The Shopify Solutions Podcast Scott Austin

11/22/23 - Episode 120

This podcast episode by Scott Austin focuses on analyzing Black Friday marketing strategies of Shopify stores. Scott begins by searching for "Black Friday deals Backpack 2023" on Google and examines the results, particularly focusing on Shopify stores appearing in the search.

He first discusses an AdWords result, critiquing the use of a pop-up for email sign-ups, which he believes should be avoided during high-traffic events like Black Friday. He suggests directly ushering customers into the shopping experience. Scott notes that while the site he examines has good merchandising elements, such as a gift guide, it lacks a holiday theme and urgency in its Black Friday sales messaging.

Next, he looks at stores appearing in Google shopping ads and finds that many do not mention Black Friday in their product descriptions. He suggests that they could improve by being more specific about their sales and adding thematic elements to create a festive atmosphere.

Scott also reviews organic search results for Shopify stores, noting the difficulty for these stores to rank high on Google. He finds that these stores generally lack filters and sorting options, which could help customers find the best deals or products more easily.

Throughout the episode, Scott offers constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement, such as:
Avoiding pop-ups during sales events and instead focusing on the shopping experience.Creating a sense of urgency and indicating the end date of sales to motivate customers.Including holiday theming and messaging to enhance the festive atmosphere.Improving site navigation and product filtering options for better user experience.Clearly indicating sale items and discounts to avoid customer confusion.He concludes by expressing surprise at the general lack of optimization in the Black Friday campaigns of the Shopify stores he reviewed, suggesting that there is significant room for improvement in their online marketing strategies.

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-120-lets-review-some-black-friday-campaigns

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11/8/23 - Episode 119

The podcast episode discusses the selective use of product recommendations on Shopify. Unlike Amazon, which has a vast catalog, Shopify stores should use recommendations sparingly. Scott Austin suggests using them for complementary products, like Ortho Bracing's ice packs for therapy machines, and for upselling, as with Chama Valley Meat Co.'s bundled meat products. He recommends manual over automatic recommendations due to Shopify stores typically having less data. For stores with product lines or franchises, like The Game Steward's board games, custom code can highlight related products. The key takeaway is to use recommendations to enhance, not distract from, the customer's shopping experience.

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-119-shopify-recommended-products-done-right

SHOW LINKS
Chama Valley Meat Co - https://chamavalleymeatco.com/ OrthoBracing - https://orthobracing.com/ The Game Steward - https://www.thegamesteward.com/ Youth & Earth - https://youthandearth.com/ HELP THE PODCAST

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10/25/23 - Episode 118

Introduction: Scott Austin introduces the topic of AI for Image Generation and mentions that there will be an accompanying video for the podcast.

Importance of AI in E-commerce: Scott emphasizes the significance of content creation for building e-commerce brands. He believes AI is a valuable tool for content creation strategies.

Recent Advancements: He notes recent improvements in graphics and image generation from AI.

Tools for AI Image Generation: Scott covers two main tools:

Dolly three from Openai: This tool allows users to create specifications for image generation. It's now integrated with Chat GPT, making image generation even easier.
Adobe Photoshop: Adobe has incorporated AI tools into its suite, enhancing graphic design capabilities.

Practical Use Cases: Scott provides several examples of how he uses these tools in his agency:

Creating graphics for podcast episodes.
Generating images for specific client needs, such as campers by a campfire or a snake on coconut substrate.
Producing images for e-commerce, like store owners in front of their shops or families during Easter.

Challenges with AI Image Generation: While AI can produce impressive results, it's not always perfect. Scott mentions instances where the AI didn't follow specific instructions or produced images that were slightly off in terms of realism or context.

Conclusion: Scott concludes by highlighting the potential of AI in image generation, especially for e-commerce. However, he also emphasizes the need for human intervention to ensure the images align with specific requirements.

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-118-ai-images-in-your-shopify-store 

SHOW LINKS
ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com/ PhotoShop - https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop HELP THE PODCAST

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10/11/23 - Episode 117

Bundles are combinations of products sold together, often at a discount. There are various types of bundles such as Pure, Mixed, Cross-Category, and more. They offer numerous benefits to businesses, including convenience, increased sales, inventory movement, and enhanced shopping experiences. Shopify has introduced a new Bundle App, which is free and aids in managing bundle inventory. However, it comes with some limitations, like a three-option limit. For stores new to bundling, the Shopify Bundles app is worth considering. It's essential to focus on customer needs and use personas to design impactful bundles.
VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-117-bundles-in-your-shopify-store

SHOW LINKS
Shopify Bundles App - https://apps.shopify.com/shopify-bundles HELP THE PODCAST
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9/27/23 - Episode 116

Scott Austin discusses the benefits of using dynamic sources in Shopify's Online Store 2.0 theme to create more maintainable pages for products and collections. Dynamic sources allow for the connection of theme settings to various data entities, reducing the need for multiple unique templates and making it easier to manage content across the store. He provides examples of how dynamic sources can be utilized, such as automatically updating page titles or color schemes. Scott also mentions some limitations, like not every theme setting having a dynamic source and the need for code edits in certain scenarios. He encourages listeners to explore dynamic sources to simplify store maintenance, despite the learning curve involved.
VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-116-structured-data-and-templates

SHOW LINKS
Chama Valley Meat Co - https://chamavalleymeatco.com/  ChargeTech - https://chargetech.com/ Shopify Dynamic Sources Documentation - https://shopify.dev/docs/themes/architecture/settings/dynamic-sources HELP THE PODCAST
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9/13/23 - Episode 115

Overview:
Shopify has been continuously improving its platform, and the latest release allows for more robust filtering options.The episode aims to guide you through implementing powerful filters on your Shopify store using free tools.Tools Needed:
Shopify Search & Discovery App: This free app by Shopify helps in setting up filters.Shopify Flow: Another free app that automates various tasks, including setting metafield values based on conditions.Steps to Implement Filters:
1. Define Your Taxonomy:
Decide what you want your filters to be (e.g., types of meat like beef, yak, lamb).2. Use Metafields:
Go to Shopify settings and then to custom data to define metafields.Metafields can be set to have a dropdown menu of options, ensuring consistency.3. Enable Faceted Filtering in Theme:
Go to your Shopify theme and enable faceted filtering, which will look to the Shopify Search and Discovery app for what filters to present.4. Set Up Filters in Search and Discovery App:
Use the metafield values you've defined to set up filters.5. Automate with Shopify Flow:
Create a flow that automatically sets metafield values based on certain conditions (e.g., if the product title contains "beef," set the metafield value to "beef").6. Use Metafields in Collections:
You can now also create collections based on metafield values, ensuring consistency across your store.Additional Tips:
The episode also discusses some technical details, like how to structure data in Shopify Flow, especially when you have multiple options for a metafield.The episode concludes by emphasizing that small stores can now have a rich browsing experience with filters without needing a paid app, thanks to these free Shopify tools.

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT - https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-115-easy-yet-powerful-filters-in-your-shopify-store

SHOW LINKS
Get a Store Audit - https://jadepuma.com/products/shopify-store-audit Shopify Flow - https://apps.shopify.com/flow Shopify Search & Discovery - https://apps.shopify.com/search-and-discovery HELP THE PODCAST
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