The eCom Independent Podcast

The Ecommerce Independent Podcast tackles the ecommerce world and helps you build your own business while sharing experiences and tips to help you tackle your fears. Hosts Ivana Petrovich and Raoul van Heerden are experienced ecommerce entrepreneurs that have built their agencies from the ground up. They’re here to tell you how they did it and how you can join them. In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul are joined by Michael Loban, Chief Growth Officer at InfoTrust, to discuss the importance of data analytics. They talk about what InfoTrust does for its clients, investing in processes within your business, and how to begin integrating data analytics into your business. Topics covered in this episode: - How Michael ended up in the analytics space. - Utilizing information to make your end user and prospective user experience great. - Why being #1 isn’t always where you want to be. - Ensuring you have control over your advertising with investment. - How to know what products you should be selling using analytics. - What does InfoTrust do? - Bringing more profitable customers to your website. - Curating your audience through data analytics. - Getting over the all or nothing approach to advertising. - The importance in investing in processes in your business. - When to switch from free Google Analytics to the paid platform. - Avoiding data overwhelm. - What qualities you need to pursue analytics as a career. - Understanding user stories. - How do you know what do with the data you have? - Designing the experience for lifetime customer value. - The first steps you need to take to implement data analytics. Find out more about Michael and InfoTrust: https://infotrust.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mloban

Ivana and Raoul are talking about Google Marketing Live, Google I/O, and what the information presented at each event means for ecommerce. They get into advertising automation, how data driven attribution campaigns are going to be improving, and the integration of ShopPay to Google. This new integration is going to change the game. Topics covered in this episode: - Performance Max campaigns: what are they and what do they mean for Google ads and automation? - The importance of being agile and adaptable to new technologies. - What has facilitated the migration from Facebook ads to YouTube? - How Google are helping to improve ads on YouTube. - The dangers of too many touch points. - Being aware of frequency capping and avoiding competing with yourself. - What are data driven attribution campaigns? - The updates to data driven attribution models at Google. - How Google is going to show smart campaign options to users. - Maximizing YouTube ad campaign impact. - Getting over the need for instant gratification. - The addition of navigational ads to Google Maps. - Ivana’s favourite addition to ad extensions. - The announcement of ShopPay integration to Google services. - How Google is curating stores. - Why you shouldn’t create your business based on someone else’s platform. - Changes to brand match type for search campaigns.

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul discuss the art of getting things done and creating a system for productivity. Topics include dealing with burnout and overwhelm, creating a time management system outside of your own brain, and making sure your to-do lists are realistic. Topics covered in this episode: - Raoul’s breakthrough moment. - How Raoul began to utilize the skillsets outlined in ‘Getting Things Done’ by David Allen. - Avoiding distractions. - The importance of having an accountability system. - Analyzing what you need before you start. - Why your brain isn’t a time management tool and how to get around it. - Creating a system that is outside of your own brain that you can review everyday. - Overcoming your brains’ resistance to change. - How a coach can help you create change and avoid overwhelm. - Getting the tiny actions done that are needed to get big things moving. - Finding out what your priorities are. - Accounting for external factors. - Getting over rumination. - Why Ivana creates a thought dump list. - Why Raoul sets priorities instead of deadlines. - Creating realistic to-do lists. - Breaking tasks down into smaller parts.

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul are joined by guest Richard Schnitzel to discuss automation. Richard started out as an engineer and now runs Bow Tie Bots, a company aiding others to update their own operations to be automated. The three speak to why you should automate sooner rather than later, avoiding the most common mistakes people make when automating their business, and what ‘Authencious Automation’ is. Topics covered in this episode: - About Richard’s background in engineering and how it has led him to where he is now. - How to prevent overthinking automation. - The main reasons people put off automating their business. - Knowing what your endpoints are before you start implementing automation. - Creating clarity with funnel mapping. - Making simple processes that your team can follow easily. - How automation can actually help you scale. - When is the right time to start implementing automation? - Starting small and reviewing your automation frequently. - Having good SOPs and workflow to create human integrated automation. - What is the first thing you can automate that people often don’t know about. - Making sure to know where the automation holes are in marketing campaigns. - Automating for when things go wrong. - What happens when unforeseen circumstances occur? - Setting expectations. - About ‘Authencious Automation.’ Find out more about Richard and Bow Tie Bots: Website: http://www.bowtiebots.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardschnitzeljr

This is a bonus episode in which we are welcoming Alan Chen from FreeCashFlow.io. Alan specializes in bookkeeping services for ecommerce businesses to discuss how you can turn your taxes into profits. Ivana, Raoul and Alan discuss knowing what deductions can save you money, making more usable money, and doing business in the states as a foreign business owner. Topics covered in the episode: - The benefits of hiring a professional to do your accounting and bookkeeping. - Alan’s background in accounting and ecommerce. - Understanding the difference between your income and your margins. - Common mistakes ecom owners make relating to their accounts. - Little known deductions you can take advantage of next time you file. - What to do if you are outside of the states and want to establish in the US. - Understanding different states regulations and sales taxes. - How Alan and FreeCashFlow.io can help you establish an LLC in the states. - Ivana’s story of setting up business in the US. - How Alan has built up his business. - Knowing if and when you should set up and LLC in the US. - Alan’s views on the profit first strategy for ecom owners. - What services Alan and FreeCashFlow.io offer. - How you can easily bring down your expenses. - Knowing your numbers to grow your business. - What can happen if you don’t file your taxes. Find out more about Alan and FreeCashFlow.io: Website: https://www.freecashflow.io/ USE CODE IVANA15 FOR A 15% DISCOUNT ON ALAN’S COURSE Learn to Increase Your After-Tax Profit & Keep More in Your Pocket: https://www.freecashflow.io/course/

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul discuss remarketing, what it is and how you can do it well. We’ll hear about creating long-term strategies to retain clients instead of driving them away, understanding your audience, and why discounts aren’t always the answer. Topics covered in this episode: - How to avoid training people to wait for your discounts. - The limiting belief that people won’t buy your product without lowering the price. - Understanding that your business cannot grow if you offer continual discounts. - Why the BOGO discount is the worst discount you can offer. - Customer retention versus customer acquisition cost. - Understanding the average customer buying cycle. - Knowing your customer turning rate over time and how to use that data. - Nurturing your community and building brand connection. - How to use discounts effectively. - Sales and attraction marketing. - The danger of being viewed as a commodity. - How to get your customer base involved with your product as a way of remarketing. - What should the frequency cap be on your re-marketing impressions? - Why you only need to be 1% smarter than your competition. - Making user experience your number one priority. - Humanizing products and brands to create connection. - Why you don’t necessarily need multi-step marketing and over complicated ideas. - Showing how your product enhances your customers life through marketing.

Yaron Been joins as our guest in this episode. He is the owner of EcomXFactor, and will be discussing what it really means to be a successful entrepreneur. Ivana, Raoul, and Yaron get into what it takes to become successful, creating success the ethical way, and finding a balance between work and maintaining an independent lifestyle. Topics covered in this episode: - Scaling a 7-figure business whilst being location independent. - How Yaron came to ecommerce. - Developing a business while still working a day job. - Creating an honest ecommerce consultancy. - When Yaron realized he could leave the 9-5 grind. - Creating a collaborative business with your spouse. - Why you should outsource sooner rather than later. - Having a mindset of curiosity and learning. - How to know who to hire. - How Yaron and his wife manage customer support. - Why Yaron looks at ethics over profits. - Finding suppliers and creating a good relationship with them. - The challenges of creating a business while working a 9-5. - Knowing your why. - Avoiding shiny object syndrome. - Building an independent lifestyle. - Picking payment gateways for your business. - How Yaron helps beginners learnt he foundations of creating a business. Find out more about Yaron and EcomXFactor here: https://ecomxf.com/

We’re keeping on topic with Google today, as Ivana and Raoul discuss Google Shopping, Google Merchant Centre, and account suspensions. We hear about common mistakes made with Google Merchant accounts, why accounts are getting suspended more, how to appeal account suspension, and creating a transparent and honest company profile. Topics covered in this episode: - What Google Merchant Centre does. - The reason behind the current trend of increased account suspensions. - How the algorithm is advancing and getting better at detecting fraudulent activity. - The importance of understanding the strict guidelines of Google Merchant Centre. - How the algorithm determines if an account is fraudulent. - The most common reasons an account can be suspended. - The importance of regular error checking in your feed. - Having transparent company information to create trust with your client and Google. - Making your company information easily accessible. - Understanding that Google wants to make money and protect its users. - Ensuring you’re using the correct language for your targeted audience. - Why you should never hide your poor reviews. - Making sure all your policies are easily accessible. - How to correctly use a lead magnet. - What you need to do if you are selling health products. - Print-on-demand businesses and Google Merchant.

Ivana and Raoul discuss what it means to be a Google Partner along with the ins and outs of what being a partner is in this episode. They explore what Google expects of its partners, whether it’s even worth being a partner, and how the qualification criteria to become a certified Google Partner has changed. Topics covered in this episode: - Ivana’s experience of becoming a Google Partner. - How Raoul became a Google Partner. - Becoming certified as a qualified professional. - The different tiers of the Google Partner program. - What is the true value of Google certifications? - The pitfalls of the certification process. - What are the key changes in qualification criteria to become Google Partner? - The impacts of criteria change on local businesses. - How company spend is currently gauged and how it is changing. - The problem with Google’s new recommendation threshold. - Treading the line between what your clients want and what Google wants. - Why getting rid of Google representatives that aide businesses is a detriment. - What you need to consider before implementing changes. - How Google is shifting away from working with businesses. - The disadvantages of Smart shopping campaigns. - Communicating changes to your clients.

After a brief time off, we are back with an episode where we discuss the latest Google Ads news. A lot of things have been going on, but we've got your covered. In today's show, we'll discuss the hottest topics of last month, and these updates -could- mean to your business and or accounts, Make sure to rate & subscribe!

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul are joined by Mila Zahid from Wild Cactus Studio to discuss how to profitably amplify your product launch with email. The three will get into what Mila does at Wild Cactus Studios, the 3 essential flows of email marketing, and why you need to have engaging calls to action. Topics covered in this episode: · About Mila and Wild Cactus Studio as well as the kind of customers they serve. · Helping brands leverage more organic marketing through email. · Why brands are missing email marketing. · Where to start with your email marketing journey. · How email marketing differs depending on the age of your company. · The three essential flows in email marketing. · About post purchase emails and building connections. · Abandoned cart emails and how they can increase revenue. · Why people abandon their carts and how to overcome objections. · Determining how many emails should be in your flows. · Creating an educational journey for your customer. · Avoiding analysis paralysis in your marketing. · Social media marketing vs email marketing. · Pattern interrupts in marketing. · The three phases of product launches. · The importance of early access perks. · Best practices to track campaign effectiveness. Connect with Mila: mila@wildcactus.studio Website: https://wildcactus.studio/

Today’s guest is Andrya Allen, Founder of Vox Verba, which is a marketing data insight tool that applies the use of qualitative research and positive psychology. In this episode, Andrea shares how using your customers’ language can amplify the growth of your business. We’ll also hear about brand archetypes and why Andrya thinks they are often used incorrectly. Topics covered in this episode: - Why you should invest in customer relationships. - Using the customer voice to help build up a brand. - How qualitative research is used in the Vox Verba approach. - Why using positive psychology and positive sentiments in marketing matters. - The danger of having rigid brand guidelines. - What an archetype is and how are they used in marketing. - The process Andrya uses to find the dominant brand voice and key messages. - More on qualitative data and the code of reliability in analyzing data. - What Andrya suggests is an optimal data set. - What to use if you don’t have customer data to use. - The principles Vox Verba uses in data analysis. - How Carl Jung’s psychology can be applied to business. - How Vox Verba finds and attracts clients. - Using your customers' language in email marketing to increase conversions. - Real world examples of brand archetypes. - How archetypes influence brands externally and internally. - What happens when a brand fails to be aligned with their message. Vox Verba: https://voxverba.com Follow Vox Verba on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voxverba/

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul are joined by expert growth marketer Jeromy Sonne of Moonshine Marketing. Jeromy has been running ads on Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Reddit for years and joins us to talk about rolling out ads on different channels. The three get into the differences between the main platforms, what does and doesn’t work on each, and how the rollout of iOS 14 could affect each one. Topics covered in this episode: - About Jeromy and Moonshine Marketing. - What is digital outdoor? - Going beyond traditional marketing. - Growth Hacking and exploits in marketing. - What clients do and don’t know about marketing strategies. - About Reddit ads and their effectiveness. - What can and can’t be advertised on Reddit. - The complications of CBD advertising on various channels. - What businesses can thrive with advertising on Reddit. - Are Reddit ads scalable compared to other options? - Creating a community to market to. - Why Snapchat ads are useful. - The key differences between Snapchat and Tik Tok. - What verticals perform exceptionally well on Snapchat. - How Jeromy thinks the iOS 14 rollout will affect different platforms. - Understanding and following trends to create marketing strategies. - What you need to look at in 2021. Connect with Jeromy: https://twitter.com/JeromySonne Moonshine Marketing: https://moonshine.marketing/ Follow Moonshine Marketing on Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonshinemktng

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul discuss the upcoming changes with Google Analytics and how the replacement service will look. Together, Ivana and Raoul explain the importance of understanding statistics before trying to utilize them, new features in Google Analytics 4, and what to do ahead of the full rollout to prepare your business. Topics covered in this episode: - About the new Google Analytics 4. - How to properly utilize the reports available with Google Analytics. - How Ivana’s clients use Google Analytics reports. - The dangers of focusing only on Google Analytics and not other data. - Understanding what the statistics mean. - Why you need to start with a question before diving into statistics. - Taking this rollout as an opportunity to streamline and learn about your analytics. - What features are currently available and currently missing from Google Analytics 4. - How the new Google Analytics relates to Shopify. - What you need to do to set up your own property with Google Analytics 4. - Why you should start looking at the new features now. - Is the bounce rate actually important? - Cross-domain tracking. - Creating a more user-friendly interface. - Steps to take as an ecommerce business ahead of the changes. - Separating internal and external traffic. - Improving data delivery speed.

In today’s episode, Ivana and Raoul discuss the iOS 14 update and how it could potentially affect entrepreneurs. They’ll get into data collection, the importance of giving conscious permission for it, and what you should start looking at ahead of the update rollout. Topics covered in this episode: - The uncertainty that the iOS 14 update presents for entrepreneurs. - Apple’s statement on the release features of iOS 14. - How Apple counters third party tracking. - Application permissions and data collection. - Conscious confirmation and what it means in marketing. - What are the characteristics of the average citizen and how do they impact permissions? - How wording affects the likelihood of gaining permission to collect data. - Communicating to the user how data is utilized. - The difference between audience-based analysis and intention-based analysis. - Why now is the right time to look at new strategies. - What is IDFA and how can it help in re-marketing? - What Ivana is doing to prepare her clients for the update. - The difference between third- and first-party data. - The benefits of service ad tracking. - Differences in the way each platform presents ads and collects data. - Which channel will be affected most by the potential changes? - How will this update affect Google and Android? - Analyzing iOS vs Android users. - Creating connection through data collection.

In today's episode, Ivana and Raoul discuss the influence of Amazon on your ecommerce business. As the platform continues to become even more common, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, it presents complex challenges for sellers to overcome. Together, Ivana and Raoul discuss diversifying from the Amazon storefront, building your brand outside of Amazon, and the cost of advertising on Amazon. Topics covered in this episode: - The perils of relying on one source of revenue. - Ivana’s experience with selling on Amazon. - Understanding the correlations between Google Ads and Amazon. - Competing with the problem of unethical selling on the platform. - Why is it so difficult to move away from Amazon? - How to build your brand outside of your Amazon storefront. - How COVID has impacted ecommerce businesses on Amazon. - Using Amazon as a starting point for your business. - The importance of making a contingency plan for any eventuality. - Understanding the time frame for scaling your business. - The frustrating lack of statistics and data available to you on Amazon. - Collecting and storing data points outside of Amazon. - Tips on how to diversify away from Amazon. - Keeping control of your pricing. - Why you need to create a reward program. - Measuring your expectations of Google Ads as you diversify. - How product inserts bring customers back. - Weighing the cost of ads on Amazon.

What are the must-have trends in your store for 2021? That’s what our hosts will answers for us today. There is a special focus on custom packaging, omni-channel shopping, and product videos. We’ll also hear about sustainable improvements for your brand, creating personal experiences for your customers, and combining your online and offline experiences. Follow the advice found in this episode to make the most of the new year! Topics covered in this episode: - The top trends for 2021. - Understanding how adding new channels to your marketing will impact your revenue. - Creating a story with the customer unboxing experience. - Making sure your packaging is in line with your product. - The possibility of creating a disconnect between packaging and products. - How product videos improve the experience for your customers. - Lowering buyer’s remorse by showing the product. - Using product videos to set customer expectations. - Controlling the narrative of your brand by producing video content. - How product videos can free up your customer service department. - The SEO benefits of using product videos. - What is omni-channel shopping? - Choosing the right fulfillment centres and shipping options for your business. - Unifying the online and offline experience for your customer. - The importance of transparent and efficient communication. - Providing the best options for your customer.

Ivana and Raoul are joined by Guido in this episode. He is a cognitive psychologist, consultant, and someone prolific and supportive of the Magento community. This week’s focus is on the Magento platform and conversion rate optimization (CRO). Along with Ivana and Raoul’s insights, Guido explains when to use Magento, the pros and cons of the open-source version of Magento, and how to accurately test and improve your CRO. Topics covered in this episode: - Why you should give Magento a chance. - When to choose Magento for your business. - The best use cases for Magento. - The pros and cons of the open-source version. - Ivana’s business relationship with Magento. - The importance of working with knowledgeable developers. - Where to find qualified Magento devs. - Where to start when migrating platforms. - Weighing the cost of changing platforms versus staying where you are. - The best time to consider conversion rate optimization. - How to create effective testing for your site. - Problem solving usability issues. - Identifying frustration points of users. - Evaluating the results of testing based on your business goals. - Improving the lifetime value for your customer. - Where to start improving your website experience. Find out more about Guido here: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/gxjansen Find Guido’s podcast CRO Café here: https://www.cro.cafe/ Optimization Hierarchy of Evidence: https://www.gui.do/post/optimization-hierarchy-of-evidence Guido’s website: https://www.gui.do/

In today’s episode, Raoul is off while Ivana is joined by Nedim Sabic, an SEO consultant based in Stuttgart, Germany. Nedim is here to discuss how he ended up as an SEO expert, common SEO misunderstandings, and how to make an informative landing page. Some of the conversations today are centered around usability, emerging SEO trends, understanding user intent, and why Shopify and SEO just don’t mix. Topics covered in this episode: - How Nedim began creating websites at the age of 16. - Becoming a self-taught SEO expert at a time when no one was paying attention. - Nedim’s experience studying and working in Germany. - Why Nedim decided to step away from his 5 companies and go back to consulting. - How Nedim plans to utilize his knowledge by starting his own ecom business in 2021. - The importance of usability in your sites. - Learning that you don’t need to innovate, you just need to find a niche. - Filtering through the noise to find the correct information about SEO. - Common SEO misunderstandings. - The 2 most important aspects of SEO: psychology and usability. - Creating concise product descriptions. - The differences between SEO and SEA. - Finding out what keywords create the best ROI. - Understanding user intent. - Creating an informative landing page. - Optimizing for search engines other than Google. - How SEO could change in 2021. - Shopify and SEO. - The importance of continued investment in new technologies. Find Nedim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neximuss/?hl=en Find Nedim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/neximuss?lang=en Find Nedim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neximuss

Ivana and Raoul discuss reports and how to utilize them for your success. Which reports are relevant to your business and how often do you need to run them? Our hosts are going to answer this for us today. Additionally, we’ll hear about whether or not visuals matter when it comes to reports, why you need to include actionable data, and why micro-managing can be so detrimental to your business. Topics covered in this episode: - Do visuals in reports actually matter? - Creating reports with functional design. - Understanding what you want to report and why. - Streamlining reports to include useful and actionable data. - How to utilize the metrics provided by reports. - Using reports as a measure of success. - How to use reports to test new strategies. - Why agencies and clients need to have a trusting partnership. - How effective communication between all parties can affect report quality. - Where does micro-managing stem from? - How micro-managing can harm your business. - Remembering to focus on the big picture. - Acknowledging and accepting risk as part of the business. - Creating enough data sets to have statistical significance. - Honing in on the relevance of the reports you are running.