The Ecommerce Roadmap

Recently our team was at our annual retreat. Picture six of us in pajamas, coffee in hand, swapping stories about what we'd do differently if we started our stores from scratch.

The stories came fast. Some of them were funny. A few were painful. All of them were lessons we learned the hard way.

By the time the coffee ran out, we had a list of seven rules. Tina, our lead member success coach, joins me on the podcast this week to walk through every one of them.

• The "one box" rule Tina made for herself, and why it might be the quickest way to stop losing money on orders you thought were profitable

• Why a 50% margin can still leave you broke, and the simple bit of math that makes the problem obvious

• The supplier trap most resellers don't see coming, plus four ways to protect yourself before it happens to you

• What I learned clearing out a whole year of hot pink, teal, and purple shoes, and the yearly habit that can get you more sales by selling less

• The smarter way to sell a one-and-done product without letting ad costs eat your margin

And here's what I really want you to hear. None of this is about starting over. You're the boss. If something in your business is making your life hard, you're allowed to change it. Pivoting isn't failing. It's being smart.

RELATED LINKS:

How Lisa Simone grew her audience before she launched. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/from-business-launch-to-sold-out-how-lisa-did-it-episode-339

How Victoria Mlady found the perfect Audience for her high end custom Wallpaper https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/this-artist-narrowed-her-focus-and-quadrupled-her-sales-episode-317

See how Snag Tights uses copy and images to demonstrate "Who" they serve. https://snagtights.us/

See how Jen Cura, uses Lead Generation ads as an affordable way to scale the sales of her high end custom product https://thepatchworkbear.com/?srsltid=AU7gw4WOzB5a_d-huapN3eCm6X5VWFWEM8-IHoXekKnhHXVhAVQ22Bzo

------------------------------------- Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ "Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales. Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Kris Heeter is a retired scientist who swore she didn't have an artistic bone in her body. She now runs B-Town Zentangle, teaching creative drawing to people who feel exactly the same way. In just one year as an Inner Circle member, she's doubled the number of students she teaches, and her sales are on track to double too. And she did it without a big launch or a single influencer. In this episode, Kris shares the four simple, consistent habits that got her there, and why she was focused on profit from day one.

Listen in and learn:

• The $5 experiment, and the customers it surprisingly kept coming back

• The profit lesson she learned decades ago that most founders learn far too late

• The one list-building event she dropped, and the one she's run three months in a row

• The mindset that keeps you from burning out in your first few months

What Kris has done is exactly what I wish every new business owner would do.

RELATED LINKS:

Connect with Kris

• Website: btownzentangle.com

• Facebook: BTown Zentangle

• Instagram: @btown_zentangle

Generate weekly income with this simple strategy https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/generate-weekly-income-with-this-simple-strategy-episode-293

This store owner grew her list by more than 1600 names - and you can too https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/this-store-owner-grew-her-list-by-more-than-1600-names-and-you-can-too-episode-336

How a Maker Scaled Her Sales and Replaced Her Teaching Salary in 4 Months https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-a-maker-scaled-her-sales-and-replaced-her-teaching-salary-in-4-months-episode-327

Sam Cut Her Ad Spend and Doubled Her Sales and saved her business https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/sam-cut-her-ad-spend-and-doubled-her-sales-and-saved-her-business-episode-337

She Started with $4K and a Dream https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/she-started-with-4000-and-a-dream-now-she's-in-the-top-5-episode-320

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Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales.

CLICK HERE, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Does social media feel harder than it used to? You're not imagining it. Reach is shrinking, the rules keep changing, and a lot of store owners are ready to walk away entirely.

Before you do, listen to this. I sat down with Melissa Davies, our Inner Circle social media coach and founder of Bike Pretty, and asked her to share exactly what's working right now. She sells a niche, high-ticket product, spends barely $10,000 a year on ads, and has one of the lowest customer acquisition costs I have ever seen. Her secret is organic, and you can copy it.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The one number that tells you whether a post is actually working (and it's not likes or comments)

• The platform your customer is still opening every day, even if you think she's "too young" for it

• How to post consistently without getting sucked in for 3 hours

• The goldmine of customer research sitting in your inbox right now

• The posting frequency that sounds completely unreasonable, and why it's easier than you think

If you've been thinking about quitting social media, please, please read this first. I promise it's simpler than you think.

RELATED LINKS:

Learn more about the Inner Circle here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

The Most Powerful Marketing Activity https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-most-powerful-marketing-activity-episode-285

Create a Successful, Stress-Free Video Strategy https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/create-a-successful-stress-free-video-strategy-episode-276

The 'Marketing First' Strategy That Grew This Business to 4.6M Views https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-marketing-first-strategy-that-grew-this-business-to-4-6m-views-episode-257

Your customers are already asking ChatGPT which products to buy. Right now, either you're the answer or your competitor is.

Today, Inner Circle coach and AEO expert Matt Demers breaks down exactly how to get your store recommended by AI. It's the same strategy he uses for his private clients, whose AI traffic converts at about double their organic search rate.

This is one of the fastest, cheapest ways to send buying traffic to your store, and it's free.

Come listen. You'll leave with 3 things you can do to get this working for you.

3 things you can do to move the needle now:

1. Turn on two Shopify tools you probably already have. One shows you exactly which AI searches you're showing up for (and which ones you're missing). The other tells AI what it needs to know to recommend you with confidence.

2. Add the one page element Matt calls the most actionable AEO step there is. It helps you rank on Google, get recommended by AI and convert more shoppers, all at the same time. Find out how many Matt recommends per page.

3. Use Matt's shortcut to the top of ChatGPT. One simple outreach move made his client ChatGPT's top recommendation in their category within a month, and all it cost was free product.

Use the AI Visibility Check tool here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/ai-visibility-check

RELATED LINKS:

If you're an Inner Circle member, you'll find Matt's FAQ service in your done-for-you packages, with special member pricing. You can also book a coaching call so Matt can look at your store and give you personal recommendations, or tag him in our Facebook group.

Learn more about Matt's team at diffusedigitalmarketing.com

The One Product SEO Strategy That Actually Works https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-one-product-seo-strategy-that-actually-works-episode-341

Find your future Buyers - using SEO for Ecommerce https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/find-your-future-buyers-using-seo-for-ecommerce-episode-274

Use these 3 steps to get featured in Gift Guides https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/use-these-3-steps-to-get-featured-in-gift-guides-episode-252 --------------------------------- Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales.

CLICK HERE, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Think SEO doesn't matter if nobody's searching for your product? I used to think that too. Then I sat down with Matt Demers, SEO expert and our very first male coach in the Inner Circle, and he changed my mind.

Matt has spent years growing e-commerce stores through SEO, including helping one brand 10X its traffic in just six months with a single collection page. In this episode, he breaks SEO down for total beginners: what to focus on, what to ignore, and where to start when you only have an hour a week.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The one SEO decision that makes everything else pointless if you get it wrong

• A simple five-letter framework that uncovers keywords hiding inside products you already sell

• How one store 10X'd its traffic in six months without making anything new

• The technical SEO error you need to fix right away, and the popular "fixes" that are secretly wasting your week

• Where to start if you only have one hour a week to spend on SEO

Matt also shared his keyword placement checklist, the same one his agency uses for every client. You'll find it linked below.

RELATED LINKS

Grab Matt's keyword placement checklist by going to our blog post, CLICK HERE

You can find more of Matt's free content at diffusedigitalmarketing.com, on Instagram at @diffuse_digital, and on YouTube.

Find your future Buyers - using SEO for Ecommerce https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/find-your-future-buyers-using-seo-for-ecommerce-episode-274

SEO for Ecommerce Store Owners Only https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/seo-for-ecommerce-store-owners-only-episode-218

Use these 3 steps to get featured in Gift Guides https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/use-these-3-steps-to-get-featured-in-gift-guides-episode-252

--------------------

Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKv

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales.

Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

If you only had two hours a day to work on your business…what would you do with them?

Shae Miller runs Nobly, a handmade timber decor brand for kids' rooms, around homeschooling three kids and a part-time nursing job. She gets about two hours a day to work, mostly during nap time. In the year since joining the Inner Circle, she has grown her sales by 40% over the previous year without spending a dollar more on ads. In this episode, I sit down with Shae to break down exactly how she did it, from the simple change that nearly doubled her average order value to the mysterious "Important" page that turns browsers into subscribers.

Listen in and learn:

• How Shae almost doubled her average order value

• The weekly numbers habit that helped Shae spot her record-breaking month before it happened

• How understanding your funnel takes the emotion out of slow weeks

• A GENIUS (and free) way to build an email list full of high-intent buyers

If you're short on time and want growth that doesn't depend on ad spend, this one's for you.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out Shae's store here: https://knobbly.com.au/

How a Maker Scaled Her Sales and Replaced Her Teaching Salary in 4 Months https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-a-maker-scaled-her-sales-and-replaced-her-teaching-salary-in-4-months-episode-327

How Sarah Built a Full-Time Income Selling Her Art Online (Without Ads) https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-sarah-built-a-full-time-income-selling-her-art-online-without-ads-episode-313

The real reason your sales are unpredictable https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-real-reason-your-sales-are-unpredictable-episode-310

This store owner grew her list by more than 1600 names - and you can too https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/this-store-owner-grew-her-list-by-more-than-1600-names-and-you-can-too-episode-336

-------------------------

Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales.

Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Lisa Simone went from 20 years in PR to selling out her very first inventory order of the Female Founders Journal. She funded it with a Kickstarter, grew it through community, and did it with just one product. In this episode, she shares exactly how she got there and what she's doing to sell out again.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The absolute WORST way to spend your ad money

• How (and why) to build a flywheel, not just a funnel

• The one specific data point that changed everything for Lisa (and how she learned to trust it)

It's important for every store owner to hear this, because it's a great example of how stepping out of your comfort zone and investing your time rather than dollars is the quickest way to reach your goal.

RELATED LINKS:

Go check out Lisa's journal at pearlsparkpages.com It's good for your mental health.

And see her bulk order page here: https://www.pearlsparkpages.com/products/the-female-founders-journal-private-pre-sale-founding-gifter

Get on the Inner Circle Waitlist here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

She Started with $4K and a Dream https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/she-started-with-4000-and-a-dream-now-she's-in-the-top-5-episode-320

Do this and 2x your next Product Launch https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/do-this-and-2x-your-next-product-launch-episode-312

The habits I see that lead to success https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-habits-i-see-that-lead-to-success-episode-311

______________________

Stop wondering if you're "doing it right" and learn how to grow your sales in a consistent, predictable way. Spend 40 minutes with me in this eye opening workshop, and you'll leave with a few simple steps that will grow your sales next month. Find a time that works for you, and register here: https://watch.thesocialsalesgirls.com/s/77wKvQ

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help the grow their sales.

Click here, scroll down, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Jessica Stark of Stark Skincare almost walked away from her 15-year-old business after burnout and an injury sent her sales into a 20% decline. In this episode we break down exactly what turned it around and added up to a 27% sales increase and a 59% jump in new customer acquisition.

Listen in and learn:

• The one number to track every week, even when it's ugly

• The sneaky way you might be destroying your own SEO (and how to fix it)

• Why a good returning customer rate does not equal a growth strategy

If you've ever felt bored or stuck in a business you know has more in it, this one's for you.

RELATED LINKS

Check out Jessica's website here: https://starkskincare.com/

Get on the Inner Circle Waitlist here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

Sales Plateaued? Do this to grow profitably https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/sales-plateaued-do-this-to-grow-profitably-episode-284

How Pivoting and Consistency Doubled Sales for Wendy https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/how-pivoting-and-consistency-doubled-sales-for-wendy-episode-256

5 Things to do every month (Don't skip this). https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/5-things-to-do-every-month-dont-skip-this-episode-246 __________________________________________

Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.

Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free!" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales.

CLICK HERE, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow here!

There's no better feeling than hitting your stride with Meta ads. Until one day they stop working, and you're left wondering why.

That's what happened to Sam Gilhooly. Her new customer acquisition fell off a cliff overnight, and she wasted a fortune chasing it. She panicked, tried a different ads training program, and forgot about the one thing that actually worked to grow her sales before she went all in on ads.

This week, Sam joins me to share exactly what she did to turn it around. She cut her ad spend, nearly doubled her daily revenue, and grew her profit.

You'll learn:

• The metric Sam was using to measure success, and why it's the kiss of death when you're making financial decisions about ad spend.

• How to calculate your REAL cost to acquire a new customer.

• A smart strategy to double your revenue without giving away the store.

• The ONE marketing channel that will never, ever let you down.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out Sam's store here: https://www.magnetixtherapy.com/

Join the Inner Circle waitlist here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

Your Ads Manager ROAS is the wrong Metric. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/your-ads-manager-roas-is-the-wrong-metric-episode-332

Brandon doubled his sales AND cut ad spend by 90%. https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/brandon-doubled-his-sales-and-cut-ad-spend-by-90-episode-315

Why you're not getting Sales - it's NOT your Conversion Rate https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/why-youre-not-getting-sales-episode-323 ---------------------------------------------

Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.

Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free!" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales.

Click here, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow here!

Stop, collaborate, and listen….Today I'm talking to someone with a small store who grew her email list by more than 1,600 names (and landed 34 brand new customers) using a strategy any one of us can and should use.

Listen in and find out how Tina collaborated with other Shopify stores to get big results. You'll learn:

• How she got her customer acquisition cost down to $3-4

• Why she almost gave up on the strategy too soon

• The traffic source that converts 2X as well as social media

Even if you've tried it before and think collabs aren't right for you…I promise, this episode will change your mind.

RELATED LINKS:

Get on the Inner Circle waitlist here: https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

The formula for an easy Collaboration you can do this month https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/the-formula-for-an-easy-collaboration-you-can-do-this-month-episode-215

Organic Sales: Don't miss these 2 strategies https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/organic-sales-dont-miss-these-2-strategies-episode-282

A step by step plan to double Louise's email list https://www.thesocialsalesgirls.com/blog/a-step-by-step-plan-to-double-louises-email-list-episode-303 ---------------------------

Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.

Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free!" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales.

Click here, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow here!