Process To Ecom Profits Podcast

Marketing your product to your right consumers is a complex situation. Strategy and knowledge is something that is needed to be successful during this marketing milestone in a seller's success. Krista Neher joins us today and shares her wealth of knowledge about this concept and gives some great insider aspects that are going to help you improve your marketing. 

Links Mentioned: 
Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Krista Neher-Bootcampdigital.com/Linkedin: @kristaneher 

Skip To:
00:56: Can you tell us about yourself?
02:57: What would you tell someone with zero digital marketing experience and want to expand?
05:34: Do you consult with people around building strategy or have a course to recommend?
05:58: Digital Marketing that actually works. Krista’s Book. 
10:35: Engagement is a good metric. Right? (Engagement is a horrible metric)
13:00: Media Spend and Divide it by our Revenue, Do you think this is a good metric? Are there other Metrics you might recommend? (More bang for your buck)
16:30: Facebook’s Case study brings some light to the concept. 
18:01: What would you recommend for brand awareness?
20:49: What would you say to people that said Facebook doesn't work? (IOS Update)
22:47: Do you recommend that people invest in SEO? A way to achieve that without a SEO expert. 
27:06: What other advice would you give someone that is talking about it being their last year on amazon?
 

The Power of Scarcity. In this episode we talk with PDH author Mindy Weinstein about her new book. What is scarcity, what are the types that can be applied to our business and how to use it ethically. We also go into the effect that it has on customers, the physiological impact, how it can help when they are overthinking and finally, how FOMO is closely related to scarcity. 

00:15 Drs Mindy’s introduction

00:45 Mindy’s new book “The Power of Scarcity”

01:10 What made you want to write about Scarcity?

01:50 Scarcity is the most powerful influence tactic.

03:15 What are some of the teaching points from your book that can be applied to the business world?

04:30 Four types of scarcity

04:55 Supply related

06:30 Demand related

07:30 Time related

07:58 Limited edition

09:10 Do the examples also apply to services?

10:15 Not all scarcity gives customers a good impression

10:45 Scarcity needs to be ethical

12:30 Scarcity is informing the customer

13:50 How can we create scarify on our own products?

17:20 Is there a type of scarcity that works best for your client base?

21:25 Scarcity can help people that are overthinking

24:40 Effect of special days like Prime Day, Black Friday Sales, Cyber Monday

25:15 Competition, a side effect of scarcity

26:25 Feeling of excitement

27:25 Scarcity done well

29:00 Creating some distance with yourself and scarcity

29:55 Scarcity and FOMO

34:25 How to order the book?

35:15 What would be the one piece of advice you would give now that we are entering Q4 if you have a physical product?

Taking care of your future is important. As entrepreneurs we get caught up making sure that our business is doing well and we are staying profitable but sometimes we forget that we need to take care of our future selves. Today we have Anna Popke on the show and we get to learn her secrets of success post business making sure that we retire properly. 

Links Mentioned: 
Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Anna Popke- 

Skip To:
00:37: Cindy, do you want to introduce our guest?
03:43: What are some of the things that people should be thinking to prepare for the future while trying to run a business?
09:00: This is just an extension of paying yourself right?
10:45: Do you have advice for someone that explains it as I'm betting on myself to make sure that my future self is taken care of?
15:52: We have stuff in our past that can be used as ammunition when talking to folks like this.
16:54: Take your money outside your business and find ways to invest. 
19:00: What is the burden on the employer offering benefits to employees?
20:00: Differences in the retirement plans. The different IRA’s
24:35: When does the size of your company change the benefits and retirement plans?
27:45: Does a person's age become a factor and are these factors something you help them think about when it comes to retirement or emergencies?
29:30: What do you say to folks to feel better about their changes with the stock market?

Starting your own business is hard enough. Probably one of the hardest things that someone does in their entire life. The last thing entrepreneurs want to worry about is the concept of payroll.
Missy from Gusto has joined us today and elaborates on all the benefits and perks her company offers like contractor payments, simple plans for startup companies, and even HR programs for larger businesses.

Links Mentioned: 
Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Mizzy- Gusto.com (Click Button Learn More)

Skip To:
02:50: Gusto brings connectivity between all platforms that companies use, putting all payroll into one simple platform. 
03:35: What products does Gusto have that helps the beginning entrepreneur?
03:47: The contractor only plan, allowing companies to pay contractors with one platform.
04:59: Can you tell us what the cost is for the contractor only plan?
06:04: The simple plan, for those companies that are just starting out.
07:22: Can you talk about the automatic pilot feature of Gusto?
09:23: Would international accessibility of payroll be beneficial to you?
09:46: Does the program address the issue of state regulations for payments?
10:27: Are you seeing success with companies having happier contractors when using Gusto?
11:48: What are some things that Gusto can help small businesses as they start to grow? How does that benefit program work?
14:15: Do a lot of clients use the workers comp option within Gusto?
15:45: Can you talk about your retirement plans? (Guideline)
17:10: With Guideline itself does each business have the opportunity to select the funds that they are going to be participating in? 
19:50: What does Gusto offer businesses that are needing more of an HR presence?
22:52: It's possible to move in and out of the high end HR plans, can you describe this better for us?
26:25: What is your vision for Gusto? Where do you see it going?

 Burn out is the one thing that every entrepreneur faces as they continue to grow their business over several years. In today's episode, we sit down with Susie to discuss how creativity can be used to help breakthrough burn out.
We also discussed her upcoming book that is utilizing creativity as an entrepreneur.

Links Mentioned:
Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Susie - Inovationandcreativityinstitute.com

Skip To:
01:20: Susie’s Book Buoyant a guide to becoming wildly successful as an entrepreneur.  
01:39: Susie’s Program Sketchbook Entrepreneur Master Class teaches the skills to avoid burnout. 
03:17: What about your entrepreneurial journey stuck out to you? What did you learn and grow from during that time?
06:52: Can you expand on the Liberation Quadrant.
11:00: Can you notice the caution zone? (Where you are comfortable)
12:34: Make sure to look out for the seedlings that bloom as burn out later.
13:18: So how do you know that you are there? Is there a way to tell before you burn out?
15:18: What does the World of burn out look like?
18:15: Can you Talk about the 5 M’s and why they set us up for feeling more expansive in our day?
18:32: Susie describes the Fight of Flight Mode in correlation to the burnout aspect.
25:40: End of Description of 5 M’s 
26:44: What are techniques used by entrepreneurs to wake themselves up? (Pattern Interrupt)
28:33: Awareness of boundaries is important and becomes more accessible after Susie's teachings. 
32:22: Burnout decreases access to the Prefrontal Cortex of the executive functioning part of our brain.
33:45 Cindy’s anecdote.
35:00: Susie, can you tell us how to order the book and release date?

Taxes are a headache. Especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Today we get the privilege of talking with Wendy Barlin, a phenomenal tax strategist and subject matter expert of the tax world.
We discuss concepts like planning for your tax season, the difference between a tax preparer and a tax strategist, the most common missed deductions, and much more. Wendy talks about the ideas of ensuring you love your company, treating it like it's your own, and understanding that you must have the right entity when it comes to your taxes. We also discuss her book (That’s Deductible) which shares multiple strategies and concepts in the world of taxes and entrepreneurship.

Links Mentioned:
Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Wendy Barlin - Wendybarlin.com/aboutprofit.com

Skip To:
02:00: When is the best time to sit down with your tax advisor to plan the rest of your year?
05:45: How much do you need to be prepared before sitting down to discuss a tax strategy?
08:00: What should you be looking for in a tax strategist?
09:30: What is the difference between a tax preparer and a tax strategist?
12:00:  What is the biggest mistake that you see?
14:22: What are the most common missed deductions?
17:14: What tips can you recommend for people relying on debt to keep their business in operation?
22:45: What are you seeing with the market right now and business sales? What should people be considering as they are starting to think about exiting in the next year?
25:18 Becoming an employee of your company after you sell your company. 
28:10: Do you have any guidance for individuals that are just starting out?
32:00: Have the correct entity.
33:15: When can meals be a tax deduction?
35:12: What is the minimum amount for needing a receipt?
36:16: Mention of Wendy’s Book (That's Deductible)

It used to be that having the right keywords and launch strategy was enough on Amazon.   As the Amazon marketplace matures, creative work plays a bigger and bigger role in the success of product launches and overall advertising performance.  Cyndi interviews Nate and Hector of Marketplace Blueprint on how they integrate creative optimization to improve overall ad performance. 

Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com
Nate Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com
Hector - MarketplaceBlueprint.com

2:40 - How to determine if a product needs new creative work? We look at the detail page and Unit/Session percentage, similar to the conversion rate.  

3:50 Marketplace Blueprint’s process to get started with creative work. We look at existing copy looking for keywords in use, product features, and selling points, making sure it follows amazon’s preferred structure and is written with easy-to-understand language. We then move to keyword research to ensure the product is listed for the keywords relevant to its type. We always optimize for mobile, create infographics and add as many pictures and videos about the product as we have available.

6:00 Is there a significant difference between mobile and browser traffic to amazon? At least 50% of traffic comes from mobile, but it varies for each product. This data is found in the business reports on every seller account.

7:44 Which metrics are monitored to make sure a product succeeds? Unit/Session percentage is important, as well as all advertising data such as conversion rate, ACOS, impression, clicks, Click Through Rate, etc. When advertising relevant keywords to a product, but these are not converting, we look at the creative side and detail page to try to identify why the product is not converting. There is a science but also an art to this.

10:55 Does overhauling a listing means changing the direction of the ads? Not necessarily unless the product itself is changing the segment of consumers.

13:25 Do you think brand owners know their target audience or do you need to show them? Initially, they know their target audience, which is the basic starting point. Down the road, content and optimization happen based on data and research.

 15:00 Who would be ready to become a client of Marketplace Blueprint? We usually take clients with existing sales because we like to make data-based decisions. New product launches tend to be the most complicated, especially if they are new to the category; products with no existing traffic take the longest to pick up because they need to go through all stages from awareness to conversion. This is a great example of why Amazon is different from Google; people don’t search for solutions to problems on Amazon but search for the product they want to purchase.

17:00 how to evaluate if your products are a good fit for Amazon. We would look at their product group and use tools to evaluate the search volume of their top keywords. We look at the competitive landscape to evaluate whether they are a good fit.

19:40 What is the relationship between inventory levels and advertising spending? Having good communication between inventory levels and advertising is essential. Amazon will continue to advertise products in transit, and delivery times are often affected by inventory levels which directly impact conversion rates and drive up advertising costs.

25:00 How did the pandemic affect the advertising on amazon? We didn’t see any direct changes to the advertising side. Amazon is very restrictive of the content they allow and are protective of un-sustained claims.

26.40 Are you seeing any trends that are happening in the business? Not really, we have clients in different industries 

If you are only selling on Amazon or if you are selling on your website, you need to understand CRO and how it can help you increase your overall conversion rates and ad performance.   You may have heard about A/B testing; however, Khalid shares many other things you can test and consider when looking at your conversion performance for e-commerce.  

Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com

Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com

Khalid Saleh- Invesp 

Jump To:

01:00 What is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

04:41 If you started on Amazon, you might not have heard of CRO before.  As the platform evolves, buyer expectations have been raised. 

10:24 CRO is more than just button colors and title optimization.  You want to consider off-page influences that could affect your conversion rate. 

13:24 What is the process when working with a CRO specialist?

16:26 How much time do you need to gather data for a good CRO strategy?

20:25 What trends have you been seeing with CRO post-pandemic?

26:00 How can off-page factors impact your CRO on and off Amazon?

30:14 Where do you recommend people start looking at CRO versus traffic when trying to increase sales on your Shopify store?

36:00 What is a good conversion rate for Amazon vs Shopify?

In this episode, Jeremy from Bookskeep shares what you need to be thinking about as you prepare to sell or consider selling your Amazon business.  Jeremy shares what he has seen has helped clients get better offers and close deals faster.   

Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com

Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com

Jump To:
01:45 - What are the clients going through when preparing to sell 

03:30 – Understanding the profitability without the extra stuff that may help the business owners with their taxes 

06:01 – Things that are critical to the business operations and can be considered ad backs 

06:30 – Valuation of business  

07:56 – Financial Statements 

10: 15 – Good insight into what time of the year is the best time to start the process 

12:00 – PPC 

16:00 – Confidence in Numbers 

19:05 – Data 

21:20 – Market 

23:14 – Inventory 

27: 05 – Cool books versus Cash books 

30:55 – having a clean set of books 

33:06 – Start getting educated about what that process looks like 

35:15 – Saving money on bookkeeping 

42: 35 – Making sure you have your trademark filed 

44:08 – Investing in your trademark 

There is one place you need to make sure that you buy your UPC if you want to sell on Amazon, and that is GS1.   In this episode, we will go through what GS1 is, the basics of UPCs and barcodes, and how to avoid potential issues with your GTINs on Amazon. GS1 has recently revamped its pricing so that GS1 barcodes are less expensive for smaller sellers with less than ten products. 

Links Mentioned:

GS1 Website

GS1 Barcode estimator

GS1 YouTube page

Cyndi Thomason - Bookskeep.com

Robyn Johnson - Marketplaceblueprint.com

Jump To:

02:00 How has the pandemic affected the number and type of businesses purchasing UPCs?

03:28 What is a GTIN (Global Trade Identifying Number), and is that number universal only in the US or globally?

05:39 Why can’t I just buy discounted UPCs from eBay since they are so much less expensive?

08:08 How do the prefixes work on Amazon so people can understand why Amazon sometimes kicks back errors when listing with some GS1 GTINs?

11:03 Why are the prices for GTINs so much more expensive on GS1 than eBay's recycled codes?

14:38 How can the products from GS1 help you with shipping and carton labels?  

15:00 What is GS1’s data hub, and how can it help you better keep track of your GTINs?

17:09 What is the thing new companies should know before they purchase their UPCs?

18:39 If you have many product variations, how many GTINs do I need to purchase?

21:00 What about GTINs exceptions on Amazon, does that impact how many GTINs I need to purchase?

22:48 Now that GS1 has allowed for individual barcode purchases, what trends have you seen around UPC purchases over the last few years?

25:00 What is the difference between an EIN versus UPC GTIN?

26:30 What do you need to know about what name to register with GS1?

27:51 What is GTIN hijacking, and how can it cause an error for my GS1 purchased barcode?