Shows
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastLive Selling Secrets From a $25M Golf Brand"Nobody wants to get rich slowly."
Nick Mertz started Pins and Aces with $6,000 and zero outside capital. Today, his golf lifestyle brand does $25 million a year, employs over 40 people, and ships every order from their own warehouse outside Denver. But with customer acquisition costs through the roof, Nick stopped fighting the ad auction and built an omnichannel machine instead. We break down how live selling on Whatnot and TikTok became a serious revenue channel ($400K in December alone on TikTok Shop), why licensing collabs with Coca-Cola and South Park actually boost brand legitimacy, and how wholesale is...
2026-02-2456 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWhy This Agency Dropped Paid Media (And Got Bigger)"I kinda told myself I need to take a step back from e-commerce. When I took a step back, e-commerce said no and put me back in."Amer Grozdanic burned out running paid media for brands. The results were good — but never good enough. So he walked away, rebuilt his agency around what he could actually control, and landed clients like MVMT Watches and Billie Eilish without spending a dollar on ads. Today, Praella works with brands up to $400M in revenue, and Amer's seen the same blind spots in almost every store.We dig in...
2026-02-171h 17
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastERP Explained w/ GoodDay's Kyle HencyFor most direct-to-consumer brands, the term "ERP" evokes dread. Six-month implementations. Six-figure costs. Software built for factories, not Shopify stores. Kyle Hency experienced that pain firsthand. He scaled Chubbies Shorts past $100 million in revenue, and along the way, his "sophisticated" spreadsheet system (built by a former banker) completely fell apart. The breaking point? When Nordstrom called wanting to stock Chubbies, and his team realized they had no infrastructure to even accept the order. That painful lesson led Hency to raise $13.5 million for GoodDay Software, an ERP designed from day one for Shopify merchants. In this episode, we demystify what...
2026-02-1038 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastInfluencer Whitelisting: What It Is & How to StartHere's something most merchants don't realize: you can run paid ads through an influencer's handle instead of your own. It's called whitelisting, and it converts about 15% better. Brad Hoos, CEO of Outloud Group and owner of Shopify store MuskOx Flannels, has been doing influencer marketing since YouTube was mostly cat videos. In this episode, he breaks down how whitelisting works step by step, why he thinks of creators as "decentralized media companies," and what most brands overthink when they're just getting started.SPONSORSSwym — Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurt...
2026-02-0347 min
How to Scale a BusinessHow Kurt Elster Built a Shopify Empire and Turned One Platform into a $1M+ AgencyIn this episode of How to Scale a Business, host Hector Santiesteban sits down with Kurt Elster, the "unofficial mayor of Shopify," to uncover the secrets behind building a thriving e-commerce agency. Kurt shares his journey from a failed startup during the 2009 recession to becoming one of the most recognized Shopify experts in the world. He reveals the pivotal moments that transformed his business, including the power of specialization over being a generalist, the switch to fixed-price project pricing that eliminated client hesitation, and how he built recurring revenue streams to stabilize cash flow. Kurt also dives deep into...
2026-01-3024 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe Financial Blind Spot Costing 7-Figure Stores Millions"You can't control tariffs. You can't control the weather. But you can control what's happening within your business."Salena Knight has audited thousands of retail businesses since 2007 and found that 4 out of 5 seven-figure stores share the same blind spot—and it's not marketing. It's money. We talked about why inventory is secretly taxable cash sitting on your shelves, how one brand increased profit margins 30% by auditing their pick-and-pack costs, and why running a 30% off sale on luxury products got zero orders.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/ku...
2026-01-2750 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastA Mushroom Brand's Bet Against Booze"I would have invested 100% of all of the money that we raised into Meta. I would have done nothing else but secure that one channel first."After launching Troop, a functional mushroom gummy brand, Jake Mellman discovered that community events and sampling don't pay the bills. What does: Meta ads, a 76% contribution margin, and defaulting customers to quarterly subscriptions. Now he's applied those lessons to Psilly Goose, a functional beverage targeting the 46% of American adults who've stopped drinking. The challenge: THC restrictions, heavy shipping costs, and a farm bill that could shut him down by November.
2026-01-2051 min
Great New Courses - Online eLearning With The Best CoachesKurt Elster – Build A Perfect PDP Blueprint – Smart Marketer – Free Download CourseKurt Elster – Build A Perfect PDP Blueprint – Smart Marketer – Free Download Course Time to learn the exact page structure, copy style, media layout, and trust elements Kurt Elster...
2026-01-1609 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe First Shop Mini"Shop has this amazing opportunity to convert shoppers into people that are being entertained by shoppable content."Bill Staley built the first Shop Mini to launch on Shopify's Shop app. Food Social brings 10,000+ shoppable recipes to 200 million potential users. We dig into why Shop is Shopify's most underrated channel, how personalization matches recipes to purchase history, and why intent-based shopping beats interruption marketing every time.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurtCleverific - Smart order editing for Shopifycleverific.comZipify...
2026-01-1526 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe Period Brand That Won $1.5M in Pitch ContestsDana Roberts spent years watching fifth-grade girls panic through their first periods with ill-fitting products and no preparation. The period care aisle hadn't changed in decades. Same brands. Same sizing that was never designed for a 10-year-old's body. When she pitched the idea to her god-sister, Dr. Monica Williams, she got a polite brush-off. Years later, Monica's own daughter started showing signs of puberty, and suddenly the problem wasn't theoretical anymore.What followed was a brutal education in bootstrapping: churning through agencies, surviving iOS 14.5, and funding an entire company through pitch competitions because traditional VCs wouldn't write...
2026-01-1348 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe €330M Exit Guy Shares His Europe Playbook"We were close to closing the company two or three times. Every winter was like, okay, that's it. Goodbye company."Chris Erthel built Meller sunglasses from a Spanish side project into a brand that sells a pair every 28 seconds. Along the way, he helped scale HelloBody from €30M to €107M as fractional CMO before its €330M exit to Henkel. We talked about why US brands fail in Europe, the cultural quirks that kill conversions in Germany, and why Italy requires cash on delivery or you're dead on arrival. He's run 3,500+ A/B tests and shares counterintuitive findings that c...
2026-01-0647 min
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast$1.7M BFCM: Inside Montana Knife Company's Black FridayMontana Knife Company pulled in $1.7 million over Black Friday weekend without discounting a single knife. Co-founder Brandon Horoho explains how: five targeted product drops, one for each customer persona. An email cadence so aggressive he was watching unsubscribe rates like a hawk. And a VIP program where the reward shows up unannounced in your mailbox. It's a story about knowing exactly who your customer is and giving them what they want before they ask. Also: why Brandon actually high-fives when his repeat customer rate goes down.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more
2025-12-3053 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastNative A/B Testing Hits Shopify: What You Need to Know"It's really about helping merchants become more informed, helping them make more bold decisions."Aaron Glazer, Product Lead at Shopify, reveals two features from Winter '26 Edition that change how merchants test and optimize their stores. Rollouts brings native split testing directly into the admin. SimGym deploys AI agents trained on billions of purchases to find what's broken before real customers do.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurtCleverific - Smart order editing for Shopifycleverific.comZipify - Build high-converting...
2025-12-2332 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSHOPIFY EDITIONS WINTER '26Shopify just dropped their "Renaissance Edition" with 150+ product updates. We cut through the noise. Sidekick finally works—I use it daily now for reports, segments, and Flow automations. Native A/B testing arrives with Rollouts and SimGym. The new Product Network let one early adopter earn $1,400 in commission in 30 days. And Shop App? #1 in the App Store over BFCM. Here's what actually matters for store owners.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurtCleverific - Smart order editing for Shopifycleverific.comZipify - Bu...
2025-12-1639 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWhy Your Creative Strategy Is Burning Cash"Do you care enough about new customer acquisition? What you care about shows up based off of your actions, not your thoughts or your words."Meta's Andromeda update broke everyone's brain and most brands still haven't recovered. Nehal Kazim, CEO of Ad Pros, argues that the industry overcorrected by wildly overproducing content, burning through budgets on concepts that never receive meaningful spend. His math: you're paying $250-500 per asset for creatives that never get tested. Kazim has spent 13 years running campaigns for brands like Canada Goose and DTC companies doing $10-16 million a month. His solution is...
2025-12-0955 min
The Smart Marketer PodcastEpisode 252: Creative Shifts, Community, and the Realities of Modern E-Commerce with Kurt ElsterEpisode 252: Creative Shifts, Community, and the Realities of Modern E-Commerce with Kurt Elster Episode Description What keeps a Shopify expert motivated after 15+ years in the game? In this episode, Kurt Elster, creator of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast and longtime Smart Marketer collaborator, joins Zach Dampier live at Smart Marketer Live to share real talk about modern eCommerce, creative fatigue, and building community in an often isolating industry. "The thing I hang my hat on is two words: enable entrepreneurship. If I can do that with my content, with my efforts speaking or the work, then I'm happy." – Ku...
2025-12-0320 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastShe Sold 250K Shampoo Bars Without Amazon or AdsKate Assaraf tried every plastic-free shampoo bar on the market. They sat in her shower like, and I'm quoting here, "tombstones." Failed products. Dead ends. So she decided to make her own. Without Instagram ads. Without Amazon. Without any of the things you're supposed to need to build a business. Today on our program, we follow Kate's journey from beauty industry veteran to the woman who said no to everything, and built a million-dollar company anyway.In this episode, we explore how Kate sold 250,000 shampoo bars in 4 years while refusing Meta ads, Amazon listings, and influencer partnerships...
2025-12-0248 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWhat Discounts Actually Make People Buy (Study)There's this thing that happens when you run an e-commerce store. You know you need to discount, but you're terrified. Terrified of training customers to wait for sales. Terrified of looking cheap. So you do nothing, or worse, you slap WELCOME10 on your popup and call it a day. Meanwhile, the big brands? They're discounting constantly. Just invisibly.Cara Marin from Seguno looked at 162,000 discount code sets. Real data from real stores. And what she found flips everything we thought we knew. The most successful stores discount more, not less. They just do it smarter. With unique...
2025-11-2541 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThis Founder Automated Influencer Outreach CompletelySo there's this guy, Bora Celik. Software engineer, thirty years in the game. Last year he tells his investors something crazy: SaaS is dead. Not dying. Dead. And here's the thing - he might be right. See, while everyone's playing with ChatGPT, asking it questions, Bora's building these things called AI agents. They don't just answer questions. They do the work. Like, actually reach out to influencers, negotiate deals, send products, follow up. No humans involved. One of his clients, Harney & Sons Tea, they've got agents running their entire influencer program. The agents find people, check their engagement rates...
2025-11-1845 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastBuff Clucks: From Homework Assignment to 7-Figure Chicken BrandSo there's this moment in 2022 where Celia Hatch wakes up from a dream about chicken supplements called "Chicken Spice." She thinks it's ridiculous. Fast forward to today, and she's running a seven-figure business serving America's 13% of households with backyard chickens.The twist is it started as her teenage son's eighth-grade homework assignment. He made $500 selling herbs in craft bags, then quit. Ms. Hatch, a serial entrepreneur with 16 businesses behind her, picked it up and scaled Buff Clucks to seven figures in 18 months using Meta advertising, landing pages, and subscription bundling.This is a story about...
2025-11-1148 min
Millionaire UniversityBuilding a Shopify Agency That Delivers Massive Growth for E-commerce Brands | Kurt Elster#659 What if the simplest, scrappiest tactics could unlock massive success online? In this episode, host Kirsten Tyrrel chats with Kurt Elster, founder of Ethercycle and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, about how he built a thriving agency helping e-commerce brands scale on Shopify. Kurt shares how handwritten letters under shop doors turned into multimillion-dollar opportunities, why niching down is the key to standing out, and how building relationships and showing up consistently built his authority in the Shopify space. They also dig into the power of positioning, the psychology behind great website design, and why doing the uncomfortable...
2025-11-0444 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWhat's New in Shopify: November 2025Shopify just went from 100 variants per product to 2,048. Shopify Partners Kurt Elster and Paul Reda tested it and found out there's a secret limit at 250 where everything changes. Your theme might work perfectly, it might half-work, or it might completely break depending on when it was built.They also dig into the new VS Code-based theme editor (developers love it, merchants hate it), the "unlisted" product status that's perfect for hiding free gifts and private sales, and Kurt reveals the one homepage element that gets clicked more than anything else—you're probably not using it right....
2025-11-0435 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastBlack Friday Starts Early: The 3-Week Email StrategyKurt and Filip break down buy-two-get-two offers that crush percentage discounts, why five emails on Black Friday is actually conservative, and the three-week framework 8-figure brands use to win Q4. If you're planning to send a couple emails on Cyber Monday and call it done, this episode will make you rethink everything.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurtCleverific - Smart order editing for Shopifycleverific.comZipify - Build high-converting sales funnelszipify.com/KURTLINKSFilip Pejic...
2025-10-2850 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastAccessibility: Bet Hannon's 4-Step Fix"These tools rely on automation that only catches 30% of issues. And for blind users with screen readers? The overlays often conflict with their assistive tech—making the site harder to use."Bet Hannon runs AccessiCart, an agency that fixes accessibility problems for e-commerce stores—usually right after they've been sued. We talked about why "quick fix" overlay plugins are making the problem worse, the four accessibility issues you can fix right now, and what the European Accessibility Act's €100K fines mean for US-based stores.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moreg...
2025-10-2144 min
The My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast With Steve Chou611: The Shopify Features That Are Exploding Sales For Big Brands With Kurt ElsterIn this episode, I sit down with Kurt Elster, host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, to talk about how AI is shaking up ecommerce and changing the way Shopify brands grow. We discuss the new AI tools that are actually moving the needle, boosting conversions, streamlining operations, and increasing average order value. What You’ll Learn The top Shopify features boosting big brands. How to leverage AI for sales growth. How to optimize your store for conversions. Sponsors SellersSummit.com – The Sellers Summit is the ecommerce conference that I’ve run for the past 8 years. It’s small and intimate...
2025-10-1649 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSmart Marketer Live 2025I spent three days at Smart Marketer Live in Denver, capturing raw conversations with agency owners, brand founders, and Meta reps about what's actually working in 2025.This isn't your typical conference recap. We're talking about Meta's Andromeda update that killed everyone's ad performance over the summer, why TikTok Shop might be a trap, and how a chicken supplement business owner plans to poach employees like she's manifesting herbs.Featuring Beav Brodie (Tactical Baby Gear), Brett Curry (OMG Commerce), Attila from Smart Marketer, and Celia Hatch (Buff Clucks).SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists...
2025-10-1457 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastJomboy's 3-in-1 Store + ChatGPT Shopping ArrivesSo there's this baseball media company. They make shirts about guys with nicknames like "The Big Dumper." And they needed three different store experiences, but only wanted to use one store. What our co-host Paul Reda figured out next is either brilliant or insane. Maybe both.Today on the show, we're asking: when does a hack become a feature? When does one store become three? And why would anyone voluntarily remove every frontend app from their Shopify store? Plus, ChatGPT can now sell your products directly. No, really. We'll explain how that works and why Kurt thinks...
2025-10-0740 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSEO Is Dead. Long Live GEO. w/ Domaine's Mac King"ChatGPT is not that sophisticated yet. So for marketers, what that means is there are real ways right now for arbitrage in this short period of time before ChatGPT gets good enough to say, no, we're only showing the proper result."Mac King from Domaine breaks down why merchants are seeing ChatGPT and Perplexity show up as referral sources in their analytics—and what to do about it. We talked about the terminology wars (GEO vs AEO vs AI search optimization), why AI engines favor content from Google's 10th page, and the Reddit strategies that actually work wi...
2025-09-3051 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastJamil Bhuya: Why Store Owners Can't See Conversion KillersJamil Bhuya has scaled businesses across three wildly different industries: restaurants, beauty, and now Shopify agencies. That multi-industry perspective gives him a unique superpower—he can spot the conversion killers that store owners become blind to. We talked about why fresh eyes matter more than fancy tools, the psychology behind purchase objections, and how being too close to your business destroys your ability to see what customers actually need.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & moregetswym.com/kurtCleverific - Smart order editing for Shopifycleverific.com...
2025-09-2349 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastBots, Fraud, & Other Online Store BSWe're seeing 10x more bots than humans on client stores. Fraudsters are buying your cheapest items to test stolen credit cards. Your SEO agency wants 150 new collections.This week, we dig into the actual problems hitting Shopify stores right now. Not theory, not best practices, but the real BS we're fixing for clients. We break down why your analytics are lying, how to stop credit card testers, and whether more granular SEO collections are brilliant or idiotic.Plus: The free Shopify app that caught a critical launch mistake, proof that ChatGPT drives revenue, and beta...
2025-09-1643 minThe Smart Marketer PodcastEpisode 234: How to Build High-Converting Product Pages (with Kurt Elster)Episode 234: How to Build High-Converting Product Pages (with Kurt Elster) Episode Description Are your product detail pages costing you conversions? In this episode, Shopify expert Kurt Elster breaks down exactly what makes a high-converting PDP in today's eCommerce landscape. Straight from a Mentor Table session, Kurt shares real examples from Amazon, Walmart, Tactical Baby Gear, and more—along with the essential elements every product page must have to convert browsers into buyers. "The product detail page... it's where the purchase decision happens." – Kurt Elster This is one of those episodes you'll want to take...
2025-08-2723 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe £500K Exit That Saved Jayden Clark's SanityAlso on YouTube: YouTube: youtu.be/p1PO9o9Se5o"I'm not very good at success. That's something I learned as part of this. I actually think probably most of us aren't very good at success."Jayden Clark thought he'd cracked the code on dropshipping success. Then his seven-figure business nearly broke him. We talked about why he sold for £500K instead of holding out for millions, the SEO and paid ad strategies that drove his rapid growth, and how a 90-minute massage changed everything.SPONSORSSwym - Wishlists, Back i...
2025-08-1256 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHow Shine Supply Hit $7M/yr Without Paid AdsAlso Available on YouTube: youtu.be/_nqN9HyOpxMWhat happens when a 23-year-old refuses to play the ecommerce advertising game? Colby Stevens built Shine Supply into a $7M detailing brand using nothing but Instagram ASMR videos, authentic storytelling, and a "people over profit" philosophy.No paid ads until last month. No Amazon. No selling out to scale.Instead: 80,000 Instagram followers, hundreds of photo reviews, and a community that buys because they believe in the brand, not just the product.Colby breaks down the exact strategies that grew their family's Shopify store...
2025-07-2936 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSEO in 2025: What Still Works for ShopifyStill trying to crack the SEO code in 2025? Jeff Oxford has worked on 300+ eCommerce sites, and he’s here to share what actually works for Shopify merchants now. From why your $300 product may be killing your rankings to how AI tools can scale your SEO ops, Jeff cuts through the noise. This episode delivers a tactical, no-fluff breakdown of SEO strategy in a search landscape increasingly shaped by AI, user behavior, and smarter content.Sponsors:Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels: zipify.com/KURTCleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify: cleverific.com/unofficialAddress Validator – Reduce delivery address errors: addressv...
2025-05-2050 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastMeta’s AI Ads Engine Explained (Andromeda + ASC)Also available on YouTube: youtu.be/m9YTxRsosJAMeta just rewrote the Facebook ads playbook—and Shopify merchants need to catch up.In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, ad strategist Kurt Bullock (Produce Dept) breaks down how Meta’s new AI-driven ad system, Andromeda, is reshaping targeting, delivery, and scale. From embeddings and vectors to Advantage+ campaigns and creative testing, this is the update your ad strategy needs.Whether you’re running Facebook ads yourself or just trying to understand what your agency’s talking about, this episode gives you the clarity—...
2025-05-1345 min
Firing The ManTurning Passion into Profit: The E-commerce Journey of Kurt ElsterIn this episode of Firing the Man, we sit down with Kurt Elster, founder of EtherCycle and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Kurt shares his journey from flipping Beanie Babies and Furbies on eBay to becoming one of the most trusted Shopify experts. He discusses key strategies for building and scaling a successful Shopify store, including the importance of branding, storytelling, and optimizing your website for conversions. Kurt also highlights the biggest mistakes store owners make—like neglecting their checkout page and cluttering their navigation menu—and offers practical solutions to fix them. Whether you...
2025-03-2541 min
Ecomm BreakthroughThe Ultimate Guide to Building a Profitable Shopify Store for Amazon Sellers with Kurt ElsterKurt Elster, he is currently helping Shopify Plus merchants like HOONIGAN make more money at his Shopify Partner agency, Ethercycle. He is hosting a podcast with over two million downloads: The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. He is developing public Shopify apps. And he is investing, advising, or both with: Govalo, PostPilot, and other select clients and P.E. firms. Highlight Bullets> Here’s a glimpse of what you would learn…. Transitioning from Amazon to Shopify for e-commerce sales.Differences in customer acquisition strategies between Amazon and Shopify.Importance of buildi...
2025-03-181h 07
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastAvoiding CRO myths“Look, if you redesign your grocery store and I can’t find the chicken or checkout clerk I like, I’m shopping somewhere else.”How do you turn clicks into customers without falling for CRO myths? Oliver Kenyon, CEO of ConversionWise, exposes the lazy habits holding Shopify stores back and shares proven strategies to boost sales. It’s all about clarity, problem-solving, and delivering customer value—no gimmicks, just real results. This episode is packed with actionable insights to transform your Shopify store into a revenue machine.LinksOliver KenyonOliver's ConversionWi...
2025-01-0745 min
Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank: Get Daily Insights from the Top Internet Marketers & Entrepreneurs Around the World1214: Ethercycle: Shopify Strategies to Own and Achieve Success in Your Sales Channels with Founder Kurt ElsterGrowing an e-commerce business while managing distribution channels can feel like an uphill battle. You want to scale but run into roadblocks like limited reach, high fees, or lack of control over how your products are presented. Balancing growth with maintaining ownership of your brand and customer relationships isn’t easy. Finding the right mix of platforms and strategies often becomes the key to moving forward without compromising what makes your business unique.
Kurt Elster is a Shopify expert and the founder of Ethercycle, a boutique Shopify consultancy. He has been a Shopify partner since 2011 and is known for helping e...
2025-01-0436 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastShopify’s New Customer AccountsTired of logging into five different portals just to make a return? Shopify says enough. Patrick Millegan joins Kurt Elster to talk about the new customer account extensions, designed to simplify logins, reduce support headaches, and make online shopping enjoyable again. It’s a step forward for UX that proves e-commerce should be easy for everyone.LinksGet all the info on what's new: Shopify Editions Winter ’25More people & links:Patrick Millegan (Senior Product Lead, Shopify)Kurt Elster (Host, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast)Keap AthleticsCleverificShopify FlowSufioUproShop PayHydrogenSponsorsZipifyCleverificOmnisendHelp...
2024-12-1143 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastThe Black Friday Email Guide for Real-World Brands“Honestly, I think my best customers don’t even look at the discounts. They get the email, see the new pants, and just say, ‘I want them.’”Black Friday: the annual marketing frenzy brands prep for all year. Kurt Elster sits down with Colby Kane of Aviator USA, who has a refreshingly different approach. No cringe sales gimmicks, just a smart, no-nonsense plan. Colby shares his early-access tactics, simple email flows, and why staying low-key can outperform loud, constant discounting. They dig into why subtle beats loud, how to run discounts without gutting brand value, and how a straight...
2024-11-1246 min
Liquid Weekly Podcast: Shopify Developers Talking Shopify DevelopmentEpisode 027 - Guest Kurt Elster on Better Collaboration Building for MerchantsIn this conversation, Karl Meisterheim, Taylor Page, and Kurt Elster discuss the challenges and strategies of collaboration in the Shopify development space, particularly focusing on working with clients and other developers.
Kurt shares his entrepreneurial journey, the origins of EtherCycle, and the importance of effective communication and documentation in development teams. The discussion also touches on the significance of partnerships, risk-taking in entrepreneurship, and the necessity of adhering to best practices in Shopify development.
Kurt also discusses the importance of streamlined communication in client relationships, the challenges of managing multiple points of contact, and the difficult but sometimes necessary...
2024-10-241h 08
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastTikTok Shop Made This Stationary Store Go Viral“Most brands just send out samples and then it’s done. We go the extra mile that 99% of brands do not do.”Building a multi-million dollar business typically involves more than wedding invitations and viral TikToks. Yet for Josh Hadley, it began precisely there. In this episode, he recounts the evolution of his e-commerce brand, Hadley Designs, from a niche stationery shop to an 8-figure operation navigating the complex terrain of Amazon and Shopify. The conversation with Kurt Elster explores how TikTok Shop became a surprising growth catalyst, offering a modern twist on the age-old challenge of acquir...
2024-10-2244 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSHOP CAMPAIGNS: Deep DiveAlso available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/djnSFyBsB7MWe explore Shopify’s latest updates to simplify customer acquisition through its Shop Campaigns tool.Host Kurt Elster talks with Shopify's Andrius Baranauskas, Product Director for Shop Campaigns, Shopify's not-so-secret weapon for getting new customers on autopilot.Later, Nathan Onesian, Director of Ecommerce from melin, and Nick Daniels, Senior Ecommerce Manager, from OluKai spill how Shop Campaigns turned into their secret weapon for scaling fast.Key Takeaways:What is Shop Campaigns and how it simplifies customer acquisitionThe power of Shop Cash to...
2024-10-0850 min
The Opportunity PodcastShopify Simplified: How to Launch, Sell, and Scale With Kurt ElsterChoosing the right eCommerce platform can be a game-changer for your business. With so many options available, it's important to find the platform that sets you up for success. In this episode, we chat with Kurt Elster, an expert who believes Shopify is the go-to platform for any eCommerce entrepreneur. Kurt has been running a Shopify services agency for over a decade, helping store owners with theme development, migrations, and support. He's also the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and has interviewed more than 500 eCommerce entrepreneurs. Kurt shares why Shopify is not just a...
2024-09-171h 01
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastBoost Conversions with Build Grow Scale’s CRO Tips“Most Shopify themes are built by developers to create an online store catalog, not a converting funnel.”In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Kurt Elster talks with Matthew Stafford, the CEO of BuildGrowScale, about finding success in e-commerce. Stafford, who went from selling t-shirts to mastering conversion rate optimization (CRO), shares his journey and offers practical advice for Shopify store owners. He discusses how to boost conversion rates, improve site speed, and create better user experiences. Whether you’re an experienced store owner or just starting out, Stafford’s insights will help you navigate the challeng...
2024-09-0349 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastBuying Over Building a Business"It's just a hell of a lot easier to optimize a business than to start something from scratch."Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tbVh1J1sOEQDrew Sanocki has a knack for transforming struggling businesses into profitable ventures. In this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, host Kurt Elster taps into Drew's extensive experience to uncover the strategies that have driven his success. With over two decades in e-commerce, Drew shares why he often opts to buy businesses rather than starting from scratch. He reveals how this approach allows him to leverage existing asse...
2024-05-2846 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcasteCommerceFuel Live 2024In this episode, we're heading to the vibrant and bustling eCommerceFuel Live 2024 in New Orleans. Join me, Kurt Elster, for raw, unscripted conversations with some of the biggest names in eCommerce. Get ready to hear from Brett Curry of OMGcommerce, Elaine Eason at QuietLight, Eulalie Cook from Tadpull, Jimmy Kim of Sendlane, and the incredibly talented copywriter Lianna Patch. We'll also dive into insights with Taylor Holiday from Common Thread Collective, among other notable guests. This episode is all about getting to the heart of eCommerce - the unfiltered, real-world experiences and strategies from those who breathe life into...
2024-03-191h 04
The Social ComplexEp 50 - E-Commerce, Social Media and How Companies Are Using Shopper Data with Kurt ElsterWhen's the last time that you bought something online? Was it something that you needed? Or something that you saw and you liked? Our ability to shop online has transformed drastically over the last two decades. Even the ads that we are targeted with today are vastly different than they were five years ago. And as a consumer, the way in which we shop and the access that we have at our fingertips has never been more abundant than it is today. But how has this transformation in this space happened so rapidly? And where is it going next...
2024-03-0544 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastShopify Editions Winter '24Join Kurt Elster and a panel of Shopify experts as they delve into the Shopify Editions Winter '24 announcements. Our panelists, including Kim Samuelsen, Jay Larson, and John Festa, break down the latest Shopify features and updates, offering a deep dive into the new 2000 variant limit, combined product listings, B2B enhancements, and the transformative power of AI in e-commerce.These updates are the tools you need to keep your brand ahead of the curve. This episode's a deep dive into all that and more, with insights from folks who really know their stuff. Worth a listen...
2024-02-0644 min
Honest EcommerceUsing Migration For Improvement and Modifications | Kurt Elster | Ethercycle | Bonus EpisodeOne of the most highly regarded independent consultants in his industry, Kurt Elster is a Senior Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify merchants like Jay Leno’s Garage uncover hidden profits in their websites through his ecommerce agency Ethercycle. With two million downloads, Kurt is best known for hosting The Unofficial Shopify Podcast.In This Conversation We Discuss: [00:55] Intro[01:55] Compare platform to Shopify before migrating[02:51] Figure out why you want to migrate[03:45] New things acquired after migrating to Shopify[04:44] Migrating helps you reconsider and review things[05:26] Maximize migration & explore change opportunities[06:40] Prioritize customer service over mino...
2023-12-2841 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastProduct Pre-Launch PlanningIn this episode, Kurt Elster sits down with Vance, a crowdfunding expert, to explore the strategies behind successful Kickstarter campaigns. From understanding your target audience to refining your product presentation, Vance's advice is a goldmine for aspiring entrepreneurs. Whether you're new to crowdfunding or already running a Shopify store, this conversation will inspire you to take your ideas to the next level. Join the crowdfunding adventure now and learn the secrets to launching with confidence!Show LinksLaunch Accelerated Blueprint (Course by Vance)KickstarterIndiegogoCrowdfunderContent-Based Networking (Book by James Carbary)SponsorsFree 30-day trial of...
2023-10-1754 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastProfit, Contribution Margin, & GrowthWhat's behind the profit margin? Kurt Elster and Thomas Gleeson take a reflective look at e-commerce, dissecting common mistakes and revealing the path to understanding real profits. It's a conversation about numbers, but also about strategy, innovation, and the road to success. A must-listen for those seeking clarity on calculating profits.Show LinksStore Hero - Unofficial Shopify Podcast listeners get a 20% discount and monthly calls for 3 months with the founders.SponsorsFree 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - To get an unadvertised gift, email help@zipify.com and ask for the "Tech Nasty...
2023-08-2943 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastMastering ManyChat MarketingToday on the show, a deep dive into the ever-evolving world of chatbots. Kurt Elster sits down with Liziana Carter, navigating through the winding lanes of ManyChat's storied past, from its 24-hour glory days to its more restrained present. But beyond the tech, there's a bigger question: In a world racing towards automation, where does the human touch fit? And how do you strike the balance between the convenience of a bot and the nuance of a human? Plus, some sound advice for anyone wading into these digital waters. This is a story of technology, of change, and, most...
2023-08-2244 min
Beyond The WealthEp. 14 Kurt Elster | Podcasting: The Ultimate Tool for Outreach and Networking in the Digital AgeUnlock the Power of Podcasting and Shopify: Insights from Kurt Elster | Virtual Ventures Podcast
Join us in this captivating episode of The Virtual Ventures Podcast as we sit down with Kurt Elster, the esteemed founder of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and a leading expert in the realm of Shopify.
In this enlightening podcast episode, we delve into the myriad benefits of podcasting and its potential to build your brand and network in the digital age. Discover the strategies and techniques that can elevate your podcasting journey and learn how...
2023-07-1133 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHappy Bulge: Swimming Through The Waves of SuccessOn this episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, Kurt Elster speaks to Jeremy Bradley, the founder of Happy Bulge Swim Co. Jeremy started his company in April 2019 and by August 2020 was pivoting to e-commerce due to global shutdowns cancelling events. With tongue-in-cheek puns and wordplay, Jeremy recounts his journey from radio host in Hollywood, to bestselling author, and now successful clothing business owner. He shares strategies for success such as appreciation for customers and content creation with focus on seasonality and being reactive. Other topics discussed include customer conversions, creativity and experimentation, understanding one's audience, and more. Tune into...
2023-05-0953 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSustainable Shopping through Advocate ApparelJoin host Kurt Elster and his guest, Dr. Patrick Rynne, for an episode of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Dr. Rynne is the founder of Waterlust—a brand that creates “advocate apparel” like UV-protective leggings and rash guards. Plus, their collaboration with SpongeBob SquarePants celebrates Paramount's sustainability efforts while honoring Stephen Hillenberg’s legacy as a marine science educator. Hear what Dr. Rynne has to say about sustainable fashion, incremental improvement approaches, product traceability and carbon neutrality. Find out why transparency and customer education are so important to Waterlust—and how they use Shopify to empower their mission. Tune into this inspi...
2023-05-0251 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastRide Your RideListen in as Kurt Elster catches up with Brian De Groodt about his inspiring journey creating an innovative line of personalized custom cycling components for cyclists all around the world. Hear the story of how Dispatch was born after an investment in a bicycle frame manufacturer (Siren Bicycles) and get tips on key strategies that this solo founder uses.Show Linksdispatch.bike use code TECHNASTY15SponsorsFree 30-day trial of Zipify OCU - To get an unadvertised gift, email help@zipify.com and ask for the "Tech Nasty Bonus".Venntov, makers of SEO...
2023-04-2558 minThe Smart Marketer PodcastIs It The Market Or Is It Your Marketing? With Kurt Elster and Molly PittmanWhat's the Common Thread Among Successful Brands In 2023? You'll find out in this episode with the Entrepreneur behind The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. Kurt Elster talks with Molly Pittman about the unorthodox marketing strategies that set winners apart from the rest. You'll hear his thoughts on the industry, the most critical skills (and practices) for successful marketers today, the keys to storytelling, and more. "If everybody could do storytelling easily, then anyone could write a script for a TV show, movie, book, whatever. It's tough, and it gets tougher when it's not fiction". Kurt Elster YOUR ENG...
2023-02-0633 min
Ecommerce Marketing SchoolHow to Keep Sales Coming in the New Year with Kurt Elster #574Shopify Expert Kurt Elster joins me today to tell us how to keep that holiday momentum going in January and February. Think it's time to take a break and let your business breathe? Kurt says that's the worst thing to do, and offers some alternatives. Follow Us on InstagramFollow Tony on TwitterFollow Kurt on TwitterSign up for Kurt's NewsletterCheck out The Unofficial Shopify PodcastTry Privy for FREE Today
2023-01-2020 minThe My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast With Steve Chou428: Counterintuitive Strategies (Which Make No Sense) That Can Grow Your Sales With Kurt ElsterToday I have my long-time friend Kurt Elster on the show. Kurt is the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast and a Shopify store consultant. As part of his job, he often runs split tests for his clients. And over the years, he’s amassed many counterintuitive strategies that can grow your sales. Some of these make no sense but they work. Enjoy the episode! What You’ll Learn How to improve and grow your Shopify Store sales Counterintuitive learnings from running many split tests How to launch your own split tests for your store Other Resources And Books Ethe...
2022-10-2451 min
The Unofficial TikTok Shop Podcast with Jordan WestEp 300: The Future of Brand Building with Kurt Elster of The Unofficial Shopify PodcastSend us a textCommunities start growing when your customers recognize themselves and their motivations in your brand values. Customers feeling that connection will give you the most powerful marketing channel of all - word of mouth.In this episode, Kurt Elster talks about what it is going to take in 2022 and beyond to build a brand. He also shares tons of ideas on community and what he predicts the future holds for brands.Join us and enjoy this episode!KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE...
2022-02-1631 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHow Mrs. Elster gets 500+ visits/day from GoogleIn this bonus episode, Julie Elster (AKA Mrs. Unofficial Shopify Podcast) describes the free content strategy and "feedback loop" she's implemented on her Shopify store to generate 550 qualified organic visits daily to her store, all without using paid traffic or tools.Show LinksDouble Your WDWHoliday Email GuideNever miss an episodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletterHelp the showAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupLeave a reviewSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsWhat's Kurt up to?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe...
2021-10-2822 min
Inbound Success PodcastHow Kurt Elster built a successful community and podcast using authenticityThis week on The Inbound Success Podcast, Ethercycle founder Kurt Elster talks about building communities, growing a podcast, and why authenticity is the key to successful marketing. Kurt is the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, widely considered to be “the” podcast for anyone using Shopify as their ecommerce platform. He is also the creator of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast Insiders Facebook group, which is now more than 4,000 members strong, and the founder of well known ecommerce agency Ethercycle. Within the ecommerce world, Kurt has a massive, highly loyal following that relies on him for hone...
2021-09-1338 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWhat matters for the future of ecommerceKurt Elster, Emmett Shine, and Lisel Welden work with DTC brands on the daily, respectively, so you’d think they’ve heard and seen it all. From Domino's self-driving cars to Walmart’s plan to be fully self-checkout by the end of 2021, to virtual fitting rooms debuting at a time when a lot of Americans really just want to get back into the mall (you get the picture)-- we want to know their takes on what's upcoming in ecommerce.On the panel:Emmett Shine, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Pattern (FKA Gin Lane)Lisel Welden...
2021-08-1736 minThe My Wife Quit Her Job Podcast With Steve Chou360: Idiotic Mistakes We’ve All Made As Ecommerce Entrepreneurs With Kurt ElsterToday I have my friend Kurt Elster back on the show. Kurt runs the Unofficial Shopify Podcast which is one of the few e-commerce podcasts that I listen to. In this episode, both Kurt and I discuss the 6 most common mistakes that we’ve all made as ecommerce entrepreneurs. We talk about the stuff that almost everyone gets wrong when first starting out including myself! What You’ll Learn Steve’s list of boneheaded mistakes Kurt’s running list of blunders How to avoid making these same mistakes with your store Other Resources And Books Unofficial Shopify Podcast Sponsors Postscri...
2021-06-2254 min
The Ecommerce Influence Podcast300: 6 Ecommerce Myths Holding Your Business Back from Massive Success with Kurt Elster Misinformation is spewed left and right about nearly everything in eCommerce and it's driving Kurt Elster and I insane. We are excited to bring you episode 300 of the Ecommerce Influence podcast and our special guest today is Kurt Elster. Kurt is a CRO expert, host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast, and runs an eCommerce website design and development agency called Ethercycle. If you've been a long-time listener of the podcast, you know that Kurt is a trusted recurring guest and in this episode, we're hoping to put a nail in the coffin of six costly...
2021-04-2038 min
Perfectly Mentored with Jason PortnoyEP90: Kurt Elster: Shopify MasteryKurt Elster is one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in his industry. He's a senior ecommerce consultant who helps Shopify merchants like Jay Leno's Garage, uncover hidden profits in their websites through his ecommerce agency Ethercycle, with 1 million downloads. Kurt is also best known for hosting the unofficial Shopify podcast.On today’s episode, Kurt talks about how to turn a Shopify store into a revenue-generating powerhouse of persuasion.Topics Covered: Who is Kurt Elster? [00:20] Why Shopify? [12:22] What is the checklist that you go through with conversion rate optimization? [15:05] Wh...
2020-11-0252 minPerfectly Mentored with Jason PortnoyEP90: Kurt Elster: Shopify MasteryKurt Elster is one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in his industry. He's a senior ecommerce consultant who helps Shopify merchants like Jay Leno's Garage, uncover hidden profits in their websites through his ecommerce agency Ethercycle, with 1 million downloads. Kurt is also best known for hosting the unofficial Shopify podcast.On today’s episode, Kurt talks about how to turn a Shopify store into a revenue-generating powerhouse of persuasion.Topics Covered: Who is Kurt Elster? [00:20] Why Shopify? [12:22] What is the checklist that you go through with conversion rate optimization? [15:05] Wh...
2020-11-0252 min
Happy Progress Growth Podcast14. Kurt Elster - Accelerated Growth to Become a Shopify Expert and Marketing the Unofficial Shopify PodcastActionable Advice from Shopify Plus Expert, Kurt Elster from the unofficial Shopify Podcast. We discuss: As an entrepreneur, you get to define what success means to you Becoming a subject matter expert in a niche Making his online brand really stand out in a crowded space Making more money and improving conversion on your Shopify store More at happyprogress.com/kurt Kurt Elster is an Expert Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify store owners uncover hidden profits on their websites. He's an Agency Owner of Ethercycle & a Podcast Host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast. One of...
2020-10-3140 min
Vurbl VoicesPodcasting For Lead Generation & Growing To Over 1 Million Downloads | An Interview with Kurt ElsterWelcome to Vurbl Voices.
This experimental podcast is a way for us to connect with audio creators of all stripes. From traditional interview podcast hosts, short and long form storytellers, business leaders using audio to engage their customers, poets, speakers, battle rappers, standup comics, audiobook authors, teachers and more!
On this episode, we have Kurt Elster, host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast and founder of Ethercycle, an ecommerce consultancy that helps Shopify store owners scale their business. We dive deep into how he’s grown his podcast to over 1 Million Downloads, how to build production pr...
2020-07-0336 minEcommerce Marketing SchoolWhat Shopify Merchants Need To Build A Thriving Online Business In 2020 (with Kurt Elster) [Masterclass 4]Kurt has been helping brands grow their Shopify stores with close to 300 episodes of his podcast. So why better to shed light on what store owners need to do to build a thriving business (even during a pandemic)? Kurt shares:What to do if people aren’t buying your product right now.How to get your content strategy off the ground and build an audience.Why you need to get people to a collection or a product page ASAP.The offers he’s seen work best in the last 6 weeks.Show Notes & Links:[3:08] What to do if p...
2020-04-2950 minEcommerce Marketing SchoolWhat Shopify Store Owners Get Wrong With Marketing (with Kurt Elster)This show is all about helping you learn from the best people in ecommerce, and that’s why we called up Kurt Elster for our first episode. Kurt was one of the first Shopify experts out there through his consulting business (Ethercycle) where he helps Shopify store owners discover hidden profits in their websites, and he’s also been sharing his work in public for the last five years on his Unofficial Shopify Podcast, which has been downloaded over a million times (and if you really dig into his numbers you’d find that a third of those downloads came f...
2020-01-2442 min
Just The Tips, with James P. Friel and Dean HollandHow to Launch a Business with THE Shopify Guy, Kurt ElsterAre you trying to launch a business or sell a product, and need some tips to help you launch successfully? Are you wondering if you should engage in email marketing? What about offering subscriptions? Kurt Elster joins us to cover how to launch a business successfully and how to engage with and grow your customer base. Don't miss this great episode of Just the Tips! Kurt is known in the industry as "The Shopify Guy". Before he became the preeminent Shopify expert he spent years building websites. In 2011 he started working with Shopify and found success—and a...
2019-12-1935 min
Smarter Destiny Podcast: Quick Proven Growth Tactics From Founders You Can Use ASAP - Subscribe Now!#28 - Kurt Elster - The secrets to Shopify (and succesful podcasting)You may know Kurt Elster from The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, one of the most popular podcasts on the planet, with over one million downloads. What you may not know is that Kurt is a consultant for ecommerce businesses with some great clients, and today he shares all his secrets for starting and promoting your own podcast, ecommerce and Shopify.
Show notes Kurt Elster
00:30 - Introduction Kurt Elster
04:10 - When was the starting point on your path as an entrepreneur?
08:10 - Your idea was to build your own ecommerce platform?
09:45 - How did that...
2019-11-031h 14
The Pitstop PodcastEp. 35 - Improving Automotive eCommerce Conversion Rate Optimization with Kurt ElsterWe sit down with Kurt Elster, one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in his industry. Kurt Elster is a Senior eCommerce Consultant who helps Shopify merchants like Jay Leno’s Garage uncover hidden profits in their websites through his eCommerce agency Ethercycle. With over one million downloads, Kurt is best known for hosting The Unofficial Shopify Podcast.
In this episode, we go into detail on how to improve your eCommerce auto parts store's conversation rate to generate more part and accessory sales. Kurt also provides some color on why Shopify could be a good auto pa...
2019-06-0349 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHow Julie Elster Generates 10,000 Organic VisitorsLast fall, my wife started a Shopify store and told us the struggle is real in a podcast episode. It became one of our all-time top ten episodes. On May 14th, she returns to the show to update us
Just six months after launching her first Shopify store, we check in with Julie Elster about her experience. She'll tell us what's worked, what hasn't, and the content marketing strategy that's generating 10,000 monthly views without any paid traffic.
We'll find out:
what’s working & what’s not,
a Pinterest strategy that works
how to lose mone...
2019-05-0759 min
Honest EcommerceMake More Money on Shopify | Kurt Elster | ShopifyKurt Elster does one thing (and he does it very well): help Shopify merchants make more money.After working with hundreds of Shopify merchants, Kurt can look at almost any store and identify what it’s missing and how it can make more money. Today, he shares some of what he teaches so that any eCommerce entrepreneur can make the most out of Shopify.To learn more, visit: http://honestecommerce.coResources:Learn more at kurtelster.comListen: The Unofficial Shopify PodcastWork with Kurt: ethercycle.comVisit simplr.ai/honest to get your free 7-d...
2019-01-0738 min
Business of eCommerceEpisode 27: How to Increase Ecommerce Sales: Actionable Tactics from Kurt ElsterInterview with
Kurt Elster
Shopify Expert
Links from the show
KurtElster.com
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast
Ethercycle
Kurt Elster Twitter
Kurt Elster Linkedin
Sponsored by
Spark Shipping – Dropshipping Automation
2018-06-0400 min
Commerce Growth LabKurt Elster, Founder & Partner, Ethercycle | S1 13Today we’re chatting Kurt Elster, the Founder & Partner of Ethercycle, a top-rated Shopify & Shopify Plus agency based in Chicago.
Kurt is also the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, interviews to 10x your Shopify business.
Kurt joins us to share his story, how he got into commerce, what it’s been like building Ethercycle and his own brand, how he sees the commerce industry evolving, and a ton a more.
So let’s get started!
2018-05-2933 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastMarriage for Entrepreneurs with Julie Elster (Valentine's Day Bonus)Ever wonder what it's like to be married to an entrepreneur? Or how a self-employed couple make it work and what the potential pitfalls may be?
My wife and I both are business owners who work together, and we make it work, but not without a few key considerations.
In this bonus episode, my wife and I discuss our unconventional relationship from our bedroom.
You'll learn
The one trick to know when to make your side hustle your full-time job
How self-employed couples make it work
When businesses let accounts receivable ruin...
2018-02-1421 min
Ditching HourlyMonetizing Technical Expertise By Selling Sponsorships with guest Kurt ElsterShopify guru and former Wordpress developer Kurt Elster explains how he monetized his technical expertise by selling sponsorships for his podcast.
Links
Kurt's press page
Kurt's Twitter
Kurt's sponsorship page
----Do you have questions about how to improve your business? Things like:Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?Book a one-on-one coaching...
2017-11-1510 min
Freelance TransformationSpecialize, Simplify, Profit | Kurt ElsterKurt Elster appeared on the show two years ago when it was just getting started. In Episode 8, Kurt shared how he was building a business as an e-commerce developer on Shopify. Now, two years later, Kurt is known as the "Shopify guy". He's tapped into a niche and content marketing in such a way that his business has vaulted to the next level, and Kurt has since worked with big-name clients like Penn & Teller and Jay Leno. As is so often true, success and profit come from simplifying down and doing a few things really well, rather...
2017-09-1155 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHow to Get Better Traffic, Free with Semantic DataEveryone wants better ranking but that’s not really what they want.
Stores want more traffic.
They want that because it leads to sales.
Sales is what really matters.
All of SEO is just a marketing channel to get more visitors who turn into customers.
The main FIX for SEO is better rankings
What if there was a way to get more sales with the existing rankings you already have?
How?
By convincing more searchers to click on your search listings.
Mo...
2017-07-1145 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastPad & Quill: How an Award-winning Business Started With $1,200If you own a tablet or iPad, you’ve probably shopped for a case for it. And if you bought a case for it, did you ever run across beautiful leather cases that looked like books?
If so, you and I have the same taste. Pad & Quill makes those luxurious cases.
Our guest today is Brian Holmes, President, and owner of Pad & Quill. He started the business in 2010 with his wife, Kari.
It was a desire to create exceptionally crafted luxury accessories (rather than profits) that motivated Holmes when he chose to start th...
2017-06-1337 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastHow to Take Your Email Marketing to the Next LevelIn April during our Unite coverage, I had dinner with Carson McComas, the owner of Shopify Plus agency Fuel Made, and we got to talking about our mutual love of marketing automation, and specifically Klaviyo.
Now, if you’re not using Klaviyo, that’s okay. Don’t tune out, hear me out.
Carson mentioned to me that they were having great success with Klaviyo to the point where they were pushing the limits of ecommerce email marketing automation.
I immediately knew I had to have the rest of the conversation on this show.
...
2017-05-3045 min
eCommerce EvolutionEpisode 6 - Mastering Conversion Rate Optimization with Kurt Elster of EthercycleToday's guest is Kurt Elster. Kurt is a conversion rate optimization expert, and the Senior Ecommerce Consultant with CRO Company Ethercycle. He is also an accomplished speaker, the host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, and co-author of Ecommerce Bootcamp. Kurt has worked with brands such as Verizon, NFL, Hilton, Everest Bands, and Shopify. In today's episode, we talk about Conversion Rate Optimization. We get into where to begin with CRO, design mistakes, things to think about for mobile, and we even look at a couple of the clients Kurt has worked with and the difference Conversion Rate Optim...
2017-02-2740 min
Ditching HourlyEscape Hourly Billing with Productized Services with guest Kurt ElsterShopify guru Kurt Elster explains how he used productized service to escape the hourly billing trap.
Hello! and Welcome to Ditching Hourly. I'm Jonathan Stark.
Today, I'm joined by guest Kurt Elster.
Kurt is a Senior Ecommerce Consultant who helps Shopify store owners uncover hidden profits in their websites.
Kurt is the founder of ecommerce agency Ethercycle, host of the popular Ecommerce Hacks Weekly video series, author of Ecommerce Bootcamp, and host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast.
In this episode, Kurt explains how he uses productized service to escape...
2017-01-1919 min
UI Breakfast: UI/UX Design and Product StrategyEpisode 43: User Experience in Ecommerce with Kurt ElsterWe're back after a short break! Today we're exploring user experience in online stores. Our special guest is Kurt Elster, the guru of ecommerce and the founder of Ethercycle. We break down the entire purchasing flow and explore design specifics of each step: product list, item description, shopping cart, and checkout. You'll learn how to showcase your products, reduce friction, and motivate your customers.
Download the MP3 audio file: right-click here and choose Save As.
Podcast feed: subscribe to http://simplecast.fm/podcasts/1441/rss in your favorite podcast app, and follow us on iTunes or...
2016-12-1548 min
Episodes Archives - Art Of ValueRevenue Generation for Ecommerce with Kurt Elster – 106Kurt Elster is an e-commerce consultant who specializes in the Shopify platform. He is a founder and partner at EtherCycle, and host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast. He earned his MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology. Kurt is a newlywed, and the theme for his wedding was “Day of the Dead,” the Mexican version of Halloween. […]
The post Revenue Generation for Ecommerce with Kurt Elster – 106 appeared first on Art Of Value.
2016-12-0547 min
Art of Value Show - Discover Value | Create Options | Start PricingRevenue Generation for Ecommerce with Kurt Elster – 106Kurt Elster is an e-commerce consultant who specializes in the Shopify platform. He is a founder and partner at EtherCycle, and host of the Unofficial Shopify Podcast. He earned his MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology. Kurt is a newlywed, and the theme for his wedding was “Day of the Dead,” the Mexican version of Halloween. […]
The post Revenue Generation for Ecommerce with Kurt Elster – 106 appeared first on Art Of Value.
2016-12-0547 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastProfitable Facebook Ads & Audiences Decoded with Kurt BullockFacebook is giving us more ways than ever to quickly and inexpensively generate custom audiences. As a busy store owner, learning to navigate Facebook's myriad of advertising options effectively can be a time-consuming endeavor.
Kurt Bullock joins us to discuss Facebook's new options, and you can use them to set up a sales funnel that segments and targets customers through their relationship with your brand.
—
Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on iTunes
Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast on Stitcher
Subscribe to The Unofficial Shopify Podcast via RSS...
2016-12-0130 min
The Unofficial Shopify PodcastA/B Testing: Is it a 'sack of money' button?What's a good conversion rate? One that's better than last month.
But how did you get there?
Nick Disabato has built a career on research-focused A/B testing. Over the past year, he's helped Shopify Plus store KeySmart achieve extraordinary success. He joins us today to discuss that journey and how you can improve your store 5% monthly with his approach to split testing.
"Never forget: focusing on your customers brings you more customers. Are you focused on helping your customers, or are you focusing on what your coworkers want?"
—
Su...
2016-10-2532 min
Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank / Robert Plank Show: Archive Feed 1165: All-in-One E-Commerce Solution: Setup a Shopify Store to Create a Money-Making Website Today with Kurt ElsterKurt Elster from EtherCycle and E-Commerce Bootcamp (coupon code ROBERTPLANK) tells us about Shopify, an easy platform to setup an e-commerce store and take payments. He walks us through a case studies of one of his clients, Everest Bands and the steps they took to setup their e-commerce presence: 1. Create Shopify account (14-day trial)2. […]
The post 165: All-in-One E-Commerce Solution: Setup a Shopify Store to Create a Money-Making Website Today with Kurt Elster first appeared on Marketer of the Day with Robert Plank.
2016-10-2432 min
The Active Marketer Podcast with Barry Moore: Marketing Automation | Sales Funnels | AutorespondersTAM 068: Shopify With Kurt ElsterEpisode 68 touches on one of the more traditional cart platforms. Shopify is not only for kickstarter e-commerce sites but can tackle big enterprise brands as well. Listen to Kurt Elster talk about Shopify, who it is right for, and how it can help you and your online business. Find out is Shopify is right […]
The post TAM 068: Shopify With Kurt Elster appeared first on The Active Marketer.
2016-10-1319 min
In The TrenchesITT 081: How to Rapidly Qualify Lucrative Clients with Kurt Elster
Kurt Elster is the founder of Ethercycle. He has an MBA as a Senior E-commerce Consultant who helps Shopify owners uncover hidden profits in their website. Kurt got his start in business as a product manager for a company that drop shipped car parts, however he knew he wanted to be in business for himself. He started his own agency that offered a broad range of services before niching down and driving his income up.
In this broadcast, Kurt Elster and I talk about:
How he made the decision to niche down and only work on Sh...
2016-02-2228 min
The Carthook ShowThe CartHook Show #4: Kurt Elster's 10 Step Success Plan for Online BusinessesToday we are talking with a good friend of the show Kurt Elster of Ether Cycle. He is the go-to-guy for Shopify and he has something to share with us, it is a 10 point success plan for online business. It comes from real life experience, and taken from a blog post he wrote about helping a store grow to $90k in 90 days.
Number 1: Setup a Theme
Don’t go with free, pay a little money for it. A lot of times you can start with a simple Premium Theme, then modify it.
2015-08-2400 min