In this episode of Chew on CRO, we discuss the significance of proper data analysis and strategies in CRO and highlight common data hygiene problems in brand, with Ned Macpherson from Endrock! We also discuss the transition from Google Analytics 3 (GA3) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), and the importance of high-level metrics such as pages per session (PPS), session duration (ASD), and bounce rate in evaluating brand growth and user engagement.

💡 Importance of experimentation in CRO strategies and GA4 for data analysis and optimization.

📈 Segmentation of website data to understand conversion funnels and areas for improvement.

📊 Key metrics to measure, including traffic trend, ad to cart rate, and checkout transaction rate.

🧠 Concept of testing and learning from different strategies to improve user experience and conversion rates.

📉 Warning against measuring metrics that cannot be acted upon, in order to focus on actionable data.​

0:00 - The importance of experimentation in DTC success

​0:41 - Introduction to Ned from Endrock

​1:06 - What is "Chew on CRO"?

​1:35 - The importance of data points and strategies in CRO

​2:09 - Common data hygiene problems in brands​

3:06 - Transitioning from GA3 to GA4 and the importance of setting up GA4 properly​

4:00 - Accessing historical data in GA4​

5:01 - The significance of high-level metrics in evaluating brand growth​

6:01 - The relationship between pages per session (PPS) and session duration (ASD)

​7:00 - Understanding bounce rate and its impact on user engagement​

10:06 - The difference between bounce rate and exit rate​

12:07 - The importance of engagement rate as a metric

​14:06 - The importance of segmenting website data for conversion rate optimization (CRO)​

18:02 - Ad to cart rates and how they can be inflated​

20:05 - The importance of focusing on checkout rate​

22:01 - Optimizing the checkout process to improve conversion rates

​25:40 - Addressing checkout abandonment​

31:00 - The impact of shipping charges on checkout abandonment​

34:07 - The importance of conducting variable experimentation and A/B testing for future business growth

Maxx Chewning, YouTube sensation turned successful entrepreneur, traces his path from fitness content creator to founder of the 8-figure brand Sour Strips! He emphasizes the significance of pursuing your passion and being bold, and candidly shares the challenges he encountered and how he learned through doing. His inspiring journey underscores the power of authenticity and the notion that starting a business doesn't require knowing everything – the key is simply to take that first step!

🚀 Ever Forward reached its peak revenue of $1.6 million in 2019 before the spotlight shifted to Sour Strips.

🍬 Sour Strips achieved impressive online sales of $500,000 in its first 3 months, demonstrating great momentum and a significant expansion into retail.

💻 The strategy for marketing and promoting Sour Strips encompassed leveraging Maxx’s personal brand and utilizing social media and email marketing to engage the audience.

1:33 - Maxx Chewning talks about his experience in the fitness industry for the past 10 years.​

2:33 - The start of Maxx's YouTube channel in 2013.​

3:47 - The misconception of wealth in the fitness industry.​

5:22 - Maxx Chewning explains how he strategically built relationships with different niches.​

7:09 - The growth of Maxx's YouTube channel

​14:33 - Maxx reflects on his journey and the decisions he made.​19:13 - Maxx encourages viewers to follow their dreams.​

21:09 - The impact of money on Maxx's passion.​

26:01 - Maxx's approach to selling products and providing free information.​

34:19 - Maxx discusses the growth of his clothing brand, Ever Forward Apparel​

43:12 - The team structure and growth of Ever Forward Apparel

50:41 - The futue of Ever Forward Apparel?​

59:14 - Maxx discusses the growth of his team

​1:01:14 - The cost-effectiveness of outsourcing ads.​

1:02:35 - The importance of branding and packaging.

​1:04:00 - Maxx shares his love for candy and his passion for creating new flavors.​

1:05:25 - The importance of relatability in branding.​

1:07:19 - Maxx discusses the disruptive nature of Sour Strips and the importance of standing out in the market.

​1:08:11 - Performing creatives and whitelisting in advertising.

1:09:27 - Running ads through another profile and optimizing ad angles.​

1:10:07 - The importance of creating captivating captions for ads.

1:10:30 - The benefits of utilizing whitelisting, especially for founders.​

1:11:35 - Maxx discusses his experience with Sour Strips and the importance of consistency in branding.​

1:12:10 - Maxx reflects on the misconceptions of building a brand and the challenges he faced.​

1:13:36 - The impact of money on Maxx's motivation and the future of Sour Strips.​

1:14:19 - Maxx shares his approach to building a sales team and expanding distribution.​

1:15:59 - Maxx mentions using Google Sheets for business analytics and the importance of knowing your numbers.​

1:19:26 - The importance of creating a unique and disruptive brand.​

1:24:03 - The importance of innovative packaging to stand out from competitors.

​1:25:03 - Maxx shares his strategy for pricing products competitively.

​1:26:39 - Maxx talks about the importance of creating engaging and relatable content on YouTube.

Wiz of Ecom, a prominent figure in the online business world, breaks his anonymous status to share his journey from starting in business at a young age to exploring different methods and eventually finding success online.

Adriana Carrig, Founder and CEO of the Little Words Project discusses her experience with DTC retail storefronts, particularly Target. She talks about her background and how she has lived out the brand's values of empowerment and positivity. She also shares the challenges she has faced as a business owner and the importance of staying committed to the brand.

​0:00 - DDC retail storefronts Target​

1:15 - Background of The Little Words Project ​

3:12 - Challenges of being a business owner

​4:10 - Empowerment and positivity​

5:06 - Commitment to the brand

6:12 - Difficulty of growing a business​

7:37 - Dealing with negativity​

8:18 - Spreading positivity and empowerment​

9:09 - Making bracelets for self-love​

10:11 - Overcoming challenges and growth​

34:32 - Importance of remaining committed to their brand values.​

35:03 - New method of "Slow Hire Fire Fast" in business.​

35:38 - Challenges of offloading inventory and dealing with negativity are discussed.​

36:27 - The importance of having the right people on their team.​37:14 - The importance of building a positive and collaborative work environment.​

38:00 - The challenges of building a remote team.​

38:38 - The importance of understanding the assignment and making big decisions.​

40:11 - Marketing strategies and collaborations, including a Barbie collaboration.​

43:14 - Unique selling points of their products and the value they add to customers' lives.​

This episode features an interview with Jake Karls one of founders of Midday Squares, a successful chocolate bar brand. He discusses the importance of staying true to business development and building relationships with people and teams. Jake emphasizes the creation of emotional connections with customers through storytelling. He explains the concept of Midday Squares, a chocolate bar with a functional twist. He discusses their journey of getting Midday Squares products into major retail stores like Target and the challenges that come with it. Jake also opens up about his personal experience with burnout and emphasizes the importance of self-care. He touches on the challenges of hiring the right people and creating a positive company culture

​1:20 - Stay true to who you are

​2:10 - Make an emotional connection​

3:32 - The story behind Midday Squares

​5:03 - Building a community based on emotional connection

​6:04 - The co-founders' different skill sets

​7:04 - The importance of building a community

​9:03 - The growth of Midday Squares​

11:02 - The challenges of scaling the business​

12:15 - The importance of storytelling in retail​

14:00 - The retail journey of Midday Squares

​29:51 - Importance of building a community and scaling a business.​

30:19 - Power of emotional connection and engagement with the audience.​

31:02 - Correlation between viral videos and emotional impact.​33:03 - Impact of storytelling on retail and how it drives customers to stores​

34:41 - Importance of building trust and respect with retailers​35:42 - Working with creators and influencers​

37:09 - Making mistakes and learning from them​

38:16 - They discuss the challenges of business growth and the importance of taking risks​

41:05 - Burnout and finding balance

​45:20 - Motion and visual appeal in advertising campaigns

Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify, joins the podcast to discuss the current state of e-commerce and the role of Shopify in the retail industry. They talk about the growth of e-commerce during the pandemic and its return to more normal levels. The conversation also focuses on the changing role of physical retail and the need for authenticity in brand experiences. We highlight the rise of new brands and opportunities in the retail space, as well as Shopify's commitment to shipping cool products. We also discuss the importance of turning aspirational entrepreneurs into actual entrepreneurs and the benefits of being part of the Shopify community. We conclude the discussion on improving the customer journey and the value of long-term relationships with customers.

In this episode, we sat down with Ned Macpherson - Founder of Endrock Software - a boutique CRO agency. We touched upon the importance of the timing of Black Friday offers, and keeping it SIMPLE! Ned also lifts the lid on what some of his clients are doing to maximize this Black Friday Cyber Monday, as well as some of the common mistakes he’s seen brands make.

Sponsored by:

🚀 Endrock is a boutique CRO agency that works with several 9-figure brands and has helped us increase our conversion rate by almost 50%. If you’re interested in working with them or learning more about them: https://endrock.software/

In this bonus episode, Chew On This is expanding its offerings beyond being just a podcast. The team discusses the recent acquisition of Coffee Over Cardio, a brand focused on wellness with a coffee-first approach. This acquisition allows Chew On This to integrate Coffee Over Cardio into its existing infrastructure, improving efficiencies. The team is excited about starting fresh with this new venture and intends to have fun with it. They also provide insights into starting a brand with a strong performance side, analyzing data to make cost-effective decisions, and implementing server-side tracking for more accurate measurement. Additionally, the team emphasizes the importance of customer service and automation for a seamless customer experience. Overall, Chew On This is committed to providing a seamless customer experience and driving the success of their brand.

This bonus episode discusses Black Friday and the strategies that businesses should consider in order to optimize their sales. The speaker highlights the importance of catering to both existing and new customers, being intentional in marketing efforts, and ensuring profitability on the first order. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the need to stay updated on trends and consumer behavior, leverage budgets effectively, and position the brand as a valuable choice for customers during the holiday season. It also suggests offering exclusive and new products to excite customers, balancing aggressive marketing with inventory management, and focusing on actual product value rather than gimmicky gifts. The episode concludes by stressing the significance of being on customers' shopping lists and utilizing retargeting campaigns to drive sales. Overall, the podcast provides valuable insights and practical advice for businesses preparing for Black Friday.

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In this episode, we are introduced to Eric Netsch, who discusses Tapcart and its impact on the commerce landscape. Tapcart is a platform that focuses on creating retention and conversion strategies for brands. They primarily target enterprise-level merchants, aiming to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value. Netsch highlights the importance of mobile web and mobile experiences in e-commerce, emphasizing the need to cater to that audience. He explains how Tapcart provides incremental value beyond Facebook and other channels, allowing merchants to understand the effectiveness of their app. Additionally, Netsch mentions that building an app with Tapcart doesn't require extensive development knowledge. Overall, Tapcart offers features that benefit both consumers and brands, making it a valuable tool in the commerce industry.

0:14 - Cultivating our community is a key focus for us.