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, 

• The new Data exclusion feature
• Cross account bid strategies
• New Youtube Ads conversion attribution and of course
• The death of Broad Match Modifier match types.

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