The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

In today's episode, Jake is back to discuss the findings from their annual State of the Amazon Seller Report; on topics like Amazon Seller Profitability, the effect of tariffs and freight costs on sourcing decisions, the changing landscape of Amazon advertising, and the importance of diversifying your online presence.

This comprehensive report surveys more than 2,000 Amazon sellers, providing critical insights into the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the industry.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Introduction and overview of the State of the Amazon Seller Report
• 01:25 - Importance of the report and how it helps sellers benchmark their performance
• 03:35 - Discussion on the trend of sourcing from China vs. the United States
• 07:32 - The impact of tariffs, COVID, and logistics on sourcing decisions
• 09:37 - Challenges in finding US-based suppliers and potential business opportunities
• 11:32 - Strong profit margins reported by Amazon sellers
• 12:37 - Comparing the profit margins of Amazon sellers to small businesses in the US
• 13:25 - The challenges of running an Amazon-only business vs. an off-Amazon brand
• 15:39 - The benefits of selling on Amazon, including ease of customer acquisition
• 17:30 - The learning curve associated with starting an Amazon business
• 18:38 - Interest in tracking the trend of net profit for Amazon sellers
• 19:33 - Increase in profitability for surveyed sellers
• 20:18 - The challenges and additional costs of running an e-commerce business
• 23:43 - Challenges with Amazon fees and the need to pivot
• 24:18 - Shifts in advertising spend across platforms
• 25:17 - Using influencers for advertising and video creation
• 27:24 - Trends in Amazon advertising and FBA fees
• 29:05 - Exploring Google ads for more cost-effective advertising
• 30:42 - Benefits of off-Amazon advertising and organic search rankings
• 32:47 - Top product categories and market trends
• 35:40 - Discussing changing product categories in the report
• 37:20 - Top challenges for Amazon sellers
• 38:14 - Issues with optimizing product listings
• 38:49 - Introducing AI Assist for Jungle Scout
• 40:23 - Productivity benefits of using AI Assist
• 42:42 - Main topic: Top concerns for Amazon sellers
• 43:17 - Increasing cost of goods and its impact on sellers

I want to thank Jake for joining me for this very insightful episode.

If you want to dig deeper, check out the full 2023 State of the Amazon Seller Report here.

Lastly, don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoyed this episode. Until the next one, happy selling!

With Seller Summit 2023 coming up in May, Mike and Steve Chou reflect on the value of events, revisit some of their favorite memories, and how its impacted their lives in more ways than one.

Masterminds are one of my favorite segments of a live event. Whether it be EcommerceFuel, Seller Summit, or whatever event that takes place, Masterminds give everyone an opportunity to voice out their problems and get actionable advice from a like-minded group of people.

Steve and I first met during Andrew Youderian's event, at a Mastermind where Steve asked the table for a critique of his website, and we've been friends ever since then.

This episode is more of a fun recap rather than an actionable advisory, but there's a few takeaways to learn from this episode. You'll learn about

1. The costs of cranking up, and keeping your work burner as high as possible.
2. How opening up and trusting like-minded individuals can be more valuable than you think.
3. Why it's good to have a group of friends that can't relate to your entrepreneurial lifestyle.

Timestamps:

• Intro - 00:00
• An overview of what Seller Summit is, and how it's different - 2:42
• How Mike and Steve Chou met for the first time - 5:06
• TAKEAWAY #1: Masterminds give you the advice you need to hear, without the fluff - 7:33
• How Steve Chou got into selling on Amazon - 9:58
• How Steve Chou got marital advice at a Mastermind - 12:22
• How Steve Chou saved Mike's marriage - 14:08
• How Steve Chou made $60k in 90 minutes - 18:03
• How Mike deals with old friends who aren't in eCommerce - 20:51
• Why venture backed businesses are a different gamble - 23:40
• Steve and Mike's experience investing on an eCommerce business together - 25:15
• Why it's important to surround yourselves around those who trust you - 27:55
• How events during the pandemic weren't the same - 33:55
• Seller Summit 2023 details - 36:08

Lots of thanks to Steve for doing this episode with me. If you're thinking about going to Seller Summit, here's a link with a special discount code for Ecomcrew listeners. You can check out all of Steve's other awesome stuff over on mywifequitherjob.com.

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes. Until the next one. Happy selling!

Dave talks about his recent experience traveling back to China after three years of lockdown, from airport and visa requirements, things to do for ecommerce sellers, and cultural shifts.

China, the factory of the world, has once again opened its doors to foreigners after several years of lockdowns and COVID restrictions.

Fortunately for EcomCrew listeners, Dave just came back from his first trip to China post-COVID, and he'll be sharing some of the biggest changes you want to take note of when planning your own trip down south soon.

This episode will cover things like China's current rules regarding old and new visas, practical tips for navigating customs and other travel requirements, and a few changes you might notice when in China.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro

• 01:23 – China has started honoring old visas; How to secure new visas

• 04:09 – Flights to China are extremely expensive

• 05:57 – You need an online customs declaration when entering/exiting China

• 08:37 – Need-to-knows about COVID tests, vaccinations, and masking

• 11:15 – Should you head over to China for trade shows in the Spring?

• 13:26 – Big changes for foreigners traveling to China over the past three years

• 20:04 – Odd and fun things you'll notice when heading back to China this year

• 22:02 – Overall attitudes towards the west and Xi Jinping

• 24:40 – Final thoughts on going back to China

Resources mentioned:

• China Customs Website

• Trip.com

We hope this episode helps you strategically prepare and make the most out of your upcoming trip to China. Please do leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy this kind of content.

Happy selling, and we'll see you in the next one!

Mike and Gary talk about the perks of expanding an Amazon business to Japan, including the actionable steps to get started.

Choosing the right marketplace is just as important as choosing which product to sell on Amazon. But there's one huge marketplace that US- and EU-based sellers may be sleeping on: Amazon Japan.

Amazon.co.jp is one of the biggest marketplaces no one is talking about, with its over 600 million monthly visitors, domestic FBA services, and fewer competitors.

Joining me for this episode is Gary Huang, who's one of our favorite guests on the podcast and is currently dominating the Amazon Japan marketplace as we speak. He'll give some valuable insights about the dos and don'ts of expanding to Japan as an established ecommerce seller, some actionable steps you can take to get started, and a lot of tips and tricks in between.

If you're on the lookout for a profitable Amazon marketplace to expand into, definitely listen in.

Timestamps:

• 1:05 – Are Amazon sellers sleeping on Japan?

• 3:44 – Japan's ecommerce market makeup—why it's a great opportunity for sellers

• 5:55 – The perks of selling on Amazon in Japan

• 8:37 – The right way to translate your listings to Japanese

• 9:25 – Why I'm pessimistic about continuing on the Amazon treadmill

• 11:37 – Differences between Amazon US and Amazon Japan

• 14:40 – How your costs are lower when selling on Amazon Japan

• 16:13 – Debunking some myths about selling on Amazon Japan

• 18:45 – Steps to get started selling on Amazon Japan

• • 18:56 – Step 1: Product-Market fit analysis and the right way to do it

  • 21:35 – Step 2: Checking Japan product regulations

  • 24:12 – Step 3: Being aware of compliance and licensing

  • 26:32 – Step 4: Transferring your Brand Registry to Japan

  • 27:19 – Step 5: Get your translations done; Offer japanese language customer support

  • 28:15 – Step 6: Localization

  • 29:18 – Step 7: Getting ready to sell

• 30:11 – How to price your products on Amazon Japan and other marketplaces

• 31:54 – The first ever Amazon seller summit in Japan

I wanna thank Gary for giving us yet another value-packed episode. If you're thinking about selling on Amazon Japan in the near future, be sure to check out the first-ever 7 Figure Seller Japan Mastermind in Tokyo this April 4-5 to listen in to some deep dives on Japan ecommerce from Amazon insiders, expert importers, and more.

That's it for this episode. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy all our content. Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

"Every man has two lives, and the second starts when he realizes he has just one"— Confucius.

In this episode, I'll be talking about the recent passing of my cousin and longtime business partner Jay, and the valuable lessons I learned from taking care of him during his final days.

Dealing with the aftermath of a loss and the thought of one's own mortality can be difficult—even morbid—topics, but I've come to realize the infinite value of taking control of our lives, planning for the aftermath of our own passing, and getting our affairs in order for the sake of those we leave behind.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro

• 05:10 – Becoming caretakers for our loved ones

• 06:55 – Schedule your annual checkup ASAP

• 11:36 – Getting your affairs in order

• 16:11 – Dealing with the trauma of loss

• 19:12 – The value of coming to terms with your own mortality

I want to thank Jay for all the memories and everything we shared together.

Please make sure to get that checkup and let me know if you can. It would mean the world if even only one person takes action because of this episode. Entrepreneur or not, always remember to prioritize your health and advocate for being prepared for the worst case scenario in this unpredictable life.

Happy selling, and I'll see you in the next one.

Mike and Dave discuss the thought processes and nuances of their business goals for 2023 and beyond.

Setting a trajectory and an overarching vision for your ecommerce business is not as simple as it sounds. There are myriad factors that can influence how and why you set your goals and, more importantly, whether they are realistic and achievable for your company.

In this episode, Dave and I will not only be talking about what our goals are, but we'll be talking in-depth about the thought process behind those goals and the various nuances of effective goal-setting for an ecommerce brand—from the quality of your employees, to your team structure, to which aspects of your finances play key roles in your company's growth prospects.

Timestamps:

• Intro - 0:00

• The driving force behind Mike's diligence when it comes to 2023 planning - 1:56

• How involved should you be when it comes to setting goals? - 2:56

• Goal #1 – Dave's first goal of the year and the dilemma about goal-setting - 4:08

• Mike's accomplishments in 2022 - 5:32

• Our goal for EcomCrew in 2023 - 6:37

• Why goals-setting depends on what type of team you have - 7:35

• Dave's big mistake when setting goals - 8:18

• How to draw the line between leading and doing - 10:42

• Should you have a CEO/COO? - 12:52

• Goal #2 - Focusing on defensible products - 17:58

• The strategy of launching products monthly - 19:32

• Big ecommerce opportunities in 2023 - 23:12

• What qualifies as a 'moat' around your products? - 26:16

• How long can that moat around your products last? - 32:12

• Goal #3 - Being more hawkish on costs - 38:11

• Should you turn off all auto-campaigns on Amazon? - 39:56

• Is the Peel, Stick and Block method still as relevant as before? - 42:00

• Dave's thinking of a brand sale - 46:11

• Are FBA Aggregators looking to go public this year? - 50:00

• Is investing in Amazon Businesses better than Treasury Bills? - 51:19

I hope you took away some valuable insights from this episode that you can use to sort out your business goals for this year. Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content.

Happy selling and I'll see you on the next one!

Mike and Kevin talk about the value of your time and setting priorities as an ecommerce influencer, the reward of being able to help other people out, and what the endgame is for recognized personalities in this space.

Being a recognized personality in ecommerce takes a toll, whether it be on your time, your energy, or even just struggling to manage your relationships with people. In this episode, we'll talk all about the value of amplifying your time as an ecommerce influencer, why we do what we do, and where this niche industry is heading—joining me for this one is a legend in the space, Kevin King.

Kevin is a highly regarded figure in the ecommerce ecosystem who's built a solid following for things like the Freedom Ticket Course and the Billion Dollar Seller Summit. He is also now the host of the AM/PM Podcast, which is among the best listens I can recommend to ecommerce sellers of all stripes.

Timestamps:

• The value of multiplying your time as an ecommerce influencer – 0:55
• How I handle ecommerce consulting requests and other gigs – 5:30
• Some perks and struggles of being recognized by people – 6:49
• The rewards of helping ecommerce sellers and making a difference – 10:44
• Kevin's experiences as a well-known figure in ecommerce – 13:05
• What's the ideal endgame for ecommerce influencers? – 15:10
• How Amazon and the ecommerce industry in general is shifting – 20:24
• Why government intervention is good for Amazon sellers – 24:55
• What made Mike decide to move to Vegas – 28:06
• What the Billion Dollar Seller Summit is all about – 30:15
• How to get a hold of a replay package from the Summit – 39:44
• Growing a podcast in the ecommerce space – 42:18

I want to thank Kevin for taking the time to do this episode with me and giving some invaluable insights all of us can reflect on. Check out some of the awesome stuff he's doing below:

• The Freedom Ticket
• Billion Dollar Seller Summit
• AM/PM Podcast

That's it for this episode. Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Dave reflect on 2022 as ecommerce entrepreneurs, including their biggest wins, failures, and general outlook moving forward.

2022 was a year of successes and challenges for ecommerce sellers—the industry is literally shifting right beneath our feet!

In this episode, Dave and I will take a closer look at how 2022 has been for us as ecommerce sellers, what with all that's going on between the market coming out of the pandemic, changing administrations, and Amazon's constantly changing policies.

We'll be breaking down some of our biggest wins, including raising our traffic on all properties, as well as our biggest challenges, such as nightmares on the logistics front. We'll also touch on the biggest complexities that we faced as entrepreneurs to give you an idea how to sort them out for your own business.

Timestamps:

• Why we think our annual review episodes do so well – 0:55

• What grade would we give our 2022? – 3:15

• Why 2022 was the year of margin compression for Amazon and third-party sellers – 9:00

• The biggest complexities in business that we dealt with last year – 15:12

• Should you rent or buy your own warehouse? – 17:31

• How we raised SEO traffic for all properties – 23:22

• The value of a healthy work-life balance for entrepreneurs – 34:35

• Why 2022 has been a real hiring nightmare for ecommerce sellers – 39:36

It's been a rollercoaster of a year indeed, but we're always grateful to you guys for sharing your time with us and supporting this podcast. Here's to a lot more reasons to celebrate this 2023.

Don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoyed this episode. Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Ben do a rundown of EcomCrew's top podcast episodes of 2022, which includes a couple of pleasantly surprising entries this time around.

Last year was another one filled with insightful conversations with people from within (and some outside of) the ecommerce ecosystem. In this episode, our podcast editor Ben will join me for a rundown of EcomCrew's Best Podcast Episodes of 2022 where we'll explore which episodes really resonated with our listeners this past year.

Timestamps:

• How we find out our top podcast episodes every year – 2:50

• #10 E438: Trekking Through Product Development with Hasan Hasmani – 5:10

• #9 E440: Our First (and Only) Episode on Cryptocurrency – 8:05

• #8 E427: The Top 10 EcomCrew Podcast Episodes of 2021 – 10:58

• #7 E431: Struggles of Running an E-Commerce Business Amid A Pandemic – 11:49

• #6 E437: Making Sure Your Price is Right with Drew Marconi – 13:52

• #5 E432: Mike and Dave's Business Review 2021 – 15:35

• #4 E445: Everything You Need to Scale Your FBA Business [Under the Hood] – 17:42

• #3 E425: The 5 Best Amazon Seller Software in 2021 – 21:15

• #2 E424: How to Sell Your Brand for 8 Figures with Josh Dittrich – 23:29

• #1 E426: Applying the 4-Burner Theory for Ecommerce Sellers with Greg Howlett – 26:38

I want to thank everyone for supporting the EcomCrew Podcast. Whether you've been with us from the start or are just tuning in, I appreciate your time and feedback. I'm sure 2023 will be another year of insightful podcast episodes, and I can't wait to unpack which ones top the charts next time around.

As always, don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoy our content. Happy selling, and we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Ben go over EcomCrew's Amazon ToS Handbook to answer some burning questions you might have as an ecommerce seller.

Being an Amazon seller is tough, and the fact that Amazon rarely ever gives categorical answers to sellers' questions does not make it easier. Matter of fact, Amazon's selling terms of service are almost always either vague, elusive, or downright contradictory.

This is why we crafted EcomCrew's Unofficial Guide to Amazon ToS, where you can find the answers to all your burning questions as a seller all in one place.

In this Back to Basics session, Ben and I will go through the handbook to give you a clear idea of what you can and cannot do on Amazon..

Timestamps:

• Intro – 00:00
• EcomCrew's Unofficial Amazon ToS Handbook – 1:50
• The big problem with Amazon's terms of service – 3:10
• Can I put my URL on the product packaging? – 5:35
• Can I add HTML links to my Amazon product description? – 12:40
• Why is my product tagged as an adult item when it's not? – 14:04
• Is there a limit to how expensive I can sell my product? – 19:03
• Can my friends and family write customer reviews for my products? – 21:40
• Can I pay for product reviews? – 25:45
• Is encouraging customers to leave positive reviews allowed? – 32:59
• Can I give away my products? – 35:30
• Are using two-step URLs still a thing? – 37:00

I wanna thank Ben for coming on and doing this very insightful episode with me. Check out some of our other Back to Basics episodes below:

• E456: Back to Basics – Costs and Profitability Q&A

• E465: Increasing Profitability Q&A

Please don't forget to leave us a review on iTunes if you enjoyed this episode. Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!