The Ecomcrew Ecommerce Podcast

Mike and Dave look back at 2021 and reveal the year's Top 10 EcomCrew Podcast episodes.

Throughout 2021, we've had some great conversations with a lot of interesting people about all things ecommerce—from tips and strategies to taking your business to new heights, to peeling the curtain back on aggregators, to analyzing the latest market trends and Amazon policy drops.

Would you believe that our first episode of the Ecomcrew Podcast was released on October 20, 2015?

In this episode, Dave and I will unveil the Top 10 EcomCrew Podcast episodes of 2021. We'll take a deep dive into what makes these episodes great and why you should definitely go back and give them a listen if you haven't already.

Audio Timestamps:

• Looking back at how the podcast did in 2021 - 5:10
• Best Episodes from 10th to 6th place - 11:34
• 5th Place - 15:19
• 4th Place - 18:47
• 3rd Place - 20:46
• 2nd Place - 30:25
• 1st Place - 35:56

Did your favorite episode make the list?

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to the podcast last year. We couldn't have gotten this far without you! We promise more awesome content for you in 2022.

Happy holidays and, as always, we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Greg have a fireside chat about how they are applying the 4-burner theory as ecommerce sellers to not lose sight of other meaningful things in life.

Being an ecommerce entrepreneur means wearing many hats and oftentimes being so busy that you tend to lose track of other meaningful things in life.

Today, Greg Howlett and I will be talking about the 4-burner theory and how we are applying it to balance our priorities in business and in life. This theory helped me out a lot in my journey towards a balanced entrepreneurship, and I've talked about it in greater detail back in Episode 290.

Greg is a friend I met through Ecommerce Fuel, a community of 6 to 7 figure ecommerce store owners dedicated to helping people build and grow Amazon and other ecommerce businesses.

Today, Greg and I will have a fireside chat about how we balance work, family, friends, and personal health using the 4-burner theory, which can be a struggle for most ecommerce sellers.

Timestamps:

• Introduction - 1:18
• Greg's current Amazon business - 2:50
• Balancing life when the work burner is cranked up - 6:30
• Managing family matters as an ecommerce seller - 21:16

I wanna thank Greg for a very insightful conversation, and I can't wait to hear a lot more from him down the road.

By the way, in case you missed it, our traditional software poll is currently accepting entries! This yearly survey helps us discover trends in the industry and which software and tools sellers are really finding useful in running their ecommerce business.

This year, one lucky person will win a full year's worth of EcomCrew Premium membership absolutely free! Just head over to ecomcrew.com/softwarepoll to participate.

Until the next one, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Amazon sellers use various software as tools to help grow their businesses and make processes smoother. If you've ever wondered which ones are used by most sellers, you're not alone.

To settle this matter, we've decided to bring back last year's survey that will give us a list of the most popular Amazon seller software. We've created a total of four categories, which we discuss in detail in this episode.

The good news is that you can take part in this survey, and after answering just 5 questions, you can get a chance to win a full year of EcomCrew Premium subscription!

Just head on over to ecomcrew.com/softwarepoll, and don't miss your chance to enjoy EcomCrew Premium for free!

For more details about the survey and the software tools we feature, head on over to the EcomCrew blog page and read Dave's article.

If you like this episode, please don't forget to leave us a review over on iTunes. It helps our channel a lot and also allows us to reach more e-commerce sellers who can benefit from our content.

Until the next one, happy selling!

Mike and Josh talk about an ecommerce business acquisition from a seller's perspective—from finding the right buyer, structuring the deal, and taking care of employees.

We've done a whole series with ecommerce and Amazon FBA aggregators throughout the year, so I thought it would be a good idea to hear from someone who's been on the other side of the transaction.

Josh Dittrich is an entrepreneur, exit advisor, and the founder of Branded Seller, a company that helps small-scale businesses raise their valuations and find the right aggregator to work with.

In this episode, Josh will be sharing his recent experience of going through the whole process of selling one of his businesses to an ecommerce aggregator. We'll talk about how he ended up deciding to sell the business, how he found the right aggregators to reach out to, and how he took care of his employees during the transition.

Near the end of the episode, Josh will also give some specific and actionable advice on things you should do if you're looking to secure that profitable exit in a few months or in a couple of years down the road.

Timestamps:

• Introduction - 0:30
• How Josh found the aggregators to reach out to - 3:15
• What the offers looked like and how they structured the deal - 7:18
• How the transition works out for his employees - 14:02
• Josh's specific advice for sellers looking to exit in the near future - 22:47

Resources mentioned: hahnbeck.com

I want to thank Josh for doing this very insightful episode with me. You can reach him directly by visiting brandedseller.com or emailing him at [email protected].

Before you go, don't forget to answer our quick 2-minute Amazon Software Poll for the chance to win a year's worth of EcomCrew Premium membership valued at $2000 absolutely free! Just go to ecomcrew.com/softwarepoll.

As always, please leave us a review over on iTunes if you enjoyed this episode. Until the next one, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Fortunet Co-Founder Yael break down a survey of 42 aggregators to show what they really look for when evaluating ecommerce businesses.

Fortunet, an ecommerce investment and banking firm, just came out with a very insightful report surveying 42 ecommerce aggregators. The report sheds light on what aggregators really look for in businesses and which things have the most impact on buying multiples.

Joining me today is none other than Fortunet's Co-Founder and Partner, Yael Cabilly. We'll be breaking down the report's Executive Summary, which confirms some visible market trends and also debunks some misconceptions you might have about aggregators.

You can access the full report over on Fortunet's website.

Audio Timestamps:

• Introduction to Fortunet - 0:38
• Which categories aggregators prefer most and which ones they exclude - 3:59
• Why buyers don't acquire solely wholesale businesses - 11:07
• Aggregators generally require a minimum operating history of one year - 13:17
• Roughly half of aggregators require at least a 15% SDE profit margin - 15:24
• Most aggregators buy businesses with a minimum purchase price of $500K-1M - 16:37
• 90% of aggregators purchase or prefer to purchase the assets only - 18:01
• 61% of aggregators prefer full acquisition - 20:02
• Preferred deal structures - 22:26
• Some buyers offer some equity in the holding company - 24:44
• Most aggregators do not value additional sales channels, they value patents - 25:13
• Most buyers seek to grow the brand (not flip them) - 26:43

I want to thank Yael for taking the time to break down these findings with me. These definitely add value to anyone listening, especially if you're currently preparing your ecommerce business for sale. If you want to know more about Fortunet and their services, feel free to connect with Yael over on [email protected].

Before we go, don't forget that our limited-time offer of 50% off EcomCrew Premium ends tonight! If you think that unlimited 1-on-1 email support, a wealth of ecommerce courses and resources, and exclusive expert-led webinars will help you take your business to the next level, head over to ecomcrew.com/premium right now to sign up. Use code: ECOMCREW50 to apply the discount.

Happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

There are a lot of marketing channels outside of the marketplace that you can take advantage of. One of the most popular ones? YouTube.

Today, we'll be talking about how you can optimize your YouTube channel to boost your brand's visibility and keep that flywheel going, and we'll use actual before-and-after data from our own channel to demonstrate how much these strategies work.

I'm excited to be joined today by one of our very own team members from the Philippines, Hannah. She has been doing great work with us for a couple of years and she now leads our writing team as well as our prepping and survivalism brand.

Hannah will go over the specific techniques that they used to optimize our own Tactical YouTube channel, with some real-world metrics to boot.

If you're currently doing YouTube or are planning to use it as a content and marketing tool in the future, I'm sure you'll find this episode to be very insightful.

Audio Timestamps:

• Doing a video analysis - 10:22
• Nailing down your keywords - 11:32
• Creating a keyword-optimized titles - 14:54
• Writing an SEO-friendly description - 16:52
• Adding Info Cards and optimized video tags - 23:47
• Having an eye-catching thumbnail - 27:22
• Our actual before-and-after stats - 31:56

I'd like to thank Hannah for doing this episode with me. I'm excited to have our other team members come on the show to give you valuable insights into various aspects of running an ecommerce business.

By the way, don't forget to sign up to our Black Friday waitlist to avail of EcomCrew Premium at 50% off (Discount applies to all plans). Premium is about solutions and actionable advice to help ecommerce sellers not just navigate, but dominate the marketplace.

We offer unlimited 1-on-1 email support from two 7-figure sellers alongside a wealth of ecommerce resources you won't find anywhere else. Take your business to the next level and join our waitlist here.

Until the next one, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

This episode is an addition to our mini series with different ecommerce aggregators who are always on the lookout for potential brands to acquire.

Andrew and Alaina are the CEO and Head of Brand Marketing of Suma Brands, respectively. Their company focuses on buying and growing Amazon FBA and direct-to-consumer businesses.

Today, I get to pick their brains on the biggest things that ecommerce aggregators look for in a brand, as well as the things that they consider huge red flags when evaluating potential acquisitions.

If you've ever courted with the idea of selling your ecommerce business or are planning to sell a couple of years from now, this episode will add a lot of value to you.

Timestamps:

• Introduction to Suma Brands - 4:19
• Suma's core philosophy and their deal structures - 6:13
• What Suma Brands looks in businesses - 16:08
• • #1 Brand magic
  • #2 Product reviews and social proof
  • #3 Opportunities and brand evangelists
  • #4 Proven history of growth
  • #5 Opportunity
• The value of a having a repeat customer base - 21:30
• Which things turn ecommerce aggregators off - 23:59
• • #1 Fake reviews and suspicious metrics
  • #2 Not having a differentiated product
  • #3 Low margins
  • #4 No lifetime value
• Why work with Suma - 36:24

I hope you learned as much as I have from Andrew and Alaina. I definitely can't wait to have them back on the show perhaps a year from now to discuss how much their company has grown. If you're interested in starting a conversation with them regarding your brand, feel free to shoot them an email on:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

Speaking of brands, now is as good a time as any to start thinking of differentiating your products and developing your brand identity. EcomCrew Premium can help you with that.

For a limited time only this Black Friday and Cyber Monday (November 26-29), we're offering EcomCrew Premium at 50% off. Slots are limited, so be sure to sign up to our active waitlist so you don't miss a beat.

As always, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!

Mike and Dave talk about the end of off-Amazon rebates and coupons and what they think sellers across the white-hat-black-hat spectrum will be doing moving forward.

You really can't predict what Amazon will do next these days. One minute I make a prediction that they won't ban rebates because it makes them money, the next minute they're bringing the hammer down on RebateKey.

In this episode, Dave and I will break down Amazon's latest policy drop regarding off-Amazon rebates and coupons, what the next white-hat and black-hat tactics are likely going to be, and how you can still succeed on Amazon moving forward.

Timestamps:

• Why the FTC might consider rebates as review manipulation - 5:22
• What the Amazon policy update means for sellers - 7:09
• The future of RebateKey and rebates in general - 12:19
• How much data Amazon has on its users and which data it tracks - 19:50
• Will Amazon start banning sellers for using rebates? - 25:29

EcomCrew blog articles mentioned:

• Amazon Official Kills Rebates: What Does It Mean?
• Amazon Has 1.28GB of Personal Info on Me - Here's What's In It

If you're interested in building reliable outside assets like content sites, email lists, and influencer partnerships, our book, Amazon Domination, is the best place to start. If you get your copy now, the book is on us for free (just pay for shipping).

Fun episode with Dave as usual, and there's a lot more where that came from. For a limited time only this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we're treating our podcast listeners to EcomCrew Premium at half-off. That's 50% off all EcomCrew Premium plans available only between November 26th-29th.

The waitlist is currently live and the limited slots will be on a first come, first served basis. Head over to ecomcrew.com/blackfriday to secure your spot!

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

Mike looks under the hood of Michael Simpson's niche ecommerce business to determine his biggest growth opportunities.

Growing an ecommerce business can be daunting, especially when you're looking at a number of angles to grow, but you have limited physical and financial capacities.

In this edition of our Under The Hood series, Michael Simpson picks my brain about how he can grow his thriving ecommerce business despite the limited bandwidth.

Some of the opportunities we look at are transporting his website into Shopify and expanding into Amazon FBA, building a team to re-optimizing listings and handle day-to-day operations, and developing his brand. These strategies apply to most ecommerce businesses, so this episode should help you focus on the right growth opportunities as you scale your business.

Courses mentioned: From 0 - 100: FBA For Absolute Beginners

I hope you found a lot of value in this episode, and we'll definitely have Michael back on the show down the road to discuss how far his business will have come along then.

In case you missed it, our EcomCrew Premium Black Friday/Cyber Monday waitlist is already live! It's only going to be open from November 26-29, so if you're down for some heavy discounts to join Premium, head over to ecomcrew.com/blackfriday to sign up.

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

Mike, Dave, and Steve take a break from attending the Indian Wells to talk about the future of Amazon and how the ecommerce landscape is changing.

Greetings from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden!

On this rare occasion that Dave, Steve Chou, and myself got together, we decided to sit down and talk about all the things that have been going on in the world of Amazon and what it means to be an ecommerce seller today.

In this episode, we talk about Amazon's huge policy drops on rebates and giveaways. We also give our personal takes on the current review and ranking system and why sellers and brands use rebates in the first place.

We then move on to discuss Amazon's future direction in broad strokes, particularly with regards to it being both a marketplace and a seller at the same time, and how it tends to give itself an unfair advantage over third-party sellers on the platform.

If you're looking to just relax and listen to a fireside chat between three ecommerce sellers who've been in the game for a while now, this is the episode for you.

Timestamps:

• Why Amazon shut down Elite Seller and RebateKey - 7:42
• The current review and rating system on the Amazon marketplace - 19:48
• How Amazon creates an unfair advantage for itself over third-party sellers - 22:36
• What the landscape looks like for new Amazon sellers moving forward - 32:03
• The perks of having your own website - 37:25
• How we deal with Amazon issues and seller support - 45:48

I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Dave and Steve as much as I have. Be sure to check out Steve's other awesome content over on My Wife Quit Her Job, and we'll definitely have him back on the podcast soon.

On the topic of Amazon, we're still giving away free copies of our book, Amazon Domination, which is a non-nonsense, step-by-step guide to launching your next #1 Amazon Best Seller. Again, the book is free (just pay for shipping and handling). Grab yours here.

If you haven't already, leave us a review over on iTunes and let us know what you think of this episode. As always, happy selling and we'll talk to you soon!