Some personal news...

Relax. This isn't one of those trendy screenshare gifs where I update my Twitter bio.

But I did just make a professional "pivot" that has been shared with the team, so now I can share it with you.

Keep reading to hear about what I'm working on next.

I'm not leaving The Good, but I AM changing roles to focus on a new effort we've put together called The Good Ventures.

Our goal is to build or buy a portfolio of profitable businesses that serve our existing audience AND complement our work on the services side of the house.

This isn't a novel idea.

Agencies like Metalab, Simple Focus, and Common Thread Collective have done similar things. They're commonly referred to as holding companies, aggregators, or portfolio companies.

Watching their experience has helped us realize we can be successful too.

I'll be leading the charge as Director of The Good Ventures, with a goal of going from $0 to $100k revenue within 12 months as a proof of concept.

We'll start by totally rebranding, repositioning, and relaunching 
@UserInputIO as an ecommerce-focused customer research service.

This is already well underway. Here's a sneak peek of what the new website looks like and we've got a handful of brands generously helping us "stress test" our new systems and processes.

We'll offer user testing, customer feedback, and expert CRO Audits as a starting point.

This transition brings up two emotions:

Gratitude – I can't believe I've been given the opportunity, trust, and resources to take this on.

Uncertainty – We have lofty long-term goals, and I've never done this before. This will be the biggest test of my professional life.

So, what does all of this mean to you?

Probably not much, but here are a few things that might be helpful to know...

1. For now, I'm still the Director of Marketing at The Good and the host of The Ecommerce Insights Show. If you have questions about either, I'm still your guy.

2. I plan to share a lot of what we're working on at UserInput and any other products/companies that might join the portfolio. If you like learning about early-stage marketing and growth, keep tuning in.

And, finally...

3. I desperately want to help ecommerce brands use research to design better customer experiences, and improve their key growth metrics in the process. 

If I can help you (or your audience) in any way – blog posts, workshops, podcast interviews, whatever – please hit me up.

Here's the TL;DR...

• I'm still leading marketing at @thegood (with lots of help!)

• Most of my time/energy is going toward building @UserInputIO 

• I'm actively seeking opportunities to teach about the value of customer research and customer experience design in ecommerce

If you made it this far, I want you to know that I'm incredibly grateful to have you following along as I continue to grow – both personally and professionally – in public.

I promise to respect your attention and to share everything I learn long the way. Now, back to work! 💪

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/jamesrsowers/3Wu89gE

Some personal news. I'm taking on a new role!

I'll be leading the charge as Director of The Good Ventures, with a goal of going from $0 to $100k revenue within 12 months as a proof of concept.

We'll start by totally rebranding, repositioning, and relaunching @UserInputIO as an ecommerce-focused customer research service.

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/jamesrsowers/JVaf5wT

Personal news. I'm taking on a new role!

Wouldn't it be amazing if a customer hit your store, clicked on a product image, added that product to their cart, and checked out immediately? That's the dream.

Unfortunately, most transactions aren't that straightforward.

Here's what usually happens instead...

First, customers search for the right product for their specific needs. 

Then, they research questions/concerns they have about product features and specifications.

Finally, they look for social proof and confirmation about shipping cost, delivery timelines, or return policies.

All of this results in a purchasing experience that's winding and exploratory, which means it's hard to understand exactly when, where, and why website visitors go from a "sure sale" to an abandoned session/cart.

So, how do you address confusion, distraction, and uncertainty?

You run a conversion funnel analysis.

That's a fancy way of saying: Look at your analytics and figure out where the biggest drop-offs are in your purchasing experience. Then, make design changes that will get more visitors deeper into the funnel. (Read: Closer to a purchase)

This is one of those topics that's WAY easier to understand with visual aids, so we put together a detailed guide that teaches you how to run your own conversion funnel analysis – and what to do with the information.

Here it is:
https://thegood.com/insights/ecommerce-conversion-funnel-analysis/

A funnel analysis won't get you all the answers, but it will bring clarity to the situation and give you the information required to make *informed* design decisions.

Following your gut is great advice for personal relationships, but in business you should always use data first.

Hope that's helpful for you! I'm always here to answer any questions you have.

Side note: I also re-published this post on Linkedin. If you enjoy it, please consider leaving a like and a comment there so it can help more business owners. 🙏🏻

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jamesrsowers_wouldnt-it-be-amazing-if-a-customer-hit-activity-6915292838091968512-IuNQ

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/jamesrsowers/LzksJzX