Listeners’ Questions Part 4: Competing with Big Brands, Wholesale Traps & Maximising Profit

Can small ecommerce brands really compete with the big players? Should you go wholesale? And what actually drives more profit?   In this Q&A episode, Mark and Ian answer three powerful listener questions that every growing brand will eventually face:   What advantage do we have as small business owners to compete with big-budget brands on ads? What’s the biggest trap when taking on wholesale as a channel? How do you maximise overall profit across the business?   If you’re at the stage where you’re scaling up, exploring new channels, or just trying to stay profitable in a noisy market — this one’s packed with strategy, examples, and hard-earned lessons.   🎯 Bonus: Get the free ecommerce number sheet and training workshop at hammersleybrothers.com   P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:   1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786

In this Q&A episode, we tackle three questions that could make or break your ecommerce growth:   Should you build a brand you're passionate about — or go where the gap is? What should you do if you're bleeding money every day? What are the biggest mistakes founders make when trying to scale?   This one’s about cutting through the noise. No theory — just honest answers from the trenches. 📉 If you’re stuck in the early grind... 🧠 Or unsure what to fix next... This might be the turning point. 🎓 Grab the free numbers sheet and strategy workshop at HammersleyBrothers.com. P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/ 2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

In this episode, Mark and Ian answer three real questions from ecommerce founders — no fluff, just clear thinking and practical advice:   1. Why stick to one channel until it’s maxed out?, 2. What should you do when you’ve got too much stock to shift?, 3. How would we build a large email list before launch?, This is one of those episodes where the answers could save you months of wasted time and thousands in ad spend.   🎯 If you're building or scaling a DTC brand, this one’s for you. 🎓 Bonus: Get the free number sheet and training workshop at HammersleyBrothers.com P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/ 2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

Scaling your ecommerce brand? Don’t guess. In this listeners questions episode, we answer.   💬 "How much should I spend on ads?" We break down the answer for both beginners and scaling brands — and explain why chasing high ROAS might actually be slowing you down.   💬 "Who should I hire first when I want to scale beyond myself?" Most brands get this wrong. We’ll show you what actually unlocks momentum.   💬 "Should I use a .com or a local domain?" Yes — this one still matters. And no, the answer isn’t what most people think.   If you’re already at $300k+ and gunning for $10M, this episode could save you a year of wasted time and wrong hires.   🔔 Hit play to unlock clarity on your next moves.   P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:   1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/ 2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

Profit Velocity. It’s the missing metric in most ecommerce businesses — and the one that unlocks real, scalable growth. In this episode, Mark and Ian unpack: •Why spending more can actually reduce your risk, •The surprising trade-off between ROAS and growth rate, •How to find your optimal spend level based on contribution margin, •Why most brands ignore customer lifetime value decay curves, •How a 5% margin shift or small upsell can double your growth speed, 📈 If you're serious about building a 7- or 8-figure brand, this episode gives you the mental model and tools to grow smarter. 💡 Includes live walkthroughs from their ecommerce number sheet, retention strategies, and practical tweaks you can make today. P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786

Most ecommerce brands are getting email wrong — and it’s costing them a fortune. In this episode, Mark and Ian break down: • Why most brands under-capture emails (and how to fix it fast) • The real job of email (hint: it’s not just retention) • How to time your emails around buying mode and conversion peaks • Why eventing matters more than clever copy • How often you should email (and why most brands email far too little) Plus: examples from brands like Bedding Envy, Brooklinen, Healthspan, and more — including how some get 20%+ email capture rates and make it work like a new customer sales engine. 🎯 If your email feels like a background task — watch this episode now. ———​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​—​​​​​​​ 🎁 Bonus for This Week: Free Live Workshop with Ian Ian’s running a free workshop on The 6 Dominoes of an Ecommerce Sale — it’s happening this week. ​​​​​​​ Save your seat here 👉 https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/6-dominoes-free-workshop P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business: 1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

What makes an ecommerce website truly work — and why do some brands dominate while others flop? In this episode, Mark and Ian dive deep into: • The ecommerce websites we keep coming back to and why • How smart brands like Lululemon, Space Goods, and AO.com design for emotions, not just clicks • How weather, seasonality, and agility separate winning brands from slow, outdated ones • Why your website must match your customer's emotional need (problem-solving vs. desirability plays) • The real hidden reasons some ecommerce brands scale to $10M+ fast Perfect if you’re running an ecommerce brand, managing UX, or planning your next big store upgrade. 👉 Plus: You’ll hear quick critiques of sites like Dusk, Merry People, Healthspan, Buddy & Lola, Huel, Naked Wines, and more. 🎓 Learn how to adapt faster and grow smarter at hammersleybrothers.com P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business: 1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786

In this episode, Mark and Ian break down the three key numbers that drive every successful ecommerce business — and explain why most store owners are flying blind without them. You’ll learn:   •How to predict monthly revenue in real-time (not after it’s too late) •Why your overall ROAS is the single most important number for profitability •How to calculate new customer ROAS and use it to scale without overspending •Why hitting targets often still feels disappointing — and how to fix that mindset Plus: insights from their live number sheet workshop, and how to stop making emotional decisions in your business. Learn more at hammersleybrothers.com   P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:   1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

What do Trump tariffs, Easter weather, and Google Ads have in common? They’re all disrupting your eCommerce margins — and most brands don’t know how to respond.   In this episode, Mark and Ian break down the real impact of the new U.S. import tariffs, why rain (or the lack of it) can tank your ROAS, and how to keep calm when everything feels like it’s falling apart.   You’ll learn: Why knowing your numbers sheet is the only thing that saves you How to handle sudden market disruptions — like a 145% tariff overnight When to cut spend vs. hold your ground in paid ads How AI and trade wars are colliding to reshape eCommerce Real-world lessons from brands who failed (and succeeded) under pressure This is a must-watch for any DTC founder, eCom manager, or Shopify brand owner trying to stay profitable in a world that’s changing fast.     P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786 

This week, we're diving into AI in e-commerce, how we're using it personally, how we see this space moving over time, the benefits and some of the fallout from it. So let's get started.   P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 3 ways Ian and I can help you grow your ecommerce business:     1. Talk to us. Book a call with us and let's talk about accelerating your growth - https://go.hammersleys.co.uk/scheduleuk-ant/   2. Grab a copy of our book - https://book.hammersleybrothers.com/ 3. Join the Ultimate Guide To Ecommerce Facebook group and connect with e-commerce owners who are scaling too - https://www.facebook.com/groups/924567391291786