The Real Heroes of Ecommerce Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jason Shepherd
We flipped the script on the typical ecommerce podcast, and go straight to the customers, the real heroes of ecommerce, to gain insight into how people shop and hear what they think about it all.
heroesofecommerce.substack.com
On December 10th 1997, Julia Hill climbed up a tree to protect it from being cut down. She wasn’t the first person to do so, but she was the most publicized. Her activism brought the name “Tree Hugger” into the mainstream to rail against the environmental movement.
Today, 25 years later, being environmentally conscious is the norm. Not everything we buy is sustainable, but according to The Global Sustainability Study 2021, 85% of consumers have made a change in the last 5 years towards a sustainable option. That varies by degree, of course, but it does show that most consumers recognize the need for change.
Compared to most, Becca varies on the higher side of practicing sustainable living. She is an amazing artist and uses her work to express her ideas on what the future could be.
She has also started a few things in her neighborhood, like planting an herb garden that everyone can take from, to show how they can adopt this idea as well.
Her neighbors are positively curious.
Sustainability is not a trend that will go away and is something that business owners need to pay attention to. Because customers have it in mind when choosing between brands. And they notice the little steps. Even if they don’t mention it.
Hope you enjoy the interview, and give a shout out to Becca:
Joan de Art on Instagram
Joan de Art Studios
What we are up to this month…
This month’s deep dive into Customer Psychology: Price Anchoring & How it Affects Purchase Decisions
This week’s community discussion: The Nuance of Changing Customer Behavior
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Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
In the days of the Mad Men in the 1960s, some of the best advertising was written. When we study marketing and advertising, especially copywriting, we often return to those classic ads for inspiration… simple imagery, compelling copy.
Copy that spoke to the reader.
Fast forward to today and marketing has gone the opposite direction, focusing on data and distribution, minimizing our focus on communicating well with our audience.
What we need is a bit of a correction. A balance that combines psychology and math.
Bob Hutchins is a life long marketer and behavioral and organization psychologist, and he came on the show to talk about psychology + math, and how they should work together to achieve better results in marketing.
We also delve into new topic that is becoming more apparent and important for us to understand as people who spend an enormous amount of time plugged-in to tech.
Our constant connection to the internet and daily usage has created a symbiotic nervous system that we all participate in, whether we like it or not. - Bob Hutchins
His idea is that humans and tech have become a symbiotic nervous system, not in a dystopian way, but that it is the reality of how humans and tech affect each other. And what we should be aware of in order to maintain healthy lives both physically and mentally.
Hope you enjoy, and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!
Check out Bob’s new book: Our Digital Soul
And connect with him on Linkedin
Lots of great guests and articles on Customer Psychology and commerce to come, so be sure to subscribe. And if you know someone who is interesting in this topic, help us out by sharing this episode with them.
Good Reads…
Why I do Customer Psychology (free)
Ads are simple… Simple is hard (free)
What is Going on with Email these days? (premium)
Paradox of Choice (premium)
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
The world is about 20 years into our social media journey, and I can confidently say that we are less social than we were before we had all these apps.
People showcase their lives, both personal and professional, and for the most part it is baloney. A complete fabrications of reality.
So I was pleasantly surprise when Chris showed me around Vibehut.io, his new social media site centered on video conversations.
He saw the value in human connection and how our current social apps don’t help that. So instead of another building another way to shout from a virtual rooftop, he made something more akin to a table at a coffee shop.
In the coming months, we will explore more on the topics of community and connectedness. I think people are worn out from social media and looking for something better… but since we are so used to the last 20 years of apps, it will be interesting to see how VibeHut and others bring people together.
Join the Ecommerce AMA
It’s a really cool platform, and so I will be hosting an Ask Me Anything hour on Wednesdays @ 9:00 am PST.
So upgrade and let’s talk about customer psychology and your business. Here are some more details.
The Real Heroes is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
The Machines Won…
This is not a conversation about Google Ads that you’ll hear anywhere else. But it is as welcome as it was unexpected.
Kasim and his partner built Solution 8, the top Google Ad agency, and have been in it for around 15 years. So he’s seen the changes and developments and and even unnerving advancements Google has made in advertising over the years.
Particularly with Performance Max… the Don’t-Worry-AI-Got-Youad product that Google released in 2021.
As Kasim puts it, the machines won…
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AI handles all aspects of Google Ads better than we can…
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It knows more about you than you know about you…
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It can predict when I need to glow-up with new pants…
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How Boat owners are better “preppers” than Ron Paul fans…
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And how the power in our marketing comes before the campaign setup…
This is a deeper look into the future what’s happening in marketing right now, which is good because it shows us:
-Where to focus our attention.
-Where to look for opportunity.
-Where others are going to get lazy.
Enjoy this unabashed and unexpected interview with Kasim, and comments are open below if you want to give you take.
Connect with Kasim Aslam on LinkedIn or through his agency Solution 8
Read more…
Why I do Customer Psychology (free)
Ads are simple… Simple is hard (free)
Ad Nauseum: WTF is Going on with Email these days? (premium)
Paradox of Choice (premium)
Subscribe for more on Customer Psychology
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Copywriting is where I got my start in marketing way back in 2012. So I was excited to have this conversation with Konrad Sanders about copy - what it is, why it is so important, and how can brands approach it.
Brands don’t put enough attention on copywriting and that holds them back, and lends to lackluster creatives and uninformative websites.
The brands that do put more emphasis on copywriting fare much better in the long run because they are better communicators with their customers and about the products.
Konrad talks about the 13 Lenses framework that he uses in his agency, The Creative Copywriter. It is in-depth and something you can apply to your business.
Because it is such a deep dive, we only had time to cover a few of these Lenses on the show, but below is a write-up from Konrad of all 13 Lenses.
Connect with Konrad on LinkedIn if you want to get in touch.
THE 13 LENSES© METHODOLOGY
THE GOLDFISH LENS
Your prospects are busy. Their attention span is being pulled left, right and centre at any given time.
Think of them as goldfish.
If your content or copy isn’t immediately digestible, their minds will find any excuse to drift away from your words.So don’t give them one.
CHECKLIST:
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Is your headline, title or subject line instantly clear and compelling?
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Are your paragraphs short and staggered in length? Remember, no more than three/four sentences per paragraph. Big, chunky ones are harder for the eye to digest. Especially when skimming or scanning.
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Are your sentences short and sweet? Ideally, one ‘thought’ per sentence. Long ones lose attention. Choppy copy keeps eyeballs gripped.
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Is the line length on your page between 50 and 75 characters for optimal readability?
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Is the content easy to skim and scan: with subheaders and/or bullet points? (Kinda like this post).
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Is each sentence crystal clear? Don’t use a thesaurus to find fancier words. Use one to find shorter, clearer, more direct words.
THE REAL-TALK LENS
Time and time again, conversational copy has proven to get optimal results. The reason is simple: people buy from people.
And your customers don’t want dull, cliched corporate speak.
A handy litmus test is: would you talk like that at home?
If not, then consider revising it. You’ve probably fallen into the jargon trap.
CHECKLIST:
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Are you talking directly to the reader with the words “you” and “your”?
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Are you asking questions to engage and include the reader?
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For brand copy: are you admitting weakness and turning it into a strength?
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Are you steering clear of cliches and jargon?
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Does the flow feel like someone is talking? Read it out loud to check.
THE CREATIVE SPARK LENS
Copywriting can make use of all the formulas and techniques in the world, with decent results. But if it’s lacking that creative spark, the copy will only stand out so far in a sea of competition.
A healthy injection of creativity is the key to crafting eye-catching, attention-grabbing copy and content.
CHECKLIST:
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Are you using any storytelling to draw in the reader?
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Are there any metaphors, analogies and similes to make the content tap dance and sing? (And make tough technical concepts more digestible).
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Have you tackled the topic in a refreshingly unusual way?
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Have we used any poetic devices like alliteration, personification, repetition or wordplay?
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Are you tying up ‘extras’ creatively, such as CTAs, sub-headers and often-overlooked things like menu items, autoresponder copy or Thank You pages?
THE ACTION LENS
Marketing is all about ‘selling the next step’.
Many companies make the mistake of trying to propose on the first date. But as content marketers, we know that in most cases, a slower nurturing process towards conversion is needed.
And every piece of content or line of copy needs to play its role.
Thus, we should always put on our strategic hats and ask: is this piece of content doing enough to push my reader to the next step in the funnel?
CHECKLIST:
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Is there a strong and relevant CTA?
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Is that CTA taking them to the correct next step (rather than jumping too far down the funnel)? If they’re reading top-funnel educational content, for example, most prospects won’t be in “buying mode”. I.e. they’re not ready to walk down the aisle yet!
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Are you using conversion copywriting and sales psychology techniques to help with that push; such as a sense of urgency, a sense of scarcity and social proof?
This may only be for the CTA itself. But if you’re putting a landing page through the lens, these techniques may be needed throughout the entire copy. Use your judgement.
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Have you done enough to remove barriers and build trust? E.g. by presenting yourself as a credible authority.
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Have you woven in persuasive copy subtly, so that you don’t sound like a car salesman? Get the balance right. Natural is always best. Don’t be a cheese-fest.
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Does the content or page have a solid traffic-driving strategy in place?
THE CONTEXT LENS
Context is king.
Your readers will be at different stages of awareness. They might not even be aware that they have a problem that you can solve.
That’s why your messaging and content must be in tune with where they are in their minds, and with their relationship to your products/services.
And of course, the context in which they are reading those words.
CHECKLIST:
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Do you know what stage of awareness (the majority of) your readers are at? And have you addressed them with that in mind?
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Are you using the right headline formula to resonate with and grip that particular prospect?
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Is the prospect likely to be in a rush and just flick through? Bear in mind how much time they’re likely to spend reading. For example, social media doesn’t give you long to impress, so write with that in mind.
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Is there anything that may be happening in their lives that may affect how that message resonates? Like a COVID lockdown, for example!
THE BRAND LENS
Your brand voice needs to be consistent across the board.
If you’re talking one way on your website, but then using a different tone in other comms, it’s going to create an uncomfortable dissonance.
Always keep your voice and key messaging in line. So your content resonates with your customers and you don’t go off-piste.
CHECKLIST:
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Is your voice consistent with the rest of the marketing collateral?
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Is it in line with your brand voice guidelines? Check the chosen voice adjectives. Does your copy fit the bill?
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Are you using American English, British English or some other kind of dialect or language consistently?
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Are there any brand voice nuances you should consider? For example, a slightly different set of rules for different sectors. (E.g. B2B vs B2C).
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Are there any words or phrases you should be including or excluding?
THE ZIG-ZAG LENS
Content saturation is a very real and palpable problem. Your readers are bombarded with emails, ads, copy and content constantly.
The result? Their go-to reaction will be to ignore, avoid and delete. Ouch.
But you can combat this by having something uniquely compelling about your content. By getting your content and brand messaging to zig while the industry zags.
CHECKLIST:
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Have you done competitor analysis to understand the USPs, tones of voice, strengths, weaknesses, styles, formats, lengths etc of competitors?
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Is the angle, approach or perspective of your content unique?
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Do you have any other differentiators: e.g. unique design style, unique format, unique tone of voice etc?
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Are these differentiators consistent across other bits of content?
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For copy and bottom-funnel content: are the benefits you’re pushing truly unique and compelling? Or could they just as easily belong to another brand? (If the latter: adapt them).
THE OUTSIDE-IN LENS
The best content strategies and highest converting copy are built on the ACTUAL needs, desires and pains of the people we are targeting.
Not just on what we think should resonate.
They are demand-led, not assumption-led.
Which is why we must truly try to get inside the heads of our customers.
And the best place to start is with both implicit and explicit data collection. I.e. listening to them and talking to them!
CHECKLIST:
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Is this content based on insights, rather than just your own assumptions?
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Have you used voice-of-customer data? By this, I mean words and phrases used by your actual customers and prospects.
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Have you done keyword research to understand what prospects are searching for? Or discovered the actual questions they are typing in.
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Have you injected any insights from surveys, focus groups and/or buyer interviews?
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Is the content truly and tangibly valuable to your prospects, or does it just scratch the surface of the subject? (More on that in ‘The Value Lens’ later).
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Are you focused on benefits, not just features? Do you paint a vivid picture of those benefits to help your prospects almost touch and taste the rewards?
THE INTRIGUE LENS
Intrigue is such a powerful copywriting tool. Gripping your reader with whatever form of copy you’re writing is essential.
If it lacks intrigue, they’re likely to metaphorically or literally walk right on by.
Don’t let them.
CHECKLIST:
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Have you harnessed the power of ‘The Curiosity Gap’ in your headline and/or teaser copy?
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Have you tackled the topic in a fresh, unique way – and teased them with that intriguing angle in the title or header? E.g. “Caution: Stop Masturbating with Your Money” by Ashley Ambirge.
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Are there any cliffhangers to help keep readers glued till the end?
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Do you build anticipation in the intro of the content piece by teasing what’s to come? For example, by explaining what value they are about to gain?
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Have you included any specific stats? For example, “67.9% of people who used this tool have changed their careers as a result”. Super specific facts and figures are intriguing as heck!
THE PRIMAL BRAIN LENS
In simple terms, our brains can be broken down into two main parts.
The primal part, which is in control of our instincts and emotions. And the rational part, which governs higher-level cognitive processes and rational thought.
While we are of course rational beings, the primal (reptilian and mammalian) brain processes simply work faster. E.g. if a shark is coming for you, you don’t have all that much time to weigh up the pros and cons of being eaten alive.
So tapping into raw gut instincts and emotions, wherever possible, will help you quickly grab attention and influence decision-making.
CHECKLIST:
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Have you connected with how your reader is currently feeling? Tap into powerful emotions like love, nostalgia, sadness, regret etc. Yes, even with your B2B audience.
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Have you communicated how that product, service or piece of content will make them feel?
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Have you used sensory words like “stink”, “bitter”, “silky” and “shiny”?
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What about onomatopoeic words like ‘pop’, ‘bang’ and ‘sizzle’?
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Have you tapped into our strongest primal instinct: fear? One of copywriting’s most famous headlines, which plays on the fear factor, is Max Sackheim’s “Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”.
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THE HIERARCHY LENS
You can have the most perfectly written copy that hits all the right notes.
But if the messaging hierarchy is wrong and doesn’t make sense, you could lose the interest of your reader sharpish.
Messaging needs to be structured in an optimal way to make the most powerful impact.
CHECKLIST:
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Are you ‘expectation matching’ in the top 10% of the piece of content? By this I mean, does the copy or content match what the reader was expecting to read (including the keywords they may have typed into the search engines)?
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For conversion copy landing pages: are you following a proven framework such as PAS or AIDA?
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If telling a story: is there a beginning, middle and end? What is the narrative arc?
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When listing benefits: are the most important benefits at the top? Things that come first in a list stick in our minds more. It’s a psychological bias we call The Primacy Effect.
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Are you answering questions in the order that a prospect would need them answered? For example, are the most important questions answered first?
THE VALUE LENS
Humans are selfish beings. (Yes, you too).
So copywriting is almost always about giving value to your reader. From highlighting benefits in website copy to a blog post that solves a burning problem.
Every piece of content should be focused on what value it’s offering. What does the reader get out of reading this? Why should they give a crap?
CHECKLIST:
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Are you turning the product or service features into tangible, relatable benefits for the reader?
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Do blog posts and other top-funnel content solve a real problem for the reader? Do they steer clear of self-promotion?
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Does your content or copy teach the reader something? Does it offer knowledge they might struggle to find elsewhere?
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Do you use ‘YOU’ rather than ‘WE’ to address the reader directly and show them that the content is about them?
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Do you address the readers’ pain points in your copy? You’ll know this info from your competitor analysis efforts.
THE SEO LENS (THE BONUS LENS)
This is a lens for any copy or content that’s free for public viewing. As we need to consider the search engines, too.
SEO is a careful balancing act these days. And to make sure you get it bang on, you need to follow some simple rules to win over the SERP’s algorithms.
CHECKLIST:
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Have you used the primary and secondary keywords within the text in a natural way? I.e. without keyword-stuffing.
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Is the primary keyword in the first paragraph?
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If this is an SEO-focused article or landing page, is the exact keyword phrase in the H1 header? (Ideally near the front).
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Are the H2 headers (subheaders) closely connected to the primary keyword?
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Do the images have ALT descriptions closely connected to the primary keyword – again, without blatantly keyword-stuffing?
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Are you interlinking between articles and landing pages in a way that is natural and helpful? Think: Wikipedia.
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Are you linking out to other valuable resources too? Like in this blog post.
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Do you have a meta description and meta title, both containing the exact keyword phrase?
Tell us which of these Lenses grabs your attention in the comments!
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Such a fun conversation with Miranda Black, the Degrowth Diva. You can hear more about the work she is doing to support sustainability in retail on her podcast, What’s This Place?, and follow her here on Instagram.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Thanks again to Susan for coming on the show! If you’d like to be a guest, send me an email and introduce yourself!
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Affiliate marketing offers huge potential for marketing in ecommerce, but it is often underutilized or mismanaged. So to show us how we can build more effective affiliate programs, Paul Drecksler is going to walk us through 9 common mistakes brands make and how we can do better.
This episode goes in-depth to cover almost every aspect of managing affiliates, and even better, Paul offers real examples to see how things play out in the real world.
Paul also has a fantastic newsletter, Shopifreaks, that covers all the news in and around ecommerce and tech. If you want to keep up to date on the ecommerce world, sign up. It is highly informative, and it is free! Get it in your inbox every Monday. Sign up here.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
How many emails should I send? When should I start? How about discounts?
When it comes to Black Friday prep, getting the right email strategy is important. And equally confusing. Every year half of the business world is starting the second they come down from their Halloween candy sugar high. The rest declares that their employees will not work one iota until Thanksgiving.
And this year, on top of it all, Amazon is jumping it with a 2nd Prime Day, throwing a wrench into all of it.
Melanie talks us through email around Q4 to help you get mentally prepared for the season, as well as share some really great ideas about using email and SMS to build affinity for your brand all year around.
This is a very helpful episode if email is on your mind. Leave a comment if you have any questions.
And if you want to reach out to Melanie, you can connect with her through her agency The Email Marketers or on LinkedIn.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
When it comes to creating content, brands need to have a system in place that fits their direction, strategy, and teams. Matthew Gattozzi, founder and CEO of the Goodo Studios, talks about what it looks like to build a system of content creation so you have fresh content at a regular clip.
If you have ever been on the business end of content creation responsibility, you know how stressful it can be if you get caught playing catch up.
If you have questions for Matthew, you can catch him on LinkedIn, or see what he is doing at the Goodo Studios.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Post-purchase surveys allow brands to catch feedback from customers that can be useful in both attribution and understanding how to improve your marketing. Quizzes, in the same way, catch customer feedback when they are at their highest point of intent.
Collecting this zero-party data is not new in the world of ecommerce, but many brands fail to implement these tools strategically in order to get the maximum results.
Serge shares his experience and insight into how he has used these to drive revenue and grow businesses.
If you want to learn more about Serge, get in touch with him through his website, The Effective CMO.
And for a fun and interactive way to think about this topic - Quizzes Test Our Creativity - and have fun.
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On average, 1 in 5 items purchased online were returned in 2021, costing the industry as a whole over 200 million bucks. That staggering amount doesn’t even account for the impact returns has on the environment through emissions, materials used, landfills.
Brian Taylor is the CEO and founder of Hafback, and we get into the facts around these issues and how he is building a marketplace to reverse reverse-logistics and keep returned items moving forward to customers instead of to the landfill.
Get in touch with Brian on LinkedIn.
Sign up to join Hafback on their website.
And if you know someone who wants to learn about returns and reverse logistics, be sure to share
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Social media has been with us for over 20 years, but businesses still struggle to figure out how to make it work for them.
Jacob has been a Social Media Manager for years and shares his insights on what people are doing and what they should be doing more of to get better results.
If you had questions for Jacob, you can get in touch with him on LinkedIn.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Advertising as a concept is fairly simple, but simple doesn’t mean it is easy. There is a lot that goes into a great ad strategy.
Jordan has 30 years of experience in advertising and marketing, and he breaks things down from how to approach ad strategy, to the different platforms, to how it is a part of the customer journey.
There is a lot of information but what he shares will help bring wholistic view of digital ads that you can put to use in your own business.
Read my thoughts in the follow up article here.
Get in touch with Jordan on his website or on LinkedIn.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
It is that time of the year… that time of the year that we hope businesses hold off on the Christmas music and decor until after Halloween.
Seriously, people need the full time we allot them to enjoy their pumpkin spiced lives.
But that does not mean we can wait to start getting the marketing ready for the big day(s).
Kurt Elster came on the show to talk about how to get our homepages ready for the holidays, and really hammers home the idea that this is not the time of year to be cool or clever.
Read my thoughts in the follow up article here.
Get in touch with Kurt on his website.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
Arguably the most important pages on your website are the product pages… that is, after all, where custom click the magic button - add to cart.
And no better person to talk about this than the Product Page Guy, himself, Rishi Rawat.
We talk about the importance of understanding your customers, their needs and objections, so we can write better product pages that turn passers-by into paying customer.
If you are gearing up for the holidays, this is a topic you won’t want to miss.
To continue the conversation…
Read the deep dive about this topic here.
Connect with Rishi Rawat on LinkedIn.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
And what is that overlooked, unsexy space?
Zero-Party Data.
It is unsexy, because it useful. As in, when you have it, you have to use it. And that takes work. And creative thought.
That is not something that Jon Ivanco wants you to shy away from. His interview will help you reshape the way you think about data and how to use it for better marketing.
You don’t want to miss this one.
Read the deep dive about this topic here.
Connect with Jon Ivanco on Formtoro.
Get full access to The Real Heroes of Ecommerce at heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
No. 2 of 24 in our Jingle All The Way podcast series 🎅
Read the deep dive here.
Don’t miss out every mon-weds-fri
5400… that is the number of tests he has run over the last 15 years in conversion optimization. So lucky for us, he came on the show to share his experience.
What you’ll get from this:
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Should ecommerce store owners even try to start testing during Q4?
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How should we approach CRO and what tests should we run?
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What are the best free tools to use to get started?
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3 tests he ran that gave surprising and insightful results…
Jeremy shares a lot of useful ideas and advice in here that you will be able to take to your own business.
And if you want to get talk with Jeremy, connect with him on LinkedIn.
Keep the conversation going. Become a premium member and take part in the community discussions.
Share this episode with your friends!
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Let’s keep the conversation going... Join the community and discuss this topic with us.
To launch our new series, Sidekicks, we wanted to start at the beginning with one of the most important aspects of business - understanding the customer and their journey. We are joined by Josh Tay who talks about enablement and how it applies to creating a better customer journey… as opposed to a company journey.
This is how we start off on the right foot.
If you want to connect with Josh, you can find him on LinkedIn.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, we have Glen and Steph on to talk about their Ooni Pizza Oven and the launch of their new business, Starter Pizza.
Talking pizza always inspires us to eat, but hearing their journey from discovering Ooni to finally pulling the trigger will inspire you in how to create content that builds momentum.
Get the Tuesday recap of the Real Heroes…
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Contact Us
🎙️ If you want to be a guest, hit us up.
🤝 If you want to connect with the host, connect.
🔎 If you want learn more about our work, here you go.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Of course every brand wants to optimize their website to increase conversions, but not everyone approaches CRO in the same way.
A lot of specialists and marketers tend towards discounts and sales to pump up their numbers, but that is just not the way to go…
Will Laurenson has been working in CRO for years and has a simple, yet powerful, framework in which he approaches each project.
He walks us through his framework so we can ditch the discounts and create a better website experience for customers…
And if you need help with CRO on your own website, get it touch with Will at www.customerswhoclick.com.
What you’re about to hear:
[ 00:20 ] How Will got started in CRO
[ 05:03 ] Why we should Ditch the Discounts
[ 09:35 ] Segment: Potential Customers
[ 10:00 ] Strategies: Act like they know nothing
[ 14:24 ] Focus on 3 things - Usability, Anxiety, and Motivation
[ 17:00 ] Get their email through quiz
[ 19:07 ] How to get started in CRO
Have friends in ecommerce? Help us out by sharing it with them or posting on social.
Don’t miss the next one…
We’ve got some guests lined up to talk about all things ecommerce
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen here or on Apple and Spotify
Starting your own ecommerce business can be intimidating. Making that decision to go for it is a huge step. And one that Katie is glad she made.
It has only been a year since she launched the Trail Magik kid carrier with her husband, and they have been learning on the fly… which is something most entrepreneurs can relate to.
They have come a long way, and in this interview, we talk about how building a community with fellow outdoor adventurers has been the backbone of her marketing.
Hope you enjoy!
WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO HEAR…
[ 02:12 ] Things start out pretty heavy…
[ 05:45 ] Decision to take the leap into business…
[ 10:30 ] Kickstarting Trail Magik…
[ 19:50 ] Getting the product tested…
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DON’T MISS OUT…
We’ve got some guests lined up to talk about Conversion Rate Optimization and Pizza. Not necessarily in that order.
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
What you’ll hear in this episode:
[ 1:08 ] What is it like to be a Website Product Owner
[ 7:06 ] How Project Good created an Aha! Moment for Joe
[ 9:53 ] Strategy 1: Loyalty Program
[ 11:03 ] Strategy 2: Keep Customer Service engaged
[ 12:29 ] Strategy 3: Always be testing and optimizing your website
Business people tout the importance of listening to the customer, but most of the time they are talking to the customer rather than listening to the customer.
So it impressed me to learn how Joe and the team at Solo Stove go out of their way to listen to their customers.
And that level of customer engagement changes a business.
It changes the mindset. It puts the customer front and center. Employees are not just going through the motions, but they have real people in their mind when they are coming up with new ideas or innovations.
At each step, whether they are building a loyalty program or launching a social media campaign, the customer is involved.
So has that changed their business?
Well, as Joe tells us… he joined Solo Stove 3 years ago. There were 20 employees. Today they are over 300 employees.
The proof is in the pudding.
Hope you enjoyed this episode, and if you want to talk about your segments and strategies, let me know. The more the merrier… jason@elevated-commerce.com
Lots of great guests lined up… don’t miss out.
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen here or on Apple and Spotify
Do you remember the movie War Dogs? Well that is where this story begins…
Colin is the CEO of Sheets & Giggles. His inspiration for starting a bed sheet business is unexpected, but it fits with his take on the industry.
S&G’s journey is also an examples of how to scale up by doing things that don’t scale, and the importance of interacting with customers by the whole team… not just one department.
There is a lot of good stuff in here about ecommerce, sustainability, and the American consumer. Hope you enjoy!
WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO HEAR…
[ 01:21 ] Sorry movie night, I’ve got to write a business plan…
[ 05:33 ] How Colin’s view of the customer has evolved…
[ 10:14] Do customers give 2 sheets about sustainable fabrics..?
[ 14:50 ] How personalization can go overboard…
[ 16:00] The most important strategies don’t scale…
[ 17:40 ] A unique approach to podcast advertising…
[ 19:15 ] Colin gets real about American consumers…
Your Turn…
What were your takeaways from Colin’s interview? Help us out by sharing it on social or comment below on this post.
Don’t miss Joe!
Next up, Joe from Solo Stove joins us, and he tells us about some really cool initiatives his company has for getting to know their customers better.
Subscribe so you don’t miss out…
GET IN TOUCH
🎙️ If you want to be a guest, hit us up.
🤝 If you want to connect with the host, connect.
🔎 If you want learn more about our work, here you go.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
What you’ll hear in this episode:
[ 4:52 ] How Lettuce Grow caught her attention
[ 6:21 ] What finally converted her into a customer
[ 23:22 ] The real hero’s advice for brands trying to reach her
How marketing goes beyond your marketing…
A couple hours after we recorded this episode, Courtney sent me and email to let me know that my wife can give her a call if she has any questions about the Farmstand and to share a referral code.
This is brilliant marketing for Lettuce Grow.
However, it is not something in their control. They don’t even know about this podcast (yet).
I told Courtney that my wife wants to get one later this year. And she was more than happy to help someone get into home gardening exactly as she got into it through a friend.
Marketing is not entirely controlled by a marketing team. They can’t ask Courtney to give me a referral code. They don’t even know that it was at a birthday party where Courtney was“converted” from an shopper to a customer.
What they can do is create the tools for happy customers to share. Like a referral program. They can create a community where people can exchange ideas. To learn from and give back to.
Courtney admits that Lettuce Grow’s marketing, specifically on Instagram, works for her. She likes it. It got her interested.
But in the end, it was the great customer experience her friend had with the company that led to a conversation that won Lettuce Grow a new customer.
…and again, another customer when my wife buys hers.
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Contact Us
🎙️ If you want to be a guest, hit us up.
🤝 If you want to connect with the host, connect.
🔎 If you want learn more about our work, here you go.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Wayne dreamt of being an astronaut when he was 7 years old, and even though he never made it to outer space, his career has taken him to the moon and back… several times over.
The original topic was about buying a Roomba online, but interviews sometimes take on a life of their own, and this one does not disappoint…
We do get to Roombas around the 17-minute mark, but you won’t want to miss his backstory, and then later we talk TikTok and he scares the s**t out of us.
All in all. It is quite a story. Hope you enjoy.
—
What to expect:
[ 00:00 ] From aspiring astronaut to studying moon rocks to kicking it with the KGB…
[17:02 ] We get to his Roomba and shopping and alien-themed electronic stores…
[ 31:30 ] TikTok, AI, and we are probably all being surveilled…
[ 45:00 ] What the B-52 Bomber teaches us about copywriting…
—
Connect with me:
• My LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsdshepherd
• Be a Guest on the Show: www.elevated-commerce.com/join-the-heroes-podcast
• Our Consultancy: www.elevated-commerce.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen on Apple and Spotify.
Dog owners are a different breed.
You already knew that though. But did you know that they spend around $1400 per year per dog on basic needs? That doesn’t even account for the Dog Toy Box our guests subscribe to…
All of that adds up to a hefty chunk of change.
But what I find most intriguing is the level of loyalty this brand earns from their customers. It is not by accident.
It is by design.
I think we can learn from the small, yet personal touches they incorporate into their business that build up loyalty, word of mouth marketing, and YEARS of continued purchases… even after our these guys admit their dogs have too many toys.
We probably have 3 dozen toys around the house now. I honestly don’t need any more toys, but I keep buying them because every time we get a new box it’s fun. - Jeff, Michigan
Hope you enjoy hearing from our guests, and for all of you who have a pet, tell us how you spoil them in the comments!
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce. If you’d like to be a guest, connect with meon Linkedin or Reddit.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Conscious consumers are not well understood as a segment.
There is a stereotypical view of this customer that hinders marketers’ ability to reach them. It leads to beige copy and boring creative. It ignores the friendly faces that are the actual conscious consumers.
So we delve into this topic with Natalie, a wife and mother of 2 from Ohio, who is really fun to talk with.
Her take on conscious shopping is refreshing because it is authentic. She talks about how careful she is about certain products, but doesn’t gloss over the fact that she and her husband still use the not-so-eco whitening toothpaste.
Because being conscious means being thoughtful, not militant.
Natalie is also with Love The Green Life, a non-profit with a mission is to help make your life easier with simple, attainable swaps to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
So be sure to check them out.
Cheers,
- Jason
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce where we provide CustomerTalk™ to inspire creativity and productivity in your marketing team.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Hunters, late night phone calls, and doctor-prescribed ebikes… John has stories.
He is the owner/founder of Ebikegeneration.com, and he has a very specific clientele: men, 55-75, who hunt.
That is not the first type of customer that comes to mind when we think of ebikes. But when most businesses zigged, John zagged, and he captured a niche audience that he’s gotten to know very well.
And that is the key to his success. He got to know the customers on a deeper level than most businesses do. Spending significant amount of time talking with them and learning about their situation, family, health, and finding what was best to help them out.
His approach to marketing is refreshing, and is an incredible lesson in the importance of truly understanding our customers.
Hope you enjoy.
Extended interview
This show is about the customers (the real heroes), but we also like to talk about business and marketing with founders because they have tons of knowledge.
Our extended interviews get more into marketing stuff, and if you are in ecommerce, you do not want to miss any of these.
In this one, John talks about
- What dropshipping is as a real business model
- How his “Free Ebike Giveaway” pop up performs on his website
- His approach to SEO that borrows from affiliate plays (he’s got a course on it)
Because this is a Substack, gated content can only be accessed by premium subscribers. But not to worry, just email me at jason@elevated-commerce.com, and I will hook you up with a free premium subscription.
Cheers,
- Jason
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce where we provide CustomerTalk™ to inspire creativity and productivity in your marketing team.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Working from home is not going anywhere. We like it too much. Less commute, less office politics, less pants… whatever the reason, we don’t want to go back to the office.
So it is no wonder that standing desks have become so popular. We need better workstations at home.
In this episode we talk with two standing desks experts about their experience.
Victor is an actual expert in ergonomics who shares with us everything you need to know about shopping for a sit-stand desk. He has great recommendations for each tier in pricing, and what to look for in terms of a suitable height.
And London who can be considered an expert by the sheer amount of time he’s spent shopping for a standing desks. He’s got a great story of his old one going kaputt right in the middle of his first day at a new job. But no worries, his new one is going to last him 13 years.
Hope you enjoy, and if you have a story about your WFH set up or standing desk, let us know in the comments!
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce where we provide CustomerTalk™ to inspire creativity and productivity in your marketing team.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
Listen on Apple and Spotify
Selling meal kits seems pretty hardcore.
Both of these guests use the word aggressive to describe how these companies try to get and retain customers, but after hearing from them, I get why…
They also both have very different tales to tell.
Travis, from Kansas, has been using meal kits services for 5 years. It works for him and he enjoys them. He also shares an interesting workaround to getting occasional discounts.
Vince, from France, on the other hand, had a less then optimal experience. He cancelled his subscription before the first box landed on his porch. I am not sure how common that is, but those in these companies should take note.
Hope you enjoy, and if you’ve tried a meal kit, tell us about your experience in the comments!
Shoutout to our guests:
If you’re looking for movies, games, and music, Travis has you covered at Trade Post Entertainment.
And if you need SEO, Vince runs SEO Therapy to help online stores grow.
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce where we provide CustomerTalk™ to inspire creativity and productivity in your marketing team.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
We all have access to the same content, but our experiences online are not all the same.
Not only because of the algorithms, but people in small or rural towns don’t get targeted by the same companies. It is harder for them to discover new and up-coming brands… even though they have a lot of buying power.
In this episode, we sit down with Lindsey from Skiatook, a small town of 8,000 in Oklahoma.
We talk about the role and importance of ecommerce in the lives of her community… who shop online for everything they can’t find at Walmart, the only store in town.
…and we’ll see how easily we take something like Parmesan cheese for granted when living in larger cities.
Hope you enjoy, and leave a comment!
This was a really fun interview and I am sure it will spark ideas for your own marketing. And if you need a writer for your business, check out Lindsey’s website at findthewriteway.com.
This podcast is brought to you by Elevated Commerce. Visit us to learn about CustomerTalk™ and how we help ecommerce brands understand their customer and their journey online.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
This episode was a lot of fun.
Not only because I like cycling, but because of the rabbit hole Rob takes us down.
He is a professor from Illinois who really enjoys research, and when he decided to look into e-bikes to get around campus, he goes deep into it. He even read a book about lithium batteries before deciding to soup up his 20 year old Dahon with a kit from ebikeling.com.
His take on it all is quite interesting...
Then we hear from Calen who lives outside of Denver. He put 140 miles on his e-bike in the first 10 days. To put that in perspective, he will save $95.58 this month if he keeps it up.
And now I don’t like my car...
Hope you enjoy listening to their journey. I am sure it will spark some ideas for your own marketing… or at the very least, it’ll make you want an e-bike yourself.
If you want to listen to your own customer’s journey, that’s what we do - visit us at www.elevated-commerce.com.
Help us by getting the word out!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
In episode number three, we get into email marketing, specifically, welcome discount emails.
Erin talks with us about the emails she received while shopping for what she says every girl is looking for - the perfect pair of jeans.
She shopped Levi’s, 7 For All Mankind, and Rag & Bone before deciding to go with a pair from 7FAM.
The emails didn’t affect her decision actually. To her, signing up to get a discount is just part of the shopping process.
However, she told me something about these emails that I have been hearing from a lot of customers - brands push for information too much too early in their emails.
She just wanted the discount - something she has come to expect - and giving up more info or creating an account is something she is willing to do ONLY after she likes the product.
I think that as marketers, we get excited and want too many things at once. We want to capture their email, get some quiz answers, have them sign up for an account.
Anything we think will bring them closer to checkout.
But does that actually help anything? help us? help the customer?
Doubtful… and with all the technology at our disposal, we can end like an annoying shopkeeper hovering over a customer as they browse.
Email is too important of a channel for ecommerce brands to mess it up trying to pile on too much.
The brands that Erin talks about all do a great job with their emails. But she points out that their is room for improvement.
And I think it should be noted - especially if you are new or worry too much over your emails - even these big, amazing brands are always learning and improving.
As for my own take…
I signed up for the same emails as Erin, and I liked Rag & Bone’s approach the best:
Rag & Bone:
I signed up for the same emails as Erin, and I liked Rag & Bone’s approach the best:
Entered email in pop up
Received a discount code on the same pop up
Discount code displayed on the announcements bar as I shopped
Discount code still there when I returned a day later
Nicely done, Rag & Bone.
This is the definition of frictionless. I can easily use this code without having to go back and forth to my inbox.
Levi’s:
Levi’s is a good standard for a discount email, but as Erin says, asking to register for “customized benefits” was too forward for a welcome email.
And, unlike the other two, there is exactly 1 email in my inbox from Levi’s. I like that. I am not bombarded with 3 emails within 4 hours… that was overkill.
7 For All Mankind:
7FAM’s email was good too. Pretty much what you would expect from a fashion brand. Minimal. Classy.
Erin didn’t think the copy pushed the needle any further for herself, but she thought it was par for the course for fashion.
Hope that gives you some inspiration for your own email efforts.
If there is a brand who you think does exceptionally well with their emails, leave it in the comments!
Cheers
- Jason
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
The hero joining us today is Layna. She is from Fairbanks, Alaska, and tells us little but how it is to shop online from up there.
She walks us through how she shopped for a coffee subscription and shows us how she uses Google Shopping to filter down her options.
Have a listen and let us know what you think, and if you are in ecommerce, tell us what you sell and next time we might see how the real heroes are shopping in your category.
Subscribe to hear from more Heroes!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com
There is nothing more useful in ecommerce than insight into how real customers shop online.
In this podcast, we hear from the customers. See things from their perspective. Watch what they do while shopping.
It will be eye-opening. Maybe even mind-blowing. It will jog your brain and give you ideas that you can take to your own ecommerce business.
Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any nuggets of customer wisdom.
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit heroesofecommerce.substack.com