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The TL;DR:

• Let’s Chat D2C: Navigating the Global Marketplace with Shopify Managed Markets.

• What I’m Thinking about this Week: The Delegation Trap.

• The D2Z Podcast: In this week’s episode, I interviewed David Zielski, the e-commerce director at Chamberlain Coffee.

• App Updates & Highlights: Postscript AI goes live on July 24th.

• Upcoming Events: I’m speaking at DTCx Talks in Miami on 8/1! RSVP here. The day before, there is a Padel event you can RSVP for here.

The smarter way for DTC brands to drive repeat revenue

What if you could drive 20% more repeat purchases, without the headache of building customized flows?

Black Crow integrates with your existing email & SMS tool, identifies customers that need a nudge to repurchase and determines the precise timing to trigger a pre-built flow.

With personalized cross-sell recommendations and customized storefronts, you can also increase second order AOV by 10%.

Black Crow is so confident you’ll get results that they’re offering a $100 gift card to Shopify brands with $2M+ in GMV to get a demo.

Book a demo

Let’s Chat D2C - Navigating the Global Marketplace with Shopify Managed Markets

As technology advances and consumer behaviors shift, the global marketplace presents opportunities and challenges for ecommerce brands. Here’s a look at some of the most significant international ecommerce trends shaping the industry today, along with how businesses can leverage Shopify Managed Markets to expand their reach.

1. Rise of Cross-Border Shopping

Thanks to improved logistics and more reliable shipping options, consumers are increasingly comfortable shopping from international retailers. According to recent studies, cross-border ecommerce is growing at nearly twice the rate of domestic ecommerce. This trend is driven by factors such as:

• Availability of Unique Products: Shoppers are looking for products that aren’t available locally, whether it’s niche fashion items, electronics, or specialty foods.

• Competitive Pricing: Price-sensitive consumers often find better deals from international sellers, even after accounting for shipping costs.

• Enhanced Payment Options: The expansion of global payment gateways has simplified transactions, making it easier for consumers to purchase from overseas.

Leveraging Shopify Managed Markets

Shopify Managed Markets simplifies the complexities of cross-border ecommerce. It allows businesses to expand globally by seamlessly managing local currencies, language translations, and international shipping. With Shopify, businesses can:

• Offer Localized Experiences: Automatically translate storefronts and prices into local currencies, enhancing the shopping experience for international customers.

• Streamline Shipping: Integrate with global shipping carriers to provide accurate shipping rates and reliable delivery options.

• Simplify Payments: Accept payments in multiple currencies through Shopify Payments, reducing barriers to purchase.

2. Localized Customer Experience

As ecommerce goes global, the need for a localized shopping experience becomes critical. Brands that want to succeed internationally must tailor their websites and marketing efforts to resonate with local audiences. Key elements include:

• Language and Currency: Offering multiple language options and local currencies can significantly reduce friction and increase conversion rates.

• Local Customer Service: Providing customer support in the local language and during local business hours enhances trust and satisfaction.

• Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respecting cultural differences in marketing campaigns, product offerings, and holiday promotions can improve brand perception and loyalty.

Leveraging Shopify Managed Markets

Shopify Managed Markets helps businesses deliver a localized customer experience by:

• Automatic Language Translation: Utilize Shopify's built-in translation tools to provide a multilingual storefront.

• Currency Conversion: Display prices in local currencies, which can boost trust and reduce cart abandonment rates.

• Localized Marketing: Use Shopify’s marketing tools to create targeted campaigns for different regions, considering local holidays and cultural nuances.

3. AI and Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are transforming the ecommerce landscape by providing deeper insights into consumer behavior and enhancing the shopping experience. Key applications include:

• Personalization: Leveraging AI to offer personalized product recommendations and tailored marketing messages.

• Inventory Management: Using predictive analytics to optimize stock levels and reduce overstock or stockouts.

• Customer Support: Implementing chatbots and virtual assistants to provide instant customer service and support.

Leveraging Shopify Managed Markets

Shopify incorporates AI and machine learning to help businesses:

• Personalize Shopping Experiences: Use Shopify’s AI-powered tools to recommend products based on customer behavior and preferences.

• Optimize Inventory: Leverage predictive analytics to manage stock levels and anticipate demand.

• Enhance Customer Support: Implement Shopify’s AI-driven chatbots to provide real-time assistance and improve customer satisfaction.

4. Social Commerce

The integration of ecommerce with social media platforms—known as social commerce—is growing rapidly. Consumers are increasingly discovering and purchasing products directly through social media channels. Trends in social commerce include:

• Shoppable Posts: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer features that allow users to shop directly from posts and stories.

• Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with influencers to reach targeted audiences and drive sales through authentic endorsements.

• Live Shopping: Live streaming combined with instant purchasing options is becoming a popular way to engage consumers and showcase products in real-time.

Leveraging Shopify Managed Markets

Shopify Managed Markets can enhance social commerce efforts by:

• Integrating with Social Platforms: Easily connect your Shopify store with social media platforms to enable shoppable posts and streamline social commerce operations.

• Leveraging Influencer Tools: Use Shopify’s marketing tools to collaborate with influencers and track the performance of influencer campaigns.

• Supporting Live Shopping: Integrate live shopping features to engage customers and drive sales through real-time interactions.

International Ecommerce Summed Up

The international ecommerce landscape is dynamic and full of opportunities for businesses willing to adapt to new trends. By focusing on cross-border shopping, localization, mobile commerce, sustainability, AI, and social commerce, ecommerce brands can effectively navigate the global marketplace and achieve sustained growth. Leveraging tools like Shopify Managed Markets can simplify the complexities of international expansion and help businesses provide a seamless and localized shopping experience to their global customers.

What I’m Thinking About This Week - The Delegation Trap

We can’t do everything, and we shouldn’t try.

I mean, I get it. As entrepreneurs, we like to do everything. It’s sort of what we’re wired to do. We have millions of hats, and we like to wear them all and do so as a badge of honor. And in the beginning, we really do need to do everything. But if we’re being honest, even if we don’t like doing it, we probably feel like we have to do everything even as the business grows. It is ingrained into our social fabric that the intrepid young business owner must bleed to create their dream. The more we bleed and sweat, the more effective we are.

That approach to entrepreneurship is from another era.

It doesn’t work now, and I would argue it never did. It’s an unnecessary self-sacrificial point of view that is tied into ideals far older than we are and working on assumptions that are simply false.

I fell into this trap hard.

The first real challenge I encountered when building my business was the elusive “back office.” Going into this, I didn’t think it was a big deal. It was just a matter of keeping up on QuickBooks, processing invoices, handling receivables, and paying taxes. It just didn’t feel like much of a burden at any one moment.

But that’s a red flag. That’s the trap.

The entrepreneur is thinking to themselves, “Oh, it’s no big deal, it doesn’t take me a lot of time,” forgetting that every little thing adds up. And after a while, all of these little tasks pile up until their ship sinks from a thousand leaks.

If I had it to do over again, I would have detailed my process and given it to a different team member far sooner. Looking back, it seems so wrong to me. The CEO of a thriving and growing business should refrain from handling back-office work. They should be building their business.

My mentors told me this, and I suppose I didn’t think their delegation advice applied to smaller tasks or a bootstrapped, cash-conscious small business. Often, I fell into the trap of, “I’m too busy to train someone else to do this properly, so I am just going to keep doing it myself.” It might take 3 hours to offload a 1-hour per week task, but it’s important to find those 3 hours to save those 1-hours from adding up. But I kept it on my plate too long. There are countless tasks like that, and those deliverables could be sourced by someone else who would do it better.

That struggle doesn’t go away. I’m still dealing with it.

This Week’s The D2Z Podcast

#113 – Leveraging AI and User-Generated Content for an Enhanced Customer Experience

🎧 Listen Now 🎧

In this week’s episode, I interviewed David Zielski, the e-commerce director at Chamberlain Coffee. Specifically, we explored the following:

💰 How AI can save time, money and generate additional revenue.

📲 User-generated content to humanize a brand.

😎 Treating customers like VIPs and deepening existing relationships.

🚀 Encouraging word-of-mouth marketing.

App Updates & Highlights - Postscript AI goes live on July 24th

I got a sneak peek last week at what the Postscript team has been building. Their new products address some of the biggest gripes I’ve had with AI and its marketing use cases to date. Far more than just a ChatGPT wrapper that saves you a few minutes by generating copy, we can finally move away from manual A/B testing and generate an incremental revenue lift on autopilot.

You will not want to miss out on the live webinar on July 24th at 9 AM PST/12 PM EST announcing the official launch of Postscript AI.

Upcoming Events

I’m speaking at DTCx Talks in Miami on 8/1! RSVP here. The day before, there is a Padel event, which you can also RSVP for here.

The smarter way for DTC brands to drive repeat revenue

What if you could drive 20% more repeat purchases, without the headache of building customized flows?

Black Crow integrates with your existing email & SMS tool, identifies customers that need a nudge to repurchase and determines the precise timing to trigger a pre-built flow.

With personalized cross-sell recommendations and customized storefronts, you can also increase second order AOV by 10%.

Black Crow is so confident you’ll get results that they’re offering a $100 gift card to Shopify brands with $2M+ in GMV to get a demo.

Book a demo