Drive and Convert

Jon and Ryan provide valuable insights into the world of Microsoft Ads. The discussion kicks off with an exploration of recent developments at Microsoft, including the company's rebranding of Bing Ads as Microsoft Ads and its strategic investments in AI.  They also delve into the potential and opportunities for advertising on Bing, shedding light on the unique advantages of the platform, such as l...

Digital experiences are always changing and evolving.  So it should come as no surprise that the evolution of AI, automations, and online tools has also shifted some perspectives and progressed certain ways of thinking. In this special episode of Drive and Convert, Jon and Ryan share what lessons they’ve learned in the past four years by revisiting some of the earliest episodes of the show and tal...

Have you ever wondered what goes through your customer’s mind when they make a certain purchase decision?   Well, you’re not alone. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss "Behind the Click", Jon’s upcoming book, which focuses on the psychological principles behind each purchase decision. Jon discusses the inspiration for the book, his approach to writing it, and the overview of the content. He also...

Jon and Ryan explore the challenges brought about by the shift to GA4 and how it has impacted Google Ads. Thankfully, there are some steps that companies can take in order to turn things around.  They explore the critical importance of feeding the right data into analytics and the impact of setting appropriate goals to stay ahead of the competition.  Listen to the full episode if you want to learn...

Many companies conduct amazing research to understand their customers, but more often than not, this research gets lost and isn’t maximized to its full potential. Quantitative and qualitative data from customer survey results, user testing recordings, and interview transcripts can all lead to important learnings for your organization, so how can you make sure to leverage it?  In this Drive and Con...

Ecommerce businesses are navigating the biggest transition of this year with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). In this D&C episode, Jon and Ryan acknowledge some initial challenges with the platform's interface and data comparisons, but they remain optimistic about its potential.  They recommend exploring complementary tools and focusing on trend identification to unlock GA4's full potential. Ultimate...

AI is a pretty buzzy term, and it can mean different things to different people. In this episode, Jon and Ryan engage in a lively discussion about the use of AI, with a specific focus on its application in UX and optimization.  They start by differentiating actual AI tools from AI enabled applications. Then, they delve into the practical applications and potential benefits of ChatGPT, touching on...

In this episode of Drive & Convert, Jon and Ryan delve into the rise of video as a powerful tool for digital marketing. They discuss the impact of platforms like TikTok, the changing landscape of video monetization, Apple's influence on tracking and privacy, the growth of Connected TV, and the importance of creative content in video marketing. Sharing insights and experiences from their own jo...

Ecommerce managers are juggling a million things by the time Q4 rolls around. They’re busy preparing holiday campaigns and gearing up for the coming year. However, optimization should still be top of mind during Q4, and the perfect way to ensure this happens is through a website audit.  This week, Jon and Ryan explore eight benefits that a November audit can provide your business. You can level up...

SEO takes time, money, and energy.  There is no shortcut to achieving increased rankings on a search results page over a short period of time.  So, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in the business awhile, you need to have a strategy for SEO.  In today’s episode, Jon and Ryan share that while there are no hacks, there are proven ways to build the right strategy that will get you in f...

People have a lot of options when it comes to subscriptions. And now more than ever, people are conscious of where and what they spend their money on.   In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss how to acquire and retain subscribers with proven strategies including personalization, various types of subscriptions, and tactics for increasing your number of subscribers. They also cover how to look at thi...

What is a good return on ad spend? Just like the question posed in our last episode, there is no simple answer to this. In this week’s episode, Jon and Ryan delve into the importance of tailoring your ROAS goals to your unique brand. They also touch on the aggressiveness of marketing strategy, customer lifetime value, and the benefits of aiming for a lower break-even ROAS.  Listen to the full epis...

So, what is a good conversion rate? Is there a magic number you should be aiming for or a percentage that, when you reach it, means you’ve hit the big time and you can sit back and relax? In this week’s episode, Jon and Ryan discuss why there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. They delve into the definition of conversion rate and the countless variables that affect it. In the end, th...

What is the future of digital marketing and online experience? Jon and Ryan unpack the valuable insights gained from recent events with Google and Logical Position to try and answer this question.  They discuss the challenges faced by smaller businesses in the ever-changing landscape of attribution models and the importance of thinking outside the box when it comes to driving brand growth.  From e...

Sending everyone to a Product Detail Page (PDP) without context or information about the brand can be counterproductive in building trust. Landing pages, however, allow for more curated information and more consistent and relevant messaging during the customer journey.  This is exactly what Jon and Ryan explore in this week’s Drive and Convert episode. They also cover how the lack of educational i...

From struggling marketplaces to recent stock turmoil, Jon and Ryan explore the factors impacting traffic and sales in the ecommerce industry. They take a deep dive into how competition, economic factors, and changing consumer behavior are reshaping the e-commerce landscape.  In this week’s episode, they discuss powerful strategies for driving traffic and sales and how brands can leverage Google's...

It can be difficult to convince new customers to purchase from your site the first time they visit. Instead of driving traffic and new visitors to your site, why don’t you focus on the customers you already have? This week, Jon and Ryan share how you can leverage nine proven strategies to help you increase average order value. By improving the average order value of your website, you can grow your...

Each holiday season is different, so how do you prepare for one? As a business, it’s important to use data-driven strategies and think creatively when planning for your holiday campaign. In this week’s episode, Jon and Ryan share a few ideas on how to think about the holidays and what you need to do to stand out from the competition.    Listen to the full episode if you want to learn: Why each hol...

Sharing winning tests isn’t just a way to celebrate success with previous clients. The patterns and insights from winning tests can offer a lot of ideas for other brands looking to improve their conversion rates and boost sales.  In particular, Jon and Ryan talk about three areas of a site that tests work really well in: category pages, social proof, and website copy.    Listen to the full episode...

So much energy is focused on driving traffic to a site via different platforms, but Jon and Ryan share why email should be the most profitable traffic acquisition channel.  In this episode, they discuss how you can set up your account and create automatic email flows. Ryan puts emphasis on not buying your email list. They also dive into examples of automatic email flows, such as a welcome series o...

In this episode of Drive & Convert, Jon and Ryan share important metrics for businesses to monitor including customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, and conversion rates. They stress the importance of understanding which metrics will impact the bottom line and align with the company's strategic goals. They also delve into the importance of tracking your raw data, channel mix metric...

In this podcast episode, Jon and Ryan discuss Google's recent announcement about sunsetting certain attribution types in Analytics. They both emphasize the need for businesses to get creative and find new strategies to compete with larger brands. Jon suggests that small brands have an advantage in being more willing to take risks and test different approaches. For small brands, they suggest explor...

What’s the best type of navigation to use for your website? Jon and Ryan reveal that there is no one-size fits all approach to this question.  However, customer research and experimentation can help determine the most effective navigation style. Jon offers 10-pointers for website owners to test or steal, which are based on what has worked well for other brands. They stress the importance of design...

A lot of emotions are involved in exiting a business, and Ryan emphasizes the importance of legal advice and research along the way.  In this episode, Jon and Ryan also talk about failing and growing throughout the experience and seeing everything as a learning experience. Every business exit is a little different, so there is no defined timeline for going through the process. Ryan advises that yo...

Conversion rate optimization is important for any ecommerce brand, but it’s markedly more difficult for brands with lower traffic. However, there are still ways how you can increase website conversions with low traffic. In this week’s episode, Jon and Ryan highlight the significance of leaning into rapid testing in the absence of data to validate statistical significance. They also discuss other v...