I ruthlessly unsubscribe from almost all newsletters. Eric’s one of a select few that I look actually forward to opening because it has proven itself consistently valuable for Shopify merchants.
— Kurt Elster, Ecommerce Strategist, founder of Ethercycle, and a top Shopify Plus Expert.
Past issues
Shopify Dispatch Issue #348 - Customer and Merchandise development, Ecommerce conversion rates
Player Development Kevin Hillstrom relates pickleball training to customer and merchandise development. Much of ecommerce is learning how to do things just a little bit better, over and over again. It's not rocket surgery, but does take lots of effort and time. Ecommerce Conversion Rate: A Definitive Guide Shopify's written...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #347 - Discounting competitors, Demand planning
Competing with big companies and discounters Ilana Davis writes about how to deal with competitors flooding the marketplace with deep discounts, without making it a race to the bottom. Demand Planning for Retailers: How to Prepare for an Influx of New Shoppers Elise Dopson has a guide to demand planning...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #346 - Shopify acquires Deliverr, Shopify Audiences
Holy Ship! Shopify to Acquire Deliverr for $2.1B: Building the Future of Global Logistics for Independent Brands Shopify acquired Deliverr and plans to merge them with Shopify's own fulfillment network to improve delivery options for Shopify merchants. There's also a mention of Shop Promise, an upcoming feature which will allow...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #345 - Marketing strategies, SEO-time
12 Types of Marketing: A Guide to Different Marketing Strategies Shopify's created a list of broad marketing strategies. You'll want to master at least one, and have two others you're experimenting with. I disagree with grouping paid and earned in each of the search engine and social media marketing types....
Shopify Dispatch Issue #344 - Download your original images from Shopify
Original Image Download A minor update from Shopify but still useful. You can now download the original, full-resolution images you uploaded to Shopify in case you need them in the future. Start noticing seasonal spikes in customer behavior Cohort reports let you detect seasonal spikes as well as long-term retention...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #343 - Upgrading to Online Store 2.0 themes worth it?
Is now a good time to upgrade to a Shopify 2.0 theme? Ilana Davis covers what's different in Online Store 2.0 themes and if it's worth upgrading yet. My opinion is that upgrading is worthwhile if you are planning a redesign or if your current theme hasn't been upgraded in...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #342 - Retail operations
What Are Retail Operations? How to Optimize Your Store's Retail Operations Holly Stanley writes about the core business processes needed for a retail store. Segment your customers automatically with RFM Segmenting your customers has always been touted as a powerful marketing tool but many stores avoid it because it can...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #341 - More organic traffic, Predicting customer spending
Full video: More organic traffic without fighting for rankings - A Shopify Meetup Ilana Davis shares her presentation about growing organic traffic with search enhancements like Rich Results. She'd done a great job of simplifying a confusing and complex topic. Understand the Value of Your Customers with Predicted Spend Tier...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #340 - Linkpop, Customer Segmentation
Link in bio, but make it shoppable: Meet Linkpop, Shopify's newest offering for creators Shopify's released a tool to create a list of links called Linkpop. Intended to be shared in social media profiles, the built-in connection to a Shopify store could make it easier to start selling on those...
Shopify Dispatch Issue #339 - Shopify Flow for Advanced accounts, Shopify customer segmenting
Shopify Flow for Businesses With Advanced Plans Is Here Shopify Flow is now available to merchants on Shopify Advanced. Flow is Shopify's automation system (think Zapier or IFTTT) which will let you connect events and behaviors in your store. If used carefully, it can be a powerful tool. Announcing New...