The process of scaling an e-commerce business internationally is tumultuous. Whether it’s tax and financial transparency regulations that vary from country to country or how you display pricing so that customers can make fully-informed buying decisions, there are a lot of potential pitfalls that companies can fall into that can have a seismic impact. Evan Wright, Senior Director of Cross-Border Growth at Avalara, joins the show to discuss what you need to know about successfully scale an e-commerce brand internationally and how you can best serve international buyers. Join us as Brian and Evan discuss: - How to navigate the complexities of cross-border tax compliance - Best practices for scaling internationally - The cost considerations brands need to account for before and as they scale - Examples of varying regulations from country to country

Conversational Commerce may be on the rise in the US, but in many parts of the world, it’s already a normal part of everyday life. Across the globe, brands are engaging directly with their customers through text, WhatsApp, and other text-based apps, guiding them through the buying journey for everything from ordering a pizza to buying new clothes. Michael Ricci, Senior VP of Strategy at Sinch, joins us to talk about how companies are utilizing conversational commerce to elevate the customer experience and connect directly to their customers. Join us as Brian and Michael discuss: How conversational commerce is currently being utilized around the world The role of AI and Machine Learning in conversational commerce Why consumers are seeking personalized digital shopping experiences How companies can integrate conversational commerce into their commerce experience flow

While everyone is looking at how the metaverse will impact the future, mobile apps are still king of the hill for creating omnichannel customer experiences and assisting consumers through their buying journeys. How can mobile apps help businesses succeed in 2022 and what new and innovative features are just around the corner? Matt Hudson joins the show to answer that and more. Matt is an experienced app developer with a focus on retail, including the development of the app for Belk, a US-based retail chain with over 300 locations. He is an expert who understands how mobile impacts the retail experience and customer journeys and how brands should approach mobile app development in order to make it sustainable and profitable. Join us as Brian and Matt discuss: Innovative ways retailers are using mobile apps How mobile apps as an omnichannel approach are a huge win for customers and retailers How businesses can determine if a mobile app is right for them How apps can be transformative for customers How to get customers to gravitate toward your app

In this episode, we are continuing the discussion we started in our last episode on the Metaverse. In that episode, we looked at a high-level view of the Metaverse’s impact on digital commerce. In this episode, Johnny Rodriguez, Director of Strategic Innovation at Fresh Consulting and thought leader in the Metaverse space, joins the show to share his experience with the Metaverse and how it is impacting brands today. We discuss: -The many definitions and facets of the Metaverse -How brands have utilized the Metaverse for digital and physical commerce -The roadblocks for building and sustaining Metaverse initiatives in the current landscape -The pros and cons of embracing Metaverse technology

In our ongoing “Take 10” series, Brian takes (at least) 10 minutes to share some perspective on current events, hot topics, and controversial issues within the commerce landscape. The metaverse fits in all three of those boxes, with gaming, NFTs, and AR and VR technology making waves seemingly day after day, it’s important for companies to measure how they should engage with the metaverse, how much they should prioritize it, and what’s at risk if they do or don’t. In this episode, Brian discusses: The Metaverse definition How companies are prioritizing the Metaverse The pros and cons of being an early investor in the Metaverse How many consumers are actually engaging with the Metaverse How NFTs and gaming within the Metaverse are being embraced by consumers Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Commerce Experience in your favorite podcast player.

In 2022, companies are being pressed to find new, more effective ways to find and keep customers. The 2022 Digital Trends & Investment Priorities Report, co-published by Comm-X and CommerceNext, found that companies are still concerned with ongoing supply chain problems, rising customer acquisition costs, data privacy, and more. Facing these challenges, how are companies positioning themselves to find success this year? Hear our conversation with Scott Silverman, Co-Founder at CommerceNext, and Chris Hardisty, VP of Commerce at K-Swiss covering: How companies are forecasting growth for 2022 How rising customer acquisition costs could be a good thing for both brands and consumers The increasing importance of first-data The ripple effect from tragedies around the world on commerce supply chains How site personalization and experience investments are leading the way in building customer loyalty More information about Scott Silverman, Chris Hardisty, and today’s topics: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrsilverman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hardisty-499b4b4/ Other Relevant Links: https://commercenext.com/2022-digital-trends-investment-priorities/ Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Commerce Experience in your favorite podcast player.

In this special episode of The State of Commerce Experience, host Brian Walker speaks with Igor Gorin, Founder & Global Chief Strategy Officer of Astound Commerce, who grew up in Ukraine. Astound is a commerce technology services business with a significant business presence in North America, UK, Europe and with software development centers in Bulgaria, Colombia, Slovakia, Turkey, and four locations in Ukraine, including Kiev. In this episode, Igor speaks to his personal journey growing up in Ukraine, his career journey as he immigrated to the US, his perspective on the ongoing war in Ukraine, what people can do to help, and more. To support any of the organizations mentioned in this episode, visit the links below: International Medical Corps: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-imc Nova Ukraine: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-nova-ukraine Save the Children: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/astound-commerce-save-the-children Kto pomôže Ukrajine (Who’ll help Ukraine): https://www.donio.sk/kto-pomoze-ukrajine?fbclid=IwAR0hr8vPAnnBgr08Xa-0Ee95g7Fq7vCa3KLWrzm9iowiC7wZpOTcS2lbPKU Člověk v tísni (People in need Czech Republic): https://www.clovekvtisni.cz/darujte/jednorazove?amount=1000&accountId=7

Over 95% of online shoppers abandon their carts before checking out, with one in five people doing so because the checkout process is too long or complicated. But one company is helping global brands tackle that problem head-on.

To learn more about how frictionless checkouts drastically improve conversion rates, host Brian Walker speaks to Domm Holland – Chief Executive Officer at Fast, the world's fastest online checkout experience.

Together, they discuss where the idea for Fast came from, why the company is deep-rooted in removing complexities, and how you can make your entire customer journey shoppable. They cover a range of topics, including:

• Removing the complexities of the checkout experience from the shopper

• The convergence of content and commerce that’s happening around the world, and the connective tissue still missing between the two

• And the opportunity for businesses to make the entire customer journey shoppable, from physical spaces to digital marketing channels and more.

This episode is full of insights into the challenges that exist in the checkout experience today, and the ways in which frictionless checkout can help companies improve the entire customer shopping journey. You won’t want to miss it.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us.

Get to know Domm a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/domm/

And find out more about Fast:

https://www.fast.co/home

The holiday season is quickly approaching, and retailers are in store for one of the most challenging seasons in recent memory. With low inventories related to supply chain and logistics, labor challenges, and drops in consumer confidence, retailers are preparing themselves for an interesting few weeks to come. To highlight the factors impacting online shopping this holiday, as well as how retailers are responding, Brian Walker hosts a special 10-minute, solo episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience.’ He discusses a range of topics, including: · His holiday season forecast made weeks prior, and how that forecast has evolved as we’ve gotten deeper into the holiday season. · The challenges facing retailers right now, from supply chain and logistics to waning consumer confidence. · And the changes in strategy retailers are adopting in order to navigate the complexities of this holiday season. This episode is packed with fascinating insights about the build up to the holiday shopping season, where we are now, and where Brian sees us heading in the weeks to come. You won’t want to miss it. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Hear more insights from Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankwalker/

With customers now expecting unified digital experiences wherever they shop, the need for digital transformation has never been more urgent to businesses. But there’s a huge difference between identifying what needs to change and making transformation happen. To learn more about what digital transformation really means, and to help you navigate the process within your company, host Brian Walker speaks to Howard Tiersky, CEO at FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, and author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance. Together, they discuss why digital transformation is so hard to do, yet so important, and why it’s crucial to get inside the heads of your consumers from the outset to understand what really matters to them. They cover a range of topics in this conversation, including: • The tools and techniques you can use to define what needs to change in your digital customer experience. • How to articulate the need for digital transformation to your senior leadership team, especially when they haven’t got an appetite for change. • And what risk factors you need to look out for once your transformation project has been given the green light. This episode is packed with practical advice on how to manage the technology, the people and the politics involved in any big digital transformation project, and the key things you need to consider when it’s time to instigate change. Whether you’re just building the business case, or you’re already underway and facing some challenges, Howard shares some brilliant insights that can guide you towards success. You won’t want to miss it. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Howard a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiersky/ Order Howard’s book, Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance https://winningdigitalcustomers.com/freechapter And find out more about FROM: https://www.from.digital/