Use These Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business, Ep #81

Marketing For eCommerce with Bryan Bowman: Online Product Sales Strategies to Suffocate The Competition

In this episode, I share some unconventional strategies to grow your business. I’ve personally used these and can tell you they work. One of the most powerful pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten was from Paul Graham. He talked about startup companies and how they either take off or they don’t. Those that take off need a nudge from the founders. He emphasized the importance of aggressively marketing their products at the beginning. But Graham’s primary point is to do things that don’t scale. Find out about this counterintuitive principle and how it gives you incredible benefits in your eCommerce business.

Find out what I did to jumpstart my first online business

When I wanted to start my business, I needed to find a niche. Because of my interests, I chose to focus on outdoor products - things like camping and hiking gear. But my next step was deciding on product selection. What was the best way to find out what customers wanted? Without knowing the advice from Paul Graham on how to grow a business, I started doing things that didn’t scale. One of the most helpful things I did was spend hours at REI talking to customers. No software program could compare to the valuable insights I gained by doing this. Listen to this episode to learn why these conversations were crucial to growing my business.

Learn how to gain momentum in your business and get ahead of the competition

When you’re doing things that don’t scale, it helps to do customer research. Go to stores that sell the same type of items you’re selling. This simple practice puts you ahead of your competition. While they’re looking for programs or software to find things out about their customers, you’ll be talking to them. Don’t just imagine your buyer persona. Find out your prospects’ likes and dislikes. Make a ridiculous offer. I’m doing that right now. Go to bestQ4ever.com and see what I get so excited about. Listen now to find out how you can create enthusiasm in your business and keep it from becoming stagnate.

Use these strategies to grow your business

There are so many ideas you can implement to start growing your business today. Learn how to connect with your customers on a personal level. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Offer a personalized onboarding experience
• Follow up with customers who abandoned cart
• Collect user-generated content (UGC)

The bestQ4ever offer I talk about in this episode is a great example of a personalized onboarding experience. I personally welcome those who join our premium community for sellers. Although this doesn’t scale, I love to do it because it adds a very personal touch and creates a connection. Find out more strategies you can use to not only connect with your customers but to build your business at the same time.

Don’t just automate - make it personal

In today’s business world, we try to automate and systematize everything. Instead of always trying to think about the big picture, sometimes to have a greater impact, we have to go small. How can you “go small” in your eCommerce business? You do things that don’t scale. This is a simple yet difficult thing because it makes you step out of your comfort zone. Pick up the phone and call that customer who abandoned cart. It may make you feel uncomfortable, but the benefits will pay off. Create enthusiasm by adding the personal touch that’s missing in your business. If you’re hitting a plateau and want to get to the next level, listen to this episode now to hear the details I give to make this happen TODAY.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:26] Why focus on things that DON’T scale your eCommerce business?
• [3:47] Find out what I did to jumpstart my first online business
• [6:58] Use these unorthodox methods to gain amazing insight your competitors overlook
• [9:56] Get ideas on how to boost enthusiasm in your business
• [13:34] Don’t just automate - make it personal

Resources & People Mentioned

• Paul Graham
• “Do Things that Don’t Scale” - by Paul Graham
• Y Combinator
• Stripe
• bestQ4ever.com
• Gary Vaynerchuk

Connect With Bryan Bowman

• Bryan’s website: https://www.ecomunderground.com/
• On Facebook