In A Cashflow Crunch? Discounting Is Not The Solution...

If you’ve been feeling like your Meta ads are a bit hit and miss lately—or you’ve just noticed things aren’t working like they used to—you’re not imagining it. There has been a major shift. Meta has officially rolled out its biggest update since the infamous Apple iOS 14 privacy change that turned digital advertising on its head. This new update is called… Andromeda. (Dramatic, I know!) And today, I’m going to break down exactly what it is, what it means for your ads, what you need to be doing differently right now—and how you can get some free expert help to make sure you’re on the right track.  Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-267   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.   Work With Me: www.catherinelangman.com/work-with-me Ecommerce Quick Wins Strategy Session: www.catherinelangman.com/quickwins   Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I took my newly acquired skincare brand, Indagare Natural Beauty, and grew it by 200% in just six months. The past year hasn’t been an easy time in eCommerce, given how rapidly everything has been changing thanks to all the massive technological advancements in AI, on top of a pretty dampened economy.   So I know that a lot of businesses have felt discouraged and wondering if it’s actually possible to succeed right now.   I’m not going to sit here and pretend that overcoming all of that uncertainty and all those challenges isn’t difficult – of course it is – but all that means is that, when you do succeed, it’s even sweeter.   Whether you’re struggling with slow sales or feeling stuck in your business, you’ll walk away from this episode with real, actionable insights to spark serious growth in your store.   Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-266-2   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.   Work With Me: www.catherinelangman.com/work-with-me Live workshop: www.catherinelangman.com/workshop    Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Youtube   Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore  

As International Women’s Day 2025 approaches, the theme, ‘Accelerate Action for Gender Equality’, resonates deeply with me. Having spent over a decade working predominantly with female founders, I’ve seen (and experienced) firsthand the challenges women face in achieving career and entrepreneurial success, particularly while balancing family responsibilities but also an enjoyable life outside of work. I firmly believe that one of the greatest barriers to gender equality is financial disparity. I don’t think Women will ever achieve true gender equality until they reach financial parity with men. But achieving financial parity is going to require more than just paying women more— it demands a complete rethinking of how the workforce supports women to maintain and advance their careers. In this episode, I want to share with you what we’ve done successfully here in our organisation to build a thriving business staffed by a team of women working remotely and flexibly. We’re not all mothers, but we do all appreciate the flexibility of the way we work and how we work to live rather than live to work.  If you want a bit more of that for yourself, you might find some tips and inspiration in today’s episode.   Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-265   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.   Work With Me: www.catherinelangman.com/work-with-me   Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore

If you’ve been feeling the pinch this month, you’re not alone. February is historically the slowest month for eCommerce sales.    For starters, it’s the shortest month of the year, and most consumers have just spent up big on Christmas, summer holidays, and back-to-school expenses. They’re back to work, back into routine, and often tightening their belts after a financially heavy start to the year.   So, if you’re experiencing a sales slump, take a deep breath. It’s normal. But that doesn’t mean you should just ride it out and hope for the best.    Today, I’m going to walk you through the most effective strategies to get through this period, build momentum, and set your store up for a strong Q2. Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-264   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.   Free workshop: www.catherinelangman.com/workshop Work With Me: www.catherinelangman.com/work-with-me   Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore

Do you remember back in the COVID boom years when eCommerce felt like an endless money machine? Customers were stuck at home and governments were handing out cash.   So customers had lots of free time and more spare money so what did they do? They shopped online. eCommerce sales skyrocketed with almost zero effort.    Paid ads were cheap, traffic was easy to get, and brands were scaling like crazy—even without a solid marketing strategy. If you had a business during that time, you probably thought, ‘Wow, this is incredible!’    But fast forward to today, and the game has changed entirely. If your cash flow is feeling the squeeze, you’re not alone. Let’s talk about why this is happening and, more importantly, how to fix it. Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-263/   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together. Free Strategy Session: www.productpreneurmarketing.com/lets-talk    Live workshop, “3 Quick Wins to Rapidly Grow an Audience that Converts” www.catherinelangman.com/workshop     Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore  

When it comes to launching and growing your e-commerce brand, other than your cost of goods, the two biggest expenses of operating your business will be fulfillment and marketing.   Now, we all know very well that no courier or postal service will ship our orders out for free. So we’re well trained to expect to pay for that service!    But on the marketing side, the options (and fees involved) for marketing and advertising exist on a very wide spectrum, from crowdsourcing advice in free Facebook groups to expensive external agencies.   I know a lot of business owners have lost money, either due to getting poor results from their efforts or being burned by dodgy service providers. And it’s because they simply don’t have the knowledge or skills to know what they SHOULD be doing.    And they don’t have that knowledge because, like me in my early days as an entrepreneur, they felt intimidated by things, believing they couldn’t do it, fearful of stuffing things up and losing money, and therefore defer to an expert.   In this episode, I share a rather embarrassing story about the time I made a REALLY bad choice with outsourcing that ultimately cost me more than $15,000! But also turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons I’ve had in business.    If you’ve had a bad experience or not gotten the result you want with an agency or program, OR you are just starting out – you probably need to learn how to do some stuff that’s a bit tricky and hard.     And by listening to this episode, this is your opportunity to learn from my hard-won experience and avoid making the same kind of costly error yourself!   Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-262/   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together. Free 2025 Ecommerce Marketing Playbook: www.catherinelangman.com/playbook Free Strategy Session: www.productpreneurmarketing.com/lets-talk    Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore  

Shopping online is a very different experience to shopping in physical stores in one very key way: When you go to the shops, you often wander into stores and that’s how you discover new products.   Whereas, when it comes to shopping online, typically you have to be actively searching for that thing.   eCommerce is unlike having a brick and mortar store, where you can somewhat rely on foot traffic going past your shop front and being enticed into your shop as the point of discovery.   In eCommerce, we need to proactively communicate with our audience to get them over to our website. And your email marketing tool can make all the difference between a highly profitable Shopify store vs one with underwhelming results.   But, there are literally hundreds of email marketing applications on the market. So, how do you choose the best email marketing app for an eCommerce business? One that drives those people to your online store AND generates you a great ROI?   The reason I want to talk about this today is because Klaviyo – the email marketing app that I recommend for eCommerce – has recently changed their pricing structure and it’s causing all kinds of stress and anxiety. I’m seeing a lot of brand owners make very hasty decisions to shift away to other platforms that appear to be cheaper, but in most cases are very poor matches for their needs.   I see a lot of people making mistakes with this choice, either from poor advice or ignorance about what difference it makes, or thinking that all platforms do the same thing and choosing the cheapest one is a prudent decision.    Your email database is THE biggest asset you own in an ecommerce business. It’s the audience that you own and is the vehicle through which you communicate to your customers and prospects.    Choosing well will enable you to grow your business efficiently and effectively, whereas choosing poorly will be a handbrake on your growth and will impact your profitability.   Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together. Free 2025 Ecommerce Marketing Playbook: www.catherinelangman.com/playbook Free Strategy Session: www.productpreneurmarketing.com/lets-talk    https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-176/ https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-236/ Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore  

Recently, we started working with a brand who came to us with a really common problem that I see many eCommerce brands struggle with.    The business in question was guaranteed a specific – and very high – ROAS (return on ad spend) by an agency pitching to win their digital advertising account. However, the results they’ve actually experience have been pretty disappointing to say the least.    Now, a high ROAS result is a common enticement many agencies use to win business and it’s designed to make the brand owner believe that they will grow faster and more profitably than any other alternative.    Which of course would have been true 5 years ago when digital advertising worked very differently: 5, 10 or even higher ROAS results off cold traffic were the norm back then.    However, not in 2024 and certainly not in 2025, when we now operate in a world with vastly restricted data tracking, much more intense competition for each website click as well as for each consumer dollar, and much lower consumer trust of any branded digital content.    And the end result is that the brand owner feels like they’ve been taken advantage of, or even burned by said agency.   Suffice to say, promising a ROAS result is not only foolish, but also flawed. For starters, with tracking and on-platform reporting so inaccurate now, you just can’t trust the accuracy of those reported ROAS figures.    Secondly, any really high ROAS figures I am seeing right now are pretty much always on campaigns going for the low hanging fruits – branded search terms and existing engaged audiences or repeat customers. Or campaigns offering really huge discount incentives. None of which you should be spending top dollar on with your advertising!    And thirdly, there is a massive assumption that achieving a specific ROAS automatically means that you must be making a profit on sales from those campaigns, after ad spend, product costs and other overheads.    But 99% of the time that is just not true.    In this episode, I detail this trap, and share the truth of what’s really happening, plus the solution. By the end of this episode, you will have a much better idea of WHY every eCommerce brand needs to have the Profitable Productpreneur growth system in place in their business.  Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-260/ Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.     Free 2025 Ecommerce Marketing Playbook: www.catherinelangman.com/playbook Free Strategy Session: www.productpreneurmarketing.com/lets-talk    Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore

To succeed in growing an eCommerce business, we need to get enough people visiting our websites, adding products to their shopping cart and checking out. And we need to do that without over-spending on advertising.   However, getting traffic to our websites is harder and more expensive in 2025 than even just a year ago.    This is partly due to technology advances in AI: for example, thanks to generative AI, most Google searches now offer up content within the search results themselves, resulting in far fewer clicks outside of Google.   But getting website traffic at a profitable price is also being impacted by changes such as Meta’s latest announcement where they are removing fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram, amongst other policy changes.   All of which leaves many consumers wondering, what content is real and what is artificially generated? What is legitimate and what is a scam?    It is harder than ever now for all of us to trust content that we see online - especially in ads.  Which can severely impact conversion rates, driving traffic costs up even further.   So today on the show, I’m going to share three practically free strategies that I’m using right now in my businesses, to quickly gain the attention and trust of the right people, that are generating huge spikes in website traffic and sales.   Anyone can use these strategies, whether you're at an early stage in your business growth trajectory, or you’re already at scale.   Episode’s Show Notes: https://www.catherinelangman.com/episode-259/ Links mentioned in this episode: If you’d like help to achieve your goals in 2024 I invite you to have a chat to find out how we can make that happen together.   Free 2025 Ecommerce Marketing Playbook: www.catherinelangman.com/playbook Free Strategy Session: www.productpreneurmarketing.com/lets-talk    Other Ways To Enjoy This Episode: Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/scale-my-ecommerce-store/id1496911739 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NLRaZh2ReX0Iy7met8HK6 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@scalemyecomstore