Podcasts about octane ai

Today, anyone can build an AI product on a weekend. To stand out in the market, you must rely on your story. In this episode, we are joined by Ben Parr, co-founder of Octane AI and Theory Forge Ventures to talk about what separates good companies from great ones: story and speed. Drawing from past experiences building AI products (before LLMs existed), Ben shares insights on how startup founders should think about brand, content, competition, fundraising, and the marketing industry post-ChatGPT. We also dive into:How AI is transforming marketing (and which jobs are disappearing first).The difference between pitching VCs vs. customers.How Octane AI built a loyal customer community.

Matthew Holman is a leading expert in the ecommerce subscription industry, with extensive experience in optimizing customer experience, retention strategies, and data-driven decision-making. He specializes in fractional subscription leadership, where he helps brands understand the complexities of subscriptions so that they can scale. Matthew currently lives in Utah, where he enjoys time with family, running, movies, and the vibrant ecommerce community.In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:41] Intro[01:44] Career shift: from shipping rates to subscriptions[02:51] Discovering passion thru solving client challenges[03:16] Supporting merchants with subscription products[03:57] Adoption & retention with app-based insights[04:53] Improving retention beyond subscription app offers[06:04] Collecting insights to improve subscription success[08:19] Creating quizzes to uncover customer needs [10:00] Storytelling in data capture for discounts[11:04] Impactful subscriptions with tailored messaging[12:22] Exploring innovative membership models for brands[13:56] Communication touchpoints to boost engagement[15:01] Redefining value in subscription offerings[16:53] Maximizing margins with product combos[18:36] Developing products for loyal subscribers[19:34] Analyzing consumer behavior around discounting[21:39] Understanding customer types for better retention[23:59] Leveraging customer feedback to reduce churn[24:56] Evaluating long-term value in subscription testing[25:54] Connecting feedback to design changes for growth[27:20] Creating impactful welcome series for retention[28:25] Enhancing order notifications for personal touch[29:26] Optimize your subscription program with The Subscription DocResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeA weekly dose to help you scale subscriptions thesubscriptiondoc.com/Follow Matthew Holman linkedin.com/in/holman-matthew/If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes the new normal for e-commerce? We reveal how AI is shaping the future of the retail world with Ben Parr, journalist, investor, and co-founder of Octane AI. Ben lends his expertise in AI and e-commerce, and shares his insights from the recent TED AI event in San Francisco, providing a fascinating look into the developments in the field. We touch upon Octane AI's revolutionary tools that are taking e-commerce to the next level, and Ben even gives us some tips and tricks on securing PR for startups. This episode isn't just about AI and commerce; it's an exploration of trust and acceptance of technology by consumers. We discuss how we can bridge the trust gap when it comes to AI products, and how AI is influencing not just the retail space but also the student and workplace experience. We venture into scenarios where AI outperforms humans, and even offer some guidance on distinguishing between the two. With Ben, we dive into the idea of autonomous agents and super intelligence, and the potential implications of these concepts for society and medical technologies, offering a glimpse into a future guided by AI. Finally, our conversation wouldn't be complete without insights about press and PR for startups. Ben shares his experiences, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with journalists and crafting stories that resonate. He talks about the advantages of offering exclusives and shares his unique approach to effective business travel. We wrap up with Ben's philosophy on building a profitable, sustainable, growing business and his personal core values that guide his decisions. Join us for this illuminating discussion and step into the future of AI and e-commerce with us. (00:01) - The Future of AI and E-Commerce (11:52) - Product Market Fit and AI Impact (16:33) - AI in E-Commerce and Building Trust (21:10) - The Future of AI and Society (33:03) - Startup PR and Press Advice (41:18) - Startup World and Core Values Change Guest Contact Info: Say Hello Linkedin Newsletter: https://www.benparr.com Grow and Optimize Your Ecommerce Business: https://www.octaneai.com/ Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Moshehp⁠⁠⁠ hello@pmfpod.com ⁠⁠https://www.pmfpod.com/⁠

OpenAI DevDay 2023. A conference that sent reverberations throughout the startup ecosystem worldwide. Welcomed back on The Startup Podcast to discuss and debate it all are Jeremiah Owyang, general partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and founder of Lama Lounge, and Ben Parr, founder of Octane AI, AI Insiders deeply embedded in the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem. With Chris and Yaniv they explore the top takeaways from the OpenAI DevDay. From why GPT-4 Turbo is light-years better than GPT3.5, how to make your own super customized ChatGPT, to quality of life improvements for developers and tinkerers at home, interoperability, multi-modality, switching costs and more, this episode has it all! The quartet also share hot takes on the future of AI startups and what startups in the AI field should be thinking about doing right now! Stay on the pulse of AI, don't miss this episode. Episode Links: Check out Ben's startup Octane AI: https://www.octaneai.com/ Reach out to Jeremiah at Blitzscaling Ventures on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jowyang/ Check out Chris' GPT he created: https://www.chrissaad.com/startupai And his AI standalone app he's currently building: https://www.getwingman.ai/   The Pact Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

In this episode, I talk with Ben Parr, an award-winning entrepreneur and AI expert, about the impact of artificial intelligence in the world of ecommerce. We delve into his experiences as the President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, a generative AI and zero-party data platform that's transforming the way ecommerce brands engage with their customers, and discuss the future of AI in the world of online shopping. Get on the AI Box Waitlist: ⁠⁠⁠https://AIBox.ai/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook Community: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/739308654562189⁠ Follow me on X: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jaeden_ai⁠⁠⁠

In a straightforward, tactical advice episode, I make the argument that more ecom stores should consider using quizzes as a core part of their customer acquisition funnels. Quizzes are fun, engaging, yield loads of customer data, capture email & SMS info at massive rates, and maybe most crucially, are highly effective at guiding customers to the exact right product for them. What's not to love? SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE The Andrew Faris Podcast is now available on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ at www.youtube.com/@andrewfarispodcast. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS [00:00:09] Using quizzes for customer engagement. [00:08:09] Quiz as a fun and effective shopping experience [00:09:23] Quiz as landing page alternative. [00:18:12] Quizzes improve customer engagement. [00:19:40] Start with Octane AI. EPISODE SPONSOR Virtual assistants can be helpful. Virtual professionals can transform your business. Get connected to incredible ecommerce talent from the Philippines with More Staffing by visiting ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.morenow.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE OctaneAI Shopify Quiz Builder "You Have To Bridge The Digital Gap" AFP episode (Apple, Spotify) Bambu Earth Quiz FOLLOW UP WITH ANDREW Follow Andrew on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@andrewjfaris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email Andrew: podcast@ajfgrowth.com Work with Andrew: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ajfgrowth.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EPISODE MUSIC Music Intro: "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tell Me Mama⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" by The Devious Means Music Outro: "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rusty Little Scissors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" by The Devious Means

Plus, will ChatGPT take your job? I speak with Matt Schlicht, CEO of Octane AI and a leader in the chatbot space, about the future of AI in the workplace and how to get it to work for you. Child predators target kids' webcams, Hawaiian tourists' GPS blunder and make sure your security cam doesn't break the law.

Plus, will ChatGPT take your job? I speak with Matt Schlicht, CEO of Octane AI and a leader in the chatbot space, about the future of AI in the workplace and how to get it to work for you. Child predators target kids' webcams, Hawaiian tourists' GPS blunder and make sure your security cam doesn't break the law.

About The Episode All of a sudden, AI is everywhere. But how do you pick through the hype to understand the real impact? And importantly, as a founder how should you react to the rapid emergence of LLM-based AI? Chris is joined by two leaders in the AI space, AI analyst and prolific investor Jeremiah Owyang and Ben Parr (co-founder Octane AI) to give you actionable insight and advice on how AI affects startups, from the macro-societal level all the way down to the micro. No matter how much you've been reading and listening on AI, there are new perspectives here that will add to your understanding. Episode Links AI Classification Framework: https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/14/the-ai-revolution-has-outgrown-the-turing-test-introducing-a-new-framework/ Ben Parr: https://benparr.com The AI Analyst newsletter: https://benparr.substack.com/ Ben on the socials: @benparr Jeremiah on Twitter: @jowyang The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by UntilNow, a next-generation agency and venture studio https://www.untilnow.com.au/ The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Google Cloud, the best cloud for startups. Get all the good stuff, including up to USD200k in compute credit, at https://goo.gle/tsp Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

What's up folks. This is part 2 of our deep dive into AI impacts on marketing jobs.In our last episode we introduced the topic and covered how fast AI could replace marketing jobs and what the transition might look like. It's not like our jobs are gonna vanish overnight, but the shift is happening faster than many of us realize. AI's no longer just a loosely backed buzzword; it's doing things today that we used to think were impossible. So, as marketers, we've gotta take this tech seriously.Next up, 2. Staying informed and keeping up with changes (today)3. Practical ways marketers can adapt for the AI-driven economy4. Find the top AI marketing tools and filter out the noiseOutlineHere are some of the topics for this second episode: Staying informed, who to follow, courses to check out In person events and networking Exploring new sources of income Here's today's main takeaway:  The impact of AI on the job market is difficult to predict in 5 years let alone 10. The only way to future proof your career and position yourself to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven economy is by staying informed and developing new skills.  We're going to double down on some of these in today's episode. Commentary/question on shiny object syndrome vs being an early adopter. As a marketer, it's our job to stay modern - it's true of any job, but marketing is on the next level We self propel change and create our own reasons to change things up.  We suffer a bit from herd mentality as well – I think we tend to rush the new trend, be it TikTok or ChatGPT and choose saturation instead of consideration I don't think the value of being an early adopter is being “first;” rather, it's giving yourself time to immerse yourself and begin to master the topic To learn a topic, you simply can't read 5 blog posts and master it; I firmly believe you need to get hands-on experience Shiny object - Try to make a buck, dispose of poor performer, invest in top performers; easily distracted by next objectEarly adopter - thoughtful approach to seeing new technology as part of wider trend; has playbook or process for learning and evaluating new tech, How marketers can stay informed and become AI fluentStaying up-to-date on the latest developments in AI and AGI is probably the top thing you can do as a marketer. Understanding capabilities as they are released or even pre-released. This allows you to get a leg up on others and see the potential impact on your company, industry and even job market as a whole. My goals would be to understand how AI works, its potential, and limitations. Most marketers don't have a great grasp on this at all. Invest in learning about AI, ML, deep learning, and related tech. Ultimately try to arm yourself with knowledge to position yourself as a marketing expert in leveraging AI tools to drive revenue.I think you and are very similar in our approach to this: learn from smart people, and then jump in and experiment and get hands-on experience. Phil, your research process is always fire: who are the smart people you're learning from? People and blogs to followThere's waaay smarter people that are tracking this stuff. Not all of these have a marketing lens but they often cover marketing aspects. These are my favorite folks to follow.We'll have links to all of their twitter accounts and their newsletters or podcasts in our show notes. Ed Gilhttps://twitter.com/eladgil https://blog.eladgil.com/ Ed is an awesome follow on Twitter, he's an investor and advisor in some of the most well known tech companies like Airbnb, Coinbase, Instacart, OpenDoor, Pinterest, Square, Stripe and others. He worked at Google and Twitter after his company Mixer Labs was acquired. Aside from AI he's highly in touch with everything tech and startups. He doesn't post super often but he has a solid blog and he's the co-host of No Priors podcast that features long form chats with the leading engineers, researchers and founders in AI. Ben Tossell (tuh-sell)https://twitter.com/bentossellhttps://bensbites.co/ Ben's the Founder and CEO of Makerpad, one of the top sites to learn and work on no-code tools. He currently works at Zapier, focusing on AI after they acquired Makerpad last year. Before that he led Community at Product Hunt and later AngelList when they acquired Product Hunt in 2016. He runs one of the most popular AI newsletters called Ben's Bites, it's easily been my favorite daily way to stay up-to-date with the latest AI happenings. Sarah Guohttps://twitter.com/saranormous https://linktr.ee/nopriors Sarah's a startup investor and the founder of Conviction, an early-stage VC firm specialized in AI startups. She made waves in SF during her time at Greylock, a top VC firm in the Valley, where she became their youngest general partner. She's the other co-host of No Priors podcast alongside Ed Gil. She has an extensive network, and her close association with Andrew Ng (ing), the co-founder and leader of Google Brain, persuaded her that a "deep learning revolution was coming".Natasha Mascarenhashttps://twitter.com/nmasc_ https://pod.link/equity Natasha is a senior tech reporter at TechCrunch covering startups and AI and is the co-host of the Equity podcast. She wrote a super interesting article that summarized the discussions that took place during the Cerebral Valley Summit earlier this month. Ben Parrhttps://twitter.com/benparr https://benparr.substack.com/ Ben Parr is a seasoned tech industry analyst, he's a journalist, author, investor, founder, and operator. Known for being Editor at Mashable and journalist at CNET, he's also the co-founder of Octane AI, developing AI products for ecommerce.His long time column The Social Analyst covers the intersection of technology, particularly AI, and its effect on society. He's highly entertaining on Twitter and doesn't shy away from predictions and hot takes like recently when he pleaded that people stop saying GPT-4 can't replace their jobs, he says “Yes, it can. It's only a matter of time”. So obviously on the AI enthusiast train. Shawn @swyx Wanghttps://twitter.com/swyx https://latent.space/ Swyx is one of my favorite twitter follows on AI, he's always on top of new releases with solid commentary and his newsletter Latent Space offers a fascinating thought provoking perspective on generative AI and capitalism. Melanie Mitchellhttps://twitter.com/MelMitchell1 https://aiguide.substack.com/ Melanie is an author and Professor at Santa Fe Institute and works in the fields of AI, cognitive science, and complex systems. She's a bit different from others on the list in that she's way closer to the science and is a lot more down to Earth when it comes to the fear mongering and doomer arguments about AI. Her newsletter AI: A Guide for Thinking Humans covers AI developments and she gives commentary on popular headlines. In her article Thoughts on a crazy week in AI, she argues that to address concerns and potential risks, there's a need for better AI literacy, transparency, and independent evaluation.Dan Shipperhttps://twitter.com/danshipper https://every.to/chain-of-thought Dan's the CEO and founder of Every, a newsletter on business, AI, and personal development. The publication is widely read by almost 100,000 founders, operators, and investors. He's got a couple banger articles but even better AI commentary on Twitter. He recently wrote a fantastic article explaining how AI models, like GPT-4, are more focused on reasoning capabilities than knowledge databases. Britney Mullerhttps://twitter.com/BritneyMuller https://datasci101.com/ I first discovered Britney during one of her talks on the stage at Mozcon in Seattle when she was a Senior SEO Scientist at Moz. At the time she was already doing amazing work at the intersection of SEO, ML and Data science. Since then, she's gone on to work at Hugging Face, one of the biggest AI builder communities. She's currently building Data Science 101, a fun & accessible data science resource. Her twitter feed is filled with practical insights on NLP and ML with a bunch of marketing applications. Kieran Flanaganhttps://twitter.com/searchbrat https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg Kieran's someone I've followed for several years, he's a former VP at Hubspot and is now CMO at Zapier. He runs a new podcast called Marketing Against the Grain and they've been on an AI binge for a few months now. He's worth highlighting here because he has a really good lens about how we can translate AI advancements and apply them to marketing. Rachel Woodshttps://twitter.com/rachel_l_woods https://news.theaiexchange.com/ Last but not least, Rachel is a founder and a former Research Data Scientist at Facebook who worked to bring cutting edge ML/AI to life in Instagram's ads products. If you run ads you've probably seen some things she's shipped. She spends most of her time these days decoding what's happening in AI with her awesome newsletter called The AI Exchange. It'll not only keep you up to date with the latest headlines in AI but provide you with practical discussion and trends to help you use AI. She's more active on TikTok than twitter if that's your thing.Okay damn that was a lot of people… let us know who we missed!AI Courses1. AI in digital marketing, https://mygreatlearning.com/academy/learn-for-free/courses/ai-in-digital-marketing 2. Diploma in machine learning, https://uniathena.com/lms/student-dashboard/view-as-learner/303/8266 3. Intro to Artificial Intelligence, https://learn.udacity.com/courses/cs271 4. AI for Social Good, https://ai.google/education/ 5. Find 2,500+ courses,https://classcentral.com/search?q=ai 6. Marketing AI Certificate Program at Cornell https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/marketing/marketing-ai/ Alright so that's a ton of reading to keep you busy and informed, what else can you be doing?Network and collaborate Millions of people work remotely and obviously during COVID in person events took a huge hit. But they could become more important than ever. Peep Laja (Pep Laya), CEO of Wynter, founder of CXL, said it best: the level of noise coming is massive. Human connection and real relationships are going to go up in value. Attend more in-person events. https://twitter.com/randfish/status/1641573240467517440?s=20 JT do you remember the last time you attended a marketing event?Checkout Meetup.com for local events in your city. Ask your boss to increase the budget on conference attendance this year and give him a few AI + marketing recommendations. Conferences to check out: https://ai4.io/ in August in Vegas https://collisionconf.com/ in Toronto in June https://london.theaisummit.com/ in London in June https://databricks.com/dataaisummit/north-america-2023 in SanFran in June Explore entrepreneurshipThis one is risky if you're thinking of building a startup today on top of GPT because of the risk GPT might replace you with their next update… but finding an additional source of income is a great option if you're feeling uncertain about the future and it's the best way to learn. Yeah another route is just side hustles or starting to freelance.Diversifying your income is something you should always be thinking about, especially in the age of layoffs we're seeing these days. Take on side projects, invest in real estate, think about passive income… Consider mentoring. Growth Mentor plug: https://www.growthmentor.com/ Experiment and Play I think we need to talk about experimenting with AI I could ask you a ton of questions about the AI art generating you do on Midjourney – like it's so interesting to me and it's fucking dope – it'd be a good bookend on this episode Non-AI skills required I also think we should cover this a tiny but here but definitely in a future episode Like future-proofed for AI world I'd argue you need to be: Master strategist Understanding of the underlying tech I think technical skills will be a bonus ✌️--Intro music by Wowa via UnminusCover art created with Midjourney

So I did a Twitter Space with a bunch of really smart people, and they said I could upload the results to TechFirst. The only thing ... it's literally over 3 hours. So ... listen however long you'd like! The people on the Twitter Space include the host, Robert Scoble, as well as: Bryan Talebi, CEO of Ahura AI Tiarne Hawkins, director of AI at WeLocalize Chris Nakayama from Nufa/Mimesis Labs Ajay Juneja, CEO of Speak with Me Adryenn Ashley, founder of Wow is Me Martine Paris, AI columnist Jon Swartz, senior reporter at Dow Jones Ben Parr, co-founder of Octane AI and former tech reporter John Bigs, former TechCrunch journalist ... and ... of course ... yours truly, John Koetsier!

131 - In today's episode, our host Vira chats with Benn Parr from Octane AI, a zero-party data marketing platform for Shopify stores. They chat about how AI quizzes and surveys are highly effective tools for scaling your eCommerce business.Learn more here!  Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review.Connect with us!⭐ Instagram ⭐ YouTube ⭐ Facebook ⭐ LinkedIn ⭐ Twitter⭐ TikTok

In our 155th episode we're joined by Phil and Dave from Paase Digital, who talk to us about how they implemented a personalised quiz (along with other CRM tactics and features) to help drive revenue and increase first party data capture for Curlsmith.

Welcome back partnerships people! Alex Glenn here, your host of Make Them Famous - the only podcast bringing you true insights from both sides of the partnership equation. Today's episodes comes to you because of a linkedin post from the founder of a top ecommerce agency stressing the importance of incentivizing partners for retention - not just referrals. I'm privileged to be able to interview Adam Pearce, CEO of Blend Commerce, and his co-founder and CVO Peter Gardner who posted to linkedin and caught my attention. These two operate a killer fast-growing Shopify Plus agency focused on customer experience design with notable partners - Klaviyo, Octane Ai, and Gorgias. Peter and Adam receive 6-10 partnership requests per day. So, we aim this episode on finding out what they will reply and spend valuable resources on, as well as: The genesis of their current best partnerships What about those make them the best If you cannot bring referrals, what can you bring that's valuable How Adam and Peter interpret a new tech outreach for partnership from cold outreach What's critical for tech teams to understand when reaching out to a new agency Why they doubled down on Shopify Plus certification recently What resource allocations went into that, a similar Difference between a low-referral-frequency thought leader expert implementation agency and a high-referral shop that does a ton of quick business and can be a pure referral partner Value of going deeper into an accreditation / certification with a tech platform Risks included for the agency when deciding When to sign contracts, and when you should A must listen for any partner team having trouble with outreach or enablement of service provider partners... Resources: Partnerstack - Partner tracking and payouts. Reveal - A free account mapping solution. ‍Partnerhub - for finding and managing your partnerships. ‍ ‍

Let's discuss how you can leverage a quiz across your eCommerce store. Quizzes enable merchants to enhance customer experiences on-site. Additionally, they also help brands build customer relationships by understanding their customers' zero-party data. Listen to this episode of A Shot of Caffeine as we discuss: How can quizzes benefit both customers and merchants? Who should be using a quiz? How can quizzes drive conversions? Find a quiz app for you: Octane AI: https://bit.ly/3zPR1s9 Revenue Hunt: https://revenuehunt.com/ For more information about Zyber Digital Visit our website - https://www.zyber.co.nz Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/zyberwebdesign/ Join our exclusive Facebook insider groups Shopify NZ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/shopifynz/ Shopify VIP - https://www.facebook.com/groups/shopifyvip Follow us on Instagram - zyberhq

Cody is a marketer, operator, advisor, investor, and consultant to some of the fastest-growing DTC brands and commerce enablement infrastructure companies.By day, Cody is CMO of Jones Road Beauty a family brand founded by Bobbi Brown and one of the fastest growing DTC brands today. By night he writes a weekly newsletter on what he's learning, advising amazing companies like Octane AI, and investing in the next big brands or SAAS. Cody is also a leading voice in the DTC Twitter community regularly posting tactics, insights, and learnings. In this episode, we cover some of the trending topics in Ecommerce today and work out what it takes to build and grow a DTC brand in 2022. Enjoy!A big thank you to our sponsors: Rewind Shopify App.  Back up your Shopify store because not doing so is absolute lunacy!As a listener of the show, you can claim a no strings attached free month with this link: https://rewind.com/ecommercegold/VIXXR Shopify Agency. https://www.vixxr.com/

Summary:- Ben shares how Octane thought about early traction channels and platform partners when launching their business.  Specifically their partnership with Shopify.- He discusses the process he went through in writing and authoring his book, "Captivology".- Ben provides suggestions on how entrepreneurs can tap into 7 different triggers to get above the noise and captivate audiences to grow their startups.- How Ben got Rick Ross and DJ Khaled's attention.  

Ben Parr is the co-founder and President of Octane AI. He also happens to be one of the brightest minds in ecom. When Ben talks, we listen. And today Rabah sits down with him to dive into his journey, building the Octane AI zero-party data platform, and what the future looks like for ecommerce brands. If you're an ecom founder, marketer, or agency owner... this is required listening. Enjoy :) Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/benparr Join 6000+ top marketers and operators, and sub to Whale Maile for in-depth ecom marketing insights guidance every week right here. Checkout out Triple Whale - https://trytriplewhale.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/trytriplewhale/message

Ben Parr of Octane AI joins this episode of E-Commerce with Coffee?! appropriately caffeinated and energized to talk about zero-party data. This is the “future of e-commerce,” he assures us, and brands who don't take action within the next year to year and a half will pay the price. Ben makes a compelling case for the critical importance of zero-party data. Zero-party data, or data the brand collects directly from the consumer, will not only improve marketing but bring a better customer experience for consumers, too. Listen to this great episode for Ben's insights! What to listen for: Ben starts the interview by telling the story of how his company got started. Back in 2016, they were well ahead of the curve, and many companies came to them later for advice. The biggest lesson he learned early on, he said, was how to build relationships and brand culture. Ben also makes a pitch for what brands must do to attract the best talent. “The best talent is looking for flexibility,” he says, referring specifically to remote work. “The world has changed, and the only question is what companies have changed to meet them.” “The world of e-commerce has fundamentally changed this year,” Ben says, moving on from hiring to behind-the-scenes e-commerce sales strategies. Privacy changes have defined this shift, with 96% of iOS users opting out of tracking when the new iOS 14 was launched. The platform update took a new spin on privacy, and as a result, third-party cookies are phasing out fast. On third-party cookies, Ben elaborates: “third-party cookies are going away. E-commerce was built by companies just buying that data, but that won't happen anymore.” Zero-party data is the new way—and now, essentially the only way—for brands to collect consumer data like preferences, interests and behavior. For a brand getting started now with their own zero-party data collection, “start with a conversational pop-up over a quiz,” Ben suggests. For one, it's easier to build out. What's more, the data collected from those questions and answers helps a brand decide what questions need to be on a quiz later. What's a brand to do with that zero-party data once they have it, anyway? In the second half of the interview, Ben digs into this in detail. “Number one, number two, number three: connect it to your email.” Listen to the full episode for examples of what that looks like. Whether or not brands act on this now, they will be impacted for better or worse. Today's ad strategies based on cookies will be totally broken before long. “If you're too reliant on ads and third-party data right now (and don't change that in the next year or year and a half), you're scr*wed." Consumers don't want more choices, they want better choices. Zero-party data is how brands will deliver on that. It turns out you can take a quiz on Ben's website to get started yourself, too! Be sure to listen to the full episode for even more insights.

In this episode of Product Chats we chat with Megan Berry, VP of Product at Octane AI. Megan has been working in product remotely for many years and has some great insights that can help product teams boost their remote work performance. We also dive into how remote work can actually challenge work-life balance and how you can overcome that. Time Stamped Show NotesImportance of customer success and product teams having an amazing relationship [03:14]Communicating about tough product decisions [04:59]Remote work tips for product managers [9:16]Avoiding being a jerk in written communication [10:57]Best practices for onboarding remote team members [13:34]Maintaining work-life balance as a product manager [16:11]Parental leave [19:14]The importance of empathy [21:30]  Product Chats is brought to you by Canny. Over 1,000 teams trust Canny to help them build better products. Capture, organize, and analyze product feedback in one place to inform your product decisions.Get your free Canny account today.  Stay Connected!TwitterFacebookLinkedIn

Specifically, Erica discusses:What it is, why it matters and how to collect it3+ ways that brands can leverage zero-party data in their marketing effortsStrategies of brands such as Hunter and GatherTo find out more about Octane AI, click here.

In our ninth episode, Ben Parr, Co-founder & President of Octane AI joins Stephanie and Matt and shares on using zero-party data to improve customer experience, why you should use conversational pop-ups to increase email conversion rate, and why you should do it now.Season 1 is proudly sponsored by Postscript, a leading SMS platform for growing Shopify stores.Click HERE for your Postscript 30 Day Free Trial.Ask us a question, give us feedback, or keep the convo going on Twitter! @QueenDTC @MattLady @ConvoCommPod @HighKeyGeek_ @PostscriptIO

In today's episode, my guest is Ben Parr, the President and Co-Founder of Octane AI. They are the zero-party data marketing platform that's helping thousands of Shopify and Shopify Plus e-commerce merchants to collect zero-party data and personalize their stores to drive growth.WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TODAY See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we're sitting down with the co-founder and president of Octane AI, Ben Parr. Before Octane AI, Ben was the editor-at-large at Mashable and after writing 2,400+ articles on technology and media, he knows a thing or two about the ever-changing landscape of ecommerce. He'll break down one of the hottest marketing buzzwords of 2021: zero-party data.  Learn why zero-party data is so important in the age of the third-party cookie takedown. Check out the Octane AI blog post Ben mentioned in the episode for some step-by-step guidance on how to get the most out of the Klaviyo x Octane AI integration. Want more interactive Klaviyo educational experiences? Visit https://www.klaviyo.com/events/live-training to see what sessions we're offering and to register for upcoming events. See you soon!

Let's talk scaling, marketing, and friendship. (It turns out that there are friends in business). For episode 86 of The Ecom Show, our CEO and podcast host Daniel Budai takes a deep dive into: ✔️ 3 Must-Have Tools to Scale Your E-Commerce ✔️ Friendship in Business ✔️ What Marketing Channels Should You Try This Year? ✔️Advice from Jeff Bezos & David Bebee Let's go! 3 Must-Have Tools to Scale Your E-Commerce  Recart Recart streamlines Facebook Messenger and SMS marketing with automated flows, opt-in tools, and software integrations. Take a look at how we made 18% of a print-on-demand store's monthly revenue with Recart. Recart allowed us to connect a Messenger welcome flow with a popup, thus tripling our client's opt-in rate. Generally, opt-in rates tend to be higher on Messenger than with email. For our client in pet e-commerce, we used Recart to triple our client's monthly revenue from Messenger. Daniel highly recommends Recart for e-commerce owners, even if you're just starting out. Their basic plan is very affordable and their pricing increases as your business grows. ShopifyShopify doesn't need a big introduction. As the fastest-growing e-commerce platform in the last six years, over 2 million online stores use Shopify as of 2022. Unlike BigCommerce and WooCommerce, Shopify takes care of your website domain. This means that you don't have to deal with any domain admin, but it also means that your website can be shut down by Shopify if your store inadvertently runs into any legal issues. Like Recart, Shopify is also very affordable. Its pricing begins at $29 and increases as your e-commerce store grows. Plus, Shopify apps allow you to integrate e-commerce software such as Zipify One Click Upsell, Reconvert, Klaviyo, and many more. Shopify themes are also a cheap way to improve optimization. They are by no means a single solution to conversion rate optimization, but they are helpful if you're just starting out with a tight budget. We're proud members of Shopify's partner program. Take a look at how we can help optimize your Shopify store here. Octane AI Octane AI began as a Messenger chatbot platform. In 2021, they quickly realized how important zero-party data would be to e-commerce, and introduced two new incredible features:1. Shop Quiz Shop Quiz collects zero-party data (data voluntarily given by the customer) to personalize product recommendations and build a detailed buyer persona. 2. Conversational Popups Conversational popups allow you to collect email, SMS, and Messenger opt-ins by asking customers about their needs and preferences. And the personalization doesn't stop there. Octane AI integrates with Klaviyo so that you can not only personalize your welcome flows, but also all future communications with your customers. If you want to learn a ton about your customers and drastically improve your SMS and email marketing and their shopping experience, Octane AI is the tool to use. Friendship in Business Business is not all about being cut-throat. Bob Iger, who was the CEO of Disney for 15 years talks about the importance of friendship and staying in touch with your emotions in his book, The Ride of a Lifetime.While conferences are often about serious networking, don't be afraid to have some fun and make some friends. Thriving in business is a wonderful experience to share. Poll: What Marketing Channels Should You Try This Year? Last week, Daniel asked his followers: What Marketing Channel Will You Try in 2022? And the results are in! Over half of the respondents on LinkedIn said that they would try TikTok. It's safe to say that TikTok is really hot right now. In light of the iOS 14 and iOS 15 updates, many e-commerce owners do not trust Facebook as much as they once did. Plus, TikTok is thriving as a Gen Z platform. It's a very different user experience from Facebook and Instagram, and it's easy to consume a lot of content in a short space of time. Daniel predicts that TikTok will be bigger than any other social media platform in a couple of years. Advice from Jeff Bezos and David Beebe  “It's hard to find things that won't sell online.” Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon  If you're just starting out in e-commerce, take some advice from someone who's been in the industry for over 25 years. Almost anything can be sold online. It's about putting in the time and work to learn how. “Content marketing is like a first date. If you only talk about yourself, there won't be a second one.” David Beebe, Founder and CEO of Storified Brands  Even when advertising your brand, try not to make everything about you. Talk about your clients and partners, interview other people in your field, engage with your audience. If you liked this episode of The Ecom Show, please feel free to leave any comments you have on our YouTube channel, contact Daniel on LinkedIn, or check out another episode! Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

Ben is President and co-founder of Octane AI, the zero-party data marketing platform for eCommerce. He's also a best-selling author, a member of Forbes 30 under 30, and used to be editor-at-large for Mashable. This month, to kick off 2022 in style – we're focusing in on how you deal with the cookie-apocalypse that started in 2021 and will continue this year. What new marketing methods do you need to deploy? What do you need to do with your old marketing methods to keep the working? And how do we need to shift focus. Over the next 4 episodes we're going to be exploring the online side of it all. Then next month we'll be looking at the offline marketing methods that many DTC brands trialled in Q4 2021. Today we're kicking off with Zero Party Data – what is it? How do you get it? Why do you need it? How do you use it? I met today's guest at an eCommerce conference run by the Shopify agency swanky– and he was so great at explaining all this – I had to get him on the show so you all could benefit too. Get all the links and resources we mention at https://keepoptimising.com/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=episodenotes (KeepOptimising.com) Episode sponsored by https://www.klaviyo.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=masterplan (Klaviyo) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy

#83 Daniel Budai from Budai Media: 3 More E-Commerce Trends to Look Out for in 2022 Last week, our CEO and podcast host Daniel Budai introduced us to 3 upcoming trends to look out for in 2022. And now he's back with 3 more! Just when you thought you couldn't get more prepared for next year. Join Daniel's second Master Show for more fantastic advice on: ✔️ 3 More E-Commerce Trends to Look Out for in 2022 ✔️ Timeless Advertising with David Ogilvy ✔️ The Best SMS Marketing Tool ✔️ Advice from the Best in Business 3 More E-Commerce Trends to Look Out for in 2022Trend #1: Subscriptions  Subscriptions have taken off over the past couple of years, and Daniel predicts an acceleration in this trend next year. Subscriptions are already huge in software, SaaS companies make the bulk of their revenue in subscriptions. As of 2021, subscriptions are not quite as prominent in the e-commerce industry, but they're rapidly rising in popularity.Parsa Saljoughian, VP of strategic finance at WHOOP, states that subscription-based businesses can retain up to 65% of their customers within 12 months. So, aside from high customer retention rates, what are the benefits of using a subscription-based model in your e-commerce? 1. You'll get to know your customers Subscriptions are a great way to collect zero-party data. Collecting zero-party data is the first step towards hyper-personalizing your marketing and product recommendations. 2. You can build better incentives Since subscriptions allow you to really get to know your customers, you'll collect enough information about their purchase behavior to build an effective VIP tier system, understand what incentives they respond to, and come up with some really solid offers and bundles 3. Subscriptions are sticky In other words, they can be a hassle to cancel. When your subscriptions are low-cost, customers may often not feel the need to cancel their subscription if they take a break from your product or service for a few weeks or even months. So what are your next steps? If you want to build a subscription-based model for your business, Daniel recommends checking out Recharge if you have a Shopify store or adding the Woocommerce subscription extension if you're with Woocommerce. Recharge can also be integrated with Zipify One Click Upsell for when you want to upsell a subscription. Daniel advises that thorough data collection and analysis is integral to a subscription-based model. Metrilo is a great tool to hook up your subscription-based data with your Google Analytics account. Otherwise, if you need any help with data analysis and building a subscription-based model, head over to thebudaimedia.com or email contact@thebudaimedia.com. Trend #2: Personalization As the iOS14 and 15 updates shook digital marketing to its core zero-party data and first-party data became incredibly important. And that trend isn't going anywhere. Zero-party data isn't collected by pixels or third parties. They're collected through questions: permission-based marketing. Customer information is retrieved through survey questions, quizzes, or popups. Zero-party data revolutionizes the customer journey: direct questions collect customer information that third-party data would never be able to obtain. It allows e-commerce owners to hyper-personalize and customize every step of the customer journey. Personalized marketing, Daniel advises, is particularly effective with omnichannel marketing. It's important to ensure that every marketing channel, be it website optimization, email marketing, SMS marketing, ads, etc. is connected. Omnichannel marketing is particularly useful during sales and promos. During Black Friday, for example, your site will direct visitors to email and SMS marketing. In turn, SMS and email marketing are fantastic for promoting Black Friday and creating urgency. Daniel highly recommends Octane AI for its Shop Quizzes, Conversational Popups, and seamless personalization and product recommendations across marketing channels. Thank you emails are also highly effective in optimizing personalization and expressing appreciation to your customers. According to Klaviyo, a post-purchase thank you email has an open rate of over three times the average email. So make sure that your copy is good and you grasp any opportunity for upselling. Klaviyo personalizes the recommended product feed, so do take advantage of that in your email marketing. Trend #3 Social Commerce  According to Statista, Social Commerce will have $46 billion in sales in 2022. That's a 20% - 25% increase from last year. So what is social commerce? Social commerce is the process of selling products directly on social media. When people are scrolling through TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram, they usually don't want to be taken to a website to buy a product: they want to buy within the platform. Keep an eye on your social media and your customers. Use Facebook marketplace if it's relevant to your audience, or engage with shoppable Instagram or TikTok feeds if you have a Gen Z audience. Daniel advises that Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing selling machines right now, so do check out Pinterest for Shopify. Timeless Advertising with David Ogilvy  Whilst advertising changes all the time, there's still a lot to learn from David Ogilvy's 1959 Rolls-Royce advert. We're sure you've seen this one: “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in the new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” This advert has withstood the test of time because Ogilvy did his research on Rolls-Royce customers. The fact that the electric clock is the loudest noise in the car is not relevant to anyone except the target customer. A customer who is highly interested in luxury cars. Ogilvy wasn't a big fan of one-word headlines, but he had to take his hat off to the Volkswagen's 1959 ‘Lemon. Think Small' ad. This went completely against the grain in the US car market at the time, therefore promoting a novel perspective that humorously emphasizes functionality and affordability. Avis's 1963 ad ‘Avis can't afford dirty ashtrays' is a great example of how you can position your brand next to your competitors. Avis points out that they're “No. 2” in rent a cars. Unlike the No.1 in rent a cars, they cannot afford to treat their customers poorly. They will always provide a full gas tank, a smile, and a clean ashtray. That was their unique selling point, and it worked very well. The Best SMS Marketing Tool - According to You Guys!  Daniel recently asked his followers on Facebook and Instagram a simple question: “What is your favorite SMS marketing software tool?” On LinkedIn, Klaviyo came out on top, but Postscript and SMS Bump also won over a few votes. On Facebook, people mentioned Postscript, Attentive, and Klaviyo. At Budai Media, we've tried Postscript, Klaviyo, and Recart. Our favorite platform is SMSBump. It can be used in almost every country across the world, its segmentation and data analysis are very advanced, and it integrates seamlessly with Shopify, Klaviyo, Recart, and other fantastic e-commerce tools. Advice from the Best in Business Here are a few of Daniel's favorite quotes from leading figures in e-commerce and marketing.  Jeff Bezos “There are two kinds of companies - those who work to raise the prices and those that work to lower them.” Daniel recommends that smaller companies without investors should aim to raise their prices. Larger companies with investors, however, should scale by lowering their prices. David Ogilvy “On average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy.” Daniel recommends spending the same amount of time on your headline as you do on your body copy. Come up with at least 10 different variations of headlines and subject lines, A/B test as much as you can, and find out what works. Thank you for joining Daniel's Master show! If you'd like to learn more about CRO, retention marketing, and scaling your e-commerce, visit Budai Media today. It won't be long before Daniel releases his book packed full of actionable tips for scaling your e-commerce in 2022 - watch this space! Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

#81 Ben Parr from Octane AI: Zero Party Data - Strategies for Collecting Data and Increasing Sales We're delighted to welcome Ben Parr, the President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, to a webinar with our podcast host and CEO, Daniel Budai. Octane AI is the zero-party data marketing platform for Shopify and Shopify Plus merchants. Its conversational technology enables thousands of merchants to collect zero-party data and use it to optimize conversions, average order value, and customer lifetime value. If you want to form a real relationship with your customers, tune in to hear Ben teach us everything you need to know about: ✔️ The Problem: Rented Relationships vs Real Relationships ✔️ Zero-Party Data Marketing ✔️ How to Collect Zero-Party Data ✔️ Personalizing Your Marketing The Problem: Rented Relationships vs. Real Relationships Ben begins by identifying 2 key problems in eCommerce:1. Shopify brands have been building their business on top of rented relationships. 2. Apple has recently made a change that has completely destroyed the way you were used to doing business. Before the iOS 14 update and recent changes in data privacy, Shopify Brands heavily tended towards Facebook Pixel in their marketing strategies. Facebook Pixel tracked user behavior and retargeted ads accordingly. The problem with this strategy is that it's a rented relationship. Facebook owns the customer contact information, the Shopify Brand does not. It has to pay Facebook to access contact information, essentially renting the relationship with its own customer. Apple broke this relationship. The new iOS14 gives users the opportunity to opt-out of data tracking. Essentially, this makes it impossible for Facebook to run retargeting ads for iOS users. 96% of U.S users opted out of data tracking in iOS 14.5. The vast majority of people do not want to be tracked. The world of marketing is changing, and it's time to adapt. Retargeting ads based on third-party data are going away. Now eCommerce owners need to collect data directly. This is the era of zero-party data. Ben advises against relying on pixel-based ads and third-party data, that is, rented relationships. Diversify your channels and find new ways of bringing people to your store. From there, focus on building real relationships with your customers using zero-party data. Don't accept 2% conversion rates in pop-ups, aim for 8%-10% and higher. Zero-Party Data Marketing Zero-party data marketing uses data directly collected from your customers via questions. The answers to these questions are then used to personalize the entire shopping experience, from emails to SMS, to the website itself. Third-party data is collected via several different websites. First-party data is collected on your own website using Google or Shopify analytics. Zero-party is different because it's collected from data that is voluntarily provided by the customer. This includes information such as size, style, dietary preferences, etc. Such information can only be collected via direct questions. Zero-party data is, therefore, the only way to build a hyper-personalized customer journey. How to Collect Zero-Party Data Ben recommends using product quizzes to build deep relationships with your customers. He likens this to an in-store shopping experience. When a customer goes into a store, an associate may be there to ask questions and guide them towards the best product for them. For example, an associate at a skincare store may ask the customer about their skin type, current skincare routine, skin goals, etc. Zero-party data is about bringing this experience online. Product quizzes are generally loved by customers because they often come to websites without knowing exactly what they're looking for. The answers to the quiz questions build the customer's buyer profile which is then used to lead them to the right product. Further, when the right questions are asked, engaged users are more inclined to provide contact information. From there, you can personalize content and products that you send in your campaigns. The conversion rate in product quizzes is significantly higher than standard popups. As people are keen to receive their quiz results, conversion rates can be as high as 20 - 40%. Zero-party data is not only fantastic for initial conversions, it can be stored and leveraged for future product recommendations and campaigns. A conversational popup is a very simple but highly effective way to capture email addresses. Instead of “Enter your email to get 10% off”, “Get 10% off by answering this question” gives your customer the opportunity to interact with your brand and receive a decent product recommendation. The conversion rate is 46 times higher in a conversational popup than in a standard popup. Personalizing Your Marketing with Zero-Party Data Ben describes this as the “bread and butter” of zero-party data marketing. Marketing and remarketing are personalized using quiz data on email, Messenger, SMS, and Facebook ads. A personalized welcome series, for example, is far more effective than a generic welcome flow. If a customer visits a haircare eCommerce store and shares that they prefer to wash their hair at night, their welcome flow would recommend overnight hair masks. Octane AI allows Shopify merchants to send Zero-party data to Klaviyo in order to segment personalized flows accordingly. The lowdown? The future of eCommerce is in zero-party data: personalized websites, email flows, campaigns, and ads that build a customer journey that converts. Eager to learn more? Download Octane AI's free playbook for the definitive guide to zero-party data marketing. Visit Octane AI: Octane AI Follow Ben Parr: Ben Parr Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Ben Parr, the founder of Octane AI about doing business in a world without third party cookies, on #theBigLift podcast. Ben firmly believes that the demise of third party cookies will massively change the way eCommerce players do their business. With the focus having to change from acquisition to optimisation: "If you want to grow and prosper, strengthen the channels you own such as e-mail and SMS, and optimise your funnel". We could not agree with him more! 

How do you stand out in front of your customers online? Personalise, personalise, personalise! This week, Leo and Waldo were joined all the way from Ohio by Martina Cronin, Senior Agency Partner at Octane AI to discuss all things personalisation when it comes to your online store. Built for integration with Shopify, Shopify Plus and Klaviyo, Octane AI is a trusted tool to support brands by building customer relationships with quizzes and pop-ups, recommending products and increasing revenue. It's another lockdown episode for our team and we're seeing merchants generate a lot of revenue online, highlighting the importance of gaining that competitive advantage to stand out online. Combined with the recent Facebook outage, our eCommerce experts discussed with Martina how critical it is to create a personalised customer experience to optimise conversions, and build and maintain meaningful relationships. To find out more about Octane AI you can visit their website here: https://www.octaneai.com/ Thanks to Gorgias and Okendo for being such great sponsors! For more information about Gorgias, the Number 1 rated helpdesk for eCommerce merchants click here for 2 months FREE - https://gorgias.grsm.io/zyberpodcast To find out about Okendo and for a FREE extended 60 day Trial click here www.okendo.io/forms/demo/?affiliate_id=zyber.co.nz Custom Neon Sign: https://www.neonsigns.co.nz/ For more information about Zyber Digital Visit our website - https://www.zyber.co.nz Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/zyberwebdesign/ Follow up on LinkedIn - https://nz.linkedin.com/company/zyber Join our exclusive Facebook insider groups Shopify NZ - https://www.facebook.com/groups/shopifynz/ Shopify VIP - https://www.facebook.com/groups/shopifyvip Follow us on Instagram - zyberhq

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Gorgias, and Attentive**   “You have to do it sooner than later,” says Ben Parr, who is the president and co-founder of Octane AI, “because every day you're not collecting data, you're missing an opportunity.” In the second half of this Feature, he continues that not all brands are using zero-party data. According to him, capturing zero-party data will be better for the brands but also the consumer. He mentions that zero-party data is optional information that the consumer willingly provides to a company that could then be used to improve the user experience. Ben also explains that any brand can use their products; however, there will be a different experience depending on size. He suggests that when starting, first, begin collecting data by setting a conversational pop-up. Next, ask for an email and then recommend products. Ben advises that you're only as strong as the team since he's grateful to his co-founder. When it comes to building a product, he believes that one should be embarrassed by the first version but continue testing, learning, and talking to more customers to improve the product. Lastly, taking a break is essential as well. He talks about: * Their products * Customer criteria * What onboarding looks like * His recommendation * Challenges of joining a tech firm for a journalist * Advice for entrepreneurs Join Ramon Vela and Ben Parr as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Octane AI, visit: https://www.octaneai.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This episode was brought to you by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/ * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shoppers? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

**This episode is brought to you by MuteSix, Gorgias, and Attentive**   ”The best at data collection for Shopify brands,” says Ben Parr. Today we have Ben Parr, President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, a zero-party data marketing platform for e-commerce brands, especially Shopify brands. Ben was Editor-at-Large for Mashable in the past. He wrote a book called “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention.” For him, entrepreneurship was always on his mind, and it was just a matter of working on ideas. He explains that Octane doesn't just collect data but leverage that data for deep personalization too. He also mentions that the Shopify ecosystem has completely exploded due to pandemic and consumer trends. He predicts that there will be a new class of eCommerce brands, lots of unpredictability; innovation; more competition between Shopify and Amazon. He talks about: * Gratefulness * Overview of the company * His background * Entrepreneurship * Challenges for the consumers * Trends in industry * Who's using zero-party data? Join Ramon Vela and Ben Parr as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand. For more on Octane AI, visit: https://www.octaneai.com/ Subscribe and Listen to the podcast on all major apps. Listeners can also search for The Story of a Brand. Click here to listen on Apple Podcast or Spotify. * This Show is sponsored by MuteSix. MuteSix is the leading agency in performance marketing. They have been in this space for nearly eight years, growing and scaling the world's most recognizable e-commerce brands with breakthrough creative, targeted media buying, and data-driven results in every step of the funnel. They're currently offering listeners a FREE omnichannel marketing audit. Their team of auditors will perform a deep dive analysis into your current marketing efforts and identify which strategies might be budget wasters and which strategies will improve performance. The audit covers all digital marketing channels, including Facebook, Google, Email, Amazon, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Influencer, Programmatic, and Website CRO. For your free digital marketing consultation, visit: https://mutesix.com/storyofabrand * This episode was brought to you by Attentive. How do the most innovative companies reach mobile consumers? Meet Attentive, the text messaging solution trusted by innovative retail & e-commerce brands like CB2, Coach, and thousands of Shopify brands. On average, Attentive customers see 25x ROI and 18.5% of online revenue driven by SMS. Ready for SMS to become one of your top three revenue channels? Learn how to get started with your free trial by requesting a demo at https://www.attentivemobile.com/ * This episode is also brought to you by Gorgias. Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shoppers? That's why exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. I recommend using Gorgias. Gorgias combines all your communication channels, including email, SMS, social media, live chat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. Go to https://www.gorgias.com/ to book a demo and mention the Story of a Brand podcast for two months free.

Specifically, Ben discusses:The recent data privacy changes by Apple and upcoming ones by Google that are shaking up ecommerce marketing and advertising.What is zero party data, how to collect it and leverage it.Conversational Pop-ups and Shop Quizzes.To find out more about Octane AI and Shop Quizzes, click here.  

#71 Looking to the Future of Ecommerce: What to Expect  Ecommerce has never just been about selling. With ever-evolving digital technology, emerging social platforms, and changes in data privacy, ecommerce has always been about adaptability.  Casey Roeder is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skylab Media, an omnichannel marketing agency that looks to the future of ecommerce. Skylab media not only covers lifecycle marketing, SMS, paid social, and paid search, it strategizes crypto advertising campaigns, NFT marketing, podcast marketing, and more.  Tune in to hear Casey and our podcast host and CEO Daniel Budai discuss:  ✔️ Casey's Journey into Entrepreneurship ✔️ Casey's Business Approach ✔️ New and Emerging Marketing Channels  ✔️ The Future of Ecommerce  ✔️ Casey's Tips for Q4 Casey's Journey into Entrepreneurship  Casey began working in marketing in 2013. In 2016-2027, Casey worked at Hawke Media, one of the biggest names in D2C (direct to consumer) marketing. Casey and his team oversaw Hawke Media's growth into the company it is today.   At the forefront of management services and advertising, Casey worked in email, paid search, SMS, and collaboration with Octane AI for Facebook Messenger Marketing.  Fast forward to three years later, Casey was working at MuteSix when he was approached by another agency on LinkedIn with a VP Marketing job offer in Hollywood. At that time, Casey was watching a lot of Dave Ramsey videos on getting rid of debt, developing financial literacy skills, and learning how to be financially independent. One of Ramsey's pieces of advice was to ask for a raise and/or get a second job if you're not making as much as you'd want to. Casey, however, didn't want to leave his job at MuteSix, so offered to become VP of Marketing only on a freelance basis. Over the course of the following year and a half, Casey dived into the hustle. One of his co-workers said that he was surprised that Casey wasn't running his own business.  “That's where the wheels started turning. I'm like, maybe I can do this. Because in order to be an entrepreneur, you have to have the hustle, you have to be able to work under pressure, you need that grind.” Having that foundation and skillset, Casey took a leap of faith and founded Skylab Media. Two years later, Skylab Media is thriving as an omnichannel marketing agency that offers futuristic services in NFT, cryptocurrency, and podcast marketing. Casey's Business Approach   So now that Casey's running an entire agency, what's his approach?  In terms of the hiring process, Casey is all about transparency. He makes it very clear that his employees and potential employees shouldn't expect an average 9 - 5 workday. But hard work will be rewarded.  The most important thing for Casey is not entry or senior levels, it's about who's willing to put in the work.  New and Emerging Marketing Channels   Social search, lifestyle, and influencer marketing are what Casey describes as the “new age” of print and TV marketing.  Skylab Media offers services in paid socials, paid search, SMS Marketing, and Email Marketing. But what sets Skylab Media apart from its competitors lies in its services in newer (and very hot) markets: cryptocurrency, NFT, podcast marketing, Spotify. Well beyond what your average DTC agency provides.  “It's cool, it's new, it's something that people aren't doing. And it's really fun. And why not enter that market as one of the leaders?” A lot of investors right now know that cryptocurrency is something that should be taken very seriously, especially when we think about the rollout of 5G and new technologies.  Casey believes that most marketing agencies also aren't thinking about AR, VR, and Oculus. When these innovations become increasingly present in our everyday lives over the next couple of decades, customers will want to bring them into their digital experiences. Casey is already thinking about this - pointing out that AR and VR will give so many more opportunities for brand-customer interaction than the 2D realm.   The Future of Ecommerce  So what does Casey expect to see in the future of ecommerce? As many of us know, the iOS15 update is taking a huge hit on many small business owners. Enterprise accounts are not as affected because they have an entire plethora of different services going for them. It's really hitting home for those who are just starting out and mid-sized agencies that rely on advertising longer than a seven-day window period. Casey advises diving into TikTok, influencer email marketing, and SMS marketing. When done well, these should offset the dip in performance on longer attribution window cycles that used to be available on Facebook and Instagram. SMS Marketing especially, Casey assures, is your “best friend”. What other advertising platform can reach the palm of your customer's hand with a 90 open rate and a return on average greater than 10x? Nothing other than SMS has the ability to do that.   And TikTok?   TikTok is a fantastic platform for going viral - you're more likely to go viral on TikTok than Facebook and Instagram. TikTok isn't as moderated and CPM rates (cost per mille - price of 1000 advertisement impressions) are under $3 on average. TikTok is also rolling out a lot of advertising features very similar to Facebook, such as a storefront and tagging your products for sales.  A lot of big players are now advertising on TikTok. If you're not on it, Casey advises, to hop right on it. Its algorithm is fantastic and you can get returns from day one. Just make sure that you are as organic as possible and stay very mindful of how you portray your brand. Brand loyalty, identity, and perception on TikTok are very different from how they are on Facebook and Instagram. The two main demographics on TikTok are Gen Z and millennials. The way Gen Z will interact with a brand is completely different from that of any other demographic, including older millennials. As for other advertising avenues?  Casey says that Snapchat is a very underrated platform and well worth exploring.  Podcast marketing is key to building and growing a dedicated audience that will listen to your brand. In terms of influencer marketing, getting your ads on podcasts you know your audience would be interested in is a fantastic way to get through to them.  Casey's Tips for Q4   Plan ahead. You don't want to be scrambling at the last minute to approve Adsense or creatives. If you're a small to midsize business, make sure all your Black Friday plans are planned by October.  If you're a Gen Z brand, consider donating some of your profits to a charity or a cause - your audience will really gravitate towards that.  Take a holistic approach: what platforms are going to work for your brand? If you don't have the budget for a huge omnichannel marketing venture, think outside the box. Can you give influencers a product in exchange for content? How can you encourage UGC?  Whatever you do, don't miss the opportunity. November and December will be your best time for profit.  TL;DR: Look to the future of ecommerce. Use TikTok and SMS marketing, prepare, prepare, and prepare some more for Q4.  Visit Skylab Media or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to take your advertising light years ahead of everyone else.  Connect with Casey on LinkedIn for all things startups, growth, and omnichannel marketing.  Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn  Daniel's Facebook 

Jeremy wraps up the Personalization Series in his best ever conversation with Ben Parr, one of Messenger Mastermind's favorite guests. Ben jumps right in to unpack how changes in data collection and storage (hello iOS updates and Facebook changes) directly impact how relationships are built with customers. Once the strategies and tactics from Episodes 1 & 2 are implemented, it's time to think about merging those ideas with the channel diversification and data collection that will need to shift to continue to be helpful to your bottom line. Listen ahead for why 0-party data is the future, why you need a conversational pop-up, and why cookie-pocalypse is not the end of the world. Previous episodes with Ben: The 45 Best Strategies in Conversational Marketing, Product Quiz = Personalized Shopping Experience To reach Ben: Octaneai.com @benparr on all social media Get the Zero Party Data Playbook: https://www.octaneai.com/playbook This series is presented in partnership with Octane AI and Gorgias. ------------------------------------------------------------- What if your brand could leverage more customer data to combat data privacy changes and boost conversions? With Octane AI, every Shopify and Shopify Plus merchant can. Featuring Shop Quiz and Conversational Pop-ups, merchants use Octane AI to get to know customers on a deeper level by collecting zero-party data. Using this data, you can engage with your customers through personalized campaigns and flows across all channels, building lasting relationships. The ROI from using Octane AI is incredible: brands have increased email signups by 16X and driven a 28% increase in AOV. Octane AI has plans for any-sized business. Learn more and get started on your zero-party data journey at OctaneAI.com/Mastermind. --------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why using personalization to deliver exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. Gorgias combines all your communication channels including email, SMS, social media, livechat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. With Gorgias you can see the customer's order information right beside tickets, so you can personalize responses with things like their first name, order, and tracking number. Brands like Princess Polly, OLIPOP and Steve Madden have reduced their response times and increased efficiencies with Gorgias. For more information, go to gorgias.com and mention the Messenger Mastermind podcast for two months free.

In this video, Ben Parr answers the question of: Should I Use a Quiz for My Business?HINT: The answer is absolutely yes.With everything happening in the marketing world from iOS 14, iOS 14.5, iOS 15, Google getting rid of cookies, and so on, having a zero party data strategy is of the utmost importance.Zero-party data offers an innovative solution in the cookieless online landscape and an excellent alternative to the currently available cookies. It is information that is hard to infer or buy from a user, in other words it is information that a customer freely shares with a company.Ben talks about some strategies and use cases for collecting zero party data using some relevant case studies from Octane AI customers.Follow Ben on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/benparrTake a look at Octane AI here: https://www.octaneai.com/More about Octane AI:- The zero-party data marketing platform for Shopify stores - Home of the Shop Quiz & Conversational Pop-ups- Boost conversions & personalizationJoin 50 DTC marketers & founders as they share their best BFCM secrets FOR FREE: https://blackfridaysummit.com

This week, Jeremy dives into a personalization case-study with Marius Morariu, co-founder and CEO of Tracie Martyn Skincare, about how he has expanded his company from a high-end spa in Manhattan to an online business. Using many of the tools the Messenger Mastermind team has been sharing in this series, Marius's strategies are an example of how to make every customer feel happy, confident, and special, whether they are walking the red carpet or getting ready for date night. Listen ahead for an inspiring example of how quizzes, pop-ups, and email and SMS automations can work for any kind of a company - including one that was founded as an in-person, brick-and-mortar venture. This series is presented in partnership with Octane AI and Gorgias. ------------------------------------------------------------ What if your brand could leverage more customer data to combat data privacy changes and boost conversions? With Octane AI, every Shopify and Shopify Plus merchant can. Featuring Shop Quiz and Conversational Pop-ups, merchants use Octane AI to get to know customers on a deeper level by collecting zero-party data. Using this data, you can engage with your customers through personalized campaigns and flows across all channels, building lasting relationships. The ROI from using Octane AI is incredible: brands have increased email signups by 16X and driven a 28% increase in AOV. Octane AI has plans for any-sized business. Learn more and get started on your zero-party data journey at OctaneAI.com/Mastermind. ------------------------------------------------------------ Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why using personalization to deliver exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. Gorgias combines all your communication channels including email, SMS, social media, livechat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. With Gorgias you can see the customer's order information right beside tickets, so you can personalize responses with things like their first name, order, and tracking number. Brands like Princess Polly, OLIPOP and Steve Madden have reduced their response times and increased efficiencies with Gorgias. For more information, go to gorgias.com and mention the Messenger Mastermind podcast for two months free.

Having a good personalization system in place as your business grows is a question of infrastructure - having the right people and automations in place to make sure that customers aren't slipping through the cracks. Last week Jeremy, Mark, and Ben talked about the kinds of communication and content that businesses should be using to personalize relationships with their customers. This week, they get into more advanced tactics for maintaining and growing these relationships. When your business was smaller, you could communicate reactively, as you grow this organic kind of personal communication has to be planned and implemented. Never fear, Messenger Mastermind has you covered - listen ahead to make your plan. This series is presented in partnership with Octane AI and Gorgias. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What if your brand could leverage more customer data to combat data privacy changes and boost conversions? With Octane AI, every Shopify and Shopify Plus merchant can. Featuring Shop Quiz and Conversational Pop-ups, merchants use Octane AI to get to know customers on a deeper level by collecting zero-party data. Using this data, you can engage with your customers through personalized campaigns and flows across all channels, building lasting relationships. The ROI from using Octane AI is incredible: brands have increased email signups by 16X and driven a 28% increase in AOV. Octane AI has plans for any-sized business. Learn more and get started on your zero-party data journey at OctaneAI.com/Mastermind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why using personalization to deliver exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. Gorgias combines all your communication channels including email, SMS, social media, livechat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. With Gorgias you can see the customer's order information right beside tickets, so you can personalize responses with things like their first name, order, and tracking number. Brands like Princess Polly, OLIPOP and Steve Madden have reduced their response times and increased efficiencies with Gorgias. For more information, go to gorgias.com and mention the Messenger Mastermind podcast for two months free.

Conversational marketing is one of the cornerstones of building a successful eCommerce store, but the conversation goes much deeper if it is personal. Figuring out what that actually means in practice can be difficult, especially as your company grows and it becomes necessary to automate more and more of your communications with customers. Over the next 4 episodes, Jeremy, Ben, Mark, and some special guests will get into what it truly means to personalize your sales and customer service, and how to make it work for you at scale. This series is presented in partnership with Octane AI and Gorgias. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What if your brand could leverage more customer data to combat data privacy changes and boost conversions? With Octane AI, every Shopify and Shopify Plus merchant can. Featuring Shop Quiz and Conversational Pop-ups, merchants use Octane AI to get to know customers on a deeper level by collecting zero-party data. Using this data, you can engage with your customers through personalized campaigns and flows across all channels, building lasting relationships. The ROI from using Octane AI is incredible: brands have increased email signups by 16X and driven a 28% increase in AOV. Octane AI has plans for any-sized business. Learn more and get started on your zero-party data journey at OctaneAI.com/Mastermind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know that loyal customers are 9x more likely to convert compared to a first-time shopper? That's why using personalization to deliver exceptional customer service is so important for your retention & growth. Gorgias combines all your communication channels including email, SMS, social media, livechat, and phone, into one platform and gives you an organized view of all tickets. This saves your support team hours per day and makes managing customer orders a breeze. With Gorgias you can see the customer's order information right beside tickets, so you can personalize responses with things like their first name, order, and tracking number. Brands like Princess Polly, OLIPOP and Steve Madden have reduced their response times and increased efficiencies with Gorgias. For more information, go to gorgias.com and mention the Messenger Mastermind podcast for two months free.

Ben Parr is President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, the all-in-one platform for engaging quizzes, data collection, and personalized Facebook Messenger and SMS automation. His team helped thousands of Shopify and Shopify Plus merchants to connect, convert, and retain customers by personalizing the customer journey and shopping experience. He is also the author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention, named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine.

Facing the CookiepocalypseOctane AI is the zero-party data platform for Shopify and eCommerce brands. “We help stores and brands collect super valuable insights on their customers in a very direct opt-on kind of way and use that information to personalize the shopping experience.” -BenHow can brands bounce back from the cookiepocalypse? Stop depending on others and own your data.“Stop renting the relationship that you have with your customer from Facebook and Google and other platforms and collect data and build your own data profile, your own buyer profile of your customer… Octane AI is entirely built around collecting data and getting more explicit opt-ins and leveraging that data for better conversion rates and better personalization.” - BenThe beauty of zero-party data is that brands can leverage it in any way because their customers voluntarily gave it to them.“A salesperson's job is not to persuade, a salesperson is not a persuader. A salesperson is a facilitator of next steps.” -Phillip When looking at all these tools and apps we use, they shouldn't be viewed as methods of persuasion, but as facilitators for the next steps.“The center of great AI is collecting data and having great data sets.” -BenAssociated Links:Learn more about Ben Parr and Octane AIThe Win Without Pitching Manifesto by Blair EnnsMelanie Travis episodes:[Step by Step] How Does CX Drive Lifetime Value?“People Aren't Buying Into A Story, They're Buying Into A Community”Subscribe to InsidersCheck out our latest report: Service Is The New Storefront Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

Supercharge Your CRO With Octane AI Ecommerce is changing. Recent changes in data privacy, such as the upcoming iOS 15 update, mean that ecommerce store owners need to adapt quickly to keep up to date with their customers. Introducing Octane AI. The all-in-one platform for direct data collection and CRO via Shop Quiz, personalized Messenger and SMS automation, and Opt in tools. Octane AI is transforming the customer and merchant journey. Ben Parr is the President and Co-Founder of Octane AI. Thousands of Shopify and Shopify plus merchants use Octane AI to engage, convert, and retain customers through innovative data collection and a personalized shopping experience. We're delighted to hear Ben and our podcast host Daniel Budai discuss CRO, personalizing your customer journey and: ✔️ Octane AI's Origins ✔️ Octane AI's Key Features ✔️ Engaging Quizzes for your Ecommerce Store ✔️ Getting Attention to your Ecommerce Store Where did Octane AI Begin? Ben Co-Founded Octane AI in 2016. Initially, Octane AI was primarily concerned with Messenger chatbots. Five years down the line, Octane AI's main focus is now Zero Party Data. Ben maintains that Octane AI's founding principles remain the same: “Helping customers and brand owners communicate is at the core of everything we do.” Messenger Chatbots are still very important to Octane AI, but so are Shop Quizzes, personalized SMS automation, and omnichannel marketing. Like any digital entrepreneur, Ben is all about adaptability and evolution. What does Octane AI do? Octane AI does two main things: Collects Data Leverages Data Octane AI uses Zero Party Data. That is, it collects data directly from customers via Shop Quiz, Messenger, and SMS communication. Ben warns against relying on third-party data. You don't own third-party data, and it could be taken from you at any time. When you quiz customers on what products they're looking for, you engage them in brand communication and collect direct data. Octane AI then leverages this data to personalize the customer experience. Octane AI works perfectly with Klaviyo to segment your customers according to Octane AI's data collection. This allows you to run targeted marketing campaigns. Ben and Daniel agree that retaining customers is even more valuable than gaining customers. In Ben's experience, the lifetime value (LTV) of customers who take quizzes usually goes up anywhere between 10 - 50% depending on the brand. Shop Quiz Sounds Amazing - How do I Make My Questions Engaging? Both Daniel and Ben say: Keep it Simple. Your Shop Quiz doesn't need to be 10 - 15 questions long. Keep it short and sweet. Ben's advice is to imagine your ecommerce store as a physical store. When a customer walks in, what are they going to ask? If you own a shoe shop, for example, it's likely that your customers will ask about shoe size, width, material, or brands. So if you own an ecommerce shore store, it makes sense to quiz your customers on what shoe size, width, material, or brand they're looking for. It's really as simple as that! Just one question can make all the difference. Ben gives another example of an ecommerce pet store asking its site visitors, “Cat or Dog?”. Just that one question drastically streamlines the customer's journey towards conversion. Getting Attention to Your Ecommerce Store Ben has written an entire book about the science and psychology of capturing people's attention: Captivology. So if you want a deep dive into grabbing your customer's attention, we recommend checking it out! Unfortunately, there's no silver bullet for capturing attention. But Ben does have a couple of tips for us: ✔️ Know what attention stage you're at If you're just starting out in your ecommerce business, capturing attention is a different ballpark to someone who already has brand attention and wants to cast their net wider. If your aim is to attract new customers, your strategy will be different to the aim of capturing and keeping the attention of existing customers. Capturing attention will also vary according to different sub-sects of customers. That's why it's so important to segment your marketing strategy using detailed customer data. ✔️ Know your product Your marketing will vary according to your product and buyer persona. Beauty brands, for example, tend to really benefit from influencer marketing. If you're selling high-end furniture, on the other hand, your focus would be better honed in on SEO and online ads. Don't try to capture attention from everywhere. Know where you're going to get it first. So What's Next for Octane AI? Ben is always alert to new trends in ecommerce. He says it's not long before we see the end of 3rd party cookies. Octane AI is paving the way for Zero Party Data and innovative data collection and customer personalization tools. Octane AI is always evolving. On the 14th of July 2021, Octane AI announced a brand new feature: Conversational Pop-ups. These integrate with Octane AI's Shop Quiz tool to create an interactive pop-up that gathers additional customer data and recommends products. It's really no surprise that the Shopify Team voted Octane AI as the Best Store Front App. And that was before Conversational Pop-Ups! Connect with Ben on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter; and visit Octane AI to supercharge your conversion rates. Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

ReConvert: The Best App for Post-Purchase CRO Shopify's post-purchase thank you page has a 100% open rate. Not only that, it doubles up as an order update page. That means that your customer is very likely to return to this page several times to check their order status. A great page right? Imagine all the post-purchase optimization you can do on that! The trouble is, that you can't edit this page on Shopify by default. That's where ReConvert comes in. Ruth Even Haim is the Co-Founder of StilyoApps and Creator of ReConvert, an app that allows you to customize your thank you page for personalized post-purchase optimization. Ruth has revolutionized the way we think about customer retention. We're very excited to hear Ruth and our podcast host Daniel Budai discuss customer retention, upselling, and: ✔️ ReConvert's Origins ✔️ ReConvert's Key Features ✔️ Using Pop-Ups Correctly ✔️ Maximizing Multiple Marketing Channels ✔️ Ruth's upcoming projects Where did ReConvert Begin? StilyoApps began as a small family business at the end of 2018. Ruth, and her brother Eric, both had their own Shopify store and noticed something: their thank you pages weren't being optimized. As Shopify thank you pages are also used as order-update pages, they saw a lot of wasted potentials. They decided to change this. In comes ReConvert. Ruth and Eric created an app that allows you to edit your post-purchase page any way you like. Add upsells, product recommendations, pop-ups, post-purchase surveys, and even videos! It's no surprise that Shopify quickly picked ReConvert as one of its star picks. The rest, as they say, is history! Ruth says that every happy customer is another great milestone for ReConvert. ReConvert's Features: Let's Break it Down ReConvert's features fall into three categories 1. Communication with Customers These include text, images, and videos. These act as branding tools to build customer trust and retention. You're free to add personalized thank you messages and creative ads. 2. Receiving Information from Customers Here you can collect customer data. Add a post-purchase and product comment widget for immediate feedback. You're also able to collect customer birthdays and sync this data to Klaviyo, SMSbump, and a range of different marketing platforms. 3. Upselling This is by far ReConvert's most popular feature. Upsell and cross-sell with recommended products, customizable Call-To-Action buttons, and pop-up discounts with timers. Talking of PopUps - How do I Use Them? Ruth and Daniel both love a good popup - when they're done well. Getting too carried away with upselling and popups can ruin your customer's experience and put them off your brand entirely. Ruth says that whilst you don't want a popup every second you also don't want to waste their potential. Daniel ran a popup A/B test with one of his clients last year. He found that if a customer sees a popup immediately upon arriving at your site, they're not going to be receptive to your offer. If a pop-up appears, later on, they're far more likely to check it out. Ruth and Daniel agree that finding out the average time a customer spends on your website is a great way to figure out when your popup should appear. As for exit-intent popups? They're a no-brainer: go for it. Your customer is leaving your site anyway so there's nothing to lose from giving them one last chance to convert. Maximizing Multiple Channels So if you're using ReConvert, do you need to bother with Email, SMS, and Facebook Messenger Marketing? Ruth and Daniel couldn't be more confident with this one: YES. Ruth says that customer retention is crucial to brand success. So you shouldn't limit yourself to one marketing channel. ReConvert isn't a replacement for Email, SMS, and Facebook Messenger Marketing, it is a fantastic addition. It's very rare to make a sale from one channel. People use multiple devices and platforms. Your customer may have converted at your website because they saw your brand in social media ads, emails, SMS, and Facebook Messenger. Successful branding is all about creating patterns of familiarity. Don't rely on one channel: concentrate on integration. Omnichannel marketing is your best friend. So What's Next for Ruth? Ruth doesn't want to stop at ReConvert. Now she wants an app for the top of the funnel. This will run complementary to ReConvert to complete your sales funnel. Its focus? Upselling before that thank you page. And boy does Ruth know her popups and upselling! We're definitely keeping an eye out for this one. ReConvert is a powerful yet easy-to-use tool that does wonders for your conversion rates. We couldn't recommend this app enough. On the next episode of The Ecom Show, we're welcoming another fantastic guest to tell us all about Octane AI. So stay tuned! In the meantime, check out our other episodes to find out more about branding, conversion, omnichannel marketing, and much much more. Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn and download ReConvert to revolutionize your CRO. Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

What is the science behind capturing people's attention? And what do you do after you have someone's attention; what is your intention? Is our attention fleeting and fickle, like a goldfish? Or is it something that can be recaptured and rekindled easily? Our guest today, Ben Parr cleverly uses a great Bonfire Analogy to describe how we ignite, build and rekindle attention.  Ben Parr is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, investor, and journalist. He is the author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention and the Co-founder of Octane AI, the marketing automation platform for Messenger and messaging apps.  Ben has a unique journey as an entrepreneur. In studying the science of attention, Ben has become deeply appreciative of storytelling; how we can capture and keep someone's attention through a narrative. But one of the tricks that we can learn from Ben is the art of how to curate a story. How we can be intentional with our presentations, our writing or even our conversations so our audience remain enthralled.  In our discussion with Ben, we talk about the reason he decided to research and write a book on attention. In a world where it feels like everyone is trying to grab our attention, Ben talks about how attention is something you need to both earn and be intentional about.  (23:43) “Attention is not something that you just get, it's something that you have to both earn, and that you have to be intentional about and the way you get attention. Because I can get attention by running down the street streaking, but I'm not going to get the kind of attention I want and not from the people I want. And this podcast would be done from a jail cell!” Ben loves to discover new music which opens up a great conversation about his playlist and even though he is a saxophonist, Ben never set his aspirations on emulating one of the great saxophonists like Kenny G. But instead, always strives to be the best possible version of himself.  Next, you can listen to our follow-on episode (#236); our Grooving Session with Kurt and Tim where we discuss how to apply Ben's insights to improve our lives, relationships and work environments. Behavioral Grooves strives to bring you insight and research from world-leading experts. And we do this without the use of paid advertising. If you would like to support our continued ad-free work, please consider becoming a Behavioral Grooves Patreon by visiting https://www.patreon.com/behavioralgrooves. Thank you! Topics (2:28) Welcome and Ben's new suggestion for our speed round! (10:30) Why Ben wrote Captivology? (12:59) Goldfish vs. humans - who has a longer attention span? (15:47) Why capturing attention is like building a bonfire  (18:43) How musicians Joshua Bell and Susan Geiser orchestrate your attention (22:15) Why David Copperfield is the master of keeping your attention (24:07) Curating the most important information (31:05) Techniques for curating information and how to tell a captivating story (35:40) Ben's favorite trigger for capturing attention  (39:26) How Ben discovers new music (41:34) Why Ben ultimately strives to just be a better version of himself   © 2021 Behavioral Grooves Links Ben Parr “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention” https://amzn.to/3ejByXB  Captivology http://captivology.com/  Octane AI https://www.octaneai.com/  Dessa:  On Being Deeply Human https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/dessa-being-deeply-human/ Inside the Backlash Against Facebook http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1532225,00.html  Joshua Bell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJhZ0J3bIYc  David Copperfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield  Episode 226: The Power Of Unity: Robert Cialdini Expands His Best Selling Book Influence https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/cialdini-unity-in-influence/ Episode 155: John Bargh: Dante, Coffee and the Unconscious Mind https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/john-bargh-dante-coffee-and-the-unconscious-mind/ Dr. Michael Posner https://ion.uoregon.edu/content/michael-posner  Michael Gazzaley https://neuroscape.ucsf.edu/profile/adam-gazzaley/  Episode 220: How Do You Become Influential? Jon Levy Reveals His Surprising Secrets https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/how-to-be-influential-jon-levy/ Episode 212: Scrutinizing Hype: Powerful lessons from The Hype Handbook with Michael F. Schein https://behavioralgrooves.com/episode/scrutinizing-hype-with-michael-f-schein/ Discover Weekly Spotify https://www.spotify.com/us/discoverweekly/  Musical Links  John Legend “All Of Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450p7goxZqg  OAR “Hey Girl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb17JzKSiVA  Bube Fiasco “The Show Goes On” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmp6zIr5y4U  Afro Jack DJ “Rock The House” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6h0_9Zv7aM  Imogen Heap “Hide and Seek” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYIAfiVGluk  Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkF3oxziUI4  Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ   Guns n' Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg  Kid Cudi “The Void” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDY5YMpyUc  Cosmo Sheldrake “Cuckoo Song” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbQyFZmuA58  Kenny G “Songbird” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN2RnjFHmNY  Stan Getz “Misty” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3qS363m7-w  Branford Marsalis “Cianna” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unRHCRsbJM0 

This week, we talked with Ben Parr, Co-Founder of Octane AI and author of Captivology. To find out more about Ben Parr and what he is working on, visit him at http://benparr.com/.

One layoff is tough, two are even harder to bounce back from. So how do you get back out into the workforce after two layoffs during a global pandemic? How do you price your product just perfect for a market? We discuss these two problems with Ben Parr, the journalist, author, venture capitalist, and entrepreneur. *** This episode is brought to you by: Bespoke Post: With a new line up of essential Box of Awesome collections for guys, Bespoke Post is guaranteed to upgrade your life. Use code 'Rocketship' to get 20% off your first box. The Product Institute: Product Institute is a subscription-based, online learning hub for product managers. Use the code ROCKET at checkout, you can enroll for just $999/year. Blinkist: Rocketship.fm is now on Blinkist! Listen to 12 minute episodes with no ads! Get seven days free when you check out Blinkist today. 4Books: 4books makes sure we don’t stop reading and learning just because we have less time. 4books is an app with a mission: to let you improve your personal and work life by making it easy and fun to learn from the world’s most brilliant minds. Go to your AppStore or Google Play and download 4books today. WIX: When your agency partners with Wix, you unlock an entire digital ecosystem for creating, managing and growing your business online. Head over to Wix.com/Partners and reimagine what your agency can accomplish. BetterHelp: Unlimited Professional Counseling via Online Chat, Video or Phone Anytime, Anywhere. Get 10% off when you visit betterhelp.com/rocketship. Airfocus: the home for products and the people who build them. airfocus is an easy-to-use and flexible product management platform that combines product strategy superpowers with modularity. Visit airfocus.com/rocketship and try it for free today. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.    Since you're listening to Rocketship, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding entrepreneurship, business, and careers like Creative Elements and Freelance to Founder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Berry is currently the VP of Octane AI, an all-in-one platform for data collection, personalized Facebook Messenger and SMS automation targeted towards retail and eCommerce brands. She is a guest blogger at Mashable and The Huffington Post and is an expert managing remote teams, especially global ones, having worked with remote teams for more than 9 years of her career. Today she is joining us on the podcast to discuss how to set up a successful and engaging culture and the working environment when having a remote set up.

“Having a quiz to connect with your customers on site has become almost an essential part of the shopping experience.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“You're collecting key insights about your customers with every question you ask and then using that to create personalized recommendations and personalized future engagements.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Quizzes are an opportunity to increase AOV because you have people purchasing more than maybe they would if they were just cruising through your website and happened to find that one single product.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“An advantage of using a quiz is having personalized emails, SMS, and Facebook messenger messages that you send to customers to bring them back, and to engage with them again.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPOD“Based on the information that you've collected through a quiz, you can be strategic about the questions you ask to get that information, you've learned so much about who your customers are to create this full profile of every single one of them.” @Tina_Donati #DTCPODWe Speak About:[01:04] Tina introduces herself and Octane AI  [02:17] The development process of Octane AI[04:34] The different types of quizzes and the benefits it builds for a brand[06:24] How the tool collects insight and offers personal engagement for customers [09:59] Marketing strategies to optimize the consumer quiz experience[13:26] How quizzes maximize AOV  [15:36] what strategies work best for cross and up-selling [17:44] How quizzes create an informed and personal brand [23:28] Additional brand value [25:33] How and when to implement a quiz in the customer journey [28:16] Creative ways to introduce personalized products  [30:49] Where to find Tina Donati and Octane AI onlineIf you want to build a strong brand, you need build strong relationships with customers (and use quizzes!)Tina Donati, content marketing manager of Octane AI, joins the POD to give some insight on the business, and the creative value quizzes can add to your brand . Octane AI is an all-in-one platform for quizzes, messenger, SMS, and opt-ins that powers a personalized cross-channel experience.  Tina recognizes that when it comes to building a brand, knowledge about your customers and personal engagement are key components for customer retention and brand growth.To provide this experience, Tina is part of a team that focuses on developing this value for businesses. An approach to gaining these key components is through quizzes. Offering a customer quiz on the brand website provides useful information to the brand and creates an engaged experience for the customer.  Tina recognizes the importance of this, and Octane AI has developed a shop quiz platform that businesses can use.In DTC, you need to find unique ways to add value to the customer experiencePersonalized quizzes can be great for optimizing the customer experience and driving brand affinity.   Quizzes can act as product recommenders and virtual assistants, adding value to the customer experience as they lead them to personalized products and create cross-selling. This in return may lead to an increased AOV.Tina addresses the types of quizzes and how to utilize them to create an engaged consumer.  Further brand opportunities are discussed through marketing strategies with quizzes.Stay tuned as Tina discusses the post-purchase process and lifetime value tips when integrating a shopping quiz. If you’d like to learn more about Trend and our influencer marketing platform for influencers and brands visit trend.io. You can also follow us for tips on growing your following and running successful campaigns on Instagram and LinkedIn.Mentioned Links:Tina Donati’s email: tina@octaneai.comTina Donati’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-donati-61Octane AI’s website: https://www.octaneai.com/

Ben Parr is one of the co-founders of Octane AI, a platform to fuel faster growth and personalization with Quizzes, Facebook Messenger & SMS automation, and opt-in tools.  On this podcast, we talk about the benefits of providing a “concierge” on your online store, how Octane AI’s Shop Quiz can help your business to grow exponentially, the fun and booming Ecommerce ecosystem, and so much more! To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.co Resources: Octane AI’s website: octaneai.com Ben’s Twitter: @benparr Octane AI’s Shop Quiz: octaneai.com/platform/quiz Octane AI’s annual playbook on how to fuel growth and power personalization on your Shopify store: join.octaneai.com/playbook Visit gorgias.grsm.io/honest to get your 2nd month with Gorgias free! Visit klaviyo.com/honest to get a free trial! Visit avalara.com/honest to find out how your business can be sales tax ready! Visit rewind.com/honest and enter your email to get your first month absolutely free!

Find us: Head to our community page to register & join the MindfulCommerce community as an expert, brand or merchantInstagram: @mindfulcommerceFacebook @MindfulCommerceContact Us - info@mindfulcommerce.ioWhere to find Adam Pearce:Adam Pearce - LinkedInWhere to find Blend Commerce:Blend Commerce - WebsiteBlend Commerce - BlogLinks Mentioned in Episode:Magento CommerceAccentureDue WestOctane AIKlaviyoClubhouseBrewDogDr. Will'sShoppingGivesInsights Profiles'Start With Why' - book by Simon Sinek'Find Your Why' - book by Simon Sinek, Peter Docker, David Mead'The 4-Hour Workweek' - book by Timothy Ferriss'Life Leverage' - book by Rob MooreShownotes:Krissie Leyland  0:00Hello and welcome to the MindfulCommerce Podcast, a place where we talk to ecommerce brands, service providers and developers who care about protecting our planet. I'm Krissie.Rich Bunker  0:11and I'm Rich. We are your hosts. This podcast is an extension of the MindfulCommerce Community.Krissie Leyland  0:18The MindfulCommerce Community is a safe place for ecommerce brands and experts to connect, collaborate and explore opportunities to work together to unleash the power of e commerce as a force for good. Rich Bunker  0:30You can join by going to mindfulcommerce.io and then clicking "Community". See you there!Krissie Leyland  0:36Today, we are talking to Adam who is the CEO and cofounder of Blend Commerce, a Shopify agency specializing in turning ideas into reality. Blend are driven by success with a mission to help Shopify entrepreneurs achieve significant and sustainable growth. I love Blend Commerce's motto, which is "clarify, create and convert," which we will go into more detail on in the show. So hello, Adam. It's great to have you here. How are you doing?Adam Pearce  1:08Yeah, very good. Thanks, Krissie. Thanks for having me. I'm really pleased to be on here.Krissie Leyland  1:13Good, great! It's always nice to hear that you're pleased to be on the podcast. So do you want to start by just telling us a bit about how Blend Commerce came about? So I believe you're running it with your brother-in-law, which is interesting.Adam Pearce  1:29Yeah, so shout out to anyone else who is in business with their family, because it's good and it's hard too. But yeah, just a detail about how it came about. So my business partner, Peter, who is also a brother-in-law, he started out developing Shopify stores about seven or eight years ago. We'd always talked about going to business together. He was banging on about Shopify, and how it was this great thing that was allowing people to have ecommerce stores. He said they're all these people in the US and Canada that were building out these stores and making really good money from it. I just kind of brushed it aside and said, "yeah, whatever...  it's just another fad." People were already already use Magento for ecommerce. I was actually managing a Magento store at the time. I didn't really kind of think much of it. Then, probably about a year into developing, it really started to pick up and Shopify started becoming more mainstream lexicon. When I looked at it, you know, having the fact that I was actually owning a Magento store at the time, I started realizing what the opportunity was. Basically what happened was that I was a sales and marketing director for an educational app company. We had been talking about this idea of going to business. I said, "Look, I've worked with agencies before, and what really annoys me about agencies is that I can't get everything that I need done under one roof. Because I come from marketing, while Peter came from development, that's how we came up with the idea with Blend Commerce. It's the idea that we are blending both development and marketing in one. So that's where the cheesiness of "Blend" comes in. We now trying to be the on demand digital department for companies. A lot of growing businesses, they think about recruiting, but actually trying to recruit a developer, a designer & a marketer: there's a lot of costs with that, as well a headache in that. Basically, we just come on essentially, as that automatic department that you can then talk to, and get everything you need from one team. So yeah, that's how we came about.Krissie Leyland  3:46Perfect. I love that. It's like blending your two brains together, as well, so not just your creativity from the marketing side, but also like the geeky techie side as well, which is perfect. Yeah, it's such a headache trying to find all the unicorns in the world, isn't it? So if they're all in one place, that's perfect. So I recently saw that you went through a bit of a rebrand and a new website so you want to talk a bit about that? That'd be cool.Adam Pearce  4:19Definitely. Well, we are you know, not unlike any any other business, we imagined what our business should be like... And it always gets to a point–and we get this with our own clients–where we go "Look. Actually, what we will be pretending to be or what we were aiming to be initially is not actually what we are." So we've been through a few different versions of websites now. The first ever website that we did, it was very copy heavy, it was very tongue in cheek... A little bit rude sometimes. That was kind of "our take" at the time, that we want it to be very different. But the problem is that people weren't really going to take us that seriously. We got some really good clients but I think a lot of people couldn't see through the fact that we were very jokey & that we had a lot of means on our site. It just didn't really fit in with the kind of customers that we were working with.Fast forward, coming out two years after we launched our initial site, we then sort of started obsessing about this. It was actually a financial services company: They got this really cool looking black and green thing and we decided that we wanted to have that. But again, I'm not saying with the Average Joe's of the Shopify world, but we're definitely a company that values each other and has got a very strong team mentality. So that black and green at the very start was trying to be a little bit too "too cool for school" and that just wasn't us. So we actually went through a process with our head of design Stephan to look at a different brand archetypes. Now, if you're not familiar with brand archetypes, have a look on our website, blendcommerce.com, there's a really great blog in there. Essentially, what brain archetypes are is looking at different parts of your company as a personality. While going through quite an in depth process of working out exactly who I wanting to be, we landed on the fact that we were: the Everyman, the Sage and the Hero. You can kind of look at that a little bit like  an aeroplane: so the hero is the body, then we're tipped on the wings by the everyman and then on the other side there's the sage. I won't go into too much detail but when you look at our site, if you understand archetypes, hopefully you'll see that that's what we're looking for. That was the main purpose of going through that rebrand, because we wanted to make sure that people see us as that helpful, honest, and really direct company that is going to help people rather than the typical very skinny looking site that is very flashy, and has got big brand names all over it. That really isn't us. So we wanted to make sure it reflected what we do as a company. I think the other thing as well, Krissie, is that our site is also on Shopify. It always has been, always will be. Ultimately look, you know, Shopify wasn't made for for service-based businesses, but there's definitely capability of doing it. We want to show that with our own website, some of the things that are possible with a Shopify store.Krissie Leyland  7:26That's so cool. So for example, when you do win a client, do you do the payment system through Shopify or is it just purely fo a front end website?Adam Pearce  7:40Yeah, we actually used to sell our services through the Shopify payment system. We're going to be bringing in more productized services in the next 12 months. So we'll go back to using Shopify for that but in terms of, larger scale projects, we do that externally at the moment.Krissie Leyland  7:58Yeah, probably makes more sense. Did you notice a difference in the types of clients that you were attracting after you did the rebrand?Adam Pearce  8:10Definitely. I think that the thing was, is that with the rebrand, we also made sure that our tone of voice was right. Obviously, you know a lot more on this than I do, but that was the thing: making sure that we were talking in the right way to our customers. That was also things like podcasts that were on & social media, just trying to make sure everything was aligned. I think now, as a result of that, we've definitely seen the kind of clients that we're looking for. We work best, really, with clients that are doing 100k a month plus, or maybe just below that. So helping us to get in front of those type of people was a big part of that rebrand. Yeah, it definitely has made a big difference.Krissie Leyland  8:55That's so cool. So the guy that you went through that process with, was he kind of like helping you to understand who your customers are and the way that you want them to feel? Was that part of the process as well?Adam Pearce  9:09Definitely. Stephen, our head of designed delivery, he actually came in at a great time. Because we were looking to do this and we actually tasked this to Stephen as his first first project. So you didn't kind of have that issue you've got you know, when we're usually in a company for over six months, and you get a little bit blinkered in terms of what the company is really about. So Stephen came in with a real power of sort of fresh eyes. So if you have an opportunity where someone is coming into your company, even if they're not a designer, I think it's always worth you talking to them and then getting their opinion of what they think you should actually be doing. Obviously if that's not possible then using someone external thing is a really good move because what we would have resulted with with just me and Peter, or me and the existing team, I know would have been a very different to what we've got actually today.Krissie Leyland  10:05You're always too close to your business to really know if what you're seeing is actually making people think what you want them to think about your business, if that makes any sense. Yeah, that sounds really cool and it's a nice process to go through, isn't it?You get clarity on who you are and the types of people that you want to work with. One of my favorite things in business! So let's move on slightly to your services. So what are your core services at Blend?Adam Pearce  10:46The easiest way to think about it is: we offer something that we call the on demand digital department. What this means is, as a business owner, it's likely that you are going to be facing a particular problem. Whether that is that you feel like your conversion rates too low, you feel like actually, you're not selling in the right markets or you perhaps, are at a point where your your average order value stagnated. I think with those problems, it's not just development. What you're actually going to need is some strategy, some design work, some development work, and you're gonna need some marketing work too.So when you work with us, we are actually going to take a look at your business first and say, "Right. Number one: what's the problem? Secondly, what are the things we think needs to be done? And thirdly, in what order they need to be done it? Off the back of that then, what we then do is say, "Look, you're going to need this amount of time from development, this amount of time from design, and this amount of time for marketing to do these things. We will then set a goal, which will be related around solving that problem and then we'll just keep on reviewing that. Now we don't go down the route of doing sort of large projects. We prefer to actually kind of say to client, "Let's solve the here and now issues and then let's build on that, from the growth."If you look at that as a model, it is slightly different to what a lot their agencies do. I always talk about an example: a few years ago, I bought a very nice, flashy car. When I bought it, I went into the garage, I asked for all the additional bells and whistles. So all the tech in there, the heated seats, all that jazz. I think after a month, what I realized is that I probably used about 10% of that stuff and it started to frustrate me that I paid all this extra money for Sat Nav, when the Sat Nav was crap, and I could've just used my phone. And I think "No, if you think about a website, it's exactly the same thing."Ultimately, when you're having a website, you want it to get from A to B. So if you focus on solving that core problem that you've got–which might be low conversion rates, so that's your A to B–as time goes on, and you get more data and you've experienced using that site, you can then work out what bells and whistles you do need to actually add. That's the way that we work as a company. We'll have that time to sort of get settled in and then after we'll add the things that we actually do need to add, rather than just going for the add ons from the immediate start point.Krissie Leyland  13:32Yeah, that's so nice and probably less overwhelming as well. Because even so with the MindfulCommerce Directory, we found it really hard to give our developers and designers the exact thing that we wanted straightaway. We were like, "Oh, I don't know!" It wasn't until we got something launched, like an MVP site, that we went, "Oh, it would be really handy to have this, this and this." Yeah, so to start off small and have one goal... I like that and the bit at the beginning too when you set your goals. It's just really nice. You like wake up every morning go, "Right, how am I going to work on this, with whoever I'm working with, to reach that goal?" I guess that's part of 'clarify', which is one of the goals that we're going to work towards. Then, "How are we going to create it and then convert?" So, how does that process work if I was a one of your clients?Adam Pearce  14:41The "clarify, create, convert," we just felt that it summarizes exactly what we do. So the initial call that we tend to have the clients is all about clarifying, "What exactly is the problem?" I think that the interesting thing is that when when you look at a problem, typically clients can say, "We don't feel like we're selling enough." But when you drill down on that, what you're actually finding is what they're really saying to you. And that is: we have this product that we thought was going to be an absolute winner and it's not selling in the way that we thought it was. But we do have other products that are selling well. So rather than actually saying, "Well, let's try and fix that product that we thought was going to sell better. Let's ramp up on the product that is selling very well but it's not maybe kind of a sexy product that you wanted to sell, and then get your growth in that way." So I think that clarification process is kind of flipping the mindset a little bit here saying, "What actually can we change and what is the real problem?" So that's the first thing. The next thing then in terms of the "Create" is to say, "We've got the problem, you know the cause of that problem, and now we actually need to start putting things into place that are going to actually changed that situation." Again, we don't want to necessarily go in and change everything overnight, but what we do want to do is make some smaller changes to see if we can get them to that convert point. Then basically, we're just going to loop that process around again. So, we've had three months, we clarified it, we created something, we converted. Now, let's go again and say "What are the problems now?" So it might be that once you've done that change the site–so maybe you've got new landing pages, what we're finding out now is actually the email signup rate on those pages is not as high as we need it to be because we know that email, for example, is a very good sales channel. So again, starting up that process again. It's these kind of small, iterative changes that are going to get you beyond that threshold of that 100k a month. I think that's where, a lot of our clients get a little bit sticky, because we always tend to see there's a bit of stagnation, 82k - 110k a month. Once you can get beyond that, that route to 500k a month is actually a lot smoother.Krissie Leyland  17:00Oh my god, I love it. I love how you talk through that it's so nice. I bet you're really good at sales.Adam Pearce  17:07I don't do sales anymore too much. (laughter) The reason it sounds quite polished when I say it to you, isthat its something that we've been doing a lot of work on Krissie. I would definitely recommend anything by Simon Sinek, "Start With Why". It's a little bit cliche, I suppose in a way but a few months ago, and my business partner actually did a very short workshop with with Team Simon. I think it was about $29–so, super cheap–but what it did is it helped us get our 'why'. What we did with that is that we then translated that into the "why" for our company. By having that, we can ask, "When we're doing something, does it align with that reason of why we get out of bed in the morning? If it doesn't, then that's not do it." I know, it's probably sounds like I've got a lot of conviction to it–and I do–because I see how the things that we're doing are aligned to that particular 'Why?'Krissie Leyland  18:10I absolutely love that. Is that the guy that wrote the book that is in blue writing ("Find Your Why")? What's his name?Adam Pearce  18:24It's Simon Sinek. There's a five minute version of his very famous TED Talk, where he talks about "the why, the how, and the what?" So what he says is that a lot of people are very good at explaining what they do. So if I go to a party or networking event, and someone says to me, "What do you do?" Well it's very easy: "I'm a CEO of a Shopify agency, based in Warwickshire." Well, frankly, who cares? But if I said to someone, "Look, what I want to do, my why is that I want to inspire people, so that actually everyone can achieve what they're capable of." Then if you get a few more raise eyebrows, "Well, what do you mean by that?" That's actually my 'why'. So if you kind of have that as your center point, not only can it then generate better conversations face to face for also marketing, but also then it makes you a lot easier to then differentiate yourself from other people. That's the big piece of what we've tried to do, both as individuals but also as a company.Krissie Leyland  19:32Wow. And is your 'why' as an individual the same as your 'why' in business.Adam Pearce  19:40So we've basically got two very different peopleat the head of our company, me and Peter. We're also very big into this thing called 'Insights Profiles', which basically looks at how you as a person & your personality aligns to particular colors, which represent different moods and activities, things that you're doing. So you can read more about the insights profiles but I think, me and Peter are very different. Now Peter's 'why' is more about being able to solve problems quickly to empower people to work rapidly. So his is quite different to mine. What we've done is that we're working on a company at the moment & we're there [at the 'why'] I think. But we're changing it slightly, because as more team members come in, we want to make sure that our company 'why' is aligned. So it needs to be something where everyone in the company cam feel like they're part of this. That 'why' is reflective of what people actually get up in the morning for. But equally, we can convert that into something that clients can then actually say, "Yes, I want to work with these guys for that reason!"Krissie Leyland  20:49Yeah because then they're aligned, hopefully, with your 'why'.Adam Pearce  20:54Absolutely. I'd recommend for you to do a session as a team. You know, we did one with our team probably about three months ago. The key thing that came out of our session on the 'why' with the team was that all of us had been in a situation in our lives where someone had told us that either we weren't good enough, we couldn't do something, or we weren't allowed to do something. That was a common theme that was coming across from everyone. So for me, it was the fact that when I was at schools in a careers lesson, my teacher leaned over my shoulder while I was looking at Accenture, which is a consultancy company. He said, "Oh Adam... they only employ the best people there!" From that point at 16, I was like, right, "screw you, I'm going to prove you wrong." And I did. A lot of people on the team had similar stories about parents, colleagues, friends & family that had told them that they couldn't do something or weren't allowed to do something, and they went on to prove them wrong. That's where we're going with our company wise: If you've been in that situation, where you faced adversity or people trying to put up roadblocks to where you want to be, then actually we're a great company to work with, because we've experienced that. We know how to move past those roadblocks. That's the similar thing that clients have, they get to a certain level, and they think, "Actually, the market is telling me that we can't go any further." We'll actually, screw that. You can! You just got to work out different ways of how to get there. That's how we aligned our 'why'.Krissie Leyland  22:32You know what, that's amazing and that was literally touched me? I recently published an episode, just a bonus random one, talking about my experiences and why did I end up in business? Well actually, I think it's because in school, I had a bit of a shit time and had people telling me, "You can't do that. You're worthless. You're this, you're that." And it's like, actually a can! Now my 'why' is to inspire other people to just follow their dreams and do what they want to do, because they can. One of the reasons why I love Shopify is because it gives lots of people in different situations access to business. Adam Pearce  23:23I completely agree. I think that's what I love about it too, Krissie, because I think the nice thing is with Shopify: most industries are 50, 100 or 200 years old, for example. We're talking about an industry here that in effect is less than 15 years old. You haven't got the old boys club that you get in finance, management software–where I used to work–or in teaching, which again is an industry that I used to be in. So everyone's got that opportunity to not feel like they're being judged. We all get imposter syndrome, I agree, but I don't think it's as prevalent in Shopify, because we are all new to this industry. It's a new thing that we're doing and we've all got a damn good right to be here. So yeah, I completely agree on that front.Krissie Leyland  24:15Oh my god. I didn't expect you to like bring that up but I totally, totally agree. I actually also love Toby's little story, you know, snowboarding stuff. Then I can relate to that about surfing and whatever. It's just also giving people freedom, like you said, we're all in this at the beginning of something. Even though I still get massive imposter syndrome, it's about finding your niche within it anyway and then telling the world.I need to like, take that in. So going back to your process of getting clients beyond the 100k a month threshold, do you wanna like just talk about how you have helped any particular clients to do that? And what that looked like?Adam Pearce  25:21Yeah, certainly. Typically speaking, when we work with a client, they've got a particular problem that they're trying to solve. Here are a couple of different examples: One is that we had a company called Due West that we work with, who are a clothing brand based out in Canada. The main thing for them was that they were seeing that their sales started to stagnate. The reason for that was that the they had a very strong customer base and those existing customers had stopped buying at the rate they were before. Trying to acquire new customers, of course, is costly, and then the profitability of your sales is then going to go down. So the main thing that we focused on with them is really twofold. One is that, first of all, they haven't refreshed their website for a very long period of time. And also, because they have brick and mortar stores, there wasn't this alignment with the brick and mortar stores and the online shop. A lot of people were shopping in store and online. Or they have a lot of tourists who come in and shop in store, and they continue to shop when they're back home. So the main thing for them was that we need to do a redesign of the store. And it wasn't about, you know, basically fundamentally changing what was happening on site.The first step was actually, we just need to make sure that the brand looked the same consistently through the store, so that the site actually has some alignment with the brick and mortar store. The second thing was that on their email marketing front, they again needed to do the same piece of work there. So those are basically the two key things that we did. What basically happened with those guys was that after three months, they increased their sales by I think 45%. So it had the the impact that they wanted and now we're still working with those guys to basically say, "Right, we've got the actual branding right now. People are interacting better, but what can we do to actually push them to buy more." So I think that's kind of a good example of look, where you've got an issue, you're using two different mechanisms to actually change it. You're looking at the conversion, and then right, we're back at that clarify point.Each time, it's not just necessarily about "Just go and do a redesign." for example. It's not just about that. I can't really share with you about particular clients that we do work with but it goes a lot further than the actual online store. You know, it can be about internal relationships, within members of staff or members of the team. It can be about delivery processes. It can be about taxation issues... all these things that we're not experts on. But if we can identify it, and then we can put them in touch with someone who can help them, then actually, that then does have a trickle down effect to their sales. Because if you've got a situation where you know, two members of your leadership team aren't necessarily seeing eye to eye, but we can come in, and actually, by going through the process of working with you, get you to work better. Then there's a lot of, I guess, unexpected changes that happen when clients work with us. Ultimately, they trickle down to the bottom line. So I think that's the important thing to know here: from my point of view, when you work with an agency, ultimately they should be looking at you as a business and not just a website. And I think that's the kind of thing that a lot of clients like is that the website is just actually an asset. It's not their business. There's a lot of things that go behind that website that are really important to try and tackle as well.Krissie Leyland  29:00That's so true. Cool. I've never heard of an agency doing that actually. But obviously, the Shopify partnerships is really valuable as an agency, because you can do that–as long as they live up to what they say that they're going to do, because then obviously, it will come back to you, if not. Then that helps to grow your client's business, and they'll eventually come back to you anyway. So that's interesting. I was just thinking about the client, that you sorted out the website and the branding for, and then I think you mentioned email... So how do you tend to get a potential customers from the website onto their email list and then sell stuff through email?Adam Pearce  29:57Yeah, good question. The thing at the moment for us, and the thing that I just absolutely love, is a product called Octane AI Shop Quiz. What this does is that you can actually have on your site, a quiz that will ask that person a set number of questions that you want to ask them. So, when you think about a quiz, we always probably think like the Facebook quizzes where you work out what Disney character you are. I'm not talking about that but the principle, I guess, is the same. Let's say, for example, you're a beauty brand. If you can ask them a series of questions about their skin type, the age or lifestyle, and then also ask for their email address, what you can do is then recommend them a particular number of products that you think they should buy, there and then on the site, but what you've also done is you've collected that data.Now we use Klaviyo with all of our client and because you can integrate, obtain our shop quiz with Klaviyo, all of that data then get stored on that person's profile. So let's say for example, Krissie, you complete that on my beauty store. Then,, I find out about your skin type, your age group & your lifestyle. If you buy when you complete that quiz, great. If you don't, by no problem, because I've collected a lot of data about you that I can then personalize that email marketing to you. So it might be that, maybe for example, you're telling me you've got dry skin. So then I'm gonna send you an email that says, "Here's three great products for making sure that you get more moisture into your skin." Personalize without kind of feeling like, "Hi, Krissie, you must buy these products!" A lot of people do, but that doesn't really work. So, in terms of getting people to sign up, that is my hot tip for the moment, certainly.Krissie Leyland  31:48That is so cool. I love it. Can you do that for a normal website?Adam Pearce  31:53Yeah to be honest with you Krissie, well, I I've actually been talking about using it for our own website. And look, let's say if someone wanted to join the MindfulCommerce Community, you could create a quiz that would basically ask a series of questions that would assess if they're a good fit or not. If they were a good fit, you could then recommend them to apply. If they weren't a good fit, you could say please join our waiting list, you know, and kind of go through that way. So that that would be a way I would say to use it for you.Krissie Leyland  32:23Oh my God, I'm sold! I'm doing it. That is awesome. But I was also thinking, like, you know, if I'm a brand, I'm a sustainable brand, you could ask, "what are your values?" So: what's important to you? Are you vegan? Do you need plastic free? Like that could be the quiz! The quiz could be: What do you care about? That's just great. We can just personalize everything and then that's not spammy. While you would think it's less spammy because it's actually interesting to that person who's reading the email?Adam Pearce  33:02Absolutely, I think the other thing is while you can do with it is that if you were looking at sustainable brands, people would be interested in different paths. If we were talking about environmentalism, sustainability, mindfulness... If you then were selecting that then naturally, you're interesting in those different things. You could then send a guide, PDF, or an ebook related to each one of those different streams as a result of completing that particular quiz. So yeah, I think there's a bagload of opportunities with that.Krissie Leyland  33:41I literally want to put it in my search bar right now. How much is it? Just interested.Adam Pearce  33:48Um, I believe it starts at $29 a month. And then I think if you convert someone to a sale, they charge you literally cents for each conversion. There's an enterprise plan, which I think is probably into the high hundreds.Krissie Leyland  34:09Nice. I was on clubhouse last night at 10pm, like in bed–or was it 11? I don't know, it was really late. Anyway, the Octane AI CEO was talking. It was really interesting, I loved it. So now just in my head, I'm gonna have to probably invest in them.Adam Pearce  34:35It's definitely worth having a listen to Ben Parr, who's the president. And then there's also Matt Schlicht as well, who's their CEO. Those are two people definitely worth following.Krissie Leyland  34:46Yeah, I think that was the guy. I think it was Matt or maybe it was both of them. Anyway, are there some pointers that you would give to those who aren't quite on the 100k mark. Is there anything that they can kind of do in-house, apart from Octane AI and Klaviyo that can get them to the 100K, and then maybe they'll work with you.Adam Pearce  35:14To answer you, the biggest question that people ask me is: "I've got x amount of money, what should I spend it on?" Nine times out of 10, if you're not going to be working agency, I would say photography. It's one of those things that, honestly, is one of the biggest reasons for slowing down sites. So the mistake that some people make is that they'll go out, and they'll source a photographer that then put the huge high resolution images on the site. They'll see the conversion rate goes down and say, "Well hang on, what's going on here?" The reason will be is because those images are too large. So first things first, everyone who's listening: if you do have a Shopify store, go and check your site speed. If it is poor, use one of the many free tools that are out there that you can use to actually reduce the size of images. But if you've got images, you know, where they're different sizes, you've got different backgrounds, you haven't maybe got consistent angles on all of your images, all these things are a real turnoff. There's been a lot of studies done, the real in-depth white papers produced on this. Photography is always one of the things that has an impact. So if you're able to pay for some decent photography, then I would say definitely, it's worth doing that. I think the other thing too, is that if you're trying to drive that traffic, and you haven't got a lot of cash at the moment, try new things at Facebook groups. They can be a really fantastic way of not only driving people to your site, but also as well, a lot of market research. We have a company that we work with that actually sells candlemaking supplies and the very first thing we did with them is that we set up a Facebook group, which is all about candle making in the UK. From that, we learned straightaway what kind of products people are interested in. We understood what problems they were going through. We understood what they didn't like about the competition. So all of that was a really good thing to do. Look you know, starting a Facebook group is easy to do. You know, it will take time to build a community up around it but if you are low on cash, that's a great way to work out what you need to do next. It will give you that roadmap you need to grow.Krissie Leyland  37:29Completely agree. On the photography side, oh my god, it's the worst. If somebody's got terrible imagery and it's all different sizes, and Higgledy Piggledy... oh, I'll click off straightaway. Also, one thing I was thinking then is, with photography and resolution, if you lower the resolution, it not only increases site speed, but it reduces your impact on the planet, because you're taking less energy. I talk about this all the time but it's basically: solve your site speed and also help the planet. With the community thing, of course, I totally agree. There's tons out there like, eco pod. And also, at MindfulCommerce, we're going to build a second directory that will be completely free where brands can get listed and stuff like that. So yeah, there's so much out there but that was really good tips from you. Thank you! So have you worked with any brands who are trying to be better for the planet? And if so, what are those projects like?Adam Pearce  38:55Yeah, definitely. So there's one I wanted to talk to you about in particular. A company that actually basically sells supplies to a particular hobby–I don't want to say too much because I don't necessarily want to give too much away here–but the issue they're facing was that the owner of the company was very, I think, cognizant about packaging. He was seeing what Amazon were doing, in terms of sending out these huge boxes with very small products inside–and sometimes, you know, three or four levels of packaging within that. With his company, he wanted to bring down the cost of shipping for his customers, but he also wanted to reduce actually the amount of wastage and his carbon footprint with each of that shipping. Now, one of the things that we were very keen on doing: "How do we basically indicate to someone that when they purchase something, they're not doing this in a very sustainable way because of the way that that product needs to be packed?" So we actually built them a tool that will allow people to build a box so that they could actually visually see the space that was left in that box. BrewDog did this very well. So if you go and order beer from BrewDog, if I put six cans of my favorite beer in there, they're actually going to show you on the screen, that your crate, your box, is still got six spaces in there. Psychologically, that's quite powerful because you say, "Well, okay, actually, I'm being a bit wasteful here. I could actually get more in there rather than waste that space." Actually, also with that, they also do a down sell on it where they recommend that you buy less. So that actually you're reducing the amount of waste in terms of packaging. So I think that's a project that we've been really pleased with. And we're actually diong something else with another brands about just being more efficient with that packaging. So I think that's an important one.Krissie Leyland  41:01Wow, that's cool. One thing that I just thought of then is, if you've got a brick and mortar store as well, and you've put things on the shelves, if you could make your packaging ready to be shipped, if that makes sense. So it's already, like in a box. I don't know if I'm making sense here.Adam Pearce  41:33I think that what you're saying is that then you don't have to completely repackage or repurpose your product. So then, it makes sense, from an operations point of view, from a sustainability point of view, from a cost point of view. It's got to be ready to go and I think that that's exactly the right thing to do.Krissie Leyland  41:54Yeah and that's actually really cool of BrewDog to do that. Also, I was thinking, "Oh, I've got room for six more. Okay! But then does that increase how much you buy, so it would increase average order value as well." But then you said that they encourage you to buy less, which was quite interesting.Adam Pearce  42:20I mean, I think on the one hand, you could say, "Well, look. You're increasing the carbon footprint by adding more products." But it also depends on your products. BreweDog, for example, I think they're even carbon negative now, definitely carbon neutral. But if you then got an associated carbon footprint with that delivery, then actually, as a proportion, that level, you're actually being better, because you're then not gonna have that other order on top of that, to then give the extra that you would have ordered in a second order. So I think it kind of depends on the way you look at it, but it's kind of win--win. You know, from an environmental point of view, but but also from a sales and business growth point of view as well.Krissie Leyland  43:09Definitely. Cool. Love it. I was super excited to see that you had read "The Four Hour Workweek" by Tim Ferriss. I personally get stuck in my work zone, I can't get out of it but I'm trying to not work as much, like give myself time outside for doing nice things and spending time with my friends. So have you experienced burnout before and is there a way that you were hoping to combat that... or?Adam Pearce  43:44Yeah, I've 100% experienced burnout. The thing is with the four hour workweek book, I'm nowhere near a four hour workweek at the moment. What I have done is though, that I we only now work Monday to Thursday, so I'm getting close to it and that's basically my business partner. I think the main thing that that book taught me is that actually, if you can put structures into the way that you work, you can work a heck of a lot more efficiently. For example, one of the things he talks about in the book is, checking your emails twice or three times a day. We've all been guilty of opening your laptop at eight or nine o'clock in the morning, spending 45 minutes responding to emails, then feeling tired and getting a coffee, then basically, killing that morning. The one thing that I got from the book is that I also do this "eat the frog" thing where you're going to be your biggest task of the day, the first thing. So I generally work from quarter past seven in the morning, till half past four in the afternoon. From quarter past seven to half past eight. I'm smashing something out that I need to do. Like I need to do a finance analysis, and I've done that, it's out the way. Then I can go and check email. Because you feel like you've accomplished something, you're also then more efficient with your time, so I think that's kind of the one side of it. So in terms of burnout, I don't mind admitting that I still suffer from depression. I've medicated for depression for probably about four years, along with kind of a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy. The thing is with this is that, a lot of the mental health issues that I had were exacerbated by burnout but obviously, not the root cause of it. I think I'd say that if anyone is listening, number one, if you ever want to talk about mental health to me, find me on LinkedIn. I absolutely would love to talk to you about it and tell you about some of the coping strategies that I've used & tend to use.But I also think having that awareness that is actually something that's real, and not like you're being a flake, which is how, you know, some people will tell you if you've experienced burnout. Everyone will have something that indicates when they're burning out. It might be the fact that you're not sleeping as much or it might be the fact that you're not being able to make decisions. So look around at those warning signs, and if it gets to that point, then literally take a step back. Because ultimately, wherever your business is now, or wherever your job is right now, wherever it is that you're doing, it can stay at that place for the time being. It doesn't need to be pushing forward, and you're not going to lose where you are, and what you've achieved so far. So if you do need to step away from it for a week, two weeks a month.In my case, I basically had three months out to figure out what the hell I wanted to do in life when I had my big, I would say, a sort of meltdown–but after that point, you can pick up on the things that you've done. So I don't think it's that case, you think like I've got to get over it. If you are that point, just say, "Look, my mind is just devoid of ideas. I'm not enjoying anything. I'm not taking any benefit from anything that I'm doing." Then just step back from it, and just say, "What are the things that truly make you happy? What are the things that really don't make me happy?" I actually did this one because I actually had a breakdown when I was a teacher. I just completely was in beds in tears in a ball for probably about a month. When I got out of that process, that period, I actually got a piece of paper and I wrote down the pros and the cons of things that I liked and the things that I didn't like about my job, about my relationship, about my life, about our friendships, and I looked at all the things that I didn't didn't like. Then what I did was that I looked at it said, "Is there a job where I can get more things that I like that I dislike, and what are the things that I disliked that I can actually remove from my life, or I can actually make better? The result of that: certain relationships or friendships that had, I got rid of. Certain things that I did, I got rid of and never did again. Certain things I know that I need to start doing, I start doing. So for example, running, exercising with a thing that I never did that I now do religiously. And that helps me with my mental health and avoid that burnout. So that will be my tip.Krissie Leyland  48:33That is amazing. Wow. Thank you for sharing that. It's also really brave to like talk about that kind of stuff. Yeah, normally whenever I feel burned out, I just can't do anything. I'll just sit on the sofa, sat there going, "I don't know what I'm doing my life!" But then, yeah, you just have to take a break. That's what I'm trying to teach myself is to, like you said, take a step back and just think, "you know, what do I enjoy doing?" and then just do more of that for a little bit. So for me, I have to go surfing or just be in the sea and then come back to working when I feel positive again, and ideas are coming in my head again. So, I think that's really powerful. And how you said to write down a list of all the things that you like doing and all the things you don't like doing and then what can you get rid of or delegate as Tim would probably say? Yeah, love it. So... do you think it's actually possible to reach a four hour workweek?Adam Pearce  49:59Good Question. I wonder, you know, whether actually, it is possible because I think delegation is something that I think I've learned to do better, I'm still not great at. I'm too much of a control freak but ultimately, that's going to be the thing that stopped me from doing that. And for me, when I initially started thinking about this, that thought the four hour workweek was like, "that's going to be amazing!" But actually, what I realized is that that's not actually what I want. And it might be that actually, for you, it might be the same: "well actually, I just want to work mornings, or I want to work four days a week, because I want to do this particular thing." So I think the main thing for me & my business partner, Peter: two years ago, we both set it up, we would love to not work Fridays, because at that time, both our wives are both expecting children. We said, wouldn't it be amazing, while they're not at school, from birth to four, to be able on a Friday to then go out to the zoo for a day, or go and do something fun with them, or take them horse riding, whatever it might be. That's what we realized will make us happy: to have more time to that with our family. So it could be possible, but I also think there's no point putting that pressure on yourself because, ultimately, is that the thing that you really want to do? I think I for if I was in four hours a week, I would just be a wreck.Krissie Leyland  51:44If you just did four hours a week, you'd just sat there itching thinking "I need to work on that!" because you like what you do it. That's why you choose to be in the business that you're in. But I really liked it when you said, that progress that you've made isn't going to just go away and you don't always have to be working towards the next thing and the next thing... which is what my mind tells me quite a lot the time. But yeah, I don't think I could do four hours a week either.Adam Pearce  52:16No, I think it would drive me crazy.Krissie Leyland  52:20Oh, gosh. Well, I just love that book. But also there's Rob Moore's. Love that one. What's it called?Adam Pearce  52:34I don't know but again, he's he's very active in Clubhouse.Krissie Leyland  52:40"Life Leverage," I think.Adam Pearce  52:41Yes, that's it.Krissie Leyland  52:43Brilliant book, you should read it. So yeah, I think we've covered quite a lot. I'm very conscious of your time, it's 11 o'clock and we did have technical difficulties at the beginning. So I guess one final question would be: I'm really excited that you are officially on the mindful commerce directory... When I approached you with this, what was it that you were the most excited about?Adam Pearce  53:16I think the main thing is for me is that the way that you set this up, Krissie, is the fact that around the issue that we've got in the world is that there is a lot of shaming going on, around not being sustainable. What I liked about this is that you you're not basically saying with this directory, that you have to be completely 100% sustainability in everything that you do. What you're saying here is that let's start taking steps to be more sustainable. And that's what really appealed me to it.It's the same with me and my company: I feel like we are fairly sustainable in some things that we do. You know, we don't do travel, we work remotely, all those kind of things, but there's definitely things that we do buy for the company that are sustainable. And that's fine. I'm not gonna lie that we are 100% perfect.I think that's the thing here for brands and also for agencies. I feel that a lot of brands are scared about going down this route, because they feel they have to be 100% focused towards being sustainable and it's not the case. You can start small and start thinking about the actual impacts in your business. It's not also about saying, "We've got to do all these things, and it's going to cost us 'x' much." It's actually about saying, "You can be more sustainable and actually help yourself become more profitable, which is something I know that you know, quite a few brands, like Dr. Will's, for example, have found that sustainability is actually helped their bottom line as well. I think that's when it starts going a bit more of a two way conversation rather than something to be dictated to like some of the other kind of discussion and discourse that's out there on sustainability.Krissie Leyland  55:05Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? I think we just wanted to make it really open and just to be more of like facilitating a conversation. Like you said, definitely, there's no such thing as being 100% sustainable but there are things you can do like small things that have a big impact or have a big difference in the world, like even as simple as downloading ShoppingGives, which is an app that helps you to give back easily as a ecommerce brand. And like you said, it then comes back to your bottom line, because your customers will have more trust and loyalty and yeah, that's another episode but I'm super excited that you're part of it. Thank you.Adam Pearce  55:53We really appreciate being part of it, thank you.Krissie Leyland  55:56Welcome! Actually... this is my final question: Where can people find you?Adam Pearce  56:03Yep. Cool. So if you want to connect with me on LinkedIn, just Adam Pearce. If you want to find out more about Blend Commerce, just go over to blendcommerce.com and you'll find lots of different useful blogs on there. You've got to the one about brand archetypes that I mentioned. You've got different things about Shopify apps, and things like mental health, a little blog that I've written recently. So quite an eclectic blog over there so yeah, go and take a look and let me know what you think.Krissie Leyland  56:30Perfect. Thank you so much. And yeah, thank you for your time today. It's been great.Adam Pearce  56:37No problem. Thank you!Krissie Leyland  56:38Thank you!Rich Bunker  56:39We hope you enjoyed the episode today. If you did, you're probably like being in our community. There's a whole host of exciting things going on.Krissie Leyland  56:46So don't forget to join by going to mindfulcommerce.io. Click on 'Community' and register from there.Rich Bunker  56:52If you liked this episode, please share, leave a review and remember to subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Parr stops by to tell us more on how Octane AI (https://www.octaneai.com), a real-time marketing platform, backed by top Silicon Valley investors, helps merchants use Octane AI to connect, convert, and retain customers by personalizing the customer journey and giving customers the confidence to purchase. Kruze Cares More - We take our clients' success (https://kruzeconsulting.com/reviews) - and happiness - seriously. Kruze has worked with hundreds of early-stage companies, many of which have gone on to raise tens to hundreds of millions in venture financing - and a number of which have been successfully acquired by major public companies.

In this episode, Jeremy delves into the world of product quizzes as a follow up to episode 92 with Adam Pearce. He talks to Ben Parr - President and Co-founder of Octane AI about his product, Shop Quiz, the first fully embeddable e-commerce product quiz for Shopify platforms. In this fast-paced episode, Ben shares tips on designing product quizzes for both new and repeat customers, brand success stories, the best ways to utilize quizzes, and why quizzes provide the guided experience customers need to make a purchase. Find out more about Ben and Octane AI on - https://octaneai.com/ and check out the playbook here - https://join.octaneai.com/playbook. To learn more about the Messenger Mastermind team, visit: MessengerMastermind.co

How to Retain the Customers you Acquired in 2020 In this episode, Budai Media's founder Daniel hosts a round table discussion for Budai Media's 30th Episode of The Ecom Show, featuring some of the titans of marketing, including one of our own account managers and some former podcast guests too! Take a listen and hear from some of the best minds in the industry like: Ben Erdelyi, Senior Account Manager at Budai Media Charlie Lawrance, Founder & CEO of Gecko Squared Fiona Stevens, Head Of Marketing at LoyaltyLion Martina Cronin, Agency Partnerships Manager at Octane AI Mihail Stoychev, Founder & CEO at SMSBump Join up and take part in a Retention Marketing Panel and learn about: ✔️ How this year's Q4 was different from any other year ✔️ Most and least successful ecommerce niches of 2020 ✔️ What ecommerce trends to expect in 2021 ✔️ Tips for retaining customers next year ✔️ What's next for these incredible companies? One of a Kind Year Everyone can agree that this year's Q4 was the strangest in recent memory, with a pandemic affecting the ecommerce landscape. Black Friday and holiday sales started much earlier, and brick-and-mortar businesses focused on building an online presence. Facebook Ads became much more competitive, and people mainly opted to stick with companies they were familiar with rather than jump at the best discounts. Thrivers and Survivors Due to the year's volatility, companies have had to adapt or risk falling by the wayside. The niches that performed the best this year were childcare products, household items, health and wellness gear, art/hobby supplies, and home appliances. Food, consumables, and skincare products also did quite well this year, but one noteworthy casualty of COVID was the outdoor gear/survivalist industry, which has fallen on hard times. Major companies also took some time to worry less about sales and more about their community building and audience engagement! What's Happening Next Year? Aside from obvious developments in 2021, like the subscription model's continued growth and success, there are some other trends you can bank on. Fiona and Martina both agree that the focus on the customer journey will increase, with personalized messages and heavy segmentation to engage the right people.Charlie mentioned that Facebook ads would become a lot less expensive next year due to becoming a lot more difficult to use! The way Facebook Pixel captures data will shift drastically, so ad agencies are scrambling to get their back-end analytics figured out to brace for the coming changes. Answering the Biggest Question... The reason we rounded up this group of experts was to figure out and share the best ways to keep our hard-earned customers in 2021, and the answers did not disappoint! Ben mentioned that delivering on expectations and promises like shipping times and refund policies was critical if you want to keep your customers long-term. Engaging with customers and asking them what they are looking for or sending them useful content was another helpful tip shared by Mihail. Charlie mentioned cross-selling, upselling, and syncing ads with email campaigns to build brand unity, while Martina kept stressing the importance of personalization. Fiona brought up an interesting point that being authentic practicing what you preach will attract people who believe in the same causes. Cutting Edge Ideas From Our Partners Each of the five companies involved has big things in store for their customers in 2021, like Budai Media's new CRO service, for instance. SMSBump and Octane AI will work on their products and improve their integration with other apps. At the same time, Loyalty Lion has an eye on building a more comprehensive data analytics system to further help their clients. Charlie and Gecko Squared are hard at work focusing on in-house creative production and DIY training programs for brands seeking to run their own Facebook ads. We're leaving the gift of wisdom and experience under your tree this Christmas, so don't forget to unwrap it!

Personalization has been a hot topic in marketing over the last couple of years. And the expectations from consumers for brands to speak that language has never been higher. I talked to Matt Schlitt and Ben Parr, the founders of Octane AI about the impact personalization can have on an e-commerce business and how to implement personalization that delivers on the promise of actually improving the customer buying experience.

You're probably familiar with using an email marketing tool like Klaviyo to segment your audience and personalize the emails that are received by each of your customers. Well, the team over at Octane AI has launched a new tool called the Shop Quiz, which allows Shopify stores to get similar results by building an interactive quiz experience into their online store.Imagine you could present your website visitors with a series of questions that help discern their needs, goals, or preferences, and then instantly present the best product recommendation for their specific situation. Not only that, but you can allow them to purchase that product right away, without having to redirect them to a product page.In this episode, we talk to founder Ben Parr about their Shop Quiz solution and how ecommerce leaders should be thinking about data collection, data management, and personalization as additional fuel for their sales and marketing strategies.Want to be a guest on our show? Have feedback or ideas for how we can improve? Send your thoughts over to podcast@thegood.com. We'll be keeping an eye on that inbox. :)The Ecommerce Insights Show is brought to you by The Good, a Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) consultancy specializing in helping ecommerce businesses accelerate their growth through better research, testing, and design. Learn more about our team, our work, and our services at www.thegood.com.

How to Design Your Shopify Store to Make It High-Converting In this episode of The Ecom Show hosted by our own Daniel Budai, we get a chance to learn from another master of retention marketing in the ecommerce world! Blended Commerce co-founder and CEO Adam Pearce tells us of his journey, bouncing around between management, consultant, and even teaching jobs before realizing he was interested in ecommerce (and pretty great at figuring it out too!). Both ecommerce shop owners and marketers can learn a whole lot from Daniel and Adam this episode, with great topics like: ✔️ The best Shopify apps ✔️ Expert design tips for ecommerce stores ✔️ Beautiful aesthetics vs. conversion rates ✔️ Latest Shopify design trends ✔️ When you should consult a design expert The Tools Experts Trust Every great marketer has their trusted apps, and Adam is no exception. He mentions Klaviyo taking the crown from Mailchimp a few years back to become one of the very best apps you can use. It does much more than set up email campaigns, essentially giving business owners complete control over their valuable data! Recharge is another prominent app, great for recurring purchases and subscriptions. Octane AI is an exciting quiz app for ecommerce shops to personalize the experience and pitch specific products to shoppers. At the same time, Reviews.io is the perfect way to get user-generated video reviews, which can boost your sales! Three Crucial Design Tips What Adam and Blend Commerce can be pretty complicated at times, but he gave us a few simple tips for all businesses to utilize. While getting started, he recommends having a large budget for product photos and videos, as quality videos and 360-degree photos can up your conversion rate by 70%! Being consistent with color, shapes, fonts, and photos goes a long way to build trust with prospective customers. Having your “Call to Action” prominently displayed at the top of the landing page is more effective than a large, flashy hero image or text. Be sure to put social proof, mentions of free shipping, and other vital information close to the CTA to make a choice even easier. Beauty Does Not Equal Sales If it were just about making beautiful ecommerce landing pages, it would be a piece of cake for Adam and his agency. But he says knowing your audience is the most critical part of owning an ecommerce brand. Some of the top-performing pages are quite ugly, while some of the sleekest, futuristic designs yield hardly any sales! Both Daniel and Adam mention websites catered towards older crowds needing to be less flashy, more informational, and less distracting. In contrast, sites catered towards younger demographics can go with more aesthetic designs. “Make it beautiful for the type of people you want to attract!” Ecommerce Trends of 2020 Ecommerce is exploding right now, with 54% of traffic attributed to new shoppers since COVID-19 started. Although the traffic was once evenly distributed between desktop and mobile users, Adam says that around 80% of traffic comes from mobile these days. People are also prioritizing web speed more lately, with studies showing that improving your loading speed by just 1 second can net you 7% higher conversion rates! There has even been an increase in Shopify stores with digital products as well. Do it Yourself or Ask an Expert? Lots of the stuff Blended Commerce does for their clients, you can also do for yourself. Adam says, don't worry about hiring someone when you have less than 1000 visitors per month because there simply isn't enough data to sift through and come to a conclusion. You can use design templates, Google Analytics, Hotjar (a helpful heatmap to analyze your site), and more before consulting an expert. It is a lot more useful to tell them precisely what you want rather than saying, “make my shop beautiful, please.” Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook Follow Adam: Adam's LinkedIn Adam's website Adam's podcast

In this episode of eCommerce Deep Dive, John Ghiorso talks with Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr, the CEO and Co-founder & President of Octane AI. They discuss what they believe is the potential of creating personalized experiences for consumers online. They describe this transformation by getting to know the customer in new ways and in return having consumers with a higher engagement rate and more confidence in their purchase.   About the Guest: Ben Parr is President and Co-Founder of Octane AI, a platform to fuel brand growth and personalization. Octane AI powers engaging quizzes, data collection, and personalized Messenger and SMS automation. Ben is the author of "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention" and a board director of the non-profit Samasource. Previously, Ben was the Co-Editor of Mashable, a columnist for CNET, and a venture capitalist. He has sat on the advisor boards of Lufthansa Airlines and various startups. He is a member of Forbes 30 Under 30. Matt is the CEO and Co-Founder of Octane AI, the all-in-one buyer persona marketing suite for eCommerce. Octane AI powers engaging quizzes, data collection, and personalized Messenger and SMS automation. Matt Schlicht is the creator of Chatbots Magazine, the #1 bots and AI publication in the world with over 750,000 readers a year. He is also a TikTok expert with over 800k TikTok followers and the creator of TikTok newsletter The For You Page. Previously, with a focus on digital product design, Matt pioneered one-to-many online live video at Ustream (acquired by IBM), went through YCombinator, and helped grow rapper Lil Wayne from 1 to 30 million fans online. https://www.octaneai.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattschlicht/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benparr/ ----- Connect with John Ghiorso https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlouisghiorso/ https://twitter.com/johnlghiorso?lang=en Connect with Orca Pacific https://orcapac.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/orcapacific/ https://twitter.com/OrcaPac  

Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr are on a serious mission with Octane AI. This was an awesome episode to get to know more about their next moves and the value they are providing merchants on #shopify & #shopifyplus.-----Get in touch with Ben and Matt:Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattPRDBen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/benparrMatt on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattschlicht/Ben on LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benparr/Matt Schlicht on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattfsBen Parr on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenParr/Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattprd/Ben on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benparr/Matt on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattcatbat/-----You can check out all the ways to listen to the Tako Talk Podcast here: https://shor.by/kPia

This episode we're talking to Ben Parr, CoFounder and President of Octane AI. We focus on conversational commerce, or humanized commerce, and why brands should shift their thinking for a better approach to acquisition. We also chat about the structure most customer experiences should have from the landing page to personalized product suggestions all the way through the checkout.

On this Episode of the Somewhat Frank Podcast, Frank Gruber and John Guidos talk about enjoying the splendors of Fall during the COVID-19 pandemic.  They also take a virtual moment of silence for the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who recently passed away and was a force who fought for freedom and equality in America.    Frank also celebrates the following people in his network:   Tamar Weinberg survived COVID-19 and wrote about it a few times on medium (http://medium.com/@tamar) - She also started a fragrance https://medium.com/@tamar/my-journey-into-wellness-2bb18686548d Genevieve Thiers founder of SitterCity has had it acquired - https://www.americaninno.com/chicago/inno-news-chicago/sittercity-acquired-by-child-care-firm-bright-horizons/ Kara Goldin on raising $25M for Hint and her new book Undaunted - https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005305/en/Hint-Closes-25-Million-Investment-Led-Springboard#.Xzw3ekQdbhc.twitter Ben Parr on his up and down startup journey with Octane AI - https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2020/08/21/from-celebrity-chatbots-to-new-life-in-e-commerce-octane-ai-raises-425-million/#60f66f1b4795 Neal Sales Griffin on joining MATH Ventures as a Venture Partner- https://www.mathventurepartners.com/in-the-news/2020/9/21/math-venture-partners-brings-on-neal-sales-griffin-as-venture-partner?fbclid=IwAR3ePYMi52kW5JuoOtTCnGNijD-5ZuQLNKVl7zblVwvIi-ffSnYIXzySgvY The guys also talk about the following books/article they’ve read recently:   The greatest software IPO of all time just happened with Snowflake. Warren Buffett backed Snowflake's value doubles in stock market's largest software debut - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-snowflake-ipo/buffett-backed-snowflakes-value-doubles-in-stock-markets-largest-software-debut-idUSKBN2672VA Would you want to live forever? - Frozen in time: Inside the facility preserving the dead through cryonics. https://flip.it/kNOAjZ How do they live so long in blue zones? - Longevity nutrition tips from Blue Zones communities. https://flip.it/GQxMbn Maybe you should try cold showers instead.- Here’s What Taking a Cold Shower Does to Your Body, According to Experts. https://flip.it/ViG39W If you could live anywhere would you stay in Silicon Valley? - How Remote Work Could Destroy Silicon Valley. https://marker.medium.com/amp/p/761b398dc9fb Some think cities like NYC will bounce back, while others do not. - NYC is Dead Forever … Here’s Why. https://jamesaltucher.com/blog/nyc-is-dead-forever-heres-why/ Digital nomads your time to shine is now! - https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2020/07/18/digital-nomads-are-new-travel-winners-as-entire-countries-open-doors-to-work-tourism/ Want to work remotely from a Caribbean Island for a year? - Barbados offering 12-month remote-work stay incentive to attract visitors. https://nypost.com/2020/07/08/barbados-offering-12-month-remote-work-incentive-to-attract-visitors/ Get ready. - Pentagon Has ‘Off-World Vehicles Not Made on This Earth.’ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/amp33413777/pentagon-ufo-program-materials-vehicles/ This blows my mind! - Elon Musk to show off working a brain-hacking device. https://flip.it/Xw2pkB Plastic pushed on us by big oil? - How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled?utm_source=davidhauser.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weekly_newsletter Quibi - After 6 months and $1.8 billion, Quibi wants a new owner. That will be a hard sell. https://flip.it/LFi86q LinkedIn lists the 50 top U.S. startups on the rise in 2020: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-startups-2020-50-us-companies-rise-jessi-hempel/   Frank and John chat about watching the Apple TV show “Ted Lasso” and the HBO Max series “Love Life” with Anna Kendrick.  Frank also gives a brief summary of the new Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," which lays out a case against the primacy of big technology companies. The film highlights the concerns of former tech employees who say social media is undermining the shared sense of reality that underpins society.   Lastly, please join Established for our upcoming 8th Annual Startup of the Year Summit which will be held online on November 16-18. The Summit is a curated experience for emerging founders, seasoned entrepreneurs, corporate innovation leads, accelerators, and investors to build relationships that fuel success. Summit is also the culmination of the 2020 Startup of the Year competition, and attendees can expect to hear from various keynote speakers, such as Tim Draper (Draper VC), Kara Goldin (Hint Water), and Mike Evans (GrubHub), and more. You can learn more about the Summit and register for the event at the following link: https://summit.startupofyear.com/ Get updates like this in your inbox before they hit the web by subscribing to the newsletter here.

We are keeping it in-house in this episode as we speak with two of our very own specialists at Budai Media! Ben is our Senior Account Manager who was a guest for our inaugural episode of The Ecom Show where he spoke to us about life as a digital nomad in Bali and his expertise in ecommerce. Zsófi is an account manager and an SMS/messenger guru with a knack for learning quickly! Listen in as Daniel, Ben and Zsófi discuss: The unique backgrounds of people working in ecommerce Building your own ecommerce store in any niche Owning an ecommerce store during the times of COVID-19 The importance of SMS/Messenger marketing Different tools you can use to engage your audience and keep them interested Both Zsófi and Ben bring their unique skillsets and knowledge to the table and discuss with Budai Media founder Daniel, for a productive and fun learning opportunity that is guaranteed to help you improve your situation. Be Your Own Boss Both Zsófi and Ben are business owners on their own, having created companies that bring value to customers. Zsófi mentions that she decided to work for her own if she couldn't find a perfect fit company to work for, and last year she opened her own ecommerce brand in Hungary. With all the potential struggles and setbacks associated with owning a business, there is nothing like the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want! Adapting Your Ecommerce Brand to the Age of COVID-19 With her own fitness niche ecommerce brand up and running and a great deal of success selling the entire inventory of fitness gear, COVID-19 significantly disrupted the supply chain for Zsófi and many other ecommerce shops around the world.Adapting is a crucial skill for ecommerce owners, and Zsófi explains how she had to secure another supplier to meet the increased demand for fitness products while people were stuck at home and unable to go to the gym. What Tools and Softwares Should you Work With? Ben and Zsófi run us through their favorite companies when it comes to software, and they discuss Octane AI, Recart, SMS Bump, OptinMonster, Facebook Ads, and Klaviyo among other industry-leading tools.Knowing the pros and cons of all the potential resources you can work with is another key component to figure out when you own your own ecommerce brand. SMS, Messenger, Email Marketing, and More! All of these important strategies revolve around enhancing the customer experience. Zsófi mentions that the most fulfilling part for her in her time as a business owner has been tailoring the experience to be more enjoyable. Carefully designed packaging, responsive customer service, and intelligent marketing strategies are how she succeeds. Don't reinvent the wheel, just find something that works and make it your own! Make sure to balance your use of these tools and strategies, and remember that people want to feel like part of something, not like they are being constantly bombarded by campaigns, discounts, and messages about sales! Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook Follow Ben: Ben's LinkedIn Ben's Facebook Follow Zsófie: Zsófi's LinkedIn Zsófi's Instagram Zsófi's website

Growth Mindset? Invest In Yourself Today!Being an entrepreneur truly is a life of learning. All it would take is a new idea, a strategy, a Shopify app, or a marketing platform to be the next thing you need to improve efficiencies, drive more revenue, and build lifetime customer loyalty for your Shopify brand.My guest in today’s episode is Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr from Octane AI. Over the past 4 years, they have built the wildly popular Facebook Messenger and SMS App used by 1000’s of Shopify brands.Today's episode we learn about a game-changing new technology that has been built into the platform to drive engagement and personalized brand experiences through shoppable quizzes.The Octane AI Shoppable Quiz enables Shopify brands to get to know the needs, preferences, and concerns of each customer and then uses this information to build a relationship where the right products and information can be shown at the right times.What You Will Learn TodayWhy a consultative experience on your Shopify store builds trust through guided questions and product recommendations.The difference between Buyer Personas and Buyer ProfilesBuilding detailed buyer profiles will assist in personalizing your brand's emails, SMS, Messenger, and ads.Learn how to collect more emails and discovered segments of customers with a 75% higher AOV than the average customer.Links And Resources Mentioned In This EpisodeOctane AIOctane AI Facebook Messenger PlaybookSkinny Mixes Shoppable QuizThank You For ListeningI truly appreciate you choosing to listen today and for supporting the podcast and it's sponsors. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.I would also be so grateful if you would consider taking a minute or two to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. They’re extremely helpful when it comes to reaching our audience and I read each and every one personally!New Strategies Each Week To Help You Build And Scale Lifetime Customer Loyalty. SUBSCRIBE HERE!Being an entrepreneur is a life of learning. All it would take is a new idea, strategy, Shopify app, or marketing platform to be the next thing you need to drive more revenue and lifetime loyalty for your Shopify store. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify and don’t miss a single episode!REWIND : EPISODE SPONSORAutomated Backups. Painless Recovery.Accidents can happen and it can have major financial impact on your business. What happens when you install an app and it messed up your theme? Or you upload a product catalog with errors or a store collaborator deleted product images by mistake.Common myth; Shopify has a backup that you can use when something goes wrong with your store. Untrue! Myth busted. Shopify has no native backups.So what do you do? You use Rewind to protect your Shopify store with automated backups.Rewind should be the first app you install to protect your store against human error, misbehaving apps, or collaborators gone bad. It’s like having your very own magic undo button.The Rewind App is trusted by over 30,000 businesses from side hustles to the biggest online retailers like Gatorade and MVMT Watches.Best of all? Respond to any of their welcome emails and mention the eCommerce Fastlane Podcast and you’ll get your first month of backups absolutely free.Protect your business and get peace of mind with Rewind Backups. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Did you know you can rev up your marketing by using SMS and Facebook Messenger to increase the value of list members by as much as 30%? You can layer automated SMS text and Facebook messages into the communications you're already having with your customers.  Ben Parr, founder and president of Octane AI, sits down with us to talk about the baseline-level strategy you need to put in place if you're a brand that hasn't implemented SMS or Facebook Messenger marketing. Learn automations and sequences you can add to your marketing playbook to get real results.  Ben is a former co-editor of Mashable and wrote a bestselling book called Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention, which dives into why we pay attention to certain people and products and how to use that science to captivate others.  Octane AI is a conversational marketing platform for eCommerce that powers Facebook Messenger, SMS, and conversational ads all under one roof. You can run all your conversational campaigns from the Octane AI unified dashboard.  “A lot of people are scared to use SMS and Facebook Messenger marketing. The truth is your customers prefer you do it that way. That's how they live and communicate.” - Ben Parr (16:26-16:50) Some of the topics discussed include:    The essential “flows” you need to set up for SMS and Facebook Messenger marketing The strategies Ben has seen work that you probably haven't seen or tried yet Setting up your baseline before diving into SMS and Facebook Messenger marketing Why you need to send fewer messages on SMS than you do with email Why you have to think of SMS, email, and Facebook Messenger as one unified flow Triggering conditional splits based on actions users take The first three key flows you need to focus on Setting the right expecting when using SMS and Facebook Messenger marketing  Giving  your audience a choice in how they want to connect with you Integrations you need to test with your SMS and Facebook Messenger marketing strategies Every touchpoint you add can increase the revenue per subscriber by 20% to 30% Contact Ben Parr: Ben Parr on LinkedIn References & links mentioned: Octane AI Website Subscribe & Review The Commerce Lab Podcast: Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of The Commerce Lab Podcast! If the information shared in these weekly conversations and interviews have helped you in your business journey, please head over to iTunes, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver great, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more amazing entrepreneurs just like you! How to get involved Join the community of brand owners and industry influencers in the Facebook group The Commerce Lab or visit thecommercelab.com. Visit www.bluestout.com for more info If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

Ben Parr is an American journalist, author and entrepreneur, who was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2012. As the former Co-Editor of Mashable, he had the opportunity to really get into the entrepreneurial world. He is the author of Captivology, a book on the psychology of attention. Now he’s an investor and advisor to startups, and the Co-Founder and CMO of Octane AI, a marketing automation and chatbot company for E-commerce. Show Notes Ben Parr 00:30 - Introduction Ben Parr 03:05 - Could you paint a word picture of the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey? 09:02 - Where did this course you took lead you too next? 10:52 - What happened after this first job? 18:11 - How did your role in Mashable evolve? 24:20 - After writing so many articles, where did your path transitioned to? 31:28 - What’s going on with TikTok? 38:23 - What is Captivology about? 40:10 - “You don’t just get attention on and off, you build it over time” 41:50 - What are the most defining parts of your book? 44:55 - How did you get into “Forbes 30 under 30”? 48:10 - What brands are you currently advising? 52:40 - How did you started Octane AI? 54:55 - Where are you now with your company? 58:00 - QUICK FIRE QUESTION ROUND 59:25 - Any unusual drinking or eating habits? 01:01:40 - How do you get into a state of flow? 01:02:41 - What habit or opinion you have that people tend to disagree with? 01:05:58 - What nontraditional lesson would you teach at school? 01:07:20 - What books had the biggest impact on your life? 01:09:05 - What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like and when does it start? 01:09:48 - Any advice for your previous boss or bosses? 01:10:54 - What do you do or where do you go to get inspired? 01:11:25 - How would you double USD 5K in 24h? 01:12:20 - What’s the best advice ever given to you? 01:13:20 - What silly thing people should do more of? 01:14:40 - Would you rather fight one horse sized duck or one hundred duck sized horses? 01:15:46 - How would you convince someone to do something that is good for them, but don’t want to do it? 01:17:00 - What makes you happiest? 01:18:05 - Any asks or requests for the audience?

We talk to Ben Parr of Octane AI about all things conversational marketing. We dive into the best ways to reach your customer in Messenger, SMS and Email at the proper stage of the sales funnel, creative ways to use each channel and what's next for each channel in the coming months. We also discuss the benefits of Octane AI as a conversational messaging platform and how you can get started with your business today. To learn more about Octane AI or to get it for your business: http://bit.ly/2rzLerv To learn more of the Messenger Mastermind Team, visit: www.MessengerMastermind.co

As tools like Figma, Slack, and more are allowing employees to stay connected from disparate locations, the concept of the remote workforce has become increasingly attractive. With the benefits of added flexibility for employees and opportunities to hire people from around the world, some companies have constructed entirely remote teams. Octane AI is one example; their VP of Product Megan Berry joins the podcast today to talk about why she thinks the future of work is remote.

Ben Parr is the co-founder and President of Octane AI, an automated messenger bot service that connects directly to Shopify. He was also a co-editor at Mashable by the time he was 24 and wrote the book Capitovology about the science and psychology of attention. Ben and Brian dig into how to think about integrations in your marketing stack and the importance of capturing the attention of your customers and maintaining lasting relationships with them. You can learn more about Ben and his book Captivology at benparr.com. Check out Octane AI at octaneai.com or on Instagram @octane_ai.

In this episode, Octane AI co-founder, Ben Parr, talks to Adam about the power of chat bot marketing for Shopify stores. Specifically, they discuss: Why chat bot marketing has such a high ROI. How to combine chat bot marketing with other marketing to drive sales. How Octane AI uses artificial intelligence to help Shopify store owners grow sales. Ben is the co-founder of Octane AI. More details on how Octane AI can help you grow your Shopify store sales can be found here.

Knowing how to outpace competition is a difficult yet essential part of entrepreneurship. For a new startup, larger competing companies may have more resources, more employees, or more brand recognition. Yet there are strategies small product teams can employ to effectively take on competition. Matt Schlict, CEO of Octane AI, has developed a methodology that has worked for his team, the cornerstone of which is focusing on a vertical.   Show notes Matt Schlicht, CEO of Octane AI (2:22) Octane AI is an e-commerce chatbot that enables Shopify merchants to communicate directly with their customers through Facebook messenger Phil's video about dealing with competition Chatbots Magazine is an online publication that has helped establish Octane AI as a voice in the chatbot space Ecommerce Magazine is another publication that gives Octane AI an opportunity to be at the forefront of e-commerce conversations   We want to hear from you Please send us your comments, suggested topics, and listener questions for future All Turtles Podcast episodes. Voicemail: +1 (310) 571-8448 Email: hello@all-turtles.com Twitter: @allturtlesco with hashtag #askAT For more from All Turtles, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter on our website.

Today I’m chatting with Matt Schlicht, the Co-founder, and CEO of Octane AI. They are a Shopify App Partner that enables merchants to increase revenue with a Facebook Messenger solution.There is a massive opportunity for those that implement a Facebook Messenger advertising strategy in 2019 and beyond!The case studies from other Shopify brands have proven that Octane AI is having a significant impact in driving more sales (and improved customer experience) through abandoned cart messages, receipts, shipping notifications, proactive customer support, back-in-stock notifications, win-back campaigns, and so much more!On this episode you will learn:How Shopify store owners are earning 5-10% of their monthly revenue from the Octane AI platform and Facebook Messenger.The importance of connecting your Messenger strategy with the other Shopify apps you use for Reviews, Referral Programs, and email.Why every Shopify store owner will be including Facebook Messenger in their advertising strategy in 2019.AI (artificial intelligence) and the future of customer relationship management.…let’s jump into the show and learn more! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Instead of being a one-way blast, marketing is now a two-way conversation. Ben Parr talks with us about the convergence of customer service and marketing. He discusses why you need to be where your customers are. Ben Parr is the author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention -- named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine and Small Business Trends. He is Co-Founder and COO of Octane AI, the CRM for Messenger marketing. He sits on the board of directors of Samasource, the global non-profit dedicated to impact sourcing and giving work and is a member of the advisory board of Lufthansa Airlines. Previously, Parr was a venture capitalist, a columnist and commentator at CNET, and Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. He is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30.

It’s empathy. It’s humility. It’s fear. It’s part of being human. Today’s guest, Ben Parr, discusses all of the different reasons behind why we perceive people the way we do and just how those unconscious perceptions shape our society today. Ben is the founder of Octane AI and author of Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention, making Ben no stranger to the way people act, react, and interact. Since Ben has always had a heart for others, he created a system to make the lives of company owners just a bit easier. Octane AI allows business owners everywhere to automatically respond to their incoming social media messages with the help of a Chatbot. This helps keeps both businesses and their customers happy. At the end of the day, it all comes back to the people. How they feel-- what they think-- and how small positive experiences can add up to make a world of change. Some Questions I Ask: What did you dream of becoming as a little boy? (04:06) What’s your focus?  (13:39) Do you ever feel like the weight of all the things you have to do will ever be enough? (18:08) What keeps you up at night right now? (20:44) Do you ever feel like, as an efficient entrepreneur, you lose touch with your emotions? (21:35) Do you think there’s a connection between humility and empathy? (24:09) Are there any fears for you that remain under the surface? (38:54) In This Episode, You Will Learn: Ben’s fourth and final goal to bring space to the rest of humanity and his realization of combining the business and research ends of science to enact change (04:32) Ben’s evolution of ambition through his college years (10:35) How Ben is helping businesses (14:35) The importance of keeping your mind refreshed by taking things one day at a time (18:27) The difference of empathy and humility between female and male entrepreneurs and the unconscious bias we have every day (24:26) More about Ben’s Book, Captivology (32:25) How to prioritize your self-care and personal relationships (44:35) Plus much more... Links and Resources: Octane AI Captivology Samasource Follow Ben on Twitter Connect with Ben on Facebook Follow Ben on Instagram

We check in with Octane AI cofounder and COO Ben Parr about bots and ecommerce, and the surprising ways parrots may help build company culture. Along the way hosts Phil Libin, Jessica Collier, and Blaise Zerega question the importance of boards of directors in a segment called, “Maybe it's kinda bull----?” They also discuss whether design can address ethical concerns for AI and what the demise of Facebook M means for chatbots. Show notes Boards of directors: Maybe it's kinda bull----? (1:40) The Board's Most Important Function (Harvard Business Review) The Board of Directors: Role and Responsibilities (Fred Wilson, AVC.com) Interview with Ben Parr, Octane AI cofounder and COO (13:01) Octane AI Automating Your Sales (MSNBC) Cult of the Party Parrot   Listener Questions How do you think about AI and ethical challenges, and how do you help studio companies think about them? (34:11) It was just announced that Facebook is killing Facebook M. What does that mean for the AI industry? (40:07) We want to hear from you Please send us your comments, suggested topics, and questions for future episodes: Email: hello@all-turtles.com Twitter: @allturtlesco with hashtag #askAT For more from All Turtles, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter on our website. Thanks for listening  

Head over to www.EmergeMobileFirst.com and select "Get Free Resources" to get the full list of resources from all of our guest emailed to you!

Our GuestBen Parr is the author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention-- named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine and Small Business Trends. He is Co-Founder and CMO of Octane AI, the CRM for Messenger marketing. He sits on the board of directors of Samasource, the global non-profit dedicated to impact sourcing and giving work and is a member of the advisory board of Lufthansa Airlines. Previously, Parr was a venture capitalist, a columnist and commentator at CNET, and Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable. He is a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30.Here are the highlights of our conversation with our guest:Ben is passionate about two aspects: solving a complex problem which he has not solved before and creating a scalable solution to that problem. He believes it’s never enough to just solve a problem then move on, what excites him is scaling the solution to the entire planet. He started with this inclination in college and this got crystalized when he became an editor in Mashable. He believes that he has the ability, thus, the responsibility to change the world for the better. It’s part of the reason why he does a lot of the things he does.From editor to VC, to being an author and starting a company, he shares that the rudimentary skillsets needed in each of these roles are the same. It is the switching that’s hard because people can be super focused in one thing and be great at that but when you change roles, your primary focus will shift and you need to exercise those muscles that you have not flexed that much.Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention is a book that Ben has written and he shares that it is a deep dive into the psychology and science of attention. He wrote it because lots of companies come to him for him when it comes to items such as press, marketing, user acquisition that he realized all these areas fall around the same thing, which is attention. Thereby, going deeper in this subject could be helpful. He went through years of research, interviewed about 50 experts to understand the key things which trigger attention, the seven stages of attention and how to capture attention in each of those stages.The seven stages of attention go in the order of how early in the stages of attention they happen:1 - Automaticity – automatic sensations and how certain colors captivate our attention automatically versus others.2 - Framing – we use framing to decide which things to pay attention to or not.3 - Disruption – we pay attention to the things which violate our expectations of the world.4 - Reward – certain types of rewards and the way they are delivered change the way we behave.5 - Mysteries – the right kind of storytelling captivate our attention for a lot of psychological reasons.6 - Acknowledgment – we pay attention to the people and things which pay attention to us and provide us validation, empathy and understanding.7 - Reputation – triggers our attention based on reputable sources of information, the power of experts, and the power of the crowd.About Octane AI: Messenger marketing is the new email marketing. Billions of people used messaging apps and if you need to reach the younger demographic, you need a software which could communicate to build campaigns to reach this audience to do all that but it is yet to exist. This is where Octane AI comes in. It’s built as a CRM using bots and AI in order to automatically communicate with customers starting with Facebook Messenger and eventually to other platforms. Their target market is companies and brands which are already established. Octane AI can be used for awareness but it is especially ideal for lead generation and conversation. Their biggest challenge right now is writing content for conversation. Writing for newsletters or blogs is one thing but writing content for conversation is another. It’s different and you have to script out what you are going to say and what you want your audience to respond. Once you get the hang of it, the possibilities open up so it’s a new thing that we have to learn.

In this episode, we're going to talk about the science of capturing attention with our guest, Ben Parr. He is an award-winning journalist, speaker, investor, and entrepreneur. He was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list of high achievers. He is the Co-Founder and CMO of the company, Octane AI, which is the easiest way to create a chatbot and engage your audience via instant messaging. His best-selling book is Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention. Resources: * https://octaneai.com/ – Octane AI Website * @benparr – Ben on Twitter * @OctaneAI – Octane AI on Twitter * @BenParr – Ben on Facebook * @octaneai – Octane AI on Facebook * @benparr – Ben on LinkedIn * https://linkedin.com/company-beta/12956982/ – Octane AI on LinkedIn * Buy Ben's book, Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention Sponsored by: * LEADx.org – subscribe to become 1% better every single day Review and Join Our Ambassadors Club: Please consider leaving an honest one- or two-sentence review on iTunes or on Stitcher.  Nothing matters more for bringing the podcast to the attention of others. And after you leave your review, send me an email at info at leadx dot org to let me know, and I'll invite you into the private LEADx Ambassadors Group on Facebook. Group members are eligible for ridiculously good prizes each month, have special access to me and LEADx guests, discounts on live events, and of course it's a great forum for peer-learning and support. Share: And, by all means, if you know someone you think would benefit, please spread the word by using the share buttons below. — What is LEADx and The LEADx Show with Kevin Kruse? Imagine if you could have the world's best executive coaches and leadership mentors whispering into your ear every morning on your way to work. Every weekday, there will be a new episode of The LEADx Leadership Show with an interview from a different thought leadership or business expert. Many of these guests are thought leaders, famous authors or high-profile CEOs from innovative startup companies. Others are creatives, artists, entrepreneurs or corporate career leaders. They have all achieved extreme success and they are willing to share practical advice on how to advance your career and develop your leadership and management skills by offering daily career tips on time management, productivity, marketing, personal branding, communication, sales, leadership, team building, talent management and other personal development and career development topics. There will be a new episode waiting for you every day just in time for your morning commute, morning treadmill session or whatever else it is you do to start your day. LEADx isn't just the name of this new podcast, it's the name of a digital media and online learning company that is re-imagining professional development for millennials and career driven professionals looking to break into manager roles or excel in current leadership and management roles. If you're looking for management training or professional development that is delivered in a fun and engaging way, sign up for our daily newsletter at LEADx.org. It's packed with life hacks,

Ben Parr is the CMO of Octane AI. If you're not using a Chatbot yet, you need to listen to this episode.  Today on All Business I am joined by Ben Parr – author of the best-selling book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention – named the top marketing book of 2015 by Strategy+Business Magazine and Small Business Trends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Parr is an author, technologist, investor, journalist, entrepreneur, and expert on growth and attention. He's the author of "Captivology: The Science of Capturing People's Attention", published in 2015 by HarperCollins. His book dives into the science and psychology of attention and how anyone can capture attention for their projects or ideas.    He's a CMO and co-founder of Octane AI - the easiest way to create a bot, drive sales, capture leads, and increase engagement on your Facebook Page. He also started an early-stage venture fund called DominateFund and The Parr Group, a consulting and advisory on the topics of technology, marketing, media, and growth. He advised top brands like Lufthansa Airlines and others on growth, attention and marketing.   Previously, he was a Co-Editor and Editor-at-Large of Mashable, where he opened Mashable's west coast office and wrote more than 2,400 articles on the business and cultural impact of technology. He was also named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30.   In this episode you'll learn: [01:00] What does Octane AI do? [02:00] How do you get Maroon 5 as a client? [03:40] How do bots interact with your audience?  [04:55] What does a CMO of a chat bot startup do?  [05:55] What is the main user acquisition channel for a B2B SaaS app? [07:20] Biggest problem Octane AI is tackling as a business at the moment? [09:20] How to build a dream team after you're funded? [12:00] Why is Ben involved with Octane AI? [13:20] How has Ben evolved in his journey with Octane AI? [14:50] How to manage a remote team? [15:30] How do you get your team to a point where they're ready to pick their own things to do? [17:11] How to set metrics and goals? [18:40] 3 things you need to do as a founder in the long run [19:40] How to create a vision for the company? [20:30] Recruiting process at Octane AI   Links mentioned: Octane AI Ben Parr on Twitter Ben's Website Captivology Brought to you by Experiment 27. Find us on Youtube here.   If you've enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to the Digital Agency Marketing Podcast on iTunes and leave us a review for the show.