In this episode, John Surdakowski touches on some of the core things he focused on in the early days to grow Avex Designs, an eCommerce agency, as well as provides a little background about how he got started.

We've been seeing more and more luxury brands migrate to Shopify Plus. In this episode, John Surdakowski takes an in-depth look into the rationale that drives those brands to re-platform and examines what lies ahead for the world of e-commerce.

5 years ago it was easy to grow a DTC brand with social media ads…. Today, it’s 100X more difficult.  Here are 3 things successful eCommerce brands are doing today, that you’re probably not.  Social media ads still need to be part of your advertising plans, but if you're not focusing on these three things, you’re leaving money (and customers) on the table. Everyone wants an easy solution, but growing a successful brand is never easy. The brands winning right now do these 3 things very well, and it's not a one-size-fits-all approach. Brand awareness is how familiar customers are with your brand and what it stands for. Focusing here helps you to attract new customers and build relationships with existing ones. Beyond just running branded ads, you need to focus on organic social, storytelling, and…our next point. Community. Building a community around your brand means creating a group of people who are passionate (or obsessed) about your brand and its products. A strong community will help you to build brand awareness, generate word-of-mouth, and get feedback from your customers. Brand collaborations and partnerships between two or more brands are great for reaching new audiences, cross-promoting your products, and increasing both brand awareness and community. When done well, brand collaborations can be a win-win for both brands involved. If you’re struggling with performance marketing right now, you’ll thank yourself 5 years from now, because you started to focus on your brand.

In this episode of the Agency X podcast, John Surdakowski unveils 10 game-changing tips to skyrocket your Shopify e-commerce store's conversion rates. Whether you're a new or experienced Shopify store merchant, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you achieve your conversion goals. From enhancing product presentation and AB testing UX changes to understanding your customers and effectively conveying your brand story, the strategies shared in this episode are simple yet powerful, making a significant impact on your bottom line. Additionally, we highlight some of our favorite e-commerce tools and their features that can further enhance your store's performance Tune in and transform your Shopify store into a conversion powerhouse. More E-commerce and agency tips shared weekly on John's Commerce & Bull$hit LinkedIn Newsletter.

As a Head of Marketing at Wonderment and ex-Head of Partner Community at Attentive, Blake Imperl has extensive expertise in building and scaling retention marketing programs for D2C brands. On this Agency X episode, Blake, along with John, talks about the importance of leveraging retention marketing channels to create exceptional customer experiences:  Return on Investment for transactional emails and SMS.  The importance of segmentation, personalization and timing for achieving success with SMS. Post-purchase touchpoints being a low-hanging fruit to build consumer loyalty and drive retention.  Real-life examples of what DTC brands are doing to meet their customers' rising expectations.  

It's that time again: Shopify just announced its 2023 Winter Editions with 100+ products and updates for merchants, developers and partners to build long-lasting relationships with their consumers. John, Founder and CEO at Avex, shares his initial take on the released updates including:  One-page Checkout Shop Promise Badge Signed-in Shopping with Shop AI-generated store content with Shop Magic Integration with content management system; Sanity Drag and Drop customizations with metaobjects &many more .. From building and scaling eCommerce businesses to commerce components for Enterprise brands and developer tooling to customize any commerce experience, the Shopify Winter '23 Edition is all about performance, flexibility and customization.

In this episode, John Surdakowski is joined by Dhanesh Shelat, global digital marketing director at one of L’Oreal’s leading skincare brands and a real estate entrepreneur. Dhanesh brings years of experience in SEO and digital marketing along with a lot of interest in AI and branding to an engaging conversation that taps into: How SEO has dramatically changed over the past 10 years.  SEO Backlinking vs. Public Relations in eCommerce.  How a brand's decision to sell Direct-to-consumers or through eRetailers should always be consumer-first; taking into consideration the consumer journey and accounting for different consumer preferences - all while owning the brand messaging, image, and identity.  What does consumer loyalty really mean today and how are leading brands stressing product innovation, culture, and messaging to drive it.  The role AI plays (and is expected to further play) in branding, CRM, brand loyalty, and customer experience. We are moving towards more immersive online experiences that blend hyper-personalization, AI, metaverse, AR, and VR. Early adopters are the most to benefit.  To get a full understanding of the new normal shaping the eCommerce industry, check out The Future is Now eBook by Avex and Shopify in collaboration with leading eCommerce partners. Now available for free on Avex Website.

Shopify just announced Commerce Components, the modern composable stack for enterprise retail. In this episode, I discuss my thoughts on why it's important, who it is for, and some of the benefits. 

DTC brand news, Shopify Trend Report, Direct Mail, CRO tips and featured Shopify Plus case study.

Allyn Hane, President & Founder at Yard Mastery (https://yardmastery.com/), brings niche brands direct to consumers on Shopify. Allyn, also known as The Lawn Care Nut, grew what started as a hobby to a +500,000 Subscribers Channel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@Thelawncarenut) In this episode, John and Allyn touched base intensively on exciting topics related to digital marketing, lawn care, product development, and the creator economy. Monetizing traffic by leveraging experience in digital marketing, SEO, content creation and email lists.  The significance of listening to the audience to build a product they need. How a creator can stand out through the noise by believing in a product rather than simply promoting it? Logistical decisions that affect long-term brand growth in the eCommerce space. + lawn care tips for all enthusiasts tuning in today!