📦 - TOF, MOF, BOF Bonanza

DTC 567 - More Website Mistakes, YouTube Ads, and Gamifying Tuesday, May 28, 2024 Good morning, Say goodbye to online privacy. Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs have a long battery life and a 'Recall' feature that constantly takes screenshots of your laptop to track everything you do. 🙃 It is helpful when finding a document but it seems like AI is overstepping again. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s DTC: ❌ We’re back with more common ecommerce site mistakes that limit conversions. 📺 Learn how to create high converting YouTube Ads for every stage of the customer funnel. 🎉 And… delightful ways to gamify the user site experience without cutting into your profit margins. You’re reading this newsletter along with new subscribers from: Doran Motors, Capital One, and Okido. 👋 WEBSITE ❌ Common Website Mistakes Part II We’re back at it with common website mistakes Part 2! If you missed Part 1, [check out DTC 558](, where we discuss common pitfalls. If your ecommerce site isn’t converting, here’s a few possible reasons: 1️⃣ Your site looks untrustworthy If your site doesn’t look trustworthy, visitors will hesitate to make a purchase or ultimately just abandon their cart. Adding social proof, customer reviews, and security badges are all elements that can help customers see you as a credible seller. Haircare brand [Kitsch]( has thousands of positive reviews for this combo pack, which makes new customers more comfortable with purchasing since others have had good experiences. [Kitsch uses customer reviews as social proof] For new brands, try to up your review count in the pre-launch phase so there are existing reviews on the site for launch day and reduce any friction when it comes to conversions. 💡 If you are starting an ecommerce business, ask friends and family to leave reviews after they’ve tried the product so you have some social proof. A secure checkout badge should be added to the site at checkout to build trust or on the homepage, along with customer reviews. These can help with conversions since customers want to see that the site is secure and that their personal information will not be mishandled. Adding a security badge shows that your site uses encryption to protect sensitive customer data. 2️⃣ There’s no clear way to get a hold of you Customers who purchase for the first time like to know they can reach your customer support team if there are shipping delays or issues with their product. This site makes it clear there are multiple ways customers can contact them if they need more information, help with their order, or are experiencing any issues. The health and wellness brand [Welly]( does a great job promoting customer service options. On their footer, there are multiple ways to reach them via email or phone. If you select the phone option, you can Facetime a customer rep. Let us know if you want to see Part 3! GROWTH 👀 Looking For Your Ecommerce Secret Weapon? Since 2017, [Diamond Hook]( has launched and scaled hundreds of ecommerce brands. They’ve led creative and strategic initiatives for brands like SET Active, Strideline, and Squatty Potty. Nik Sharma, Founder of Sharma Brands, raves: 👇 “They have gone above and beyond for us, and the team is an absolute joy to work with – fast, knowledgeable, and effective. [Diamond Hook]( has been everything we could have asked for and more.” If you’re looking for an ecom one-stop-shop for: - Web 💻 - Brand 🎨 - Growth 📈 Reach out to the team Diamond Hook’s clients call their “secret weapon.” [Reach Out and Hear Back Today!]( 📦 P.S. Need a hand with end-to-end ecommerce-as-a-Service? Their sister company,[Hook Logistics](, has you covered for both sourcing and fulfillment. *Sponsored PODCAST 🎧 YouTube Ads Full Funnel Breakdown Guess who dropped by the DTC podcast? Kari from [the Pilothouse Google team](! She discussed the full funnel she built for Anyday Cookware using YouTube Ads and how to measure success. Learn what types of content work best at every stage of the funnel and how to measure the true top-of-funnel effect on your YouTube Ads. Kari explains: “Top-of-funnel content should focus on brand recognition and attention-grabbing hooks while middle-of-funnel content should highlight USP and problem-solving. Examples of bottom of funnel content can include founder content, promos, and discounts.” In this podcast, we cover: - Why YouTube is such an excellent platform for reaching new audiences and building community - How creating videos on YouTube can also help with your SEO - The Halo Effect: How YouTube videos can help drive traffic and conversions to other platforms - How to measure your YouTube video performance using data from GA4 and post-purchase surveys. 👉 You can listen to the full episode with Kari [here](. 🌐 IN THE SOCIAL SPHERE Don’t underestimate small details like this which can elevate the customer experience on your site! We love how [Epic Gardening’s empty cart icon]( transforms into a garden cart full of soil once you add items to your cart. Can't view the image? [Click here]( ⚡ QUICK HITS 😋 THIS is just what your campaigns have been craving! Boost engagement, build trust, and get your audience hooked when you use Newsflare, the world’s largest licensable UGC library. [Check it out](. * 📰 NEWS - Amazon AI-powered Performance+ ads [offer 30 to 90% lower CPAs](. - Google [is manually removing incorrect answers generated by AI Overviews](. - Walmart [launched a gamified marketplace called Walmart Realm with virtual shops created by influencers](. - e.l.f. Cosmetics' online sales [grew 70% in Q4 thanks to its customer loyalty program, which makes up 80% of digital sales](. SPONSOR DTC 📥 Got a B2B Biz? Join dozens of B2B companies finding demand-gen success through our niche community of 160k brand leaders and founders this year. [Talk to our team to learn more](. Have you heard our latest podcasts? - 💎 How Anna Harman [Grew Studs To An 8 Figure Brand]( - 💣 [AKNF 404:]( Navigating Email Landmines + Bot Click Clarification - 📈 The Marketing Millennials on [Cracking the DTC Success Formula]( - 💰 [AKNF 403:]( Early Indicators of Amazon Success - 👕 How True Classic [Turned Customer Support Into a Profit Center]( - ❌ [AKNF 401:]( Common Google Ad Mistakes - 🤠 Bart Szaniewski Shares [How Dad Gang Sold 100K Hats]( Don’t forget to [rate the DTC Podcast]( on Apple (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) DTC Newsletter is written by [Rebecca Knight]( and [Frances Du](. Edited by [Eric Dyck](. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. Please note that items in this newsletter marked with * contain sponsored content. [Direct To Consumer]( Pilothouse, 1011 Government St., Victoria, BC V8W 1X6, Canada [Advertise with DTC]( | [Work With Pilothouse]( [Unsubscribe](