Ecommerce Evolution

Brendan Bannister, the CEO of Naturalabs.io, is one smart marketer.  We first met in 2018 when he was the CMO and Creative Director at William Painter. After taking my YouTube/Google course, he scaled ad spend on YouTube from $2k per day to $100k per day!  We decided to start meeting and swapping ideas, war stories, and things we were testing. We soon realized the value of sharing this knowledge with others and decided to record a session and bring it to the world!  In this episode, we dive into CRO, creatives, data-driven marketing, R&D for marketing departments, and the golden years for YouTube and Facebook Ads and how they achieved 13x growth for William Painter.  Here are some highlights:  How the famous da Vinci quote, “Simplicity is Ultimate Sophistication” should be a guiding principle for marketers. Is media buying dead? If so, what is taking its place? How good brands are sort of like algorithms. “Design is hack” and what that means for your marketing efforts. The role “brand” plays in your abil

Retention marketing is crucial for any business.  When the economy is thriving, you need retention marketing to cut through the clutter and help you stand out.  When times are tough, as they may be in the near future, retention marketing is essential. During a recession, it’s critical to get the most out of your marketing efforts.  The most effective way to accomplish this is to maximize your Lifetime Value (LTV) through retention and loyalty marketing. That’s why, at OMG, we launched email and SMS marketing as a service last year. (email growth@omgcommerce.com to find out more).  In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting Daniel Budai, a retention marketing expert and the founder of Budai Media.  Here’s a look at what we cover:  The mindset shift needed to impact how you approach retention marketing and loyalty.  Why you are likely not emailing your list enough and how emailing LESS has the opposite effect.  How to maximize your results by combining SMS and email marketing. How to create a user-friendly

Chris Mercer - aka “Mercer,” is the man when it comes to measurement and analytics. He’s the guy the pros like Justin Brooke, Mike Rhodes, and OMG turn to when we need help. If you haven’t heard (and I’d be shocked if you haven’t), Google Analytics 4 or GA4 is coming, and Universal Analytics (the current version) will go away in July of 2023.  GA4 isn’t just an upgrade. It’s an entirely different animal. It has to be! Given how technology, user preferences, and policies around privacy have changed over recent years - Google is forced to abandon UA and build something completely new.  In this episode, we talk about what’s new, what’s different, what we’re excited about, and what you can do to prepare.Here’s a glimpse of what we cover: A simple way to understand events and how Google measures them in GA4.  Data storage and how to hold onto your data - If nothing is done, your data will be gone in 2-14 months.  What’s going away vs. what’s here to stay?  How to use GA4 to make better decisions.

The most difficult aspect of eCommerce is attracting new customers.  With CPMs and CPAs on the rise, great brands must learn to increase the average order values (AOV) and customer lifetime value (LTV) of their customers.  That’s where building a brand marketplace comes into play.  Yes, you need to be developing new products and expanding your line. However, partnering with other complementary brands can provide immediate value to customers while also increasing AOV and LTV. But if done poorly, it can actually hurt your brand. Here’s what we dive into in this episode:  How Brooklinen thinks about brand marketplace and gives customers the option to "shop the room.” How Realtree expands its product line beyond camo to include high-quality rain gear and more products through their brand marketplace.  How to structure a marketplace to strengthen your brand, not erode it.  How a kayak brand used drop shipping competitors products to increase sales, trust, and customer loyalty for their own goods.  How Flxpoint ma

Cyber 5 2022 is in the books!  In this episode, I’m joined by two OMG Commerce veterans to unpack the juicy tidbits and key takeaways from BFCM.  Bill Cover is a senior Google Strategist with 6 years of experience at OMG and over a decade of experience in eComm. Amber Norell is the Amazon Director at OMG. For 8 years, she has helped large brands with scaling on Amazon in the most competitive niches! This year’s data was both fascinating and surprising. Some speculated that high inflation and economic concerns could squash the holiday sales rush and turn Cyber 5 into a downer. However, the data tells a VERY different story.  Here’s some of what we covered: How did Cyber 5 2022 compare to last year?  How did BF compare to CM? When we looked at Amazon sales versus DTC sales, the answer was different.  Did Prime Early Access - Amazon’s sale in October - impact Cyber 5 or holiday sales in general? What was the level of discounting this year vs. last year? How did ad costs change during Cyber 5?

Allie Bloyd is a podcast host, consultant, Facebook Ad pro, and marketing juggernaut!   In this episode, Allie and I talk about several elements many eCommerce brands overlook or simply under-leverage.   To use a golf analogy, many eComm brands are focused on impressive drives when they also need to consider their short game. You know the saying, "Drive for show, putt for dough."   That’s where offers, audience building, and list nurturing come into play. Here’s just a few nuggets you'll learn: How to completely change the math on your cold traffic by creating irresistible offers that don't cheapen your brand. How to utilize tripwires and micro offers as an eComm brand. Audience building and how it can lower ad costs (especially during peak seasons like a holiday). The best book written on remarketing and loyalty (hint: you’ve probably read it to your kids before).

What you don’t know about YouTube is hurting you. Justin Sardi is the founder of Tube Sift and Video Ad Vault. He is a true YouTube OG. He’s been running ads and geeking out on YouTube organic growth since 2012. He’s built two of the leading YouTube research and spying tools on the web - Tube Sift and Ad Vault. The team here at OMG actually uses both regularly. Justin is a sharp dude with a wealth of YouTube knowledge.  Here’s what we dive into in this episode: Misconceptions about YouTube holding you back from growth. How to capture top-performing YouTube ads to learn from - for FREE! What’s changing on YouTube, including some of our favorite targeting options? Why Google’s first-party data and AI is second to none. Some YouTube SEO tips you probably haven’t thought of.  Do you need a 2nd YouTube channel? Video Discovery ads - what are they and how to make them work for you?  Plus more!

Kurt is a legend in the eComm space and hosts one of the most popular podcasts in our industry. His show, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, just crossed the 2 million downloads milestone. Kurt and his company are all about one thing - helping Shopify store owners make more money. And the best way to do that is by split-testing everything.  An important first step of split testing is questioning your assumptions. (We all know what happens when we assume.) Here are a few recent tests Kurt and company have run. We discuss the results on the show...yes, that's a teaser. Listen to find out what test won!  Does free shipping always result in better performance (and is it even worth testing)? Should I put a slider on my home page?  What about hero images and banners on my category pages? Do add-to-cart buttons on your collections pages help or hurt conversions? What about stuffy old early 2000s breadcrumbs - are they helpful or not? Plus, favorite tools, tips, and tricks that Kurt uses often.

John Parkes and I go way back.  In the early days of OMG, we partnered with Russell Brunson on a project called DotComSecrets Local. John helped oversee the project. It was pre-ClickFunnels in 2010 and an excellent time to work as an online entrepreneur. Having an upfront seat watching Russell and his team was inspiring and educational.  Fast forward to today, and John is the Chief Traffic Architect for ClickFunnels. Or CTA for short, which is a nerdy and satisfying job title for a media buyer. John is a great media buyer, strategist, and marketer. He’s wicked smart and fun to talk to! In this episode, we dive into rethinking Facebook Ads. Plus, we talk about the grandfather of direct response marketing - Dan Kennedy. Interestingly, many people (myself included) thought Dan was dead. He’s not, and now he’s part of the ClickFunnels team.  Here’s a look at what we dive into: The experience of buying Dan Kennedy’s company and brand. Opening up new markets and introducing the current market to The Godfather of d

Preparation is the backbone for success during the holiday season. Today I am talking to  a few of our OMG experts on preparing to win the 2022 holidays. Joining us is Amber Norell, OMG’s Amazon Director, Bill Cover, one of OMG’s amazing Google Strategist, and Savannah Knight, one of OMG’s rockstar Google Specialists.  This holiday season should be quite interesting. Inflation, rising ad costs, privacy issues, and new campaign types have this year shaping up to be anything but ordinary.  In this episode we cover how to:  Drive MORE traffic profitably Go omnichannel Turn every interaction (even support) into sales opportunities

Preparation is the backbone for success during the holiday season. Recently we just recorded a holiday webinar featuring Kristina Muntean and Jenna Galardi. Kristina works for Gorgias, an online customer support service who has worked with big brands such as Steve Madden and OLIPOP. Jenna Galardi has over a decade of experience helping businesses grow online. In current role  as Senior Omnichannel Growth Manager at BigCommerce, she focuses on helping merchants strengthen their online presence and adopt social commerce, marketplaces, and product feed optimization solutions to scale their growth. This holiday season should be quite interesting. Inflation, rising ad costs, privacy issues, and new campaign types have this year shaping up to be anything but ordinary.  In this episode we cover how to:  Drive MORE traffic profitably Go omnichannel Turn every interaction (even support) into sales opportunities

I love Arrae as a brand and as a group of products. I also think Nish Samantray is one of the brightest up-and-coming eCommerce founders in the game right now. Arrae is unique because it’s a supplement brand that combines natural ingredients with amazing packaging and design. Their supplements are designed to work in under an hour. So their bloat pill allows you to eat pizza and not feel terrible afterward. And the jars are a work of art. So are the labels. It’s truly a product you would love to see in your medicine cabinet or sitting on the counter. Nish and the team are doing a LOT right in creating Arrae’s meteoric growth. Here are a few things we discuss in today’s episode: Why asking what customers want next is a terrible question and what to ask instead. How to think about in-store growth. When everything gets more challenging, how you get better. Influencer marketing with events and thinking more like a mom who loves to host neighbor kids. Nish’s favorite books and resources for growth Plus more!

Content is King. Regardless of the platform. Want to scale on TikTok? You’re only as good as your content. Want to step up your IG game? Content, baby. Want to finally scale on YouTube? Hire OMG (ha!) and create great content! Today I’m interviewing Danil Saliukov, CEO and Co-Founder of Insense. I met Danil when we both spoke at Geek Out in San Diego a few months ago. Insense is a marketplace that connects creators with brands and facilitates the creation of great content. Creating great content comes down to 3 things: Find the right creator for your brand Build authentic content that highlights why your product is great Create content specifically geared toward the platforms you want to run on Here’s a look at what we breakdown on the show: Where brands go wrong when creating content for marketing - Not every creator is an influencer, and not every influencer is a creator. What separates brands that do really well from the rest? The key to finding creators that best fit a brand. How brands can help creato

Dr. Travis Zigler knows a thing or two about the entrepreneur’s journey.   Sometimes the path you end up taking as an entrepreneur is NOT the path you had in mind when you set out.   Travis and his wife, Jenna, are both optometrists by trade, but they had an itch to build an eCommerce business. They started with sunglasses, then landed with a dry eye product, but what began as a product-focused company shifted to a customer-focused business.   Here’s a look at what we cover: How to cultivate raving fans. How Travis and Jenna shifted from selling plastic to serving a person. How and why they built a YouTube channel. How they almost sold the business for nothing but then turned things around. His most important lessons from success and failure.

My guest today is a longtime friend and colleague, Jon MacDonald.  Jon is the CEO and founder of, The Good. He and his team help brands like Nike, Xerox, and The Economist turn more visitors into customers.  He’s one of the best conversion rate optimization specialists I know. In this interview, we wanted to go beyond the typical hacks and quick tips and look at principle-based optimization or optimization as a way of doing business. This approach will yield far greater results over the long haul than just trying the CRO-hack “flavor of the day.” Here’s a look at what we cover:  Why best practices are for beginners and how you should think about CRO in general. What most eComm brand owners forget about the scientific method and why chasing “silver bullets” is killing your results.  New visitors are at your site for two reasons, and it’s not just to hang out or learn all about you. How Jon’s simple yet effective “Trust Trifecta” will help you earn more conversions.  What Kim Kardashian’s assistant can teach y

Long-time fans of the show might remember me saying that SEO was the first online marketing skill I learned and was also the first service OMG offered.  We got out of the SEO game years ago, but I still love it. And I believe it's a massive area of opportunity that most eComm brands are missing.  I first heard my guests speak at Geek Out in San Diego. Their talk was so good I asked them to come on the podcast. Kevin is the CEO of GR0, and Jon is the Chief Growth Officer. Both are wicked smart. In this episode, we bust SEO myths and misunderstandings and talk about how they've helped eComm brands 10x their organic traffic through consistent SEO practices.  Here's a look at what we cover:  The most common SEO mistakes or misunderstandings from eComm brands. Where in the funnel does SEO fit? How SEO is just storytelling in a lot of different ways. Content must haves when creating content for organic growth. Favorite SEO tools. How someone could get started with SEO.

Email marketing is the ultimate money maker for eCommerce companies. When you have email marketing dialed in, EVERYTHING else gets better. Your product launches improve, you can spend more on top-of-funnel marketing efforts, convert more abandoned carts, and give your customers a better experience. The list goes on and on. Nick Flint is the lead Email Strategist here at OMG Commerce. He took his knowledge from building his own eCommerce brand while in college and scaled that into successfully running email marketing for brands for the past 6+ years. Here’s the deal. Even if you think you’re doing pretty well with email marketing, there are at least a few things you can improve on. Grab your pencil if you know you have holes in your email game. You’re about to unlock some serious growth for your brand. Here’s a look at what I cover with Nick in this episode. Three simple ways to make any subject line better. What to do with your winning email tests. The paradox of sending more emails. How to properly combine

My guest today is Krik Angacian, the co-founder of Candy Can. Krik’s background is first as an investment banker and then as a founder of a protein popcorn business that he sold a few years ago.   Candy Can is a phenomenal product (full disclosure - I am an investor) and somewhat addictive. If you’re like me, you’ve been known to snack on children’s gummy vitamins (it’s actually a pretty common vice, it turns out). The trouble is, that’s not so healthy.   Enter Candy Can, the keto-friendly gummy snacks packed with vitamins (but not too many) and free of junk like gelatin and nasty fillers.   Candy Can is on a tear of growth right now, but it’s not from the traditional channels like Google and Facebook. It’s from affiliate marketing.   Here’s a look at what we covered in the interview: Where to get started and where to learn affiliate marketing. Should you hire an affiliate agency or go it alone (most charge $10k per month or more)? Why landing page is everything and what Krik has learned through testing. How

What’s the secret behind the runaway success of Dr. Squach, Manscapped, William Painter, Ruggable, Lume, and more?   Product design that people love is part of it.They also leveraged FANTASTIC creatives. They didn’t just create ads that converted; they had ads that viewers loved.   This allowed for scaling. They entered the rare space of being able to scale profitably to 10 million, 20 million, several hundred million views - profitably.   Dr. Squatch rode the wave of incredible creatives from a $3 million annual run rate to hundreds of millions in yearly sales.   How did they do it? They tapped into Raindrop’s creative genius and its CEO Jacques Spitzer.   Raindrop is one of my favorite creative shops and the creators of the videos for brands listed above, plus Native (also an OMG Client), Worx, Happy Egg, and more.   Here’s a look at what we cover in the episode: Why you shouldn’t start a video project by deciding what YOU want to say. Follow Jacques advice instead. How you’re likely assuming way more atte

What if you could cut your lead costs in half? What if you could shorten your sales cycle from several weeks to just a few hours? What if you could leverage organic and paid traffic for better connections, delightful customer interactions, and more sales?   That is what Chatbots can create for you.   I heard Natasha Willis speak at Blue Ribbon Miami a few months ago, and I loved her presentation so much that I invited her to be on the show!   In this episode, we unpack her $30 million Instagram DM funnel.   Here’s a look at what we cover: How to use IG DMs to run quiz funnels. How to combine bots and human creativity for outstanding results. How Natasha helped cut lead costs in half for companies like Foundr. Top mistakes people make with Chat marketing. Misconceptions about Chat marketing.