Ecommerce Excellence

Early in his eCommerce career, Scott Bintz was focused on more: more customers, more sales, more employees, etc. But, he says, it was only after he looked beyond those conventional measures of success that his company experienced exponential growth. We discuss the key changes he made to his company internally that brought those results. It wasn’t a simple matter of a new marketing strategy or tweaking the product line-up.

When Patrick Adair first started his ecommerce business selling custom jewelry rings made out of rare and exotic materials… he didn’t even have a website. He wanted to see if there was a market first, and he found it on Instagram. And from that beginning he was able to grow Patrick Adair Designs to the powerhouse it is today. But he’s moved beyond Instagram. First, to YouTube, where he attracted even more of a following. And now to another social network that he says has radically changed his marketing approach over the last year or so.

Despite being a successful ecommerce entrepreneur, Eric Bandholz doesn’t sell products. At least that’s how he thinks of his business, Beardbrand. Instead he believes he’s selling confidence and making his customers feel good about themselves by helping them keep their beard, hair, and body in good shape. That belief guides the company’s marketing and every business decision, from the manufacturers they work with to where they make their products available online. Eric talks about how he and his team started the company from scratch with a blog and YouTube channel and how many of the same strategies they used in their early days are still working today.

Thousands of customers… millions of dollars in revenue… are being lost to an insidious type of malware that is very widespread among ecommerce sites yet remains very little-known. It’s estimated that it hijacks 25% to 30% of customer sessions on ecommerce sites. Worse yet, says Tal Rotman, head of the partnerships and development team at Namogoo, most online businesses haven’t taken steps to prevent this threat from draining their profits. In fact, even if their security teams look for it… they won’t find it because this specialized-type of malware isn’t actually on their ecommerce site at all.

We turn the tables on host Joris Byron in this episode. Business consultant Steve Gordon grills him on the unorthodox ways he helps his client increase revenues in ecommerce businesses. For one, Joris says you don’t have to increase traffic. In fact, he says you can boost your profits with the traffic you have right now if you take certain steps. He outlines his data-driven approach that makes it possible. Of course, it’s not just about collecting data. Joris shares the right ways to collect that data… and then evaluate it so that you truly understand your customers and can take the right actions to get them to buy... and more often.

Buying an existing business can be a great way to kick-start your ecommerce career. But not so fast, says Randy Stocklin, co-founder and CEO of One Click, which has three eyewear brands online. He shares eight key factors to look for in a quality acquisition.

When Nathan Hirsch was running his first ecommerce ventures he thought he could go it alone. But when busy season kicked in and orders picked up… he knew he needed to hire an employee. But he made enough bad hires along the way that he was inspired to create Freeeup.com, a freelancer marketplace like no other. It specializes in connecting ecommerce companies with highly qualified remote workers quickly and efficiently.

Google has a tremendous power to transform your ecommerce business, admits Dennis Moons, who’s spent millions on the ad network. But it’s up to you to make sure they’re using that power in the right way and not taking too much control of your campaigns.

Emmanuel Eleyae grew an ecommerce business from nothing to $5.5 million in revenue in two years. Along the way, he made a lot of mistakes… but he also learned the most effective ways to reach his target market and effectively manage a growing business. These days, he also helps other entrepreneurs find success by including the three systems that are a must-have for any ecommerce business. Another key element: remembering that you’re selling benefits… not products.

It was a trip around the world that inspired Greg Finney to start his company 2Modern.com in the early days of ecommerce. He’s sold modern furniture and contemporary home décor – high-end, quality stuff – since 2003. He was breaking new ground; there was no roadmap to success. So he learned the business as he grew the business, letting it grow, as he puts it, organically.

Sam Gastro sold a gift card on eBay several years ago and made a few bucks. But that one transaction inspired an ecommerce business that today is in the seven figures. It’s a great example of seeing a problem in the market (that, in this case, nobody else had recognized), understanding the solution, and then seizing that opportunity. Since his startup days, Sam says a lot has changed in ecommerce… but a lot has stayed the same, too.

You can help people and improve the world with your business… while still making money. Edward Wimmer’s Road ID product has literally saved lives and has allowed him to build a solid ecommerce company that’s been running strong for nearly 20 years. Edward considers customers first with nearly every decision, and he says profits usually follow. A big part of that is the relationships he’s been able to form with his customers. It’s an essential part of how he’s able to compete with the big online retailers like Amazon.

Who hasn’t had a rough morning after a late night out? Sisun Lee, founder and CEO of More Labs, decided to do something about it with a drink that helps ease your hangover. And it’s backed by science, rigorously tested in the lab and among consumers in person and online, with plenty of feedback gathered to perfect the product. Along the way they went viral and More Labs went from 0 to $1 million in sales in their first few months. But soon they discovered that their product wasn’t what they thought it was… and their ideal target market was actually completely different.

What separates your ecommerce business from your competitors? A better product helps, of course. But, says Steven Sashen, ecommerce pioneer and co-founder and CEO of Xero Shoes, there’s another element that’s much more important. It has to do with how you interact with your audience in the age of the nameless, faceless Internet.

You’re an ecommerce startup. You don’t have much capital. How do you get the expert help you need to grow? Neal Oddens, founder and CEO of one of the fastest growing ecommerce companies in the Netherlands, reveals a way to get specialist help without having to pay them money you don’t have. Neal also talks about two of the biggest mistakes he made in the early days (which many entrepreneurs make) and how he was able to come out of it with a stronger company.

Many ecommerce entrepreneurs think that more traffic will solve all their problems. But, says Joris Byron, most are ignoring the actual issues in their business holding them back. Joris has developed a scientific, data-driven method for unraveling those choke-points – he calls them conversion killers – and then developing a conversion optimization strategy to double or triple revenue… without adding new traffic.