Drive and Convert

Feeds are everywhere: Google, Bing, Walmart, Amazon, Facebook, Instagram. Anytime you see a product image and a price on some sort of app, it's probably coming from a feed. And even though they've been around for a while, it's more important than ever to understand how you can use them to your advantage.

With so much automation in the marketing world, some campaign details are out of our control. But, you can still optimize the inputs to a feed and that can be the difference between a shopper clicking on your product over a competitors. 

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about the importance of feeds for ecommerce brands. They discuss why feeds are so important and how to optimize yours for more traffic. 

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. Why feeds are so important right now
2. Where feeds begin and how they work
3. How you can optimize your feeds for more traffic

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Getting others to promote your brand is infinitely more effective than promoting yourself. Face it, the glowing recommendation from a friend might be the only thing to convince brand loyalists to try a new product. 

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about why social proof is one of the most powerful tools of persuasion sellers can employ and how to use it to improve your conversion rate.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. Why social proof is so effective
2. Different types of social proof that can increase conversions
3. How to collect and deploy it on your website

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Google is always changing, so why is the news about Performance Max Campaigns any different? 

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about the massive changes in Google Ads that are coming over the next few weeks. They cover the importance and scale of this particular update and why it matters to you.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. What advertisers should be thinking about as they switch to Performance Max
2. The results brands can expect from the new campaign type
3. How to prepare for the switch
4. The impact this has on brands moving forward

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

There is one major driver of successful and innovative companies: experimentation culture. It begins with a willingness to ask the right questions and stay humble about the answers – data will drive your decision-making, not opinions. But, it's easier said than done. 

In this episode, Ryan and Jon cover the proven steps you can take to build a culture of experimentation in your own company and share examples of brands already putting the steps into action.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. How to start developing a culture of experimentation
2. Mindset shifts you need
3. 6 steps to building an experimentation culture
4. Real-life brands that put this practice into action

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Most brands are already deep into their holiday planning, and there is some really fascinating data that Ryan is seeing from Logical Position clients that's driving Q4 strategies. But, there is still so much unknown. How will a second Amazon Prime Day impact the holiday season? What about all the ecommerce buzz around selling at Walmart? Are there still supply chain issues or do some brands actually have too much product?

 
In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about how Amazon's "most successful prime day ever," and their announcement of a second prime day in Q4, will impact the holiday season for ecommerce brands. They also cover what brands should be doing now to prepare for a great Q4.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. What really happened on Amazon Prime Day
2. The impact of a second Amazon Prime Day
3. If your brand should be selling at Walmart
4. How to prepare for Q4, now

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

One of the largest groups of online shoppers often surprises brands and marketers... adults over 55. While it's a mistake to ignore this key group of shoppers (and their disposable income), it's also tough to connect with them when there's a lack of understanding around their needs and habits. So, to fill that gap, the Good surveyed Active Agers on a large variety of ecommerce practices, attitudes, and their general outlook on digital commerce.

 
In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about the findings and insights from The Good's latest research report published in collaboration with Age of Majority. 

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. How to understand and engage adults 55+ 
2. Surprising (and unsurprising) insights about this group of shoppers
3. How to build trust with Active Agers
4. The best ways to connect and build trust 

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Soon enough, Google will be launching its new Performance Max campaign option. The addition has received mixed reviews from agencies and in-house teams alike, but ad managers will need to find a way to adjust their strategies in this new environment.

In this episode, Ryan and Jon provide a detailed overview of what Performance Max offers, how it fits into the existing set of tools and tech and what acquisition teams should be doing to prepare for the upcoming launch.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. What is performance max in Google Ads and why you should take it seriously
2. How it is different from the existing toolset, and what that means for your campaigns
3. What advertisers need to be doing to prepare and take advantage of this new feature
4. Informed predictions about the long-term impact of Performance Max

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

A lot of CRO firms try to close a deal with an ecommerce brand by promising them that they will run “hundreds of tests,” sometimes over the course of just a few weeks! While that sounds like a great bang for your buck on the front end, it's probably not the best option for your company long-term.

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about the perils of high volume or high velocity testing programs. They also revisit the concept of "rapid testing," including why it's a different (and better) approach than programs built entirely on volume of tests.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. Why, when it comes to testing and optimization, more doesn't always equal better
2. What risks come along with high volume and high velocity testing
3. How to know the difference between a good deal and a "too good to be true" deal
4. How “rapid testing” is a similar, but better approach to optimizing your site

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

There are a lot of companies right now that are seeing poor year-over-year performance in their traffic and sales data. On top of that, there is international conflict in Ukraine and signs of an impending economic downturn. 

Some industries are being hit harder than others, but there are plenty of brands that are feeling anxious – and rightfully so!

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about the current macroeconomic trends and how they are influencing the behaviors of both consumers and brands alike. There is a lot of reason to be pessimistic, but Ryan still has optimism about the rest of 2022, and he's here to explain his position.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. What impact stimulus checks, inflation, and international conflict are having on brands
2. Why poor year-over-year performance isn't the end of the world
3. What has Ryan feeling optimistic about the back half of 2022
4. What you should be doing today to set yourself up for success

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Marketing leaders love to redesign websites. Putting a fresh coat of paint on your brand's online presence feels like a meaningful project to undertake. It certainly is a significant effort, but it isn't always the best decision if you're goal is to improve your sales performance.

In this episode, Ryan and Jon talk about how to know if your brand should invest in a full-scale redesign or commit to an ongoing testing and optimization program. There are merits and flaws to each approach, so you'll want to listen in to figure out which option is right for your business, and what you should do to get started.

Listen to the full episode if you want to learn:

1. How to know if you should be pursuing optimization or a redesign
2. What considerations to keep in mind when redesigning your site
3. What you should know before diving in to optimization
4. The best step to take after you've made a decision between the two

If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We're Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.