Build My Online Store Podcast

In this episode, Travis talks about his top 7 Ecommerce tips for Q42017. He talks about Email Marketing, Chat bots/Facebook Messenger ads, Facebook ads, PLA’s, influencers, Youtube and more. The post #202: 7 E-Commerce Tips From Travis In 2017 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Terry just moved to NYC after being out of the US for the last ten years. Here's a quick update on the last few months and getting back on track with the podcast in the coming weeks. The post #201: Moved to NYC & New Mobile Cart Recovery Tool appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Travis has been working hard in the last few months on his new Kickstarter project, Performance Nut Butter. On this episode, he will talk about his launch strategy and marketing efforts that is going into this campaign. The post #200: Performance Nut Butter’s Kickstarter Launch by Travis appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Many store owners get stuck with trying to DIY their product photos and end up with horrible looking shots. In this episode, Chris Jones from Unoboy.com joins us to talk about how to pull off an amazing photo shoot for free by structruing the right offers for your photographer, model, and venue. We also talk about upgrading your level of ... The post #199: How To Get Amazing Product Photos For Free appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week I talk about the key elements that help make a successful crowdfunding campaign page after having a disaster of failure in 2015, and one that was funded by 300% in 2016. This episode is brought to you by Klaviyo, an email marketing tool that I’ve been using for my marketing clients. You can send smarter emails by integrating ... The post #198: 5 Elements Of A Crowdfunding Campaign Page appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week Travis talks about launching his new product on Kickstarter in the upcoming months, named Performance Nut Butter. He outlines his launch strategy, email captures, and future plans to get influencers to promote this product. This episode is brought to you by Klaviyo, an email marketing tool that I’ve been using for my marketing clients. You can send smarter emails ... The post #197: Kickstarter Launch Strategy Of Performance Nut Butter appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about our personal and business goals for 2017. In 2016, Terry had closed down the old wallet business and was working on something new with a small Kickstarter in the middle of the year. Travis had the best year for BDancewear yet, and is also working on a new business in the paleo foods space. In ... The post #196: Our Personal & Business Goals For 2017 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

As this year comes to a close, we review what went right and what didn’t as we prepare our plans for 2017. Travis provides updates on his new product launch, BDancewear, Youtube channel, and How To Do Your 20s podcast. Terry provides updates on his marketing consulting, Kickstarter project, PPC lessons, and an upcoming milestone for this podcast. Topics Discussed: ... The post #195: Year End Review For 2016 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we have a chat about our lessons learned in PPC from self-teaching in 2016 and the continual progress to squeeze more ROI out of our campaigns as time moves on. Platforms discussed include Facebook Ads, Facebook Video Ads, Google Adwords, Shopping, Retargeting, and Gmail Ads. Topics Discussed: Finding an ad budget you are comfortable with Adjusting your lifetime ... The post #194: Lessons From Self-Learning PPC In 2016 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about what it’s like to avoid burnout as it’s been a chronic issue for Travis where every few months he has to switch focus on projects. We don’t have all the answers, but have a conversation about how we both handle it when it arises. Topics Discussed: Updates with BDancewear Travis meeting Tim Ferris at his ... The post #193: When Should You Take A Break? appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week a book called “The Amazon Expansion Plan” comes out on Thursday November 10th, 2016 by my friend Kiri Masters. As the founder of Bobsled Marketing, she has helped dozens of crowdfunding campaigns on-board to Amazon after their funding efforts are completed. In this episode we talk about how the Amazon sales channel has changed, actions against review clubs, ... The post #192: The Amazon Expansion Plan with Kiri Masters appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Today we talk about Terry’s 30-day challenge of building out his Youtube channel called That’s Pawesome. It’s a video blog about animal rescue volunteering where the goal is to inspire more people to step up, and ultimately send more traffic to the store Forever Home Blankets. Videos are published three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 7:00AM ... The post #191: Our 30-Day Challenge, Part 2: Terry & Youtube appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we decide to do a 30-day challenge and explore the early ideas of Travis’ new store in the food niche. Compared to BDancewear, this is a new venture that he doesn’t have much expertise within manufacturing so it’s breaking new ground for him. Terry’s 30-day challenge is to publish a video blog 3 times a week for the ... The post #190: Our 30-Day Challenge, Part 1: Travis & His New Store appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we chat about Travis’ experience with hiring and letting go of staff in his office. He is also hosting an e-commerce retreat in San Diego the weekend of 10/6/2016 to 10/9/2016, so get in touch with him if you can meet up this weekend. Topics Discussed: Travis’ story in hiring a local assistant How he sourced candidates online ... The post #189: Lessons From Hiring In The Trenches appeared first on Build My Online Store.

We’re back from a brief hiatus and give a short update on our latest projects, what’s working, and what isn’t. Travis has moved to Santa Monica and is doing an in-person retreat in San Diego in October. Terry is still working on Forever Home Blankets after the Kickstarter campaign and ramping things up. Topics Discussed: Travis has officially moved to ... The post #188: September 2016 Updates on Bdancewear, Forever Home Blankets, & More appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Instagram Stories just launched last week and Terry has been experimenting around with the new feature. Averaging 3,500 views per day, this week we chat about the big picture, strategic moves, and possible improvements that might be coming in the near future. Topics Discussed: What are “Instagram Stories” and how do they differ from regular posts? Fun vs. curated content ... The post #187: First Impressions of Instagram Stories After 10,000+ Views appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Last week Travis and I hosted a Q&A for those starting out with Facebook Ads based on our experiences using the ad platform in the past year. It’s had a remarkable evolution since release a few years ago, allowing you to get very narrow with targeting and exclusions. In this episode, we highlight some of the top Q&As from the ... The post #186: Facebook Ads 101 Q&A Replay appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we dig through an old Q&A hosted in March 2016 with our email list. Originally at 90 minutes, we’ve found the best Q&As from the replay that you will enjoy. We talk about handwritten notes to your VIP customers, finding keyword ideas for Adwords, hiring your first employee, and using reviews from other stores as a reseller. Topics ... The post #185: Q&A on Handwritten Notes, Partnerships, Adwords, Hiring, and Reselling appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Terry’s Kickstarter just launched this week and was funded in 5 hours. In this episode we talk about some of the challenges ahead and keeping the momentum going. You check out the project by going to foreverhomeblankets.com. This episode is also brought to you by Packlane, an online shop that lets you design, print, and create custom product packaging with ... The post #184: An Update On Terry’s Kickstarter – Forever Home Blankets appeared first on Build My Online Store.

For most folks, the conventional belief for getting links is sending product to bloggers or influencers for reviews. While that’s certainly still effective, in this episode we explore some more creative ways to get links that might get you a better bang for your buck (and time). Topics Discussed: Finding ways to build links that don’t require massive outreach Link ... The post #183: 6 Creative Ways To Build Links For Your Store appeared first on Build My Online Store.

After months of laying low Terry is finally talking about his new project Forever Home Blankets. Taking inspiration from his volunteer experiences at an animal rescue, this project is about improving the living conditions of homeless animals, increasing adoptions, and ultimately saving more lives. The project will use a “buy one, give one” model to make this happen. Topics Discussed: ... The post #182: Q&A On Terry’s New Project: Forever Home Blankets appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Are you sending postcards to existing customers to get more sales? My former roommate has a new app for Shopify stores that automatically sends them for you via the API and a 3rd party printer. Whether you want thank you cards after an order or reminders after 90 days, it’s all configurable in his app called Touchcard.co.  Starting at $0.99 ... The post #181: Using Postcards To Increase Lifetime Value with Touchcard.co appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Travis decides to leave Las Vegas and move back to California. In this episode, we talk about coming up with that decision. The inspiration comes form his work values of being quite structured, versus someone he looked up to in Las Vegas that was very “go with the flow”. Topics Discussed: Structuring work-life balance: the dichotomy People we know that fight ... The post #180: Fighting The Current vs. Going With The Flow appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about email autoresponder sequences every online store should have. From before, during, and after checkout we’ve got you covered with getting started and the triggers/events to setup the email backend. If you need help with setting these up, let Terry know at terry@buildmyonlinestore.com as he is already helping some listeners with this type of work. Topics ... The post #179: 10 Email Sequences Your Online Store Should Have appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about a tool that aggregates all reviews for your online store and turns them into a widget you can display on a product or category page. My Real Karma is a free tool for all e-commerce store owners that can combine reviews from Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and more. Topics Discussed: Origins of My Real Karma and how ... The post #178: Using My Real Karma To Aggregate All Your Online Reviews appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about some high level ideas to using analytics data to tighten your conversions. Topics Discussed: Auditing your highest traffic sources Auditing your highest converting traffic sources Highest Converting Traffic Sources Top exit pages, landing pages, bounce rates, and in-page analytics Split testing lower in the funnel Homepage, product, and category pages Search bar and internal queries data ... The post #177: Using Data To Tighten Your Conversions appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Last week we hosted a brief Q&A via Google Hangouts On Air with a few listeners. It was an open format where folks could ask us questions about everything and anything. Here are the replay highlights incase you missed it. We hope to do this on a monthly basis, so join the email list to get alerted next time we ... The post #176: Google Hangouts On Air Q&A, March 2016 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week Travis and I talk about our workplace optimization and tools we use to stay focused. We’ve brought up some of these ideas casually on the show, but figured it would be helpful to actually dedicate an entire episode to that. Hope you enjoy this and let us know if there are other tips you find useful that we ... The post #175: 8 Workplace Productivity Tips & Improvements appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Travis recently read a book called Primal Branding while working on his Youtube channel so we do a mashup with a similar one I re-read recently called All Marketers Are Liars. There are a lot of similarities in both books, so here’s what we think is the best of both worlds. Topics Discussed Travis has moved to Las Vegas Tet ... The post #174: Book Review Mashup of Primal Branding & All Marketers Are Liars appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about some less popular growth strategies we’ve come across in recent months. Marketing tools and platforms are always evolving, so these are some ideas that might be worth looking into for your store. Topics Discussed Travis: Moving to Las Vegas and record-breaking monthly revenue Terry: First DJ gig on Tuesday 2/2 8:00PM Strategy #1: Handwritten notes for VIP ... The post #173: 5 Unusual Growth Strategies For 2016 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

We’re back after a long holiday and talk about our Q1 2016 goals. After looking back on 2015, Travis is refocusing his efforts on Google Shopping/Adwords to get more ROI out of paid ads. Terry found some leather suppliers in Vietnam and will move production here while working on a rebrand. What are your goals for Q1 2016? Topics Discussed ... The post #172: Refocus, Rebrand, & Our Renewed Goals For Q1 2016 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

If you haven’t done a full audit of your website for the entire year, now’s a great time to do it to know where you stand. That way you can prepare a marketing strategy next year built on solid numbers and goals. In this episode we go through some key metrics to audit, along with tips to optimize them for ... The post #171: How To Conduct A Year End Review For Your Store appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we take a detour and explore what it’s like to run a bootstrap vs. funded startup in the eCommerce space. Gulnaz Khusainova is the founder of EasySize, a data-driven service that helps fashion retailers reduce their return rates. This is a huge problem in some countries where return rates can be as high as 45%. We explore how ... The post #170: Bootstrapping Vs. Raising Money With Gulnaz Khusainova From EasySize appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we learn about the best practices and common mistakes store owners make with live chat on their website, and how to create a better customer experience. Helpflow is a done-for-you live chat service where agents communicate with website visitors on your behalf. Topics Discussed: What is Helpflow and the problem it solves? How can a 3rd party learn ... The post #169: A Guide To Live Chat With Jon Tucker From Helpflow appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Turns out Travis and I only have birthdays three days apart in November, so we both took some time off and reflected on the past year for us on a personal and business level. We talk about things that didn’t work out, how we handled, them, and some plans for next year as the holidays are coming around. Topics Discussed: ... The post #168: One Year Birthday Recap For Terry & Travis appeared first on Build My Online Store.

We’re back in our home bases after two weeks of hectic travel. This week we go over some of our big takeaways from DCBKK and E-Commerce Fuel Live in 2015. If you were at both events, it was a pleasure meeting everyone! Topics Discussed: Finding your “super offer” that others will share with their audience How to nail down the ... The post #167: 9 Takeaways From DCBKK And E-Commerce Fuel Live (2015) appeared first on Build My Online Store.

With Travis attending E-Commerce Fuel Live and Terry at Dynamite Circle BKK, this week we talk about how to make the most out of conferences and events so that your money is well spent. Once we’re back we will do a recap to compare our notes and takeaways from both events. Topics Discussed: Update on Bing PLAs, Email Lead Magnet ... The post #166: 10 Tips To Make The Most Out Of Conferences & Events appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we have a discussion on some best practices Travis learned with Google Shopping & Product Listing Ads. We talk about how negative keywords can help save money and optimize your campaigns, how to organize them so that the data is easy to analyze, and making the most out of Adwords, Analytics, and Webmaster tools to find profitable keywords. If ... The post #165: The Definitive Guide To Google Shopping & Product Listing Ads appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about email marketing after a conversation on sales funnels I had with a friend. He wasn’t putting much effort into email marketing because he had a small list. He also believed that with a small list there wasn’t much he could do with email marketing. (See the circular reference?) I had a feeling he wasn’t the ... The post #164: How To Solve The Chicken & Egg Problem With Email Marketing appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we talk about the five stages in a sales cycle and the different accelerators/friction points that come up. There’s also a discussion on the proper strategy to use when a customer is in each psychological stage. Topics Discussed: The sales funnel and how it works on a high level How to form a strategy at each psychological stage How ... The post #163: The Five Stages Of E-Commerce Buying Psychology appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we reflect on the one-year anniversary of Travis being a co-host of this podcast. We also talk about some lessons learned from our previous mastermind and the re-launch in September 2015 of weekly calls, a private Facebook group, and the hotseat format. If you’d like to join weekly accountability calls with folks at similar revenue levels, click the Apply ... The post #162: One Year Reflection As Co-Hosts & Weekly Mastermind Relaunch appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Continuing the key takeaways from VidCon 2015, this week we talk about Youtube analytics and the wealth of data they provide. From exact match search keywords (wow!) to referring channels, there is a lot of data that you can leverage to further optimize your channel. Topics Discussed: Key metrics to track for your channel Getting deep into the data, views, ... The post #161: A Guide To Youtube Analytics For E-Commerce Stores appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Travis just attended VidCon 2015 in Anaheim, California so we discuss some key takeaways from the conference. VidCon is an annual conference for YouTubers held since 2010. There were over 300 YouTube creators who performed, exhibited and connected with the attendees. This year also had a Creator Track, which featured panels, workshops, and keynotes that focused on the specifics of creating and editing ... The post #160: 4 Key Youtube Takeaways From VidCon 2015, Part I appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Andrew Youderian from E-Commerce Fuel joins us this week to talk about migrating shopping carts and what to look out for. He recently moved from Magento to Shopify for his store Right Channel Radios, and we talk about the process of moving products, customer data, and redesigning a new site. Topics Discussed: Headaches and issues with Magento How to plan ... The post #159: A Guide To Migrating E-Commerce Shopping Carts appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we go over the basic checklist of setting up an e-commerce store and how to get up and running as soon as possible. Part 1 of the series talks about the backend setup such as products, on-site SEO, shipping, and other logistics. Part 2 of the series will cover the basic marketing tools and plugins you want to ... The post #158: The Ultimate Checklist For Setting Up An Online Store, Part 2 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week we go over the basic checklist of setting up an e-commerce store and how to get up and running as soon as possible. Part 1 of the series talks about the backend setup such as products, on-site SEO, shipping, and other logistics. Part 2 of the series will cover the basic marketing tools and plugins you want to ... The post #157: The Ultimate Checklist For Setting Up An Online Store, Part 1 appeared first on Build My Online Store.

This week do an audit of the social media accounts for bdancewear.com. We talk about what’s working, what isn’t, and what he plans to do with it as we move into the latter half of 2015. Topics Discussed: What platforms is B Dancewear on? Measuring ROI and traffic from each source? Which channel is working the best? Book Recommendation: Jab Jab ... The post #156: Social Media Audit Of An E-Commerce Store appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Tom Schwab joins us this week from GoodbyeCrutches.com to talk about how he built a content system that generates over 70,000+ organic visitors per month to his online store. We also talk about chasing transactions vs. building a business, and how you can get started today with a simple and effective email content funnel. Topics Discussed: Background of Goodbye Crutches? What ... The post #155: How To Create Inbound Funnels For Your Online Store appeared first on Build My Online Store.

Travis Jamison is the co-founder of AMZ Tracker, one of the first Amazon SEO and rank tracking tools to help merchants dominate their listings. Within AMZ Tracker, you can follow your competitor’s sales velocity, super URLs, rank tracking, along with access to an exclusive review club that solves the chicken and egg issue of getting reviews on Amazon in order to ... The post #154: How To Dominate Your Amazon Listings With Travis Jamison From AMZ Tracker appeared first on Build My Online Store.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing came out in 1994, but it’s a classic for folks in the discipline of marketing. We first heard about this book by Tim Ferriss in an interview on high-level marketing and decided to do an episode to break things down. Since the book came out over 20 years ago, we take a look at which ... The post #153: The 22 Immutable Laws Of Marketing (Part 1) appeared first on Build My Online Store.

The other day I ran across a very thought-provoking question: “If we were having this discussion 3 years from today, and you were looking back over those 3 years, what has to have happened in your life both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?”  Topics Discussed: The Dan Sullivan Question Where were we three years ... The post #152: How Far Do You Plan Ahead In Life? appeared first on Build My Online Store.