Today we're doing a follow-up to our popular AMA from our Facebook group, Unofficial Shopify Podcast Insider's.

We answer your questions, such as:

• Developing your positioning (without confusing customers)
• Finding newsletter content that works for you
• Why Paul always wears minor league t-shirts
• The #1 mistake Paul sees merchants make
• What to do when you’re just straight up uninspired
• Adding dynamic personalization to Shopify
• How to find cross-sell opportunities
• The one thing all new merchants should knew
• What does Kurt's customer survey contain?

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

In June 2019, Cesar Torres joined us to share the unusual story of how he turned a merch store for his sci-fi book series into a fitness leggings brand with a big impact on LGBTQ+ fans of the brand.

Then, the pandemic hit and he experienced what we all did: the crushing desperation of not knowing what's going to happen. He understandably became increasingly demoralized... until he found his voice again through TikTok and Twitch.

It's a compelling, unusual, and ultimately inspiring story from a lovely person.

Cesar is the author of two sci-fi book series: The Coil and How to Kill a Superhero. He is also the CEO and Designer of LED Queens fitness apparel, which is a direct spinoff from both of his book series. He earned his journalism degree at Northwestern University and a computer science masters degree at DePaul University. He's currently based out of Chicago.

• LED Queens - Cesar says to check it out on Mobile for the best coupon via SMS.
• JULY 2ND, 2019 E228 with Cesar
• LED Queens Gaming (@ledqueens_gaming) | TikTok
• LED Queens Gaming on Twitch
• Cesar's top 3 app picks: Privy, Smile.io, Return Magic, Fraud Killer

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Today we're doing an AMA from our Facebook group, Unofficial Shopify Podcast Insider's.

We answer your questions, such as:

• Tips for growing Shopify store from six to seven figures.
• Benchmarks for gross margin for successful e-commerce stores
• What should you look for in a web developer for redoing websites?

...and more. Always more. Such as, "How much did Kurt lose on GameStonk?"

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

After leaving his 20-year engineering career to become a local marketing consultant, Dustin Riechman discovered a jerky so good that he decided to pitch a relative stranger on a business partnership that resulted in $1mm in sales in two years.

• The mindset that gave him the confidence to quit his job
• Keys to building realtionships with potential business partners
• How they launched with grassroots marketing efforts
• How having parallel local and national strategies worked well
• The power of podcast appearances (and how it got their products into WalMart)

• FireCreek Snacks - Use code UNOFFICIAL for 15% and free shipping
• PGA Merchandise Show
• Loox
• ReferralCandy
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad
• Bold Recurring Orders

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Colby Kane, owner and founder of Aviator, discusses how the 2008 recession shaped his business, how he's survived the current pandemic, and what he expects will happen in 2021.

Colby is a designer and art director who started out in the fast-paced world of NY Fashion as an art director at Macy’s. He moved to LA in order to build something different, find a balance between work and family, and give back to his community.

• Aviator
• Klaviyo
• Postscript
• Growave
• Social Media Marketing Podcast
• In Conversation

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Julie Elster (as in Mrs. Elster) joins us again for a candid update on how 2020 impacted her travel business, hosted on Shopify.

• DoubleYourWDW.com
• Past Episode: My Wife Started a Shopify Store!
• Past Episode: How Julie Elster Generates 10,000 Organic Visitors

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Returning for his fourth appearance is Nick Disabato, ecommerce conversion rate optimization wunderkind.

On today's episode: an airing of grievances around merchant's approach to conversion rate optimization.

We talk through the common mistakes in methodology & management, and your top missed opportunities.

• Draft
• Baymard

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Now through January we’ll see an influx of new listeners. (Welcome!)

We asked our new listeners, "what’s your number one question as you grow your Shopify store?"

And to our established merchants, we asked, "what do you wish you knew when just starting out?"

Today, we’ll talk through the top comments and turn those into actionable New Year's business resolutions.

• Free 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - (To get an unadvertised gift, email [email protected] and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

Worried mobile messaging will annoy your customers? Not if you do it right.

We ask SMS marketing consultant Arri Bagah listener submitted questions like...

• What do people really want when they sign up for SMS?
• Should we get into SMS if we’re not based in North America?
• How often to mass broadcast?

Arri Bagah became an expert in the mobile messaging space and is invited to speak at large conferences including Traffic and Conversions Summit, and Conversations Conference and DTC DAY. Arri is the founder of Conversmart, and served in the US Army.

• Conversmart - Request a Free Email or SMS Marketing Consult from Arri
• State of DTC Text-Message Marketing (2020 Edition)
• Personal Mastery Podcast

• Get powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platform
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.

When I bought our first electric vehicle earlier this year, I did what a lot of new car buyers do and went accessory shopping. It was not long before I started seeing ads for aftermarket accessory vendor Abstract Ocean, and reading about them on forums.

Our guest today is Peter White, co-founder of Abstract Ocean. In 2013, Peter and his wife picked up their first Tesla. Aside from being the spark for Abstract Ocean, it proved completely life-changing (cue the Tesla grin - even now, years later, driving is a pure and utter joy - despite traffic).

• AbstractOcean - 15% off any purchase when you useuse code UNOFFICIAL
• The 2013 Forum Post that started it all
• SentiOne

• Get powerful marketing automation with Klaviyo's revenue-driving email platform
• Try Bold Product Upsell, free trial
• Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme - Use code KURT20 at checkout
• Improve your shop’s search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager

• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
• Join Kurt's newsletter

• Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group
• Leave a review
• Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

• See our recent work at Ethercycle
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
• Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store.