Product Growth Lab

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss the common phenomenon of the summer slowdown in sales for product-based businesses. They explore strategies for utilizing this slower period effectively, including resting, recalibrating, and preparing for the upcoming Q4. The hosts emphasize the importance of strategic planning, product management, an...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul conduct a mid-year check-in for creative product-based business owners. They discuss the importance of analyzing business numbers, understanding profit margins, and assessing goals set at the beginning of the year. The conversation emphasizes celebrating wins, identifying what's working and what's not, and cre...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss the multifaceted topic of attending conferences as an e-commerce business owner. They explore the benefits of networking, choosing the right events, maximizing the conference experience, and reflecting on takeaways post-event. The conversation emphasizes the importance of setting goals, building connec...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul introduce their first guest, Pinterest expert Laura Rike. They discuss the unique benefits of Pinterest as a search engine rather than a social media platform and how it can drive long-lasting traffic and sales for product-based businesses. Laura shares insights on the importance of SEO on Pinterest, how to ef...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss why business owners don't need to rely on discounts to increase sales. They emphasize that discounts can undermine profit margins and train customers to wait for sales. Instead, they introduce the BUS framework—Bonuses, Urgency, and Scarcity—as more effective strategies. They explain how adding bonuses...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul dive deep into Shopify's Summer 2025 updates, highlighting over 150 new features. They focus on the top five features that are most beneficial for standard Shopify users, including the new Horizon themes, AI-generated content blocks, enhanced Sidekick and campaign tracking tools, and the AI-powered knowledge b...

In the final episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast series on moving beyond marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul explore advanced strategies to scale your handmade business on your own terms. The episode covers how to increase average order value through upsells, cross-sells, bundles, and free shipping thresholds, and how to encourage repeat customers with ac...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul dive into the power of email marketing for creative product-based businesses. They discuss why email is more effective than social media for driving sales, how to grow your email list without being annoying, essential email sequences for all businesses, and tips for writing effective emails. They also provide...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul delve into effective strategies for driving traffic to your store without relying on paid ads. They discuss the importance of leveraging organic traffic sources, such as social media, Pinterest, Google SEO, and email marketing. The hosts emphasize quality over quantity in social media posts, the long-term bene...

Join hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul in this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast as they discuss the importance of expanding handmade businesses beyond Etsy. They explain the hidden downsides of relying solely on Etsy, such as not owning your audience, high fees, arbitrary policy changes, and competition. Andrew and Melissa advocate for transitioning to platforms like Shopify, which of...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, Andrew and Melissa discuss strategies and insights for maximizing the effectiveness of email marketing in 2023. They emphasize the importance of analytics for focusing efforts and understanding traffic sources. They bring attention to the significance of sending regular emails, segmentation, maintaining a good sender reputation, and employing auto...

In the first episode of 2025, Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss emerging trends in the e-commerce industry. They dive into the role of AI in business, the rise of live shopping experiences, and the importance of sustainability. They also explore subscription models, local and micro-community marketing, and the benefits and challenges of multi-channel sales strategies. This episode offers val...

Avoiding Common Giveaway Pitfalls for Business Growth In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul dive into the topic of giveaways and reveal common mistakes to avoid. They discuss why giveaways are effective for list growth, brand awareness, and sales, but also caution against errors such as choosing the wrong prize, overcomplicating the entry process,...

Finding Winning Products Your Customers Actually Want In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast hosted by Melissa Pikul, creative product-based business owners learn how to identify and develop products that resonate with customers. Highlighting actionable strategies and real-life examples, the episode covers understanding target audiences, analyzing market trends, and leveraging customer...

Reflecting on 2024: Wins, Challenges, and Trends for Creative Entrepreneurs In the final episode of 2024, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul reflect on the journey of the Product Growth Lab podcast and share key lessons learned throughout the year. They discuss the rollercoaster of events in the business world, the rise of AI, the ongoing shift towards privacy, personalized consumer demands, an...

Turning First-Time Customers into Loyal Buyers In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pickle discuss strategies for turning first-time customers into loyal repeat buyers. They emphasize the importance of providing exceptional first purchase experiences, utilizing post-purchase follow-up emails, and personalizing interactions. They also cover the benefits...

Five Proven Strategies to Drive Organic Traffic for Your Shop In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss five actionable strategies to drive organic traffic to your small or growing business without spending money on ads. They delve into the use of social media, collaborations, blogging and SEO, engaging email marketing, and building an online...

Creating Memorable Customer Experiences on a Budget In this episode of the Product Growth Lab Podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul delve into strategies for crafting memorable customer experiences without breaking the bank. They emphasize the importance of repeat business over acquiring new customers, sharing real-life examples and cost-effective methods such as upgrading packaging, orde...

In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul dive into effective techniques to optimize sales during flash sales. They discuss actionable methods like using countdown timers to create urgency, incorporating scarcity to boost demand, and offering exclusive bonuses to increase customer excitement. They also share practical tips for promoting sales through...

Top 10 Mistakes E-commerce Business Owners Keep Making - Part 2 In this episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul discuss the top 10 mistakes that e-commerce business owners repeatedly make. They emphasize the importance of market research, effective inventory management, leveraging email marketing, maintaining a clear brand identity, and focusing on customer...

Top 5 Mistakes New E-Commerce Store Owners Make and How to Avoid Them In the first episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul dive into the challenges faced by new e-commerce store owners. They discuss the top five common mistakes, including not knowing the target audience, overcomplicating product offerings, and ignoring website user experience. The episode o...

Welcome to the Product Growth Lab Podcast In this introductory episode of the Product Growth Lab podcast, hosts Andrew George and Melissa Pikul, award-winning e-commerce business owners, discuss the goals of the podcast. Aimed at e-commerce business owners seeking growth without significant investments, a large team, or overwhelming stress, the hosts promise actionable strategies, expert insights,...