. Wayfair decision by the U.S. Supreme Court changed online sales tax. To discuss the details of the decision, and its impact on ecommerce merchants, there's no better observer than Shane Ratigan. He is senior manager, state and local tax for Clark Nuber, and a longtime nationwide authority on online sales tax matters.
In an ecommerce world that is seemingly dominated by Amazon, Eric Bandholz has just moved his company's products away from that marketplace. The company, Beardbrand, is now focused on selling through its own website and through other retail channels. Revenue has greatly increased.
The General Data Protection Regulation from the European Union takes effect on May 25. The law is sweeping, with massive fines for noncompliance. It affects most every company worldwide, large and small. It’s also confusing.There is no better authority in the U.S. to explain the GDPR to ecommerce merchants than John Di Giacomo. He is founding partner of Revision Legal, a leading Michigan-based internet law firm. He is, additionally, a contributor to Practical Ecommerce.
Mobile optimization used to provide a competitive advantage. But as the mobile internet has grown, responsive websites are no longer optional. They are essential to doing business online. In this Ecommerce Conversation, senior contributing editor Armando Roggio speaks with Madison Minor, founder and CEO of WompMobile, a mobile web platform and development firm, about progressive web apps, accelerated mobile pages, and other new mobile internet technologies.
Organic traffic from Google and other search engines remains critical to many merchants. There is no greater authority on search engine optimization than Stephan Spencer. He's the co-author of "The Art of SEO." He founded the pioneering SEO firm of Netconcepts. He's a worldwide speaker, consultant, and host of two popular podcasts, "Marketing Speak" and "The Optimized Geek."
The postage rates among countries for international shipping greatly vary. Merchants in certain countries, such as China, can ship very cheaply to U.S. consumers with rates that are unavailable to U.S. merchants. Paul Steidler, a senior fellow with the Lexington Institute in Washington, D.C., explains it all.
In an era when many ecommerce platforms are migrating to large enterprise clients, Volusion is doing the opposite. It's focused on smaller and mid size companies, even startups. To discuss it all, we're joined by Volusion's founder and longtime C.E.O., Kevin Sproles.
It’s been an eventful year for Miva, the pioneering ecommerce platform. Its longtime president became C.E.O. and the company raised $18 million of private equity, which is the first such investment in Miva’s 20-year history. Rick Wilson is the former president who is now C.E.O. And he joined us to discuss Miva, independent ecommerce, and the impact of Amazon.
Magento, the ecommerce platform, launched in 2007, grew dramatically, and was acquired by eBay. When eBay divested PayPal in 2015, it also sold Magento, to a private equity firm. Magento's C.E.O. is now Mark Lavelle, a seasoned technology executive who co-founded Bill Me Later, the payment service. He joins us to discuss Magento and the state of ecommerce generally.
Given the ease with which brands and manufacturers can sell their products directly to consumers, many observers believe the future of resellers is limited. Ori Greenburg, an ecommerce veteran and now the CEO of Algopix, a market analysis platform, does not necessarily agree. He joins us today to discuss it all.
In the United States, ecommerce is mature and sophisticated. That's not the case in Saudi Arabia, where it's new and challenging. Hamza el Bayed is co-founder of Ora La Moda, a Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ecommerce apparel company.
Product reviews can play an important role in ecommerce. Something like 9 out of 10 shoppers read product reviews, and many studies over many years have shown that reviews help shoppers to make online buying decisions. To talk about ecommerce reviews, we have with us Paul Kirwin, the CEO and founder of Channel Signal, a product review monitoring analytics firm. You might know a few other companies that Mr. Kirwin has founded like 3Point5 or Experticity.
The Amazon marketplace contains nearly 500 million products, from about 2 million sellers. That's a lot of competition. In fact, being competitive on Amazon is exactly what we're going to discuss in this interview. It's with Casey Gauss, co-founder and C.E.O. of Viral Launch, a software and services platform helping brands to source, launch, and succeed on the Amazon marketplace.
Fast loading web pages are critical for conversions and general worldwide usability. Optimized images can greatly increase page speed. No one is more qualified to address optimized images than Chris Zacharias. He is the founder and C.E.O. of imgix, a real-time image-optimization platform. As an early-day YouTube developer, he created YouTube's HTML5 video player and Feather, an ultra-light version of YouTube that loads quickly in parts of the world with slow Internet connections
By some estimates, more than half of the visitors to an online store will use that store's site search to find products, and hopefully make a purchase. This fact alone makes ecommerce site search important. Since, something less than an effective site search, frankly means that you're failing to meet your customer's expectations. Today we're going to speak to Dr. Amir Konigsberg, the cofounder and CEO of Twiggle, a search engine that helps ecommerce sites, or an ecommerce site search think the way that customers think.
If you want satisfied customers, your business needs to provide a level of perceived service that's greater than your customers' expectations. For ecommerce shipping is customer satisfaction's frontline, and online sellers should aim to meet shoppers' expectations for fast and free shipping.Today we're going to speak to Nathan Jones, the president and CEO of Ship Station, a web-based software solution designed to help ecommerce retailers process, fulfill, and ship their orders.
Many small-to-midsize ecommerce merchants view Amazon as a competitor, albeit one they are force to sell on. Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce, disagrees. He believes Amazon can complement an ecommerce business.
The dominance of Amazon and its marketplace is apparent. What's not so apparent are the counterfeit items that are also sold there. Rob Dunkel, is the founder of a company that uses sophisticated data analysis to identify counter-fit and trademark violators on Amazon and other leading marketplaces.
The increasing dominance of Amazon has many merchants scratching their heads, wondering how exactly to work with that company, and how that company will impact their own businesses.We recently spoke with James Thomson, a former Amazon executive, to discuss the Amazon marketplace, the FBA program, and the Prosper Show, a conference founded by Thomson to help Amazon sellers sort through it all.
Without U.S. Robotics, the early-day modem manufacturer, there arguably would not be a World Wide Web. The co-founder of U.S. Robotics, Casey Cowell, joins us to discuss that company, the early-day Internet, and his current entrepreneurial and civic interests.
Selling on Amazon’s marketplace can be challenging. There are, to be sure, millions of prospective customers. But there are also many competitors selling there, often at prices that are difficult to match or compete with. Our guest today, James Thomson, is a former senior Amazon executive who now counsels merchants on how best to use that platform.
Practical Ecommerce's Ignite 2015 conference contains 39 sessions on topics critical to small and midsize ecommerce merchants, to accelerate revenue growth and compete against larger companies.In addition, we'll feature two visionary keynote speakers. The first one, on opening day, is John Lawson. He's an ecommerce entrepreneur and a social-selling guru. His address, "The Beyonce Principal: Social Selling Funnel for Massive Results," will emphatically answer the question of how smaller ecommerce merchants can harness social media.
The rise of ecommerce has reduced local brick-and-mortar retail sales and the corresponding sales taxes from those transactions — putting states and localities in a revenue bind. A hodgepodge of efforts from the states and, now, the federal government to address the shortfall, and to tax ecommerce sales, is firmly underway. To explain the status of Internet sales taxes, and the U.S. Congressional efforts at a nationwide solution, we’re joined by Jonathan Barsade. He’s a sales tax expert, and the founder and CEO of Exactor, a sales-tax management platform.
Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online, is by any measure an Internet visionary and pioneer. His private equity firm, Revolution, invested, in 2013, $40 million in Bigcommerce, a leading ecommerce platform for smaller companies. He recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce about that investment, as well as SMB ecommerce generally.
Miva is both a pioneering early day ecommerce shopping cart and a cutting-edge progressive platform. Its President, Rick Wilson, joins us today to discuss, among other topics, how an ecommerce provider remains fresh and relevant over the years.
The co-founder of Retention Science, Jerry Jao, is an expert on using data, lots of data, to grow ecommerce revenues. Beyond that, he’s a gifted Taiwanese-born entrepreneur who proves what intelligence, hard work, and perseverance can accomplish. He recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce's Kerry Murdock on the merits of data-driven ecommerce business, among other topics.
Selling products on third-party websites is not new. What is new is the so-called Facebook Buy button, which allows ecommerce merchants to sell their products potentially on that platform. There is no better expert on third-party selling than Scot Wingo, the long-time CEO of ChannelAdvisor. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce on the Facebook Buy button, among other multi-channel selling topics.
Every day, it seems, we read of an Internet-based company acquiring another one, or raising capital, or expanding into a new segment. Evan Klein, managing director of Berkery Noyes, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce's Kerry Murdock on the booming M&A market for ecommerce and Internet companies.
Starting a new ecommerce business can be frustrating, complicated, and risky. LemonStand is a popular ecommerce platform that often caters to startups and new entrepreneurs. LemonStand's CEO, Danny Halarewich, spoke with Practical Ecommerce's Kerry Murdock on how to launch a new ecommerce business.
The process of testing different variations on a website can greatly enhance its conversions and performance. A leading A/B split testing platform is Optimizely. Its co-founder and CEO, Dan Siroker, spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce site search — including Google’s announcement that it is dropping its Commerce Search platform — is our topic today. Dr. Shaun Ryan, CEO of SLI Systems, a leading site search provider, is our guest. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
An ecommerce merchant deals with lots of data. There’s revenue, profit, customers, traffic, order values, Likes, followers . . . lots of data. One company that helps merchants sort through this data and make decisions is SumAll. Its CEO and co-founder, Dane Atkinson, speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Retailers increasingly use data to personalize an online shopping experience. Geo location, shopping and browsing history, weather — all can impact how products are presented to online shoppers. Among the leaders in personalization technology is Monetate. Its co-founder and CEO, David Brussin, speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce merchants strive to answer questions from shoppers. Relevant, helpful answers presumably increase conversion rates. One company offers a solution that relies on past customers to answer questions from prospective ones. The company is TurnTo. Its founder and CEO, George Eberstadt, speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce merchants strive for repeat business from existing customers. Our guest today owns a company that has produced a mobile app to encourage repeat orders. He is Dr. Alex Heiphetz. The mobile app is QRwave. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Say you are an ecommerce merchant with an angry customer. The customer is so angry, he posts bad, negative reviews on the Internet about your company that are not true. What can you do? How can you combat? Managing online reputation is the business of our guest. He is Cliff Stein. His company is Reputation Changer. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Most sectors of the retail economy do business on the Internet. That now includes pawnshops. Our guest, Don Battis, is the founder of Pawntique.com, a web-only pawnshop that serves all of the U.S. from its base in New Hampshire. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Every business, ecommerce or otherwise, should maintain accurate books and records. But for some entrepreneurs, the accounting function is intimidating and confusing. Outright.com aims to simplify the accounting process for all entrepreneurs, regardless of their accounting skills. Outright’s CEO is Steven Aldrich. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Drop shipping is the process of selling an item that is then shipped by a manufacturer or wholesaler. Many ecommerce merchants utilize drop shipping, at least in part, to reduce inventory costs and to expand their product offerings. But drop shipping can be complicated, too. We explore the pros and cons of drop shipping in this interview with Jeremy Hanks, co-founder and CEO of Dropship.com, a software platform that automates back-office drop shipping functions between retailers and manufacturers. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Many merchants dream of building a successful ecommerce business, and then selling it. Our guest today — who is now a Practical eCommerce contributing editor — has done just that. He’s Dale Traxler. His former business is Beaded Impressions, a collection of four separate jewelry sites. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to explain the process of selling.
The use of video by ecommerce merchants can increase sales. One company that uses video in innovative ways is TRX Training, a retailer of exercise equipment. It has an extensive YouTube channel, and it features videos on its own ecommerce site. Ian Hackett is TRX Training’s senior director of ecommerce and user experience. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Strategies and ideas to reduce shipping expense appeal to most every ecommerce merchant. Our guest today is a shipping and logistics expert, helping merchants reduce their shipping costs. He’s John Haber, founder and CEO of Spend Management Experts, a shipping and logistics consulting firm.
There’s no bigger name in the ecommerce industry than Alibaba. It was launched in 1999 in China, but it now services millions of businesses and consumers, offering wholesale and retail products worldwide. Its vice president of global sales and service is Brian Wong. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss Alibaba, opportunities for ecommerce retailers on that site, and global trade generally.
The cost of shipping is material to most every ecommerce business. There’s a company that offers smaller merchants discounted shipping rates that are typically available only to high volume sellers. The company is EquaShip. Its CEO, Ron Wiener, speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
We’ve recently asked ecommerce merchants to share their 2011 experiences — good or bad — with us. For this installment, we are joined by Jamie Salvatori. He the founder and owner of Vat19, an established ecommerce business that sells unique gift items. He’s also a Practical Ecommerce blogger, at “The (Ecommerce) Corner Office.” He speaks with us about how his company fared in 2011.
A review of ecommerce sales for 2011 is the topic of our interview today. We are joined by an ecommerce entrepreneur and pioneer who will share his company’s experience. He’s Chad Weinman, CEO of Cat5 Commerce, which operates 10 separate ecommerce stores — including RunningShoes.com and TacticalGear.com — from its base in Missouri. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Every ecommerce merchant has a domain name. For U.S. based merchants, it likely ends in a .com, or a .net, or both. But there are over 200 country-specific top-level domains — such as .cn for China, or .co.uk for the United Kingdom. Should a non-resident merchant reserve those domains, too? And what happens if someone in another country steals a merchant’s name, and reserves it the local top-level domain code? To help us understand cross border domain-name issues, we are joined once more by Gretchen Olive. She’s an attorney and director of policy and industry affairs for Corporation Service Company, a trademark and domain-name service provider. She speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
For many ecommerce merchants, email marketing is a principal source of revenue. A merchant’s email list is critically important to the company’s success. But what happens when a list becomes dormant, and subscribers stop opening or clicking on the emails? Dormant email lists is our topic today. To explain strategies for managing dormant lists, we are joined by Ross Kramer. He’s co-founder and CEO of Listrak, the pioneering email service provider. He speaks with Kerry Murdock of Practical Ecommerce.
Email marketing is critically important to many ecommerce merchants. But what happens if a merchant’s email is blocked by an Internet service provider? Or, worse yet, what happens if the merchant’s name or IP address lands on a blacklist? Email deliverability is our topic today, and to help us understand blacklists and ISP email blocking, we are joined by Laura Atkins. She’s co-founder of WordToTheWise, an anti-spam consulting and software firm.
The range of possible domain names is about to greatly increase. That’s because ICANN, the authoritative body over Internet domain names, is about to add new top-level domains — the portion to the right of the period — to include brand names and other customized names. To explain these new top level domains to us, we are joined by Gretchen Olive. She’s director of policy and industry affairs for Corporation Service Company, which consults with companies on domain name and trademark matters. She speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce merchants strive to increase the number of visitors to their sites that actually purchase products. Increasing those conversions frequently requires experimenting with new approaches. Merchants can test which of these experiments increase sales, and which do not. The testing can be automated, sophisticated — and it produces results. To explain multi-variable ecommerce testing to us, we are joined by Mark Simpson, the founder and president of Maxymiser, a testing, personalization and conversion-optimization firm. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Many merchants dream of building a successful ecommerce business, and then selling it. Our guest for this interview has done just that. She’s here to describe the process — and the post-sale emotions of it all. She is Shirley Tan, the founder and former owner of AmericanBridal.com, which is now owned by TheKnot.com. She speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Yahoo! Small Business remains a leading, hosted platform for ecommerce businesses. But the company itself has experienced turmoil — the CEO was recently fired — and critics of the shopping cart platform say it’s dated. The man in charge of that platform is Tom Byun. He is vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Small Business, and he speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock on the state of Yahoo! and its hosted shopping cart.
The rush to sell products across multiple ecommerce channels is fine until a merchant starts to manage the back office complexities of updating inventory, prices, product descriptions, and then sales and shipments. Without automation that entire process can be a nightmare. Our guest today runs a company whose goal is to eliminate the complexities of selling across multiple channels. He is Fred Lizza, CEO of Dydacomp, makers of Multichannel Order Manager. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock on how merchants should best utilize third-party selling channels.
Sophisticated site search helps consumers find products on an ecommerce site, and therefore increases sales. But site search can also work with faceted category navigation to help consumers. The blending of site search with faceted category navigation is our topic, and to explain it we are joined by Scott Zielinski, co-founder of SearchSpring, a leading search solution provider. He speaks with Kerry Murdock of Practical Ecommerce.
The notion of combining an online marketplace with a payment platform, a shopping cart and a robust backend is not new. But when the marketplace is eBay, the payment platform is PayPal, the cart is Magento and the backend is GSI Commerce, that is news. eBay calls this new collaboration x.commerce. Its general manager is Matthew Mengerink. He speaks here with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Networking and exchanging ideas can help many online retailers. One organization that promotes this type of activity is Shop.org, the trade association for online merchants. Our guest today is the CEO of a leading ecommerce services firm, and he’s just been elected to the Shop.org board of directors. He is Scot Wingo. His firm is ChannelAdvisor. And he’s here to discuss Shop.org and its role in helping ecommerce merchants. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The need for sophisticated site search is becoming increasingly important for ecommerce merchants, who are all serving increasingly sophisticated consumers. By almost any measure, high-level site search increases sales. To discuss trends in site search, and new developments in that industry, we are joined by Shaun Ryan. He’s the CEO of SLI Systems, a pioneering site search provider. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There are innovators and trendsetters in the ecommerce business. Our guest, Harley Finkelstein, looks for these innovations, and trends, and then shares some of them with us. In this month’s installment of “Innovators and Trendsetters,” Finkelstein — who is chief platform officer with Shopify, the hosted shopping cart — discusses three interesting ecommerce sites with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock
The Durbin Amendment to the U.S. Dodd-Frank legislative package affects ecommerce merchants. That’s because the Amendment greatly lowers the rate — called interchange — that Visa and MasterCard charge for the processing of debit cards. But, importantly, it does not automatically lower the fees that merchants actually pay to their merchant account providers. Our guest today is a longtime veteran of the credit and debit card industry. He’s Sloane Bouchever, the founder of Interchange Plus Solutions, a merchant account provider, and he’s here to suggest ways for merchants to make certain they receive the lower debit card rates. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The migration to online retailing is putting U.S. states in a bind. Their reliance on sales tax from local brick and mortar retailers means that as local sales lessen, so does the sales tax revenue from those transactions. Some of these states are now attempting to expand who is liable for sales taxes, and some states now say this includes companies with local Internet affiliates. Our guest today, Oliver Roup, is the CEO of VigLink.com, an affiliate marketing company. He says targeting affiliates is wrong. He suggests another solution, and he’s here today to discuss it with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The ecommerce industry in the U.S. is robust. It’s also robust in other industrialized countries, while other regions lag in ecommerce activity. The state of worldwide, online retailing is our topic today. And to help us understand it, we welcome Joanne Bethlamy. She’s with Cisco, the worldwide technology
Physical, brick-and-mortar retailers market products with end-caps and special placements in an aisle, where retailers are typically paid for those promotions by wholesale suppliers. Ecommerce merchants can now do similar merchandising, and receive similar payments, from a new ad platform. The platform is from Dijipop, and its founder and CEO, Ji Kim, speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The efforts by state governments to collect online sales taxes is impacting affiliate marketers. That’s because a group of states is attempting to expand the nexus definition to include affiliates in those states, and thereby force retailers with those affiliates to pay sales taxes. Our guest is an affiliate marketer, and he’s here to discuss how all of this is impacting his business. He’s Oliver Roup, founder and CEO of VigLink, an affiliate marketing management company. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Most ecommerce merchants own several domain names, perhaps buying and selling them as opportunities occur. One merchant in Missouri just purchased a domain name. He paid $700,000 for it. The domain is RunningShoes.com, the merchant is Chad Weinman of Cat5 Commerce — owners of MilitaryGear.com, TacticalGear.com, HikingBoots.com, among other sites — and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss it all.
Cloud computing is a term that’s frequently discussed, and also frequently misunderstood. Google Docs would be an example of cloud computing, whereas Microsoft Office — locally installed on a computer — is not. In the ecommerce industry, there are many hosted, cloud platforms. One of the leading ones is Shopify. Its chief platform officer is Harley Finkelstein, and he joins us to discuss cloud computing and hosted platforms. He speaks with Kerry Murdock of Practical Ecommerce.
The balancing of copyright law with the dissemination of information on the Internet can sometimes get tangled. And nowhere is that more evident than in the recent, so-called “orphaned books” case, which involves Google’s attempt to scan and distribute the content of out-of-print books. To help us understand that federal case, and the broader implications of applying U.S. copyright law to the Internet, we are joined by Ed Green. He’s an attorney with the firm of Coats and Bennett, and he’s an expert on intellectual property law. He speaks with Kerry Murdock of Practical Ecommerce.
Attempts to simplify the administration and collection of Internet sales taxes might be the most daunting task in the ecommerce industry. There are thousands of state, county and city taxation districts in the U.S., and they all have different tax rates, and rules. But the Streamlined Sales Tax organization is attempting to make it easier for ecommerce merchants and its executive director, Scott Peterson, is here to update us on that organization’s progress. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There is nothing more confusing to ecommerce merchants than credit card processing. The rates wildly fluctuate and the monthly statements are hard to follow. But yet, credit card processing is key to virtually every ecommerce business. To help us understand how merchants can save money on their processing costs, we are joined by Sloane Bouchever. He’s a credit-card ecommerce pioneer, having left Authorize.Net in 2003 — as a senior vice president — to launch what would become a leading ecommerce credit card provider. His new company is Interchange Plus Solutions, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Rick Wilson The evolution of Miva Merchant continues. That pioneering platform, which first launched in the late 1990s, was acquired almost four years ago by an independent investor group that included seasoned technology executives. They have moved to upgrade the platform, enhance the company’s revenue, and generally ensure its long-term survival. One of those executives is Rick Wilson, now the company’s president and chief operating officer. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss the company’s recent acquisition of Hostasurus — its largest third-party host — among other topics.
There are many countries with fast-growing economies — and fast-growing Internet audiences — that are not natively English speaking. How do ecommerce merchants reach those countries, and those audiences? Through translation and localization, mainly. We’re joined by an expert on those topics. He’s Christian Arno, founder of Lingo24, a global translation and localization firm. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Most merchants like the idea of the credit card industry policing itself, versus lawmakers getting involved. PCI Security Standards Council is the industry’s attempt to do just that. But how ecommerce merchants meet the PCI’s standards is confusing to many, and the penalty for not being compliant is hard to understand, too. Bob Russo, general manager of the PCI Security Standards Council, is with us today to help sort out these and other questions. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The holiday selling season is important for many online merchants. This includes David Sasson, the founder and CEO of OverstockArt.com, a retailer of reproduced oil paintings that experienced a 25 percent increase in 2010 holiday sales, from 2009. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss what worked — and what didn’t work — for OverstockArt this past holiday season.
Many ecommerce merchants want to sell products to consumers in other countries. But the process is not as easy as selling domestically. The complexities can include tariffs, customs and export laws. But for United States’ based merchants, the U.S. Department of Commerce can help. That department has just published a free PDF guide to help merchants with export sales. And the official responsible for the guide is with us in this interview. He’s Ken Walsh, International Trade Specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service, an agency of the Department of Commerce. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Many ecommerce merchants sell products from large manufacturers and suppliers. Increasingly, those manufacturers and suppliers also sell the same products. There’s a company, Shopatron, that refers sales from manufacturers’ ecommerce sites to retailers, who then fulfill orders to customers and profit from the sales. The CEO and founder of Shopatron is Ed Stevens, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The adoption of product videos on ecommerce sites continues. Most every merchant, seemingly, can benefit from product videos and we are joined here by a product video expert. He’s Craig Wax, CEO of Invodo, a video company for ecommerce merchants, and he’s here to discuss product videos that convert with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Merchants contemplating mobile optimized ecommerce sites should also consider specialized mobile site search. SLI Systems is a leading provider of ecommerce site search solutions, and that company has just launched a mobile search option. Shaun Ryan is the CEO of SLI Systems, and he’s here to discuss specialized mobile site search with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Mobile commerce is coming. Many merchants, both large and small, are contemplating their mobile commerce strategies, and one merchant that has just launched a mobile version of its ecommerce site is ThePopcornFactory.com. The person responsible for marketing that company and that site is Tom Russell. He’s senior vice president for the parent company of ThePopcornFactory.com, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The notion of adding additional revenue to an ecommerce business presumably appeals to merchants. And, increasingly, one way to do that is with the use of subscriptions. Amazon Prime may be the best example of a merchant selling subscriptions, but there are many ways smaller merchants can do it, too. To discuss the possibilities of subscription revenue, we welcome Massimo Arrigoni, the CEO of Early Impact, which has just launched a new hosted subscription management platform. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The lack of capital can prevent an ecommerce business from growing. But many merchants are unsure as to how to obtain capital, or how the funding process works. Our guest today has raised many millions of funding dollars over his career, most recently with RatePoint, the reputation management firm. He’s Neal Creighton, RatePoint’s co-founder and CEO, and he joins us to explain the funding and venture capital process. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Every ecommerce site has a web host. Some are hosted by shopping cart providers; others are hosted by third-party companies. And increasingly, many are hosted by cloud providers, where bandwidth and usage can adjust with the seasonal needs of a site. Our guest today has recently switched the hosting of her ecommerce site to the cloud environment. She’s Theresa Fox, managing director with SoundsTrue.com, a publisher of products and services that encourage spiritual development. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce merchants are innovators. And many in that industry continually find new and better ways to sell products online. One of those companies is Spotlight Retail, an ecommerce firm with 30 niche websites. Its new “Spotlight Visualizer” enables consumers to see how an item will look, in consumers’ own environments, prior to purchasing it. John Montague, the founder and owner of Spotlight Retail, is here to discuss it with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Financial management is critical to ecommerce companies. But the tools to manage financial matters vary, and many of them don’t automatically integrate with a merchant’s ecommerce site, making the financial tracking and reporting process even more burdensome. To help us understand financial management for ecommerce firms, we are joined by Jim McGeever, chief operating officer for NetSuite, the hosted, all-in-one ecommerce and management platform. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Comparison shopping engines can drive traffic to an ecommerce site. But there are over 120 such engines, and how to decide which of them to use–and whether to use them at all–is our topic today. We are joined by an expert in comparison shopping engines and a pioneer in ecommerce generally. He’s Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor, an ecommerce software and service provider. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
You could argue that a center of the online, retail art world is in Kansas. That’s where OverstockArt.com is located, and in nine years it has grown to be a leading, online retailer of original art reproductions. The founder and CEO, David Sasson, has grown the business from inception to where it is today, and he’s with us to discuss it all. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Specialized shopping search engines are becoming increasingly important for consumers. And among the largest of these shopping engines is TheFind.com. The site receives over 25 million visits per month, and, for ecommerce merchants listening to this, most every ecommerce product is already on that site, as the company uses patented search-engine type spiders to index virtually all products for sale online. Siva Kumar is co-founder and CEO and TheFind, and he speaks here with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Most every ecommerce merchant either uses QuickBooks or is familiar with it. There’s a new 2010 version of that program that includes new document management, online banking and other features. To discuss QuickBooks 2010 and future Intuit plans, we’re joined by Alex Hood, product management leader for QuickBooks desktop for Windows. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The Bilksi case involved, potentially, a dramatic shift in U.S. patent law. It’s been awaiting decision by the U.S. Supreme Court since the Fall 2009, and today the court rendered its opinion. The case involved the scope of potential patents, and whether an invention must be tied to a machine to be patent eligible. It could impact many thousands of technology and Internet-related patents that are not tied to such machines. To explain the Bilski decision to us, we are joined by attorney Robert Kovelman, an intellectual property expert. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Alibaba is a leading force in global, business-to-business ecommerce. The company is based in China and it links millions of wholesale suppliers with businesses that resell those products. The company has allocated $100 million (USD) to invest in U.S. ecommerce-related businesses and it just announced the first such investment in acquiring Vendio, the U.S.-based ecommerce platform. Joining us to discuss that acquisition, Alibaba generally, and the future of ecommerce is David Wei, chief executive officer and executive director of Alibaba. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There are more consumers that don’t speak English than those that do. And how to reach those non-English-speaking prospects is our topic today. Merely translating a website is only part of the challenge. To help us understand all of the issues surrounding the language translation of an ecommerce site, we are joined by Swamy Viswanathan, vice president for Language Weaver, a translation company. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Innovation on the Internet depends on the ability by entrepreneurs to protect intellectual property. But that protection could be threatened by a case pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s known as the Bilski case, and the issue, loosely, is whether patents can be applied to inventions not tied to physical products or transformations of physical products. To help us understand the importance of the case as it applies to the Internet and ecommerce, we are joined by Robert Kovelman, an intellectual property attorney and an expert in U.S. patent law. He discusses the issue with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Ecommerce merchants frequently incur development fees to obtain specific features or appearances for their websites. But there are also prebuilt templates that can do this and one maker of them is AlgoZone. It offers hundreds of ready-made templates for, mainly, open source ecommerce platforms. It’s CEO is Pavel Rojkov, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
When it comes to marketing, many ecommerce merchants think of pay-per-click ads, or search engine optimization or even email newsletters. But there’s one merchant who has successfully used TV advertising. He’s Jamie Salvatori, founder and owner of VAT19.com, a retailer of unusual gift items. He uses Google’s TV ad interface, via the AdWords platform, to great effect. He’s joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to explain television advertising, and Google’s TV ad platform.
Nearly every ecommerce merchant who uses product videos reports that it increases sales. But there are disagreements as to what to include in a product video, how to produce it and where to show it. Invodo is a company that specializes in assisting merchants with product videos, and its CEO, Craig Wax, is here to help us sort through the video issues that merchants face. He discusses these issues with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The rise of mobile devices is affecting ecommerce. More consumers are using these devices to shop online and more merchants are using them to collect payments. Two experts in the credit card business spoke with us about processing payments on mobile devices. They are John Waldron, CEO of Merchant Focus, and Derek Del Conte, CEO of innerfence, which makes Credit Card Terminal, a popular iPhone application.Together, they have just purchased another mobile credit card processor called AppNinjas, and they spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to review that acquisition and the future of mobile payment processing.
Ecommerce merchants run businesses that can be bought and sold. There’s a market for these businesses, and our guest today is an expert in the buying and selling of them. He’s Mike Handelsman, general manager of BizBuySell.com, a leading business-for-sale marketplace. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
An ecommerce merchant in St. Louis launched his business in 2006 after having written the programming code for his own shopping cart. That business, called Vat19, sells offbeat gifts (such as a five pound Gummy bear), and has grown to 300 SKUs and up to 2,000 shipments per day. How have they done it all? Jamie Salvatori, the founder and owner, is here to explain it to Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There is no bigger name in the credit card business than Visa, and there are no bigger names in the payment gateway business than Cybersource and its subsidiary, Authorize.Net. Later this year, all of those companies will likely be combined, as Visa and Cybersource announced recently that Visa intends to purchase that company. To explain the transaction and its impact on ecommerce merchants, Michael Walsh, president and CEO of Cybersource, and John Bodine, its vice president of small business sales, visits with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
A growing percentage of Internet consumers use Facebook. By some accounts, it is the second most-popular website, and ecommerce merchants are now finding ways to tap into that traffic. One of them is The Guitar Syndicate, a newly-launched retailer of musical intruments and accessories. It uploads inventory from its ecommerce site to a “Store” tab on its Facebook site. The co-owner of The Guitar Syndicate, Scott Burnett, discuss the company’s Facebook strategy with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Rick Wilson is the president of Miva Merchant, the pioneering ecommerce platform. Like many ecommerce platforms, Miva Merchant is evolving and it now offers its own hosted shopping cart. Wilson joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss recent upgrades to that cart, cloud computing generally, and the future of third-party hosting companies.
The process of collecting and processing online payments is confusing. There are many parties involved, and the fees are oftentimes difficult to decipher. One company that hopes to clear up the payment process, and to simplify payments from international customers, is Adyen. Its president of North America, Peter Caparso, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The American Dream, for many aspiring merchants, is to work at home, own a business, watch after their kids and enjoy it all. Our guest today does all of that. She’s Kara English, the co-founder of Candlesandsuch.com. She taught herself the ecommerce business, launched a site, and prospered. All from her home. She discusses it with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Mobile commerce will likely affect most every ecommerce merchant in one way or the other. NetSuite is a leading ecommerce platform with many ecommerce merchant customers. Its solutions are among the most comprehensive on the market. Malin Huffman is a principal product manager at NetSuite in charge of the company’s mobile efforts, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss NetSuite’s view of the future of mobile commerce.
There’s site search, and then there’s money-making site search. The former will match words and phrases, and the latter will help consumers find what they are looking for and then suggest items they may not have known they needed. A leader is sophisticated site search is SLI Systems, and its CEO, Shaun Ryan, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Running a successful ecommerce site takes skill and hard work. But what about running 24 of them? That’s what Brad Likens does. He’s the co-owner of Best Service Stores and, in four years, his company has grown to over $20 million in annual sales with 24 separate ecommerce sites. He does this from his headquarters in suburban Kansas City, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Entrepreneurs are using ecommerce sites in innovative ways. One of these entrepreneurs is Matt Schenck, who, out of personal frustration, decided there had to be a better way for consumers to purchase original art. That idea is now ArtQuiver.com, a groundbreaking ecommerce site that offers high-quality, original works of art directly to buyers. Schenck joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss the concept, the website and the first year of Art Quiver.
Sounds True is a Colorado-based provider of products and services to enable spiritual development. It was founded in the 1980s, and its business model is both interesting and sophisticated. It sells products via wholesale channels. It offers classes and instruction. It publishes a catalog. And it has an ecommerce site with a custom platform that sells both physical and digital products. The manager of this site is Theresa Fox, Sounds True’s managing director – direct and digital, and she joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
An increasing number of consumers access the Internet via mobile devices. This has looming implications for ecommerce merchants who must decide what platforms their customers will use in the future. Third party services can help owners migrate their sites to mobile devices, and one of those is Mobile Site Optimizer from Covario, the SEO software and services company. Its creator is Stephan Spencer, Practical Ecommerce’s longtime SEO contributor, and he joins Kerry Murdock to discuss Mobile Site Optimizer and mobile strategy generally.
Service-related businesses are finding new customers and new marketing opportunities online. This includes restaurants, which have increasingly embraced the web to promote menu offerings and dinner specials, and to facilitate reservations, provide directions and more. A restaurant that has used its website to do all of this in an innovative way is manna, with a vegan-focused menu located in the heart of London. Its owner is Roger Swallow and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There are dozens of credit-card-fraud prevention services. Some cost money, some are free, and their approach to fraud prevention can vary. So, what are small merchants to do to prevent fraud, and how much money should they spend in the process? A fraud-prevention expert is here to address that for us. He’s John Hammond, technical account manager with Authorize.Net, the credit-card payment gateway company. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Product reviews on ecommerce sites improve conversions. But they also help with customer relations and, recently, even physical-store merchants have used them. But merchants, both online and in physical stores, should carefully plan the use of product reviews, and develop ideas for soliciting valid ones. To help us sort through the use of product reviews, we welcome Pehr Luedtke, the CEO of PowerReviews, a leading product-review provider. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Most every ecommerce merchant has experienced credit card fraud. But some merchants have experienced more fraud than others, and fraud-prevention efforts vary from merchant to merchant. Cybersource, the payment gateway company, tracks all of this. For 11 years now it has assembled an online fraud report called “Online Payment Fraud Trends, Merchant Practices and Benchmarks.” The architect of the report, and the survey behind it, is Doug Schwegman, CyberSource’s director of customer and market intelligence. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Used books are big business. Just ask Amazon.com, or Abe Books or Alibris. You can even ask Adam Bertram. He’s been selling used books for two years under the name of Books by Bertram. He’s made a nice part-time income from that business, and he’s here to discuss selling books, managing multiple marketplaces, juggling inventory and more. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Volusion is an early day hosted shopping cart platform that has grown to represent 18,000 online stores. The company has recently upgraded its platform and to explain those upgrades, among other ecommerce topics, we are joined by Volusion’s chief operating officer, Clay Olivier. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There’s a company that sells specialized clothing and gear to law enforcement and fire-protection professionals. The company is 511 Tactical. Its business model largely relies on a dealer network, but even so, its ecommerce site grosses roughly $10 million per year. That’s not bad for a small portion of the business, and how that site got to that level is our topic today. It’s 511Tactical.com and the ecommerce manager is Brian Rogers, who joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Etsy.com was launched in 2005 as an online marketplace for handmade items and vintage goods. It has since grown to include hundreds of thousands of sellers, and many more buyers. It reportedly facilitated over $180 million in annual transactions in 2009. Many of Etsy’s sellers are part-time craftspeople, and one of those is Arkansas-based Laurie Marshall, who has been selling hand-sewn crafts and vintage items on Etsy since 2007. Her two sites there are Punkinhead.etsy.com and Girlchild.etsy.com. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Mobile devices could be the next major platform from which consumers shop for products. But, for ecommerce merchants, there are issues with mobile commerce having to do with screen size, product-image display and payments. Payments on a mobile device, from a consumer to a merchant, can be difficult. But there are companies seeking to simplify paying for products via a mobile device. One of them is mPayy and its CEO and founder, Conrad Sheehan, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The start of the New Year brings new energy and vitality for many online merchants. Many of them are looking to jump start sales, trim expenses and otherwise grow and improve their businesses. For ideas to help with this, we visited with a seasoned ecommerce expert. He’s Lin Shearer, senior marketing manager with ProStores, a leading ecommerce platform. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There are numerous options for ecommerce merchants who want to learn new skills that can be applied to their business. Full Sail University is one of those online options. With a physical campus in Winter Park, Florida, the university offers online programs in fields such as web design and development, Internet marketing, and graphic design. Ani Gasti is Full Sail’s director of faculty development. He talks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen about educational options for ecommerce merchants.
The days of being tied to a desktop computer are long gone. Ecommerce merchants can work wirelessly with laptop computers, personal digital assistants, and increasingly, smart mobile phones. Quickoffice is a Texas-based software company which focuses on providing mobile office software. David Brennan is Quickoffice’s vice president of ecommerce . He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen.
It’s not every day that we speak with a Stanford PhD in philosophy who has funded the construction of schools around the world. That same person started dabbling in ecommerce a decade or so ago and his company is now a publicly-traded retailing powerhouse. He’s Patrick Byrne and the company is Overstock.com. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss holiday sales strategies, among other ecommerce topics.
Nearly every ecommerce merchant has experienced disgruntled customers or angry competitors who post dishonest comments about his or her business. This could be in so-called complaint sites, forums, blogs or other online venues. Internet attorney John Dozier says there are steps merchants can take to limit the damage from these attacks, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss these steps and his new book, Google Bomb.
Stephanie Leffler started selling sunscreen products online while in college. That was around the year 2000. She became frustrated with her web developer, and decided to produce a shopping cart herself. That cart became MonsterCommerce, an early-day, hosted ecommerce platform that she sold in 2006 to Network Solutions. She’s an ecommerce and Internet pioneer, in other words, and she joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss her new venture, Juggle.com.
Ecommerce merchants want to affect behavior. More specifically, they want consumers to buy from them. Dr. BJ Fogg is a professor at Stanford University who studies how technology can be used to change behaviors in positive ways. He is also the creator of the Fogg Behavior Model, which illustrates the three elements, he believes, must converge for a behavior to occur. Dr. Fogg speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen for this “Ecommerce Conversation.”
Social media has become a mainstream tool that businesses are increasingly using to interact with their customers and boost sales. SocialGrub is a new service that helps businesses in the restaurant and retail industry optimize their social marketing efforts.Sam Rubin is co-founder of SocialGrub. Mr. Rubin is a restaurant and email marketing veteran. He created SocialGrub to further assist his clients with marketing their brands by utilizing social networks.He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen for this “Ecommerce Conversation.”
Jill Exler is founder and CEO of Jexbo.com, an online retailer of books that have been self-published by their authors. She founded the business in 2007, after having been frustrated by the options to sell her own self-published book. Exler’s business is based in Michigan, in the U.S., but she divides her time between there and Germany. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Doing business on the Internet requires the use sophisticated software and complicated processes. Many of these innovative products have been patented; Google and Amazon, for example, hold many hundreds of patents. But the U. S. Supreme Court may be about to greatly restrict the issuance of patents. To help us understand the case at hand and its relevance to software and Internet developers, we are joined by Lawrence M. Hadley. Mr. Hadley is a seasoned intellectual property attorney and a partner in the firm of Hennigan, Bennett and Dorman, in Los Angeles. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Video provides a compelling way for retailers to sell products. But is it for every ecommerce merchant? And, is it being fully utilized?One man who has a strong opinion on the matter is Justin Foster. He’s the founder of The Video Commerce Consortium, a group of ecommerce professionals, online marketers, and technologists dedicated to advancing the use of video in ecommerce. He’s our guest in this “eCommerce Conversation” with Practical Ecommerce Contributing Editor Kevin Patrick Allen.
Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance is a complex issue that’s difficult for ecommerce merchants to understand. It’s also a complex issue for vendors. But it cannot be ignored. Massimo Arrigoni is the co-owner of Early Impact, developer of the licensed shopping cart ProductCart. He has thoroughly studied the PCI compliance issue. In this Ecommerce Conversation he gives us a vendor perspective on becoming PCI compliant.
Cynthia Snyder is the founder of Yonder Star Christmas Shop, a Pennsylvania-based online seller of Christmas Nativity scenes. Snyder launched the business in 2000 using a Yahoo! shopping cart. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss the business’s history and its current operations.
Running a business is challenging even when the economy is growing. But during a recession, it can be especially tough. Scott Dunlap, CEO of NearbyNow, understands that.NearbyNow, Inc. was founded in 2005 to simplify shopping for consumers who browse online but buy in stores. The company was showing solid growth until the economic downturn. That’s when NearbyNow management had to rethink their business model. We hear about Dunlap’s experience in this conversation with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen.
TransFS is a comparison shopping website for credit card processing providers. Sean Harper is the company’s CEO and co-founder. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Allen to discuss the state of credit card processing for smaller online merchants, including PCI compliance rules.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission recently announced changes to its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”. Those changes address endorsements by bloggers and others who accept payment to review a product. Failure to follow the rules can result in substantial fines.In this “Ecommerce Conversation,” Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Patrick Allen talks with Julie O’Neill, of the Washington D.C. office of the law firm Morrison & Foerster. She’s a former staff attorney for the FTC in New York and offers guidelines pertaining to your business relationship with bloggers and reviewers.
It has become conventional wisdom that an email list is a vital weapon in your marketing arsenal. And in the world of email marketing there is no bigger name than Constant Contact. Eric Groves is senior vice president, market development for Constant Contact and he’s the author of the new book The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing. We hear Groves’ insights for merchants in this conversation with Practical Ecommerce’s Kevin Allen.
Online shoppers are increasingly relying on video to demonstrate a product or explain its use. But for many ecommerce merchants, producing, embedding and playing the video is a complicated, confusing process. There’s a company, however, that provides all of these video services on a self-serve basis, for a low monthly cost. It’s called Faculte.com and its founder is Maher Hakim, who joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
In the field of tracking and reporting on Internet traffic, there’s no more prominent name than comScore. It was founded in 1999 to track and report on ecommerce activity and, since then, it has diversified to track online advertising, socializing, searching, and much more. It’s now a publicly traded company, too, and its director of industry analysis is Andrew Lipsman, who tells us how it is that comScore knows all of that information. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There’s no more innovative ecommerce company than eHobbies.com. Founded in 1999, it has grown to become a leader, if not the leader, in its field of hobby and toy retailing. Ken Kikkawa is the CEO of eHobbies.com. He also writes “The (eCommerce) Corner Office” blog at Practical eCommerce, and we’re pleased that he’s joined us to discuss ecommerce merchandising and, in particular, steps to prepare for the holiday ecommerce-selling season. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The technology exists for ecommerce merchants to track where their visitors live. Digital Element is a firm that provides this geo-tracking service, which allows merchants to change their home pages and other landing pages based on, say, whether a visitor lives in Alaska or Florida. The technology behind this service is IP addresses. Every computer on the Internet has an IP address and, in this follow up interview, we asked Digital Element co-founder and executive vice president Rob Friedman what, exactly, is an IP address. He joins Practical eCommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There was a time, in the 1990s, when the only place to buy a domain name was at Network Solutions. That storied company has since had its up and downs, but no one disputes the pioneering nature of its products. Recently, Network Solutions redesigned and repositioned its website and its product offerings. This includes its newly-named shopping cart, nsCommerceSpace. Julia Dalton is senior product manager – ecommerce services, with Network Solutions, and she joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The ability to target consumers is important for many ecommerce businesses. In fact, many businesses could benefit greatly from knowing where a consumer lives, so that the offer, and even the language, can be tailored to that geographic area. Well, there’s a company that provides that level of targeting to online merchants. It’s called Digital Element and its co-founder and chief operating officer is Rob Friedman, who joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Microsoft’s new search engine is called Bing. It launched on June 3, 2009 and observers have already described it as a dramatic improvement over Microsoft’s previous search engine efforts. Most every ecommerce merchant relies on search engines, and many of them, we suspect, will be interested to learn how Bing affects their businesses. Dave Wascha, Microsoft’s Senior Director of Bing Shopping, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss it all.
For many retail observers, the name Zappos is synonymous with great customer service and ecommerce well executed. The company was launched in 1999 as an online, footwear merchant. It has since grown into a retailing powerhouse, with 2008 sales reaching just over $1 billion dollars. In 2007, Zappos, a purely ecommerce firm, began publishing a printed catalog. That product is now a four-times-a-year magazine/catalog mix, and Zappos mails it to several million prospects annually. Jeanne Markel is Zappos’s Director of Casual Lifestyle and Performance. She’s involved with the execution and production of the catalog and she joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
The U.S. Virgin Islands are located roughly 90 miles east of Puerto Rico, in the Caribbean Sea. The islands are known for their white sand beaches and clear blue water. But a new Virgin Islands based economic initiative wants e-businesses to know there are significant federal tax advantages to doing business there. This new initiative partners the University of the Virgin Islands with private technology providers. It’s called “eCommerce Island,” and its chief marketing officer is Steve Rohrlick, who joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Miva Merchant is an early day shopping cart. First launched in 1995, it rose, and then fell, with the dot-com boom and bust. Findwhat.com, a publicly traded company, purchased Miva Merchant in 2004. Findwhat.com subsequently renamed itself Miva, only to sell the Miva Merchant shopping cart division to a private investor in August 2007. That investor is Russ Carroll. He’s now the CEO of Miva Merchant, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
There is much talk about social media sites, and there’s talk of how companies can use social media for marketing purposes. One company doing just that is Comodo, a firm that provides online security solutions. Comodo has recently created a “social media officer” job position and Comodo’s CEO, Melih Abdulhayoglu, is here to discuss it with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Online retailers are frequently interested in new channels to sell their products. In addition to a merchant’s own ecommerce site, he or she can consider auction sites and comparison shopping sites, for example. And there’s also Amazon.com. Amazon competes with many smaller merchants, but it also allows those merchants to list products there, too. The service is called “Selling on Amazon” and the executive in charge of it is Sam Wheeler. Wheeler is Director Seller Services at Amazon and he’s here with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Many ecommerce merchants rely on email marketing and many of them, we suspect, wish they could monitor and target emails based on where a recipient lives. This would allow for offers specific to a market or geographic area. Well, Listrak, an email marketing provider based in Pennsylvania, now offers email “geo tracking.” Listrak’s CEO is Ross Kramer, and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock in this interview.
Millions of Internet users are blind, deaf or are otherwise unable to use a website in a traditional manner. Ensuring that a site functions well for these users is called accessibility, and our guest for this interview is an expert on that topic. Joseph Dolson is CEO and founder of Accessible Web Design, a St. Paul, MN based firm that designs and consults on accessibility matters. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Jordan CollettaThe shipping of products is a crucial function for most every ecommerce merchant. And there’s no company more prominent in the shipping business than UPS, who has recently announced upgrades to its “UPS Ready” program. Jordan Colletta is vice president of customer technology marketing for UPS, and he joins Practical eCommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss those upgrades. Mr. Colletta has been with UPS since 1975 and in his current position he’s responsible for all of UPS’s ecommerce marketing functions.
Andrew HazenThe use of domain names to enhance an ecommerce “footprint” is growing in popularity. We’ve asked Andrew Hazen, the founder and CEO of Prime Visibility, a Long Island, NY-based Internet marketing firm, to explain domain-name strategies to us. Hazen is an Internet pioneer, having founded Prime Visibility in the late 1990s. The firm specializes in search engine optimization and pay-per-click ad management, and its clients include Fox News, Lauren Hutton, Adelphi University, among others. Hazen joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
John EngatesRackspace is a preeminent hosting company. It was launched in San Antonio in 1996 and now, in 2009, the company’s stock is publicly traded. Rackspace’s 2008 revenues exceeded $500 million and it has data centers located around the globe. John Engates is Rackspace’s chief technology officer and he joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss cloud computing and other hosting trends.
John DozierJohn W. Dozier, Jr. is an attorney, a former Internet executive and a pioneer in the practice of Internet law. His firm, Dozier Internet Law, focuses exclusively on Internet and ecommerce issues. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss legal risks that confront smaller ecommerce merchants, and how best to avoid them.
Sanjay AurorA robust site search function can increase conversion rates for ecommerce merchants. Correcting color matches (“tan” vs. “sandstone”), correcting misspellings, and suggesting alternative products are all products of a high-level site search. Sanjay Arora joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to explain all of this. Arora is CEO of Nextopia, a Toronto-based site search provider.
Derek Del ConteDerek Del Conte is co-founder of Innerfence, a developer of iPhone applications. Innerfence’s latest app is “Credit Card Terminal,” which allows the processing of credit card transactions on the iPhone, and merchants who sell products off-site or remotely could benefit from it. Del Conte joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
TinaKellyNews reports indicate that revenue growth for Google and other search engines is slowing. Bids on keywords and keyword phrases, some say, are softening. Could all of this be an opportunity for ecommerce merchants to increase PPC ad spend and gain more customers? We asked this to Tina Kelly, a pay-per-click advertising expert and an Online Marketing Manager for Netconcepts, a pay-per-click and search-engine-optimization marketing firm.
Kevin_Sproles What, exactly, makes for a high-performing ecommerce site? We asked this question to Kevin Sproles, the founder and CEO of Volusion, a hosted shopping cart firm that boasts over 10,000 clients. Sproles is an ecommerce pioneer, having founded Volusion in 1999. It is now a leader in ecommerce solutions, and Spoles has seen thousands of ecommerce sites over the years. He is also Volusion’s Chief Software Architect and he speaks here with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
JohnMontagueMany ecommerce merchants occupy niches within a broader industry. Spotlight Retail is one of those merchants, but, in Spotlight’s case, it occupies 20 separate niches (and 20 separate ecommerce sites) around one ecommerce platform. The entrepreneur behind Spotlight Retail is John Montague, the company’s owner and day-to-day manager. He discusses niche retailing with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
ALTMost every ecommerce merchant must address the fulfillment of orders and the logistics of storing inventory. Amazon.com does this in a big way, and it now offers its fulfillment and warehousing expertise to all merchants via its “Fulfillment by Amazon” service, which we discuss with Tom Taylor, Vice President of Fulfillment by Amazon. Taylor discusses the benefits of outsourcing these functions, and how Amazon can especially help merchants with international orders. He is joined by Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
ALTThe use of video in ecommerce sites is becoming increasingly popular. Merchants are using video to both increase conversion rates and to drive traffic to their sites. And video is affordable to produce, especially when a merchant does it himself. To explain all of this, including syndication and streaming options, Justin Foster, founder of The Video Commerce Consortium, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
ALT The Christian Science Monitor, a 100 year-old Pulitzer-prize-winning newspaper, recently announced plans to drop its daily printed paper in favor of a mainly web-based publishing model. Other newspapers will almost certainly follow suit over the next few years. To discuss The Monitor’s decision and the future of news delivery, John Yemma, the editor of The Monitor, joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
ALTGail Goodman is CEO of Constant Contact, a leading self-service email marketing company with over 220,000 customers worldwide. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss email marketing in a slow economy, the challenges of running a (fast growing) public company and how merchants can best use email marketing.
ALTNinety per cent of cell phone users in the U.S. can receive text messages. Marketing to these cell phone users via text messages could be an opportunity for ecommerce merchants. mobileStorm is a text-message-marketing company and its CEO, Jared Reitzen, visited with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock on how text-message (also known as short message service, or “SMS”) marketing works.
ALTNetSuite is a pioneer is providing hosted software solutions to small and mid-sized businesses. NetSuite’s ecommerce platform is used by thousands of businesses worldwide, and, as a testament to its success, the company’s common stock is now publicly traded. We asked Zach Nelson, NetSuite’s CEO, about software-as-a-service, NetSuite and the future of ecommerce. Mr. Nelson joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
ALTThe use of video and rich media can enhance an ecommerce site. SellPoint is a firm that provides video and rich media (for free) to ecommerce merchants and we’ve asked its CEO, Rick Martin, to discuss the use of video and how, exactly, it increases the purchase conversion rate for online merchants. Mr. Martin joins Practical Ecommerce publisher Kerry Murdock.
ALTMany ecommerce merchants run pay-per-click ad campaigns on the major search engines. But Jason Prescott, CEO of Toptenwholesale.com, argues that merchants can obtain a higher return-on-investment by advertising on specialized virtual search engines. He discuss this with Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock.
Neal CreightonWith the existence of social networking and consumer review sites, disgruntled customers can post negative comments about an ecommerce merchant and cause lasting harm. Neal Creighton is CEO of RatePoint, a firm that provides reputation management tools for ecommerce merchants. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss ideas for managing a firm’s online reputation, including RatePoint’s reputation management solutions.
ALTCraig Vodnik is vice president, North America, for Cleverbridge, an ecommerce platform that helps online merchants sell software, music and other digital products. Vodnik joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock, and offers his ideas for the best way to sell digital products online and how to maximize international sales of digital products.
Melih Abdulhayoglu is founder and CEO of Comodo, a firm that provides Internet-security and fraud prevention services to ecommerce and other web-based firms. Adulhayoglu received in 2008 an Ernest & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award and is an authority on online security. He joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock, who asked him about the logic of EV SSLs, site seals and other steps that ecommerce merchants can take to ensure a safe shopping environment.
David Heinemeier Hansson created the Ruby on Rails software framework and is a partner in 37signals, producers of the popular Basecamp suite of online collaboration tools. Hansson joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss Ruby on Rails, web development and the state of ecommerce.
Dan Robbins is Vice President of Marketing at Enquisite, a search analytics company that follows customers from search to conversion. He joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss Enquisite and how it can supplement a merchant’s other analytics programs.
SLI Systems CEO Shaun Ryan discusses site search and SLI’s hosted site search solution with Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock.
Keirsun Scott is Social Media Director for OneUpWeb, an online marketing consulting company. He joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss the benefits of social media for ecommerce merchants, citing examples of companies who make use of social media.
Amit Das, Managing Director for the U.S. division of Worldwide Business Research, speaks with Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock about the upcoming virtual ecommerce trade show, eTailXpo.
Jim Rue is a freelance and technology journalists, and recently attended the Annual Book Expo. He speaks with Practical Ecommerce Publisher, Kerry Murdock, about the migration of content delivery to digital format, and what the future holds for printed content.
Jody Hartwig is the Vice President of eBusiness at Netconcepts, a company specializing in natural search marketing and ecommerce. She joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss Microsoft’s new Live Search cashback program.
Michael Shatz is the publisher of The Merchant’s Guide, a resource to help ecommerce merchants lower their credit card fees. He joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss credit card payments and how his guide can help merchants understand credit card issues.
Damon Schechter is CEO and Founder of Shipwire, a shipping and storage solution for ecommerce merchants. He joins Practical Ecommerce Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss Shipwire and how it can help merchants get their inventories out of their garages.
Jason Keenan is the Media Advisor with ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Name and Numbers, which regulates domain names globally. ICANN was created in 1998 to perform various Internet administrative tasks previously done by a range of bodies including universities, private companies and the U.S. government. Keenan joins Publisher Kerry Murdock to discuss ICANN and the future of the domain name system.
Rhett McNulty is Chief Operating Officer for ShopIt, a social networking sales application for ecommerce merchants. He joins Practical Ecommerce's Kerry Murdock to discuss ShopIt and the value of social networking.
Sweta Duseja is Product Marketing Manager for nCircle, a security risk and compliance monitoring firm. She joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss PCI (payment card industry) compliance and data security risk.
MarketMotive CEO and Co-founder Michael Stebbins joins Practical Ecommerce’s Kerry Murdock to discuss MarketMotive’s subscription-based consulting, lessons and strategy help for ecommerce merchants.
Colin Rule of PayPal and eBay speaks with Practical Ecommerce Publisher, Kerry Murdock, about online dispute resolution between buyers and merchants.
Carr-Jones and Kerry Murdock talk about Bling! It, Vertus’ new photo-editing software designed to improve product photos.
Join Mitch Bettis as he discusses ecommerce insurance with Nancy Callahan, Vice President of AIG Insurance.
Crawford and Pat Callahan talk about upcoming social media classes offered by Danna, as well as her eBay experience.
Burke and Pat Callahan discuss social networking as a requirement for doing business in the future.
Justin Hertz and Pat Callahan explore the elements of a successful website, including how to distinguish yourself from the competition.
Reid Carr and Pat Callahan discuss the intricacies of a case study Carr co-authored — Cricket Communications: Less Is Definitely More
Toffer Winslow and Pat Callahan delve into ChoiceStream’s 2007 Personalization Survey, including the potential of personalized recommendations — good and bad.
Carolyn Gardner joins Pat Callahan to discuss methods of proactively managing the customer experience via “web personalization.”
Pat Callahan and Eady discuss the attributes that led to Fabric.com becoming the largest online retailer of fabric.
Pat Callahan is joined by Bjorn Espenes for a timely discussion about what merchants should be focusing on in the coming weeks before the holiday season.
Pat Callahan is joined by Alex Rampell. The two discuss the details of TrialPay, a unique payment platform, which allows customers to pay for one item by trying or buying something else.
Pat Callahan is joined by Kevin Smith, as the two discuss copyright infringement and how businesses can protect themselves.
Contributing Editor Pat Callahan is joined by Baruch Goldwasser for an interesting conversation about, among other things, the future of ecommerce.
Contributing Editor Pat Callahan is joined by Rand Fishkin, the CEO and co-founder of SEOmoz.org. The two discuss search engine optimization and writing successful blogs.
Practical Ecommerce and Sue Chapman, director of merchandising solutions at Mercado Software, discuss how online retailers should prepare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, including how to fine tune a website for the holidays.
Practical Ecommerce and Sue Chapman, director of merchandising solutions at Mercado Software, discuss how online retailers should prepare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, including how to fine tune a website for the holidays. Part 2 of 3.
Sue Chapman, director of merchandising solutions at Mercado Software, discusses how online retailers should prepare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, includng how to fine tune your website for the holidays.
Betterphoto.com’s President and Founder Jim Miotke continues his discussion of the intricacies of product photography.
Betterphoto.com’s President and Founder Jim Miotke discusses the intricacies of product photography.
Practical Ecommerce is joined by Betterphoto.com’s President and Founder Jim Miotke. The two discuss the latest in photography, including tips and tircks for product photography.
Listen in as Practical Ecommerce Contributing Editor Pat Callahan is joined by Matthew MacDonald, author of Creating Web Sites: The Missing Manual for the second part of this interview. The conversation includes a topical discussion about the future of both websites and ecommerce.
Listen in as Practical Ecommerce Contributing Editor Pat Callahan is joined by Matthew MacDonald, author of Creating Web Sites: The Missing Manual. The conversation includes a topical discussion about the future of both websites and ecommerce. Part 1 of 2.
Vince Talbert, vice president of marketing for I4 Commerce, discusses the Bill Me Later function that ecommerce merchants can implement at their sites. Talbert outlines the benefits merchants have with using alternate payment options for their online endeavors.
MOTIF Modern Living operates a unique contemporary furniture outlet just 10 minutes south of downtown Austin, Texas, and it launched a website last year. Its president, Steven Lora, is facing the start-up challenges that most online operations face. He discusses the hurdles his ecommerce business has with marketing its online site and search engine optimization. He also talks about the special challenge he faces with shipping, given the cumbersome nature of handling furniture.
Chuck Bankoff, director of web services for web design firm Wsieworks.com, provides tips on what questions should be asked by merchants when they are hiring a website designer. Bankoff also outlines various things merchants should be aware of when working with designers and the importance of setting performance benchmarks. In addition, he issues a caution about any designer who tosses out a flat price for design services.
Stephan Spencer, senior contributor for Practical Ecommerce and author of the popular SEO Report Card for the magazine, talks with SEO specialist Jonathan Hochman about the value of Wikipedia, using the resource as a way to build knowledge about and traffic to your website, tips about avoiding "linkspam" and things you should definitely not do to anger the Wiki editors.
It takes a special type of visionary to create an entirely new marketplace. Thomas Parkinson and his brother Andrew launched online grocer Peapod in the late 1980s. As pioneers in online selling, they have weathered the storms of changes in technology and market whims. Peapod was a key player in the dot-com bust, and the company has survived to tell about it.Peapod serves about 260,000 customers from Boston to Milwaukee and from Washington, D.C., to Long Island, N.Y. Thomas Parkinson continues his discussion with Practical eCommerce’s Michael Cox in the second installment of a two-part podcast, and discusses the company’s history, its struggle to survive and what’s in store for the future of one of the Internet’s online pioneers.
It takes a special type of visionary to create an entirely new marketplace. Thomas Parkinson and his brother Andrew launched online grocer Peapod in the late 1980s. As pioneers in online selling, they have weathered the storms of changes in technology and market whims. Peapod was a key player in the dot-com bust, and the company has survived to tell about it.Peapod serves about 260,000 customers from Boston to Milwaukee and from Washington, D.C., to Long Island, N.Y. Thomas Parkinson talks with Practical Ecommerce’s Michael Cox in the first of a two-part podcast, and discusses the company’s history, its struggle to survive and what’s in store for the future of one of the Internet’s online pioneers.
Organize.com began in 1998 in Riverside, Calif., as Organize Everything — one convenient place to shop for storage and organization solutions. For those who have a garage or closet in need of some serious organizational help, Organize.com features a full slate of organizational products, shelving, boxes, bins, hangers and storage systems.About a year after its beginning, the company launched a website. That channel propelled sales to about $10 million annually, 92.5 percent of which is generated through online channels.Kevin Watts is director of ecommerce for the company. He spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Mitch Bettis about the company’s growth and the success it has had in a niche market.
As with many great products in the marketplace, the diaper caddy was conceived out of necessity. Melissa Bramlage, a mother of two, needed a product that could hold all the essential baby care items in one convenient location. It seemed that every time she needed to change her child’s diaper, the new diaper was on the opposite end of the house from the place she left the ointment. Melissa visits with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about the process of conceiving, creating, manufacturing and selling a unique product in the marketplace as well as her experiences running the company’s website, Sarabearbaskets.com.
Roman Kagan has built a successful niche business selling hard-to-find appliance parts to do-it-yourself types around the country. The site was launched in 1999 and has grown to about $5 million in annual sales with 150,000 unique visitors per month. Kagan’s custom-built site search functions help customers find appliance parts for which they are looking within a few clicks. What started as a site featuring about 300 products has grown to showcase more than 1 million parts for 170,000 appliance models.
Zimini offers a digital couponing and promotion platform to provide merchants and marketers with a robust set of geographic, demographic and interest-based targeting tools. If you’re an online or brick-and-mortar retailer who wants to offer a product coupon, a product like Zimini could be the answer. Consumers select a variety of personal interests (e.g., Italian food, dogs, travel, etc.), and Zimini allows a merchant the ability to target specific customers based on the criteria the consumers posted. It’s an inexpensive way to get a coupon in front of a customer who is specfically interested in your type of products.
A Foster & Smith catalog is a familiar sight at the home of many pet owners. Whether a household includes dogs, cats, birds, reptiles or other animals as pets, Foster & Smith has been a resource for more than two decades for pet owners to purchase supplies and products. Gordon Magee is Internet marketing and analysis manager for the company, and he discusses the company’s evolution from vet clinic, to catalog operator, to pet supply business to its successful online sales channel. In the late 1990s, the company launched a website that now boasts 1 million unique visitors per month and generates about $125 million annually, accounting for 57 percent of the company’s total revenue.
Jeff Stibel is the CEO of Web.com, a company providing an all-in-one hosted solution for business owners wanting to launch a website. Jeff discusses how easy it is for a business owner to launch a website, and how all-in-one solutions make it easy by combining hosting, shopping carts, SSL certificates, marketing services, design templates and more into a single package. Stibel also discusses why service-based businesses should launch a web presence. He notes that service businesses can create various online services including those that allow customers to download coupons for restaurants or other services that help schedule appointments to get a car fixed or schedule a visit with a physician.
What is one sure-fire way to reduce shopping cart abandonment? Ed Dawidowicz, senior consulting director for Creativegood.com, provides his advice in the second part of an interview with Practical Ecommerce’s Mitch Bettis on improving customer experience at your website. Dawidowicz identifies some of the frequent errors web site’s make with navigation and design. He also answers that age-old question of whether blue is the best color for text-based navigation link and whether that link should also be underlined.
Patricia Elkins caught the ecommerce bug just like many people do by successfully selling a few items on eBay. It wasn’t long before Elkins was building a dynamic niche business on eBay selling one-of-a-kind tapestries. The business has grown to more than $500,000 in sales, and it’s evolved from an eBay-only store to one that incorporates its own website at Treasurebeyondmeasure.com.
A latter-day devotee of minimalism is Craig Newmark. Newmark is the founder of the intensely successful Craigslist.com, and, as far as he is concerned, less is definitely more when it comes to website design and his business. Craigslist is minimalist by design, or perhaps the lack thereof, since the only thing the self-proclaimed nerd from New Jersey wanted to provide his visitors was service and convenience and he wanted to do it free of charge, if it was at all possible.
Shaun Ryan, CEO of site-search provider SLI Systems, discusses distinctive aspects of his product with Practical Ecommerce’s Mitch Bettis. The two discuss the benefits of faceted search, learning navigation, the impact both have on a website’s organic rankings in search engines and the cost to implement such technology.
Stephan Schambach, CEO of Demandware, provides a host of helpful tips to improve a customer’s experience at your website in a recent interview with Practical Ecommerces Mitch Bettis. Schambach also provides a distinctive opinion of shopping cart abandonment rates, and he discusses the reasons he thinks shoppers leave a site. He also discusses the differences in online shoppers compared to those who shop in a brick-and-mortar store and notes how quickly an ecommerce business can unravel if his software isn’t successfully integrated and helpful to customers.
What makes customers unhappy at a website? Adelle Emery, director of customer experience at Siteworx, answers the question and gives website owners tips on how to improve the customer’s experience at a site. She also discusses the differences in how people shop online compared to how they shop at a department store and how that should impact an ecommerce owner’s thinking. She recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about improving usability and customer experience at an ecommerce site.
Ed Dawidowicz, senior consulting director for Creativegood.com, provides a series of do-it-yourself tips to improve usability and customer experience at your website. He recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Mitch Bettis about the importance of keyword mapping and custom landing pages for key search terms to provide better experience for customers. He also discusses the importance of observing customers using your site and the types of things you can learn when you observe online shoppers in action
In the second of a two-part series, Chris Cleveland CEO of Dieselpoint speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about how site-search technology improves sales at websites. Cleveland also provides tips on what an ecommerce owner should look for when evaluating various site-search providers, and he discusses the various price ranges for such technology.
In the first of a two-part series, Chris Cleveland CEO of Dieselpoint speaks with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about how site-search technology improves sales at websites. Cleveland also discusses the differences in search-site technology options and what features can be deployed to improve profit margins and dramatically improve a shopping experience at a website.
Richard Sexton has parlayed his 10 years of brick-and-mortar success into a dynamic multichannel sales business with Carolina Rustica. With a combination of brick-and-mortar and online sales, Carolina Rustica expects to generate about $3.5 million in 2006, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. Approximately 15 percent of his total sales come from his brick-and-mortar store and 85 percent come from his online sales channels. Sexton is looking at adding additional brick-and-mortar locations, but continues to take a conservative approach to company growth. Carolina Rustica was profiled in the November issues of Practical Ecommerce and Richard recently spoke with Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis.
Are you wondering why you should you be pushing products to shopping comparison sites or are you looking for a tool that can help you push products to various shopping comparison sites and public marketplaces? Michael Lambert is the CEO of Merchant Advantage. His company offers a product named Channel Management, a dashboard software application that sits on the merchant’s desktop, giving that merchant the power to manage his entire product catalog to any shopping destination site immediately and without third party assistance. He recently spoke with Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about the opportunities merchants have selling products at shopping comparison sites and marketplaces and ways merchants can manage the task of pushing data feeds to those shopping areas.
Do you need an order management solution to help manage activity from multiple sales channels? Are you struggling to manage the mounds of paperwork from sales that come to your store from various sales channels? Barney Stone, President of Stone Edge Technologies, the company that produces Stone Edge Order Manager, says merchants tend to begin looking at order management solutions when they reach 10-15 orders per day. He explains what an order management solution does for a merchant, how it can incorporate an inventory management system for merchants selling across multiple channels, how much a typical solution costs, how that solution communicates to shipping and fulfillment operations and how a merchant get a return on that investment.
Do you have trouble with shopping cart abandonment? Research has shown that online consumers abandon their shopping carts 75 percent of the time. Second Bite (www.secondbite.com) integrates with a shopping cart and offers a potential solution for order recovery after a consumer abandons a cart. Chad Herman is the director of business development for Second Bite and he recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis.
Ralf VonSosen, vice president of Infopia (www.infopia.com), a company that provides an ecommerce platform to help merchants manage multichannel sales endeavors, speaks about how to begin thinking about selling in multiple channels and what these new sales opportunities can do for help your brand and boost your bottom line. Ralf also outlines several pitfalls that a merchant should be aware of when beginning to diversify sales into other channels.
Michael J. Katz is founder and “chief penguin” of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., a consulting firm helping companies increase sales by showing CEOs how to market to their existing relationships, and which specializes in the development of electronic newsletters. He recently spoke with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about the importance of communicating with customers, how to get the “genuine you” into a regular electronic newsletter and what types of content to put in these newsletters.
How frequently should I send email marketing messages and newsletters to my customers, what should I put in the subject line to improve the open rate and how to include paid ads in an email newsletter are all topics discussed in this podcast by Practical Ecommerce Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis and Emma’s co-founder Clint Smith. Today’s podcast discusses several important tips to improve email campaigns, and it is the third and final installment in our podcast series with the myemma.com’s Clint Smith.
Are you still using Outlook Express or another text-based email client to email information to your customer base? Are you afraid to convert to and .html-based email service because you think it’s too hard to use? Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis continues his discussion on email marketing with Clint Smith, the co-founder of Emma, a web-based email service at www.myemma.com. They talk about how easy it is to use an email service, the types of response tracking those services bring to the table and Clint provides tips on how to build a quality email list.
Matt and Amiee Moffett launched the Satellite Radio Superstore three years ago have an quickly built their site into one of the top 10 independent retailers for XM Radio. Sales at their site should hit around $3 million this year and that means there are plenty of orders to keep their 12 staff members hopping. Matt and Amiee have also started selling products on eBay and are close to launching a store for Sirius satellite radio products. The Satellite Radio Superstore was profiled in the October edition of Practical Ecommerce. Matt spoke with Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about some of the challenges they have faced, including how to manage thousands of orders from multiple sales channels.
Scene7 is another leading company in the image management business. Scene7 provides services that can improve the product display features on ecommerce sites including zoom and pan features, online catalogs and improve product images. Sheila Dahlgren, senior vice president of marketing and corporate communication at Scene7, recently spoke to Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about the benefits of product display software.
Equilibrium is one company in the marketplace that automates imaging solutions and offers various display options including zoom and pan features. Sean Barger, CEO of Equilibrium, says there’s been a number of studies showing that people are more likely to buy a product if they can see the details — the front, the back and close-ups — especially for items that are detail-oriented, such a jewelry and electronics. He recently spoke to Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about the benefits of product display software.
AuctionCheckout offers a competitively priced merchant account package that is an alternative to PayPal. It’s one resource in the marketplace that can be used by an ecommerce owner to serve as a merchant account on his site and also be integrated on an auction site like eBay and Overstock so an ecommerce owner doesn’t need multiple payment channels. John Waldron and Sloane Bouchever acquired AuctionCheckout (www.auctioncheckout.com) in mid-July and recently spoke to Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis.
Clint Smith, co-founder of Emma, discusses several important tips to improve email campaigns and addresses that age-old question of whether an email should use images or not. This podcast is the first in a series of podcasts with Clint Smith covering email marketing.
Kevin Mahon, founder and CEO of KEMP, and Peter Melerud, the company’s marketing and business development officer, talked with Practical Ecommerce’s Contributing Editor Mitch Bettis about what a load balancer does and noted some of the tell-tale signs of when a small business owner will know it’s time to deploy a load balancer.
Eric Lituchy is the founder and CEO of Delightfuldeliveries.com, a leading site for gift baskets and unique gift items, such as gourmet food items and deserts. Given how important product images are to a web site, in particular those selling food products, Eric speaks about his site’s incorporation of product display software and that software’s special features — like it’s zoom and pan technology.
Chris Anderson of Wired Magazine discusses niche markets, changes in the marketplace, and more.
Claire Henderson is the owner and president of ChristmasNightInc.com, a business and website that have evolved through the years, but simple principles have guided her business since its inception: Know your product, know your market and provide great customer service.
Mike Randolph is the founder and CEO of AbleCommerce. He discusses the merits of a software shopping cart solution, how that differs from hosted solutions like Yahoo! Stores and various trends he sees in the ecommerce landscape that ecommerce owners need to be aware of.
Manish Chowdhary of GoECart outlines in great detail his vision of the future of online shopping carts as well as discussed some of the differences between software solutions and hosted cart solutions.
Dimitri Krakovsky is the vice president of product, Yahoo! Small Business. He discusses the merits of a hosted shopping cart solution and various trends he sees in the ecommerce landscape that ecommerce owners need to be aware of.
Julian Green, director of ProStores, discusses the landscape of shopping cart options for small ecommerce businesses, some of the merits of a hosted solution and trends that might impact ecommerce owners.
Corey Koenig, channel sales manager for Authorize.Net, provides an interesting insight into the landscape of shopping carts and what a payment gateway like Authorize.Net is concerned about. Koenig also discusses PCI compliance, something each ecommerce merchant is required to follow.
Mark Baartse, the creator and operator of Shopping-Cart-Reviews.com visits about different shopping cart software, how to choose software, and what people can expect from Shopping-Cart-Reviews.com.
Steve Woda, the chairman and founder of Buysafe.com, talks about merchant credibility and Buysafe.com’s efforts to make Internet shopping a safer experience.
David Steel, CEO of Zoovy.com, talks about internet auction services, Zoovy.com, and touches on some new Web 2.0 topics such as the use of AJAX.
Roy Banks, President of Authorize.Net, speaks with Michael Cox about payment gateways and Authorize.Net.
Harald Ponce de Leon and Christian Lescuyer of the osCommerce Project talks with Practical Ecommerce.
One of the heads of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project Dwight Cook, a state senator from North Dakota, talks with Practical Ecommerce.
Stephanie Leffler, the CEO of shopping cart provider Monster Commerce, talks with Practical Ecommerce.
Before Google, Netscape, and Internet Explorer, there was Web Marketing Today. Dr. Ralph F. Wilson founded it back in 1995 as a vehicle to supplement his then-fledgling web development practice. An ordained minister, Dr. Wilson was also launching a new church at that time. “The church wasn’t going all that well, actually,” he says. “I was stuck at 50 years old without a job.”