Ecommerce Conversations

Practical Ecommerce

Ecommerce Conversations is the long-running weekly podcast from Practical Ecommerce, hosted by ecommerce entrepreneur Eric Bandholz.

•• Listen in as Eric interviews in-the-trenches founders and executives who address the essentials of launching, growing, and sustaining an online business. Hear their successes, mistakes, and plans — addressing customer acquisition, web traffic, marketing tactics, on-site conversion, shipping, favorite tools, funding, obstacles, and much more.

•• New episodes every Friday. Subscribe to the podcast here, and then read a condensed transcript at https://www.PracticalEcommerce.com/tag/podcasts.

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25 episodes
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Avg 33 min
English

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Yesterday · 34 min
My AI Bots for Email, SEO, Reports, More
Last week host Eric Bandholz described the customer service voice agent he built for Beardbrand. The company is small and can't afford human phone support. Using Grok Bot and the Grok Voice API, both from SpaceXAI (formerly xAI), he built a surprisingly realistic and effective phone agent in less than a day. The agent sounds natural and responds accurately to shoppers' support calls. Yet for Eric, Grok Bot is more than a voice agent. It can drive productivity for himself and his staff across the entire business. He offers examples in this episode. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/my-ai-bots-for-email-seo-reports-more For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
October 30 · 32 min
I Built a Voice Bot for Customer Calls
Customer phone support has been a huge burden for Beardbrand, host Eric Bandholz's company, with its small staff. His solution was an AI voice bot, which he recently built in about a day. He used Grok Bot, xAI’s agent platform, and SpaceXAI’s Grok Voice API. In this episode, he describes how he built the bot and his plans to test and improve it. He refers to his video at • https://www.practicalecommerce.com/i-built-a-voice-bot-for-customer-calls ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
October 23 · 30 min
Agency Founder Touts YouTube TV Ads
Alex Walser launched his North Carolina-based marketing agency, Savant Syndicate, in 2024. The firm manages advertising campaigns for ecommerce brands, with a focus on Google Ads. He says YouTube ads provide the most upside, especially YouTube TV. "I'm more bullish on connected TV ads than traditional YouTube," he states. In this episode, Alex addresses his increasing reliance on AI, Google Ads KPIs, and why he favors YouTube TV. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/agency-founder-touts-youtube-tv-ads For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
October 16 · 34 min
Profit from Paid Acquisition Key for Ecom Owner (Encore)
Please enjoy this episode first aired in February 2023. Zach Stuck is an agency founder turned ecommerce owner. The agency, called Homestead, runs marketing campaigns for direct-to-consumer businesses. And lessons from those campaigns drive his second venture: acquiring and launching his own brands. His top lesson? A customer from paid acquisition has to be profitable on the first sale. He shares his journey — from running an agency to owning and operating ecommerce brands — in this episode. For a transcript of the episode with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/profit-from-paid-acquisition-key-for-ecom-owner For all episodes and embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
October 9 · 32 min
Your Next Product Could Be a New Brand
We asked Rok Hladnik, an ecommerce merchant turned agency owner, how to launch a new product line without confusing existing customers and diverting staff. He advised creating a new brand. "There's nothing wrong with applying learnings to a new company," he stated. Rok's agency, Flat Circle, is based in Slovenia and serves ecommerce businesses worldwide. In this episode, he shares how AI is changing advertising, why product quality matters, and the appeal (and risk) of launching a new brand. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/your-next-product-could-be-a-new-brand For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
October 2 · 35 min
TinyHealth.com Sells Gut Tests by Mail
Cheryl Sew Hoy says her company deals with poop. The Austin, Texas-based serial entrepreneur launched Tiny Health in 2020 to help folks monitor essential microorganisms in their digestive systems, which are critical for overall wellness. The process once required in-person doctor visits with cumbersome stool collection. Tiny Health offers the same service with a streamlined home-based kit and a prepaid mailer for the lab analysis. In this episode, Cheryl shares the importance of gut health and details of Tiny Health's launch, customer acquisition tactics, funding rounds, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tinyhealth-com-sells-gut-tests-by-mail For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
September 25 · 36 min
Copywriter Grades AI Content at 95%
Many pro content marketers insist AI-generated text is inferior to humans'. But not Neville Medhora. He's a seasoned copywriter who claims AI is 95% as good as human writing, even for the most complicated work. "It's a hard pill to swallow, but you've got to adapt," he says. Neville is the founder of Swipe File, a curated library of promotional content, and before that, of Kopywriting Kourse, an instructional site. He first appeared on the podcast in 2019. In this episode, he addresses AI content and adapting to change. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/copywriter-grades-ai-content-at-95 For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
September 18 · 35 min
5 Levers Drive CAC, Says Ad Pro
Hal Smith says lowering clients' customer acquisition cost on Meta and Google is a focus of his agency, H Street Digital. He cites 5 performance levers, starting with the offer. Hal founded the D2C-focused agency in 2020 after stints managing political fundraising campaigns. "I learned the importance of the right message," he told me. In this episode, Hal shares his approaches to ad messaging, testing, targeting, and, yes, reducing CAC. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/5-levers-drive-cac-says-ad-pro For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
September 11 · 32 min
Agency Owner on New-Store Strategies
Host Eric Banholz asked Kenny Trusnik, founder of the agency Forest City Digital, how an ecommerce startup can attract customers amid today's AI tumult. "Focus on getting the product data as deep and clean as possible in a structured environment," he replied, adding additional tactics for LLM citations and referrals. In this episode, Kenny shares those approaches, along with his agency's focus, underlying principles, marketing playbooks, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/agency-owner-on-new-store-strategies For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve their businesses with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
September 4 · 37 min
Grow or Die, Says Momentum Shake Founder (Encore)
Please enjoy this repeat of a popular episode aired in August 2024. Mike Tecku first appeared on this podcast in 2019 as an Amazon marketplace seller. He then sold that business, a maker of floor mats, shortly afterward. He retired, became bored, and in 2022 launched Momentum, a direct-to-consumer nutritional shake producer. He and I discussed that venture last year in his second appearance. He's back. Momentum Shake is flourishing, as is Tecku. He's evolved from the nuts and bolts of making money to achieving a purpose, building a team, and self-improvement. "If I'm not growing, I'm dying," he told me. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/grow-or-die-says-momentum-shake-founder For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** The mission of Practical Ecommerce is to help online merchants improve their businesses. We do this with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. We are an independent publishing company founded in 2005 and unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. http://www.practicalecommerce.com
August 28 · 37 min
BK Beauty Doubles Down on TikTok Shop
We've followed the growth of BK Beauty since its launch seven years ago. Paul Jauregui co-founded the direct-to-consumer cosmetics brand in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Lisa. Host Eric Bandholz has interviewed him multiple times since then. The company had hit $1 million in first-year revenue when they first spoke in 2020. Then in 2023, Paul shared the business's early wins with TikTok Shop, a new marketplace. The potential U.S. ban of TikTok in 2025 contributed to BK Beauty moving away. But the hiatus was short-lived. In this latest conversation, Paul addresses the company's return to the platform, success with Ulta Beauty, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/bk-beauty-doubles-down-on-tiktok-shop For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
August 21 · 35 min
BattlBox's Path from YouTube to Netflix
How does an ecommerce entrepreneur land a Netflix series? Not easily. Just ask John Roman. He co-launched BattlBox, an outdoor gear company, in 2015. Its YouTube channel eventually caught the eye of producers who turned it into a Netflix series. The process was long, uneven, and stressful. Along the way, the founders sold BattlBox and bought it back. He shares his journey in this episode. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/battlboxs-path-from-youtube-to-netflix For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
August 14 · 31 min
Ad Fraud Expert on Scams, Bots, Spoofs
Jeromy Sonne is a Facebook ads pro turned fraud detection expert. His firm, Daypart, advises agencies and big-spend advertisers on the accuracy and legitimacy of their campaigns. Ad fraud, he says, can mean billed bot impressions, scam offers, and even money laundering, adding that the problem is worse on programmatic networks than on siloed platforms such as Meta and Google. In this episode, he addresses the reality of today's ad fraud and how advertisers prevent and detect it. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/ad-fraud-expert-on-scams-bots-spoofs For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
August 7 · 32 min
Emotion-Led Ads Cut Costs 30%
Sarah Levinger consults with ecommerce brands on marketing psychology. She says shoppers' emotions drive ad performance, and success comes from aligning messaging with those feelings. She did that with a D2C maker of hop-flavored teas, lowering acquisition cost by 30%. She shares that example and other ad tactics in this episode. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/emotion-led-ads-cut-costs-30 For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
July 31 · 30 min
Email Pro: Open Rate Is a Vanity Metric
Nabeel Azeez runs a Dubai-based email marketing agency with clients in ecommerce, SaaS, and more. He emphasizes engagement-based segmentation and high frequency, sending for one client eight emails per day, each to a unique segment. In this episode, he shares his methods for driving revenue from ecommerce emails, including unorthodox views such as the open rate is a vanity metric and never unsubscribe dormant recipients. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/email-pro-open-rate-is-a-vanity-metric For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ***** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
July 24 · 31 min
The Top Cause of Wasted Ad Spend
Brett Fish sees a lot of wasted ad spend. His company, TagHero, tracks clients' advertising performance on platforms such as Meta, Google Ads, and TikTok. He says the platforms are merely algorithms that respond to data. Good data leads to good results. Bad data wastes money, a kind of "garbage in, garbage out." In this episode, Brett addresses common ad setup errors, optimization opportunities, campaign management tools, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/a-top-cause-of-wasted-ad-spend For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
July 17 · 32 min
A One-Two Punch Drives Ecommerce Growth
Sean Stone advises ecommerce merchants to adopt a one-two punch for growth. Punch one is developing a profitable, branded website. Punch two is converting the likely spillover traffic on Amazon. That tactic inspired the name of Sean’s latest agency, Spillover Commerce. He’s a longtime Amazon consultant who now says brands should focus on their own domains while selling Amazon-only items secondarily. In this episode, he addresses one-two strategies, commodity goods, traffic sources, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/a-one-two-punch-drives-ecommerce-growth For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
July 10 · 37 min
Nail Profit before Site Extras, Owner Says
Paolo Vidali has a suggestion for merchants looking to add advanced features to their ecommerce sites: Be careful. Focus first on profitability, he says, and solve the basics of product returns, customer service, and free shipping. Paolo is a developer and marketer who launched Hidden Gears, an ecommerce agency, in 2014. It's now a Hawaii-based Shopify expert partner with a varied client base: wholesalers, physical retailers, and D2Cs. His second site, SuperBuilt, offers vetted developers for hire. In this episode, he shares pointers for new and seasoned merchants, video tactics, inspirational sites, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/nail-profit-before-site-extras-owner-says For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
July 3 · 32 min
Avoid All-Caps Headlines, Says CRO Pro
Nate Lagos is a seasoned conversion rate optimizer, yet a recent A/B test surprised him. A client used all caps in key landing page headlines. Nate, having read a tip on X, suggested they test headlines that capitalized only the first letter of each word. The result? Conversions increased by 25% Nate first appeared on the podcast in 2025, when he addressed Facebook ad performance. For this episode, he focuses on "bottoms-up" testing, audience targeting, and marketing male products to women. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/avoid-all-caps-headlines-says-cro-pro For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com
June 26 · 32 min
Printful Exec on Profitable Print-on-Demand
Thanks to companies such as Printful, an enterprising entrepreneur can select a product, upload an image to place on it, sync it with her ecommerce site, sell it, and then pay for it. Print-on-demand is big business, and David Hooker is a prominent participant. He's the brand director at Printful and a long-time SaaS executive. In this episode, he addresses POD pricing strategies, sales tactics, merchandising, and more. For an edited and condensed transcript with embedded audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/printful-exec-on-profitable-print-on-demand For all condensed transcripts with audio, see: https://www.practicalecommerce.com/tag/podcasts ****** Practical Ecommerce helps online merchants improve with expert articles, podcasts, and webinars. Founded in 2005, we're an independent publisher, unaffiliated with any ecommerce platform or provider. https://www.practicalecommerce.com

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