Taylor Holiday’s Post

I more or less agree with everything here! All ecommerce leaders should read this. I’d add two more: 26. Your brand positioning is probably not as good as it could be and is likely negatively impacting your ad performance and conversion rates more than anything else 27. You’re probably not looking far enough up the funnel when you’re working on CRO

26. Creatives should speak about product than audience to sell more 27. UGC is not a creative strategy 27. Inefficiency in other departments is stopping brands spend more on ads and stunt growth 28. You don't need higher ROAS to be more profitable, a whole lot of brands will be more profitable at lower ROAS 29. Creative diversity is not same as creatives in different formats 30. Messaging in videos is a better and repeatable indicator of ad success than hook

eCom people - what's your take? 🎤 One of the most valuable and interesting posts I've seen in a long time by Taylor Holiday 👏🏼 Points like these should be discussed regularly with your team members, clients, and partners - Which point can you relate to? #ecommerce #dtc #ecom #shopify

https://lnkd.in/eWTKcjY7 I can vouch for #1 as evidence of why consultant/fractional work is thriving for so many marketers right now. Then, #4, #16, #20, #22, and #24 are worth calling attention to after seeing these mistakes time and again at DTC brands.

As a professional in eCommerce, I closely follow industry dynamics. Recently, I’ve been researching TikTop Shop. Since its Q3 launch in the US, it has become a significant point of interest. Can this disruptive content platform also impact the eCommerce industry? Here are some insights and case study. 👉 Potential of TikTop Shop business size in US market 🔺 TikTok boasts a user base of 150 million, accounting for 50% of internet users. 🔺Despite political controversies, a Capterra survey indicates that 74% of companies plan to increase their TikTok marketing budget in 2024. 🔺 Insider Intelligence, a market research firm, projects that social commerce could expand to $6.9 billion by 2027. 👉 Performance of TikTop Shop in its Inaugural Quarter 🔺 TikTop Shop reported a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of $200M. 🔺 The leading categories were beauty and women’s fashion. 🔺 Several top sellers exceeded a GMV of $10M within this quarter. 🔺 A majority of the top sellers are currently local Direct-to-Consumer brands. For more details and case studies, please see below. What are your thoughts on social commerce? Are you part of the generation that will shop on social platforms?

Ecommerce Trends You Can't Ignore in 2024 The ecommerce landscape is evolving faster than ever, and staying ahead of the curve is more critical for success than ever before. Here are 10 trends that will shape ecommerce marketing in 2024: 1 - The Rise of TikTok Shop: Don't underestimate the power of TikTok! This platform is rapidly becoming a major ecommerce player, especially for Gen Z. 2 - Social Commerce Boom: Consumers are increasingly shopping on social media. Build trust and authenticity to stand out in this crowded space. 3 - Personalisation is King: Tailor your marketing and product recommendations to individual customers for a better experience. 4 - Subscriptions on the Rise: Subscription models offer convenience and recurring revenue. Consider offering subscription boxes or services. 5 - Value and Convenience Matter: Price sensitivity is high. Offer competitive prices, easy checkout, and fast shipping. 6 - Short-Form Video is Hot: Educate and engage shoppers with short, catchy videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. 7 - AI and Automation to the Rescue: Use AI to personalize marketing, automate tasks, and improve customer service. 8 - Community is Key: Build a strong community around your brand to foster loyalty and advocacy. 9 - Sustainability Takes Center Stage: Consumers care about the environment. Promote your sustainability efforts to attract eco-conscious shoppers. 10 - Get Mobile-First: Optimise your website and marketing for mobile devices, as most ecommerce shopping happens on phones. https://lnkd.in/ezKGdaJf

I read this article today and I found some good insights for my fellow eCommerce people: > Tiktok Shop is on the rise! It’s the second article I’ve read mentioning the power of TikTok Shop in less than a week! As someone who has been working with it since its debut last year, I find this encouraging to keep navigating this new commerce engine. > Authenticity x Social-Scam Concerns. This is interesting because, with the rise in TikTok Shop and similar platforms, there’s also a growing concern about scams. So being authentic and active on social media customer service will be more important than ever! > “It’s not about who your customer was yesterday, but instead who they will be — and what they will need — tomorrow, next week, and every other moment in their journey with your brand.” > Cross-sell takes center stage: “Retention is no longer just about repeat purchases; it’s about product expansion” - it’ll be important to focus on multiple areas where we can add value to clients. They’re likely to stick around if we can fulfill several of their needs. Interesting article altogether! With the eCommerce landscape being ever-evolving, it’ll be of extreme importance to keep track of trends and what customers are expecting from a business! Tricky, but let’s accept the challenge 👊🏻

It's no secret. The e-commerce landscape has faced its fair share of challenges this year. Despite this, I'm in awe of the innovative tech that is built in this space. 💡 Here are 5 valuable ecom tech tools that can be a gamechanger for your DTC business: 1. Zamp - Ever wrestled with the intricate web of sales tax in the ecom domain? It's no secret that sales tax can be the silent killer of profit margins for DTC merchants. Zamp takes the guesswork out, managing everything from sales tax calculations to filings. It's the kind of back-end magic every e-commerce merchant needs. 2. Superfiliate - Think of it as your all-in-one platform to revolutionize word-of-mouth marketing. It’s setting the gold standard for social commerce by powering growth through tailored storefronts for your: influencers, ambassadors, and loyal customers. Seriously, Superfiliate is a gamechanger for your marketing stack. 3. Magic - This groundbreaking technology, led by Leroy Kerry, is reshaping DTC selling channels. Magic seamlessly matches buyers with returns and open-box items. The result? A decluttered warehouse and the curtailing of long-drawn return journeys. The team is also incredibly focused on creating a more sustainable e-com eco-system, as exchanges and returns cause a significant amount of waste and carbon emissions. 4. Shoplift - I'm obsessed with A/B testing everything (just ask Keyana Sapp for confirmation). For Shopify merchants, while A/B testing ads and marketing strategies have been relatively straightforward, website creative testing often presented challenges. Shoplift seamlessly addresses this, making the process intuitive. It's an indispensable tool for your arsenal. 5. OneText (YC W23) - I absolutely love tools that make the buying process for customers an absolute breeze. With a mission to make commerce frictionless, OneText turbocharges sales via automated text-to-buy technology. The numbers speak for themselves—expect a revenue spike of 15%+! The DTC tech space is brimming with new and innovative technology. Gone are the days of FB ads and YOLO. You need to explore new technology and strategies to win in this space. Check out the ones above, you won't regret it.

Digital channel planning and e-commerce strategy are pivotal components for any business aiming to thrive in the digital landscape. Effective digital channel planning involves identifying and leveraging various online platforms, such as social media, search engines, email marketing, and websites, to reach and engage the target audience. This process encompasses understanding the customer journey, preferences, and behaviors to strategically allocate resources across different channels. By analyzing data and metrics, businesses can optimize their digital channel mix, focusing on the most effective platforms to maximize ROI and enhance customer experience. Furthermore, a robust e-commerce strategy is essential for businesses seeking success in the online marketplace. This involves developing a comprehensive plan that encompasses website design, user experience, product placement, payment gateways, and logistics. A user-friendly interface, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive navigation are crucial elements that can significantly impact conversion rates and customer satisfaction. Additionally, implementing personalized recommendations, targeted promotions, and a streamlined checkout process can enhance the overall shopping experience, leading to increased sales and customer retention. Moreover, an effective e-commerce strategy integrates omnichannel capabilities, enabling seamless transitions between online and offline touchpoints. This approach ensures consistency across various channels, allowing customers to interact with the brand effortlessly. Incorporating social commerce, voice commerce, and emerging technologies like augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) can further elevate the e-commerce experience, providing innovative ways for customers to interact with products and make informed purchasing decisions. Ultimately, a well-crafted digital channel plan and e-commerce strategy are integral in driving traffic, optimizing conversions, and fostering long-term customer relationships in today's competitive digital landscape.

Too many updates to list here but some exciting innovation from Shopify Editions. As an investor, I look at it as a good signal of where there is space for startups in Vertical SAAS and Fintech for commerce. Some highlights: 🏪 Shopify POS and the Focus on Omnichannel Customers: Great stuff Helen Mou! - Ship from Store: Retail staff fulfill orders from retail locations, using Shopify POS - Capture more customer emails and offer one-tap receipts with the POS Terminal customer-facing display - Language preferences, customize printed receipts Opportunities: Excited to see the continued focus on omnichannel and how tools like Brij can connect online and offline customers further. Opportunities to make global logistics and retail inventory tracking easier/ more cost effective. 💫 Conversion: - Powering more complex products and attributes like up to 2,000 variants per product, color swatches and manage more media formats (images, videos, and 3D models) - Semantic search using AI to better understand what the customer is looking for ("cute date night outfit" vs "black dress") - Subscription bundles and discount codes - Shopify pay will continue to expand beyond the Shopify ecosystem - improvements in conversion are important Opportunities: Still see opportunity for companies like Skio Recurly and others to continue to innovate on subscription pricing (premium upcharges, volume pricing, etc) and personalization. Opportunity to connect semantic search querries with marketing communications. 📌 Marketing and Operations: - Competitive benchmarking and better retargeting - Creator profiles and commission payments - AI-powered shop assistant, copy and images -Nifty new format for reports Opportunities: Platforms that identify and optimize influencers. Competitive data that is better fine-tuned. Shopable videos will continue to grow. Targeting and retargeting leveraging AI as the "cookie-less" future finally happens. 💸 Shopify Capital: - Expansion of services: Capital Loans and Cash Advances, Term Loans, and Line of Credit - Taxes are still a pain-point Opportunities: As cost of capital remains high and tight VC for brands, brands have fewer funding options. Solving taxes for ecommerce and SMBs still an opportunity. Much more to unpack (link in comments) and tons of opportunity in commerce. Thanks Tessa Battistin for the preview at National Retail Federation!