Would you quit your day job and move to Miami to sell your new product while playing on the beach? Sounds like a dream and this founder made it a reality, with a lot of hard work, motivation and talent.  This episode’s guest is Chris Meade, the founder of Crossnet, one of the fastest-growing games in the US.  Chris has been on an incredible journey from quitting his job at Uber to moving to Miami to sell his dream game on the beaches. Crossnet has grown incredibly fast due to an organic viral video and word-of-mouth marketing with live events and influencers. In just a few years they’ve gone from selling 2-5 nets a month to an 8-figure business.  Crossnet started as DTC and has expanded into big-box retail and Chris shares some of the opportunities and challenges that came with that shift.  This is a great founder's story and an inspiration if you have a product idea. I hope you enjoy it!  Episode Highlights: 4:21 What exactly is Crossnet 5:09 How the idea of Crossnet was born  7:36 Getting people to care about a brand at the start  10:09 The catalyst & viral video that started the growth 13:02 Being frugal and why Crossnet has been successful  13:50 Initial marketing wins  15:17 Talking to customers and adjusting marketing to speak to them  16:50 The role of founder and changes from 2 sales a day to 8-figures  18:11 Going from eCommerce DTC to big box retail  20:54 iOS 14: its impact and how Crossnet is measuring metrics now  23:43 Tips for success with influencers  25:47 Structuring retainer deals with influencers 27:24 Supply chain issues and manufacturing in China  32:03 Advertising: agencies or in-house? 33:55 Lessons from running a seasonal business  36:21 Chris’s favorite marketing resources  37:47 Content marketing on LinkedIn 39:40 Keeping a team engaged and excited about the product  Resources: Crossnetgame.com @Cjmeade on LinkedIn  @chrismeadej on Twitter  Book: Double Your Profits by Bob Fifer The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

The Ecommerce Influence Podcast: Advanced Acquisition and Retention Strategies for Fast-Growing Online Brands

328: Building a Brand: How Crossnet Went from 2 Sales/Month to 8-Figures

How is your pop-up game? Email capture strategies to increase conversion are one of the single most important things you can do to grow your eCommerce business and if you’re using the same old “discount for email” strategy you’re missing out on potential customers.  This is a tactical episode with how-to steps you can use to improve your email capture strategies to increase conversion right now.  John Ozuysal is the Head of Growth at Optimonk, a platform where you can create unique, interesting pop-ups and overlays to drive more sales and capture more emails. As we all have holiday marketing top of mind, I thought it would be a great time to bring John in to share what they’re seeing success with right now and provide some inspiration as you determine how to integrate pop-ups and overlays into your Q4 strategy.  One of the things that they've been experimenting with is conversational pop-ups and John shares how they tripled signups and boosted revenue by 25% using this method. We also cover customer value optimization and opportunities to learn more about buying behavior with qualitative pop-ups.  If you're interested in quick, easy tweaks to your website that will make you more money… this episode is for you. Episode Highlights: 4:14 Why most eCommerce stores are using pop-ups and overlays the wrong way  5:14 How to 3X your email sign up rate with conversational pop-ups  8:02 What a conversational pop-up is and how to implement email capture strategies to increase conversion 9:40 Optimizing engagement for brands with a lot of product categories  11:27 Collecting emails and phone numbers effectively and without drop off  12:02 Using curiosity and mystery instead of discount to drive sign up  13:35 John’s favorite non-monetary incentives to test  16:52 Best tips on how to increase your cart value and AOV  18:19 Using content to convert  19:30 Strategies from B2B that DTC brands should learn from including qualitative feedback 22:31 The benefits of qualitative feedback when your inventory is low 24:31 How qualitative feedback can decrease abandonment rates 26:05 What is customer value optimization and how you should be using it  28:29 Step by step guide for using conversational pop-ups in your Black Friday marketing  Resources: Optimonk: Free Templates To Use (and get 50% off the first 3 month for any paid plan) Optimonk: Black Friday Webinar  Book: They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan  The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

327: What’s Working Right Now: Email Capture Strategies to Increase Conversion

If you hate what you’re doing - can you stop doing it? How can you stay engaged and keep your business ventures fun? Plus, using video sales letters for viral launches. Andrew Drish is a good friend and we have spent countless hours talking about business, life, and relationships. So - I'm excited to bring him on the show and share one of these conversations with you.  Andrew was behind The Foundation, which was a very successful accelerator for developers building software companies. In this episode he shares the story of how he pulled off its 7-figure launch, completely automated, with a video sales letter that went viral. From there - Andrew shares the story of how he completely burnt out and then came back to entrepreneurship with a whole new approach. Over the years, Andrew has extensively studied top-performing video ads (Purple Mattress, Squatty Potty, etc) and he shares his winning formula that you can apply directly to your own video creative (hint: it’s more about the script than the visuals). This is a great interview - Andrew has a ton of insight on life and business and I’m always inspired after talking to him. I hope you are too. Episode Highlights: 4:34 The impact The Artist’s Way has had on running a business 5:47 Learnings to make life and running a business more fun and playful 8:44 Why heartbreak is the best medicine 10:29 The power of the question “what would I do differently?” 13:11 The wild story of launching The Foundation while at Burning Man 15:26 Why Andy is now dark online and how his entrepreneurial journey has changed after burning out 20:16 The key priciples of Andy’s new venture 21:48 The nature of entrepreneurs and what a good operator is 22:44 How to hire and build a team based on people’s nature 23:35 Going from determining principles to starting a business 26:00 The art and science of compelling video sales letters 31:07 Using humor to get a sale  34:42 Why text should be your priority over imagery when creating a video sales letter 38:08 Working with a team to create viral videos  43:47 Crypto currency and it’s potential impact on societal challenges 48:48 Resources that have helped Andy on his “DeFi” journey  Resources: Andy’s Website TheArtOfLove.com @andydrish on Twitter  Book: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Book: Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin Book: Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller  klima.com The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

326: Selling with Video Sales Letters and How to Build a Business You Actually Enjoy

We’ve all been saying it - the world is crazy right now. So - I’m sharing what’s top of mind for me going into Q4 and 2022 including the very real energy crisis in China, opportunities to make 6+ figures flipping NFTs, and what the heck to do with paid social in Q4.  This episode is a solo cast. I wanted to check in and talk about what's been on my mind as we prepare for Q4 and ultimately start to make our 2022 business plans.  I’m thinking about how to optimize Facebook and Instagram for Q4 (after a crazy year). I’ve been doing daily journaling and it’s given me a great perspective on where I’m at in my business and life. I’m also talking about how the energy crisis in China will likely impact business and why you should be paying attention now. Plus, I’ll share some new exciting things to come on the podcast with an NFT series.  I'd love to hear from you on Twitter. What are you thinking about? What's exciting to you right now? Let me know what you’d like to hear more about on the podcast.  I hope you enjoy this solo episode - I always enjoy talking with you.  Episode Highlights: 2:30 Facebook and Instagram training for Q4 3:33 The Artists Way and the profound impact it’s had on me  6:08 My predictions around the current energy crisis in China causing rolling blackouts  8:20 Managing the winter risk in the U.S.  9:18 What I’m doing to prepare  11:17 Flipping NFT’s for over 6 figures 12:10 Opportunities for young people to acquire property from NFT sale profits  Resources: Coal Shortages Force Blackouts Across China: The Diplomat Don’t Rule Out An Energy Crisis - Goldman Sachs: Yahoo  The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

325: Austin Shares: Prepping for Paid Social in Q4, NFT Opportunities & the Energy Crisis in China

What could you do to make your website better, your ads stronger, and ultimately increase sales? Try one of these expert tips from an agency owner who’s interviewed over 150 eCommerce founders and marketers. Chase Clymer is the host of the Honest Ecommerce podcast and also co-founder of the Electric Eye Agency. In this episode, we’re talking about mistakes that eCommerce owners make with their website and advertising and how to make simple improvements to avoid them.  Chase and I also discuss ideas for Black Friday/Cyber Monday marketing, user testing your website, and how to actually run A/B tests.  Lastly, Chase shares his Brand Scaling Framework philosophy and the 3 KPI’s he bases everything on.   This is a great practical episode with expert tips and takeaways to implement today.  Episode Highlights: 3:28 Why Chase started the Honest Ecommerce Podcast  4:53 Expert tips from 168 interviews with founders & marketers  10:02 How Chase went from punk rock band to eCommerce 11:44 The Brand Scaling Framework and how it works 14:27 3 KPIs the Brand Scaling Framework tracks 18:33 Simple, consistent improvements that lead to big improvements over time 19:23 Mistakes you’re probably making on your website and expert tips on how to fix them  23:34 Why you need to be user testing your site  27:54 Reasonable testing windows for eComm brands based on volume  29:13 Exciting things that are working right now 29:52 Best features of Shopify online store 2.0  34:31 How to audit your Shopify apps purpose  37:19 Black Friday/ Cyber Monday expert tips   Resources: Honest Ecommerce Podcast  Electric Eye Agency Riverside Podcast Recording  User Testing Conversion Crimes  The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

324: Expert Tips to Increase Sales, Boost Conversion Rate, and Crush BFCM

The pandemic forced many owners to shift from brick and mortar to eCommerce. Some succeeded, and some did not.  Today’s guest was one of the successful -- she doubled her brick and mortar business revenue in 2020 by implementing Shopify, Klaviyo, and a seamless in-store and online rewards program.  Mandy Buterra began her journey as an entrepreneur at age 50 when she started Wren and Wild a brick and mortar business featuring clean beauty and aerial yoga, in Bend, Oregon. Her business evolved and she was building a good customer base, then COVID hit.   Instead of panicking, Mandy taught herself eCommerce and joined our Coalition membership. Listen to this episode to learn how she’s now hitting sales highs and doubled her revenue in the last year by transitioning her brick and mortar to eCommerce.  If you’re in the transition or considering turning your brick and mortar into an online store this episode is filled with good tips about how to integrate the two business models. If you’re already running an eCommerce business Mandy also has tons of tips around how to build a rewards program and smart email marketing to build customer loyalty.  This is a well-rounded conversation and I know you’ll walk away with at least one tip to implement in your business. Episode Highlights: 4:54 How Mandy started as an entrepreneur 8:30 Taking time for clarity before launching a business  9:14 Restarting, again, after losing a lease  11:11 Mandy’s brick and mortar and how COVID impacted it  13:57 How launching a Shopify site doubled business  15:28 Brick and mortar to eCommerce: the differences and advice for people transitioning 17:04 The importance of data and capturing email in store  18:13 Transitioning a rewards program from brick and mortar to eCommerce 19:38 Rewards program recommendations 20:20 What makes a good rewards program 23:04 Things that have moved the needle in Mandy’s business  27:29 SKU management and how to narrow and focus offerings  30:30: Planning for Q4 and holiday  31:41 The importance of a network when you’re growing a business  33:50 What brought Mandy’s site from a 1.9% conversion rate to 3.9% 35:54 Advice for people growing and building a business Resources: Wrenandwild.com @wrenandwild on Instagram  Smile.io Rewards Program  Klaviyo.com Email Marketing  Conversion Crimes Website Testing  The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

323: From Brick & Mortar to Ecommerce: How One Woman Doubled Her Business During the Pandemic

Are you building to sell? You should be. Even if selling isn’t your main priority it will make you a better business owner and it will make the value of your business higher. This episode has the details of how to do it.  Joe Valley is the author of The Exitpreneur’s Playbook and a buyer and seller of many online businesses, both on his own and now as a broker with Quietlight.com.  Joe’s book is designed to help you get maximum value for your online business and in this episode we go deep into his vast knowledge of building to sell. He answers a ton of questions you should be asking when you’re thinking about selling your business, what multiples to look at for eCommerce, plus he shares mistakes you might be making now and how to prevent those BEFORE you’re getting ready to sell.  It's an excellent interview and Joe is truly an expert in building to sell. If you’re ever going to want to sell your business or have thought about buying a business in the future you’re going to get a ton of value in this episode.  Episode Highlights: 4:03 Why Joe wrote his book 6:14 Who an Exitpreneur is and building to sell 7:11 The argument for building and selling a business 10:17 How Joe sets tangible goals with real data 11:41 Where to start when determining the value of your business  17:09 How to find a good bookkeeper  18:47 The multiple you should be looking for in eCommerce 22:13 Why you should separate inventory when looking at the value of a business  24:19 Joe’s take on aggregators and the roll-ups of FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) and Shopify stores 29:50 Things to look out for in deal terms and the “stability payment”  32:19 Do roll-ups blow up or end up incredibly successful? 34:36 When you should start planning if you’re building to sell your business  36:46 How to “exit without exiting”  39:06 Is there a sweet spot for time to sell a business? 42:09 Joe’s first 3 actions to have success with your first acquisition 46:31 How deals are financed on Joe’s site 50:32 What Joe’s excited about right now Resources: Quietlight.com Exitpreneur.io Book: The Exitpreneur’s Playbook by Joe Valley Book: Buy Then Build by Walker Deibel Centurica.com Market Watch  Boopos.fund The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

322: Building to Sell: How to Get the Maximum Value for Your Online Business

Building a business is filled with amazing highs and big lows. Despite some tough blows in the early days, one eCommerce founder kept his commitment to his personal health and family and found success on the other side. Jay Campbell is the owner of Aseir Custom, and in this episode he shares his wild journey of building a business. We go deep into what he's learned through major manufacturing issues and how he managed customer experience after that. We discuss how he unlocked massive growth working with influencers. We also talk about Jay’s commitments to his family and personal health and how for the last 5 years he has taken a trip with his wife every 8 weeks.  Aseir Custom went from about $16k / month in sales in February 2021 to hitting $250k in August 2021. The journey has been anything but linear and there’s a lot to learn from this story. Jay has a great mindset and he shares the raw truth of his experience going through incredibly challenging times while seeing rapid growth in the business simultaneously.  If you are an operator in the weeds, building a business, or experiencing rapid growth you will get a lot out of this discussion. Episode Highlights 5:16 How Jay and his wife plan their “every eight weeks” travel adventures  8:01 Jay’s transition to eCommerce  11:09 The beginning of Jay’s hair regrowth business  17:07 Managing Black Friday with major manufacturing issues  19:54 How Jay and his business partner recovered their business from almost shutting down 25:47 The realities of running an eCommerce business and trying to scale  28:30 The benefits of getting help in the early stages of building a business  33:53 Learning from the first year and a half of Jay’s business  39:43 How Jay manages work while he’s traveling  Links And Resources Jay’s Website  Aseir Custom @jaycampbell333 on Twitter  Jay’s Podcast  The Coalition @a_brawn on Twitter Review or subscribe on iTunes 

321: Building a Business Without Sacrificing Everything: One Founder's Story of Rapid Growth

Ecommerce Influence is a podcast for the ecommerce business owner and online marketing executive. We have candid conversations with masters of ecommerce marketing and branding, and provide training and strategies to that help you convert more of your visitors to paying customers. Topics include lead capture, email marketing, shopping cart abandonment, conversion rate optimization, business automation, analytics and more. Learn more at EcommerceInfluence.com.

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The Ecommerce Influence Podcast: Advanced Acquisition and Re...

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