The rise of Amazon has prompted some observers to suggest independent ecommerce merchants are threatened. Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva, the ecommerce platform, disagrees. He says independent ecommerce is robust. His new book “Dragon Proof Ecommerce,” offers a roadmap for continued growth. I recently spoke with him about the book, Amazon, and the outlook for […]
Miva CEO on Thriving in an Amazon-dominant Market Read More »
Anyone who has purchased used books on Amazon likely encountered Thrift Books. It launched in 2003 as a pure-play Amazon seller. And now, with its own website and sales on other channels, has grown annual revenue to $150 million per year. It’s the largest used-book seller in the world. Thrift Books’ CEO, Mike Ward, has
Thrift Books CEO on $150 Million of Annual Used Book Sales Read More »
Many digital and social marketers shy away from data and analytics. They may fear it’s the dark side of marketing and that they will get drawn into week long meetings discussing menial metrics and data algorithms. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Smart marketers know that data and analytics is the light at the
PIX1861 / Pixabay If you’re working with a limited marketing budget, getting exposure for your business can be challenging. One of the best ways to reach a large targeted audience without investing money is through appearances on podcasts. There are currently more than 700,000 different podcasts, and that number is increasing very quickly. With so
How to Get Valuable Exposure for Your Business Through Podcasts Read More »
I’m back to talk about podcast advertising! In my last blog post I talked about some learnings I gained while running paid ads for podcasts. This time I’ll be discussing in detail different platforms and a couple of their positives and negatives. Google Ads Early on, one of the first platforms we tested was Google
It’s official. Podcasting has gone mainstream. In 2019, more than half of Americans have listened to a podcast, up from 44% just one year earlier: Today there are more than 750,000 podcasts available, spanning every subject from comedy to entrepreneurship. Podcasts have emerged as both a viable media channel and an effective marketing one. As the field continues to
The Future of Podcasting: Where Is It Going Next? Read More »
This is the final episode in my “Building an Ecommerce Business” interview series. I’m the founder of Beardbrand, an ecommerce business in Austin, Texas, that focuses on beard care and men’s grooming. Over the past nine months, I’ve hosted 18 amazing guests who have provided much insight into launching, growing, and selling an online company.
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 19: Just Do It Read More »
When it’s time to take a break from projects, I enjoy listening to podcasts as a fun way to keep learning. With so much excitement surrounding WordPress, it can be difficult to stay current on what’s happening in the community and ecosystem. Podcasts offer an easy solution to accomplish just that. There are quite a
Learning how to increase conversions is often a top goal of smart and internet savvy marketing and business leaders. Unfortunately most digital marketers lack even the most basic foundational skills to truly optimize their conversion rates. It’s not that they don’t want to increase conversions and sales. It is simply that they don’t know how.
20 Factors Impacting Your Sales and ROI [Podcast] Read More »
Launching and then growing an ecommerce business can be both exciting and stressful. The reward for many entrepreneurs is to sell their companies someday. I’m the founder of Beardbrand, an ecommerce business in Austin, Texas, that focuses on beard care and men’s grooming. This is episode 18 in my series on building an ecommerce business
Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 18: Selling the Company Read More »
