Commerce Tea: Recent Episodes
Rhian Beutler, Kelly Vaughn
Commerce is changing faster than ever before. That’s why we started Commerce Tea, a podcast to help you keep up with what’s happening in the industry. We’re your hosts, Kelly Vaughn, CEO and founder of Shopify Plus agency The Taproom, and Rhian Beutler, COO, and co-founder of the Shopify app company venntov.
With a combined 20 years ecommerce experience, Rhian and Kelly will teach you tips and tricks for growing and scaling your online store, hear from top experts in the industry, and be inspired by stories from successful entrepreneurs. Grab a mug and join us every Tuesday morning to talk shop.
Over the past couple of years you may have heard of a really weird buzzword that's only picking up more steam: headless. This week on the podcast we're discussing what exactly headless means, what's required to take your store headless, and we weigh the pros and cons of making the switch.
There are thousands of apps in the Shopify App Store, and so many more that aren't listed through the App Store. So how do you choose which apps will be the best fit for your store?
This week on the podcast we're breaking down what you need to know to evaluate which apps will enhance your store's customer experience.
Let's dig in!
As we're all getting prepared for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, now's a great time to dig a little deeper into CRO, or Conversion Rate Optimization. This week on the podcast we're introducing the concept of CRO, how to calculate your conversion rate, and how A/B testing works.
Let's dig in!
It's officially September, so we're talking Black Friday/Cyber Monday again! This week we're joined by Ian Leslie, Senior Director of Retail Advocacy at Bolt. We're breaking down our predictions for BFCM this year as the landscape continues to evolve.
Let's dig in!
Today we are talking about my favorite topic: SEO. Specifically how to optimize your product pages for SERPs, and how to understand the word salad I just delivered to you.
Let's dig in!
Today we are joined by Elise DeCamp, VP of Acquisition for WeCommerce. We're gonna be chatting about the evolution of commerce, acquisitions, and the power of community.
Let's dig in!
If you've listened to any of our conversion rate optimization episodes or webinars, you know we have a LOT of opinions about popups. This week on the podcast we're talking about how you can serve popups on your store that are both friendly and effective.
Today we are once again joined by Ethan Choi, growth investor at Accel. We are going to be speaking about e-commerce trends, predictions, and all things in between.
A couple months ago we started discussing Baymard Institute's 18 Common UX mobile pitfalls.
It was a lot to cover in one episode, so this week we're covering the remaining 10, on the topics of forms and sitewide errors.
Today we are joined by Jacob Garlick, the CEO of Neat A/B testing. We are going to be talking about the rapidly changing landscape of optimizing your store's theme and other conversion optimization tools. We will also be chatting about A/B testing and the correct way to approach it.
Last month Apple announced some changes to the upcoming version of iOS 15, which removes access to data that brands are used to having.
Today we're joined by our good friend Val Geisler, Customer Evangelist at Klaviyo, to break down what this means in more detail and how to shift your operations to customer-first marketing.
Let's dig in!
Last week Rhian and I tuned into Shopify Unite, Shopify's annual conference where we learn about all of the new releases for the Shopify platform.
Today we're going to break down our favorite announcements from Unite and how you can use them to help you succeed on Shopify.
Let's dig in!
Today we are talking about bootstrapping your business, something near and dear to both Kelly's and my heart.
We are joined by a fellow bootstrapper, Isaac Bowen, Founder and CEO of Lightward, to discuss his journey building two apps, Locksmith and Mechanic.
One of my favorite resources for ecommerce user experience research is Baymard Institute. A couple of months ago, Baymard Institute released a report on 18 mobile user experience pitfalls on ecommerce stores.
This week on the podcast we're going through the report to discuss the first 8 pitfalls and how to avoid them. Next week we'll cover the rest.
Let's dig in!
Today on commerce tea we are looking towards the future. The future of commerce. We are joined by Ethan Choi, Partner at Accel.
Specializing in growth, today he is joining us to talk about one of his favorite topics: consumer internet companies. What's that? Well...
Let's dig in!
The sun is shining and the weather is warming up, so you know what that means... it's time to start planning for Black Friday/Cyber Monday!
Yes, I know, it's the beginning of June, but bear with me here. The sooner you can get started on your BFCM planning, the better off you'll be for the upcoming sales season.
This week we're discussing what you can begin focusing on now in preparation for Black Friday.
We've heard time and time again that social media is an important part of your store's marketing strategy. We're all familiar with buying ads, but what about building an organic following? This week we're joined by Jess Grossman, founder & CEO at In Social. We'll be digging into the importance of building an organic following on social media and how your organic presence plays into the entire customer lifecycle.
Over here at commerce tea, we love folks who are doing things that no one else is.
Today we are joined by Jon Shanahan, the CMO of Stryx- a pioneer in the men's cosmetics industry.
We'll be talking about how Stryx chose and developed this market opportunity, how they brought their product to market, and how to leverage social media.
Let's dig in!
In a past episode we took a shallow dive into tracking your inventory.
This week we're joined by Jill Liliedahl from Inventory Planner.
We'll be digging into why forecasting is important, how forecasting customer demand works, and some tips and tricks for forecasting as we move into seasonal events for 2021.
Today we're chatting with Harley Finkelstein, entrepreneur, lawyer, and the President of Shopify. We'll be talking about the future of commerce, democratizing entrepreneurship, and career moves.
So you've installed a new theme on your store and you noticed it still doesn't quite have everything you need. That's where Design Packs comes in! This week we're talking to our good friend and Shopify OG Anne Thomas. We'll dig into Design Packs, auditing your store's theme, and maybe ASMR.
Have you ever woken up and said, "I want to think about inventory today!"? No? Yes? It's okay if you don't want to tell us. We're going to talk about inventory anyway. This week on the podcast we're doing a shallow dive into inventory management.
Today we are talking with Kristen LaFrance, host of Shopify's Resilient Retail podcast. Kristen is our resident expert in all things omnichannel, DTC trends, and, of course, retail.
Going omnichannel can feel overwhelming, so we're excited to have Kristen distill it for us and help you take your business into new channels.
Let's dig in!
One of the easiest entries into e-commerce is dropshipping. Believe it or not, dropshipping is more than just selling products shipped from other countries - it can be a lucrative part of your business. This week we're discussing everything you need to know about dropshipping - where to source your products, how to promote them, and common pitfalls we see from merchants who are who are dropshipping products.
Often times a merchant starts selling regionally or nationally, which helps with supply chain operations and overall early business success. However, when you have reached national success - what’s next? Internationalization.
This week, we are unearthing a recording we did at the beginning of the pandemic, and are joined by a good friend of ours to talk shop.
It's been a long year. And by a long year, I mean we're officially one year in since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. How does this relate to this week's episode? Well, we're tired. So this week we're going to tell you what really grinds our gears in the world of e-commerce. I promise it'll be fun.
So you've started your brand, and you've gotten your first few customers. That in itself is a milestone, but where do you go from there?
This week on the podcast we're joined by Chase Clymer of Electric Eye and host of the podcast Honest Ecommerce.
We'll cover his Brand Scaling Framework and how to optimize your Facebook ads to maximize your return on ad spend.
Two weeks ago we started a mini-series on creating delightful customer experiences. We decided to turn this three-part series into a two-part series because your time is important and we want to help you optimize your store in the least amount of time possible. For the finale of this mini-series, we're discussing how to create customer experiences that delight your customers after the sale.
This week on commerce tea we're taking a break from talking tea and are joined by Nick Cho, who you may know as Your Korean Dad from TikTok.
Before becoming the most wholesome TikToker on the planet, Nick was better known for the coffee shop he co-founded- Wrecking Ball Coffee. Today we are going to be talking about those two worlds and how they intersect.
That's right. TikTok, commerce, and of course- coffee.
Customer experience is one of the true differentiators in a person's online shopping experience. With more people shopping online than ever before, it's important that you, the merchant, pay attention to every step of the customer journey, providing multiple opportunities to delight your customers.
This week on the podcast we're starting a three-part series on the many opportunities to delight your customers in three phases: before the sale, after the sale but before delivery, and after delivery. This week's episode covers everything you need to optimize before the sale.
Whether you have an idea for a product or your business is in full swing - the way you fund your business objectives is always open for interpretation.
From bootstrapping, to crowdfunding, to taking that first check from a VC - we go over some of the ways to fund your business.
Later we are joined by Arlan Hamilton, Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech.
So you have your big idea. And you want to sell it online. But now what? Do you have product market fit? Does anyone want to buy what you're selling? What happens if they don't? More importantly- where do you start?
This week on commerce tea we're talking how to prove your concept using Shopify.
After a short break we’re back for more episodes! We asked our audience on Twitter and Facebook for any questions you’d like us to answer on a podcast. This week, we’re bringing you answers to four questions focusing on growing your small business.
How do you keep your customers coming back to your store again and again and keep them interested in buying more from you? Enter subscriptions! By adding a subscription model to your store, you can increase your customer retention rate while also building loyalty for your business. This week on the podcast we’re talking with Chathri Ali, COO of ReCharge on all things subscriptions.
It’s a new year, and we want to start this year off with a bang. So let’s get down to business and talk about how you know if your store is succeeding. There’s the easy metrics- revenues and profit, but there are many Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, that should be tracked. This week on the podcast we’re talking all things KPIs. What to track, how to track, and what it all means.
Now that we’re finally nearing the end of 2020, it’s time to look to the future and see what we might expect in the world of commerce for 2021. This year Shopify released their first annual Future of Commerce report, outlining 5 key predictions for what to expect next year. This week on the podcast we’re going through their predictions and giving you our perspective, and highlighting ways to kickstart the new year in good shape.
We’re officially a week past Black Friday/Cyber Monday, so it’s time for a recap to see where we ended up - and judging by the numbers, we’re guessing you had a strong sales weekend! This week on the podcast, we’re breaking down the numbers reported by Shopify. We’re also talking about the current shipping crisis we very much all predicted… and what you can do about it to get ahead.
We’ve made it past Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and you hopefully had a successful sale over the long weekend. What do you do with all of these new customers who you’ve just acquired? This week on the podcast we’re talking about how to form relationships with new customers who placed their first order while your products were on sale.
It’s Thanksgiving week for us in the United States and Black Friday for everyone, which means we’re doing things a little different this week. We asked our audience on Twitter and Facebook for any questions you’d like us to answer on a podcast. This week, we’re bringing you answers to three of those questions.
It’s no surprise that for most merchants, at least 60% of your traffic comes from mobile. It also likely isn’t a surprise that as merchants, we tend to run our business on a desktop or laptop. This week on the podcast, we’re telling you everything you need to know about optimizing your store for customers shopping on their phones.
Are you excited for BFCM? I know we said we were done with the last episode, but… we lied. Here’s why: there is so much to cover, and we want to make sure you know everything you need to know going into the holiday shopping season.
This week we’re talking more about content and product offering during the holidays.
Running an online store can feel isolating, but you don’t have to go at it alone! Brand partnerships are a great way to increase revenue by collaborating with other creators. This week on the podcast we’re talking with Keir Whitaker about brand partnerships and what makes them so successful.
You want your store to look good, and so do we. But there has to be a balance struck between looking good, performing well, and discoverability. This is a conversation that can get pretty heated between designers, developers, and SEO professionals. But we need to talk about it, because it impacts your store dramatically.
So what takes precedence? Search Engine Optimization or User Experience? Is it either or in this battle royale? Or is it a blend of both? Today it’s just us - Kelly and Rhian Talking about two things we know best from opposite sides of the same coin.
If you’ve listened to any of our podcast episodes, you know the one thing that makes its way into every episode is accessibility. It’s not only important: it’s absolutely necessary for your store to be accessible. This week on the podcast we’re talking with Ilana Davis about all things web accessibility: what it means, why it’s important, and tips to make your Shopify store accessible.
With the rush of the holiday shopping season starting earlier this year, chances are you’re wondering if now’s the time to begin hiring additional help for your business. This week on the podcast we’re chatting with Kat Cole, COO and President of Focus Brands, about hiring, company culture, and leadership.
We all know there are a multitude of Shopify apps in the App Store for what seems like every need possible. But what if you can’t find an app that does exactly what you need? If you have more unique needs, you may find that you need a custom app built.
For this month’s Shopify Plus bonus episode, we’re chatting with Gavin Ballard, CEO of Disco Labs and Shopify Plus partner based in Melbourne, Australia. Gavin’s our resident expert on all things custom apps: advantages, disadvantages, and what to expect from costs to buildout.
Have you heard enough about Black Friday Cyber Monday yet? Because GUESS WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!! In case you haven’t heard, BFCM is looking vastly different this year, and there are a lot of unknowns about what to expect. So this week on the podcast, we’re talking about our predictions for BFCM and how to best prepare for the wildest sales season of the year.
There are two ways you can launch a new business: build a brand and then create a product, or create a product, and then build a brand. While there’s no one right way to do this, building a brand before you launch a product does have its benefits. This week on the podcast we’re talking about how to increase brand awareness in preparation for a product launch.
If there's one thing you can do today to improve your store, it's to do an audit of your FAQs page. Don't have one? Congrats, your audit is complete. Now it's time to create your FAQs! This week on the podcast we’re talking about why you need an FAQs page, what questions you ask, and how to craft your answers.
When your customers can shop virtually anywhere, how do you deliver an experience that will keep them coming back again and again? One word: personalization. No two customers are the same, and your customers want to be recognized as a unique individual. This week on the podcast we’re talking all things personalization: what it is, how to collect personalization data, and how to use that data across your website and marketing strategies.
So you’ve launched a new store - Then you ask yourself, “How do I get people TO my new store?” While there are several different strategies, today we are going to be talking about what Rhian knows best - SEO.
This week on the podcast we’re giving you an introduction to SEO - what it is, why it matters, and how to utilize keywords and blogging to get your store and products found by new customers.
When you’re selling online, it’s important to remember that you are selling to everybody. Which means, that you are selling to every BODY. When you build an inclusive brand that makes everyone feel welcome, you are telling the world that they are welcome to shop at your store. Which in turn, results in more sales.
This week on the podcast we're talking all things brand inclusivity - from size visualization to diversity of models and accessibility. We finish this episode by interviewing Marnie Consky, CEO and Founder of Thigh Society, a model brand for inclusivity.
Marketing strategies go well beyond email, and SMS is one of the fastest-growing areas of consumer marketing. This week on the podcast we’re talking all things conversational commerce and do a deep dive into SMS: what it is, how it differs from email marketing, and how to use SMS marketing as a powerful marketing medium.
First impressions go a long way, and your store’s homepage is no exception. This week on the podcast we're breaking down the homepage - the good, the bad, and the “please never do this on your website”.
With over a million merchants, Shopify stores come in all shapes and sizes. While we don’t have actual statistics on this, we'd guess that over half of Shopify merchants are running their online business part-time (feel free to fact-check us, Shopify).
This week on the podcast we’re talking about side hustling on Shopify - how to balance a full-time job with running a Shopify store, and how to scale your business while keeping your time commitment low.
We’re all familiar with the basic strategies to acquire new customers - email marketing, Facebook ads, and the like. But how do you take it one step further to create a unique experience specifically for your audience?
This week on the podcast we’re talking about unique ways you can engage with your customers. The relationships you build are key to getting that second and third purchase, and happy customers tell their friends about your brand. We finish with an interview with Ruby and Jamie, the creators of RUBIES, about building a product and engaging with an audience in an untapped market.
Your store's product display pages (PDPs) are your gateway to more sales. What makes a good product page stand out from the crowd? What can you do to optimize your product page for sales? If you're limited on time, where should you focus your efforts?
This week on the podcast, we're discussing how you can turn your product pages into highly-converting sales machines. We'll talk through what you should absolutely include on your PDP and what major conversion-breaking red flags to avoid. We finish by chatting with Kurt Elster, co-host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast and co-founder of Shopify Plus consultancy Ethercycle, to get Kurt's take on what makes a product page great.
The world is talking about TikTok, the hottest video-based social network. Most recently, ecommerce brands have found unique ways to engage with new customers via TikTok.
This week on the podcast, we’re talking all things TikTok: what it is, what opportunities businesses have to acquire new customers, and whether your business should consider utilizing TikTok as a new acquisition method.
Its 2020, and sustainability matters now more than ever. Today we are going to talk about why sustainability matters, some ways other businesses have implemented sustainable business methodologies, and interview Salima Visram of Samara Bags, about how she has created a sustainable minimalist fashion company.
Grab a mug and join in.
Because of COVID-19, we can’t ignore the fact that how we operate commerce-based businesses has changed forever. In California and Georgia, where we live, cases are surging and businesses are shutting back down. How can businesses shift their focus from a temporary online sales model to something more permanent, and see it as an opportunity for growth?
This week on commerce tea we’re discussing how to make your service-based business thrive online. We’re later joined by Amelia Posada, founder of Birch and Bone. To keep her doors open, Amelia had to pivot her business – fast – and has been able to sustain her business, in an industry that typically utilizes traditional business practices.
Grab a mug and join in.
Product recommendations can be one of the most powerful things you add to your store to increase sales, but sometimes your recommendations fall flat. On this week at commerce tea, we're exploring how to sell more by utilizing the product recommendations that your customers truly want. We finish this episode by interviewing Jay Myers, co-founder of Bold Commerce and do a deeper dive into one of the most popular Shopify app companies.
So you have a great business idea- and you know it will make money. But what’s next? How do you take your idea to market?
In this episode, we’re discussing how to create an actionable plan for your business and make sure your idea doesn’t just stay an idea.
We finish this episode by interviewing Yelista Jean-Charles, founder of Healthy Roots Dolls.
Yelitsa took the toy market by storm when she started a company that creates dolls and storybooks that empower young girls and represent the beauty of diversity.
Grab a mug and listen in.
Brands you know and love use Instagram every day to connect with customers, draw in new buyers, and build relationships. This week we discuss how to make the most out of using Instagram as a sales channel. We talk about how we use Instagram to connect with brands as customers, and provide examples of brands on Instagram who are doing a great job. We also speak with Katie Dean, founder of Katie Dean Jewelry, and take a deep dive into how she leverages Instagram to build a large following and significantly increase her sales.
This week we’re joined by Sterling Smith, Founder and CEO of Sandbox Commerce, who is providing the tools merchants need to easily create a mobile app for their store. You can think of a mobile app as an additional sales channel, a way to increase lifetime value for your existing customers. Sterling discusses the benefits of mobile apps for merchants, what makes the mobile app experience successful, and just how easy it is to get started by using his app.
Wow.
Commerce is rapidly accelerating, and Shopify is leading the way.
In the past two months online sales have increased at a rate matching the previous decade. That's right, 10 years of growth, all in the past two months.
Shopify has been hard at work during this time– ensuring that they build the products that merchants need the most, and quickly.
In this episode we unpack Shopify Reunite, an event that highlights all of the most recent Shopify releases and explore what that means to you, the merchant.
Commerce Tea is a new podcast where we keep up with all things commerce in this rapidly-changing industry. We're Rhian Beutler, co-founder of venntov, a Shopify app company and Kelly Vaughn, founder of The Taproom, a Shopify Plus agency, and we’re your hosts for this podcast.
You’ll learn tips and tricks for growing and scaling your Shopify store, hear from top experts in the industry, and be inspired by stories from successful entrepreneurs on Shopify.
So grab your mug and tune-in every Tuesday morning for a new episode.
We can’t wait to share what we have in store. Visit our website at commercetea.com or look up Commerce Tea on your favorite podcast provider to subscribe.