Episode 117: Holiday Prep & the Tech Stack for Success

In this episode, Ryan interviews Luke Schnacke, CEO of Ironman 4x4 USA, to explore the company’s impressive journey to growth. From strategic moves to off-road innovation, Luke shares how Ironman 4x4 carved its path in a competitive market and what’s driving their momentum today. If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Not all online businesses need the same amount of traffic. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss how consideration, target market, and budget impact traffic for both startups and industry leaders.Check out the full episode to learn:What a traffic moat is, and why established brands want to create them.What startups should focus on when it comes to generating traffic.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Creating a well-designed SaaS website requires a strategic approach. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss the key fundamentals of creating a SaaS marketing website that not only attracts and engages users but also converts them into customers.Check out the full episode to learn:Why identifying your target audience’s needs, behaviors, and pain points comes first.How to deliver a seamless experience that connects with your customers, answers their questions, and shows them how to take the next step.The importance of regularly testing and validating your website with your audience.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

2024 was the year social ads made a serious comeback, and the focus on social selling will continue into 2025. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss how YouTube is poised to impact the marketing stack in 2025.Check out the full episode to learn:Why YouTube's roster of influencers and the YouTube Shopping program are attracting media spend.The four unique ways YouTube can track attribution.How brands should get started with YouTube in 2025.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

Aligning your online experience with user expectations is crucial. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss how to leverage the priming & expectation setting heuristic to increase conversions.Check out the full episode to learn:what the priming & expectation setting heuristic is, and how it works.how to determine if you are violating this heuristic.examples of tactics that leverage this heuristic.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

We've made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss the benefits of taking a break post-BFCM.Check out the full episode to learn:Why prioritizing time away from the business is important.When during the business cycle it's most valuable to step back and think. Tips for making the most of your time away.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

The benefits of experimentation are well-researched and documented. But that doesn’t always equate to an increasing conversion rate.In this episode, Jon and Ryan explore why experimentation results don’t always map one-to-one with the real-world outcomes you expect.Check out the full episode to learn:How post-launch variables make attribution less than clear.Why experiment segmentation means test results aren’t summative.The effect of false positives.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

During Q4, new channels seem to become more attractive to brands, especially if they are missing growth targets. Amazon is the largest ecommerce channel out there, but simply having your products on Amazon doesn’t mean you’re going to boost sales or profitability.  In this episode, Jon and Ryan discuss what brands need to do in order to have success on Amazon.Check out the full episode to learn:How to determine if Amazon is right for your brand.How to get started on the platform.  Tips for setting realistic expectations.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

This week on Drive & Convert, Jon and Ryan discuss how to quickly validate ideas so you can launch site updates with confidence.Check out the full episode to learn:The process of smoke testing (and where the name comes from).The benefits of using smoke testing for quick validation.  The 5 steps of the smoke testing process.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.

This week on Drive & Convert, Jon and Ryan discuss preparing for holiday 2024 and the recommended tech stack for success. Check out the full episode to learn:What companies like Google and other industry leaders are predicting for the 2024 holiday season.Why it's critical to start planning earlier than ever.Ryan's recommendations for building a holiday tech stack.If you have questions, ideas, or feedback to share, connect with us on LinkedIn. We’re Jon MacDonald and Ryan Garrow.