Alex Nazarevich

I have so many issues with this report released recently by shopify. 1. If money makes them come and leave, that's not loyalty. 2. Competing on purely price = Commoditisation = Non-existent branding 3. "Better quality" doesn't exist. It's table stakes. It's not a value prop. 4. Loyalty rewards for most brands is just points (worthless) and more discounts. 5. Seamless user experience... No customer has ever come back because of that. It's the product first. I'm not sure who the respondents are, sounds like a marketer. In that case, this entire report is has completely inaccurate consumer sentiments. 5. "Understand my shopping needs", how? When data collection doesn't exist. I suspect this question was phrased unfairly to solicit this response. 6. Product availability, seriously? You're losing customers because you can't make proper purchasing decisions? There are so many apps out there that help with inventory forecasting without requiring much brains. IMO this was a terrible report. Extremely biased in many many many aspects. And including leading statements that might cause business owners to make extremely dangerous decisions. Who else has read this? What are your thoughts on it?

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Actual Shopify revenue lift for an eCommerce Apparel client. Huge shift after taking over the account (arrow). This is NEW CUSTOMER acquisition. - 24% increase in new customer traffic - 2X email acquisition (most valuable channel tied to revenue) - 40% increase in ATC, 93% decrease in cost per ATC - 24% increase in Shopify total sales - YTD Record revenue day (twice)

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Instacart not having negative keywords as an option is the best example of what "machine learning" actually costs brands to support. The best solution I've found? Take their auto applied keywords and make their bid the lowest possible (30 cents). I built a really solid ads structure supporting each of our Target sku's and woke up to us bidding on "Ben and Jerry's" as a "optimized auto applied suggesition" for our Vanilla Ice Cream Whey. Gee, I wonder what sophisticated dev team decided "auto bid on product title". Yeah, in the world of CPG there could neeevvverrr be issues with that. Who leads this team and how much do you make. (Hint: too much). Happy Friday to everyone except overpaid leadership that don't actually understand what they're building and get paid boat loads of money for it.

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This is Harley Finkelstein. He's the president of Shopify, the platform I've admired and used for over a decade. In this video, Harley is proudly talking about the Q3 results and how Shopify is growing, has had a 20% increase in quarter over quarter for the past 5 quarters... And then I stopped listening. Sure, I'm happy for them and it's a great platform, but they're not listening to their merchants. I say this because it's almost unanimous among merchants that their customer support has declined for the last 2 years. You used to be able to hop on a chat with a "guru" (yes, that's what their CSRs were called back in the day) and they actually enoyed helping you figure out an issue. Now, you have to jump through hoops, bypass an AI chat-bot that doesn't have all the answers to get a CSR in the chat that barely knows what e-commerce is. Shopify, much like Google, has lost track of the reason people fell in love with their brand. They're all for profits now. They used to care about their users. Don't get me wrong, the platform is absolutely amazing, rock solid and user friendly, no doubt about that. I hope I get reminders from friends and loyal clients about why I'm in business: I care about people and their dreams of building a healthy business. Yes, I need to put food on the table, so I can't do it for free, but people and results first. Thanks for listening to my TED talk.

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Making waves today as our team launches a new feature to help eCom brands maximize ad spend on Meta, Google and TikTok with Attribution (just in time for Holiday season). Now digital marketers can see performance channels metrics in one place, in the Lifetimely App, and make fast optimizations on ad campaigns and budgets by channel. No spreadsheets, no jumping between ad platforms, no code, no nasty end of month reporting surprises. Proud day, a huge effort from all involved 🚀 #shopify #singlesday #blackfriday

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Walmart’s figured out what every other retailer is fumbling around trying to crack: if you’ve got the data, the eyeballs, and the checkout lanes, why not make a killing selling ads too? This quarter, Walmart Connect’s U.S. ad revenue shot up 26%, proving they’re not just a retail giant—they’re a media powerhouse with a side hustle so lucrative, it’s probably making Madison Avenue sweat. The secret sauce? Ads that don’t suck. Instead of bombarding shoppers with irrelevant noise, Walmart’s got brands paying up to slip into your shopping journey seamlessly. Need shampoo? Here’s the latest must-have. Shopping for cereal? Boom—there’s a new flavor you didn’t know you wanted. It’s like product discovery, but without the existential dread of scrolling TikTok for hours. This isn’t just about running ads; it’s about Walmart monetizing their entire ecosystem—from digital shelves to checkout clicks—and making it look easy. Meanwhile, other retailers are still trying to convince advertisers that their audiences are engaged enough to care. Newsflash: Walmart’s already cashing the checks. Retail media isn’t a cute side gig for Walmart; it’s a full-blown money-printing operation. If they keep this up, they won’t just be the place to grab eggs and toilet paper—they’ll be the kingpins of digital advertising, and the rest of the retail world will be left asking, “Can we copy your homework?” Spoiler: Walmart already handed it in.

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When I started including user-generated content in brands' emails, their engagement rates shot up. These brands are doing the same: Mejuri: Used real customer photos in product recommendation emails, resulting in a 28% increase in click-through rates. Glossier, Inc.: Featured Instagram posts from customers in their email newsletters, which improved social proof and still drives sales. MVMT : Highlighted fan photos wearing their watches in follow-up emails, strengthening the brand community and boosting repeat purchases. Try it out: Start adding user-generated content to your emails, and you'll see the same boost in engagement and loyalty.

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The tragic misunderstanding of Unified Commerce… Shopify has been pushing their unified commerce strategy for multiple good reasons. From my perspective, this strategy makes a lot of sense as they are: 1. Ensuring their products integrate seamlessly. This means that Shopify Markets, Shopify B2B, and retail communicate effortlessly together. This has been a massive process and won’t end anytime soon. 2. Recognizing that Shopify hasn’t been just an ecommerce platform for SMBs for years. These days, some of our customers start by using Shopify's B2B product or even just their Retail with Shopify POS. The world has changed dramatically. So, what’s the issue then? Let me explain. A delicate group of old-school retail gurus are somehow offended by the term "unified commerce." They claim to have been doing unified commerce long before Shopify started to talk about the topic. Fair point, but they miss the essence of Shopify's unified commerce offering. It’s akin to reading the headline without understanding the full story. Another group comprises competing platforms that claim to have been unified commerce solutions since 2015 or earlier. However, in my humble opinion, they are simply afraid of Shopify’s product roadmap. After being in the digital commerce business for over 15 years, I can say that very few have successfully integrated online and offline retail. Not to mention B2B added on top of all of this. Commerce is hard, but Shopify is going for it big time. #shopify #unifiedcommerce #commerce #ecommerce #woolman #enterprise

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SEO is Evolving: From Ranking to Recommendation (and a New Opportunity!?) The way we search for information is on the cusp of a major shift, with large language models (LLMs) taking centre stage. A recent study by Harvard (I’ll share the link in the comments) explored how LLMs can be influenced by strategically crafted text sequences (STS). Here's the key takeaway: By adding the right STS to a product page, you can significantly boost its ranking in LLM recommendations! This might sound scary for SEOs – is expertise becoming obsolete as Google pushes organic results further down the page? and LLMs come into play? The good news is, there appears  opportunity to become a first mover in a brand new field: LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation). Think of LLMOs as the potential future SEOs, guiding businesses on how to thrive in this new search landscape, building out from what has been a shift towards a more technical direction SEO has taken around site performance & user UX. Or so the study would suggest. Here's why this shift is exciting: LLMs personalise search: Imagine search results tailored to each user's specific needs and preferences. LLMOs can help businesses craft content that resonates with these unique user journeys. Focus on user intent: Ranking high won't be enough. LLMOs will ensure content truly addresses user queries and pain points. The future of search is about providing the best possible answer, not just a list of link results. Is becoming an LLMO expert the future? Or just another temporary hype title while we all figure this new coming world out. #SEO #FutureofSearch #Marketing

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MYTH: Everyone goes to Google first By Johnny Molson, Wizard of Ads Partner Excerpt “When I’m looking for something, I just Google it.” That’s a phrase that seems obvious because it matches our personal experiences. With 8.5 billion Google searches each day, yours are at least 4 or 5 of them. But it wasn’t the first thing you did. In his book “How Customers Think,” Dr. Gerald Zaltman of Harvard says 95% of purchase decisions are made subconsciously. That odd quirk of our brains means that we’ve already decided… before we decided. This article first appeared at www.WizardOfAds.org Read the full article and watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/geFF5URA Johnny is one of the most brilliant ad writers in North America. He is also a super nice guy. So if you want to grow your business, contact Johnny. Details here: https://lnkd.in/gdY2serd #wizardofads #relationaladvertising #advertising #relationalmarketing #marketing #advertisingstrategy #marketingstrategy #businessgrowth #selling #relationalselling #mindset #leadership #copywriting #businessgrowth

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I unlocked an extra $2M in ARR for a Shopify-based pet brand solely through competitor research. Here's how: Many Shopify brands focus only on their own product, missing key insights from their rivals. The brands that win are the ones that leverage competitive analysis to stay ahead. 1. Start with Product Research Dive into your competitors' offerings: - Pricing - Product bundles - Unique selling points (USPs) Pro Tip: Buy from your top competitor. Experience their entire customer journey. How does their packaging compare? How does their website flow? This will reveal opportunities for your brand to differentiate. 2. Study Their Marketing Channels Analyze their social media, emails, and ads. Are they running frequent promotions? What content gets engagement? If you notice a heavy discount strategy, consider focusing on long-term value instead of short-term sales tactics. 3. Track Customer Reviews Your competitors' customers will tell you exactly where they’re falling short. Look for recurring complaints—like slow shipping or lackluster product quality—and use that insight to improve your own offers. 4. Leverage Their Tech Stack Tools like BuiltWith let you see what apps and tech your competitors use. Spot inefficiencies? Invest in better tools to gain an edge. Want to do ad research? tryatria.ai, MagicBrief, Foreplay.co, and Motion (Creative Analytics) have your back. Competitive analysis isn't about copying what your rivals do—it’s about turning those insights into a way for you to win. Often, it can mean doing the exact opposite of your competitors.

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Frustrated with ad spend that doesn’t drive clear results? Many DTC brands hit familiar roadblocks on their way to scaling up. This is the Vulcan way to help Shopify stores grow with intention: Clarity on What’s Working: A lot of brands simply don’t know how ad spend impacts the bottom line. With in-depth dashboards and reports that go beyond the usual metrics, we help you see exactly what’s driving revenue—from product page views to conversion rates. Scaling with Strategy: Growth shouldn’t be a guessing game. We take brands from that $50-100k mark and help them reach new heights with data-backed strategies. Through full-scale ad management across Google, Meta, and more, we ensure your growth is stable, sustainable, and scalable. Creative that Speaks to Your Audience: No more wasted spend on ads that have lost their impact. We’re constantly testing and iterating, keeping your ads fresh and relevant so you’re always connecting with the right audience in the right way. One Team, One Goal: When everything’s managed under one roof, it’s easier to keep your brand voice consistent and performance-driven. With Vulcan, you get a partner who understands the ins and outs of your ad spend and is committed to pushing your growth forward. If your brand is ready to get real about scaling up, let’s talk!

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Solving your "one-time buyer problem" is fundamental to success in eCommerce. You know, the 60%+ of your new customers that you paid heavily to acquire, but never come back. Getting the second purchase is critical to profitability. You don't want to leave it to chance...you want to engineer it. Often driving that second purchase comes down to offering the right product. Case (study) in point: we teamed up with Tresl Segments (AKA Segments Analytics) to help bag maker Lo & Sons predictably drive second purchases with direct mail. ➝ Segments Analytics ID'd likely second purchases based on specific first products purchased ➝ We sent those likely second purchase products in postcards. Did Segments Analytics accurately predict those purchases? And direct mail generate them? Yes & yes. Segments Analytics' data predicted second purchases over half the time on two customer segments. ➝ Specifically, they predicted the second purchase 56% of the time on one product, and 64% on another. And the postcards drove ROAS of 7x and 10x, respectively. Direct mail works. And it works well with others. Read more about the segmentation and tactics in the full case study.

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I was talking with Will Doeckel (my Feedonomics AM) a few week about how 80% of our clients are on Shopify. It is a Shopify world and we are all just living in it. We have been a Shopify Partner since 2019, which means we know how to use Shopify for marketing and profitable growth better than most. Most Shopify Partners are dev and design agencies who tack on PPC services. Being a pure PPC agency sets us apart. We do one thing and we do better than 99% out there. 2025 is going to see a lot more brands shift over to Shopify. If you are in ecom and especially B2B ecom, let's talk about how we can make 2025 your breakout year. https://lnkd.in/g3XsnpE4

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DTC brands: Specificity in your promises is key for consistent conversions. Bad promises: Lose fat Sleep better Enjoy better skin Good promises: Lost 5lbs in 5 weeks Get 8 hours of deep sleep 20% less oily skin in just 48 hours Specificity sells.

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In partnership with Shopify x Hawke Media is excited to bring you exclusive insights and analytics to accelerate your B2B and B2C growth strategies. 📊 Our report delivers key insights from 5,000+ businesses to transform your digital marketing strategy. Here’s a sneak peek: • Google Ads: How to stay Profitable with Rising CPCs + declining ROAS • Meta Facebook: Optimize + Build Audiences, platform saw a32% conversion rate increase • #eCommerce: Uncover the shifts in consumer behavior and learn how to maximize your campaigns. Full report—link in comments 🔗

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The #1 problem I solve is helping eCommerce brands break through a sales plateau.   I’m often told the problem is that “we’re stuck and can’t grow.” That is not the problem, it is the symptom. When your marketing team or external partners are struggling to identify or solve the real problems that cause these symptoms, I can help. A major differentiator with our eCommerce agency is that I often personally work with eCommerce CEO’s and CFOs in addition to the marketing team. Usually this involves strategic planning, consulting, and education around topics like; “Why marketing reports don’t align to the P&L” or “why scaling ad spend seems to lead to a loss.” This is done in a non-threatening way to the marketing team.   Why would they lean on me instead of their in-house team?   I have some unique experiences in my background that cause me to think differently than most. ·        I was a CPA and CFO for 10 years ·        I’ve been in eCommerce for 15 years ·        I’ve started 4 companies and sold 3 of them successfully            (2 were marketing agencies) ·        I invented an algorithm to do keyword bidding in Google Shopping, something I have not seen replicated over the past 7+ years, and it beats PMax while restoring data visibility and advertiser control ·        I helped grow an ecommerce software company (as the CFO and CMO) and we sold it within 18 months ·        I spent 8 years solving the biggest problem in ecommerce marketing: attribution and incrementality, After countless iterations, I finally cracked the code on a solution that is effective and most importantly, practical for retail and eComm brands. I funded and built the software that now drives the marketing strategy for all clients. ·        I have an amazing team of experts that serve our clients, we’ve been in business for 13 years exclusively growing ecommerce/retail brands. Unlike other agencies, our measure of success is not broken marketing reports – it is moving the needle on your actual P&L.   In my content, I try to provide a glimpse into some of the ways that my firm thinks differently, and our service is very different than the standard agency model. We get outstanding results for companies that fit our client profile, but we don’t go for volume, we have 40 clients and only 2.4 clients per operations employee. Our average client tenure is 4.2 years. Those stats are well above the norm.   If you are an eCommerce executive, I’d love to meet with you. No expectation, just get to know each other a bit, maybe we can help each other at some point. When you aren’t getting satisfactory answers on how to break through from your marketing team or partners, I can help. It’s the #1 problem I solve when eCommerce brands face a sales plateau.

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What percentage of Black Friday shoppers do you think make a second purchase from the same eComm site within 30 days? 👇 👇 👇 It’s actually just 11–25%—and here’s why too many don’t come back: They’re only interested in discounts. Generic, irrelevant messaging turns them off. Over-communication leads to email fatigue. They don’t see the long-term value of your brand. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Join our webinar on Dec. 5 at 2 PM EST to learn how top brands are keeping their Black Friday shoppers engaged and driving repeat purchases. Plus, when you register, you'll get to see a millennial (me) try to record themselves for an intro video (it was the first take, don't judge!).

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Is your Shopify store struggling with no sales in 2024? In my latest video, I break down the current challenges in the ecommerce landscape and share actionable strategies to turn things around. From understanding market saturation to focusing on staple products, this video covers key insights every Shopify store owner needs. Watch now and learn how to boost your Shopify sales! https://lnkd.in/daJ-P86t #Ecommerce #Shopify #DigitalMarketing #BusinessGrowth

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