eCommerce is always changing because of the technology that’s available to us – in sales, marketing, conversions, product reviews, analytics, or your CRM (and actually many more). We need to know what the best technology apps and services are that are going to give us an advantage over our competitors. So today, we chatted with Derric Haynie, Chief eCommerce Technologist at eCommerce Tech, who specializes in keeping your tool stack up to speed with the growth of your store. Deal Closers is hosted by Izach Porter and is produced by Earfluence.
The world of e-commerce is always evolving due to the way technology has kept changing. Many e-commerce entrepreneurs believe that implementing the latest trendy tools or technologies is the key to success. However, the reality is far more glaring. There is a need to know the best e-commerce tools that would give the businesses top advantage. However, achieving sustainable growth and profitability requires more than just adopting the next best thing. Today, we’re diving into strategies that optimize online stores’ performance through thoughtful tool selection, execution, and data-driven insights. Today, we’re joined by Derric Haynie, an e-commerce optimization expert at eCommerce Tech, who will share insights on how to effectively enhance your online store’s performance through strategic tool selection and data-driven decision-making.
When Derric Haynie was in-house in e-commerce, he realized that the landscape was changing faster than any single person could possibly stay on top of. And he thought that there’s got to be a better way to do it. He wanted to create a shortcut for all eCommerce experts where one person stays on top of it. That motivated him to do demos of technology products. So for the first two years of the business, he focused on his job doing demos of e-commerce technology products and posting reviews of it on his own site, this he did breaking down the process and simplifying it for other merchants.
Now it’s evolved into having some additional technology that can manage the tool stack, understand where we’re spending our money, and then also make recommendations for future products. Cause once we can see the entire landscape and we can see you as a merchant, what’s going on in your store, we can start to really understand where the pieces are going to come together and what’s next for you. Many entrepreneurs believe that new tools can revolutionize their business. However, the truth lies in how effectively the team executes these tools. Often, the number one reason for failure isn’t the tool itself but the team’s inability to use it properly due to a lack of alignment or necessary resources. With the steps outlined below, you can know how to properly use the tech tools that are needed for your e-commerce business.
For example, a company might invest in a TikTok marketing tool with a strong presence or strategy for the platform, leading to poor results. Haynie emphasizes the importance of aligning tool usage with clear business goals like increasing average order value, conversion rate, or profitability. Success comes from roadmapping these goals based on internal resources, not from chasing the latest innovation.
The future of e-commerce is data. Leveraging AI and machine learning enables businesses to process vast amounts of customer data to create better flow sequences, personalized offers, and predictive actions. Haynie notes that as the industry evolves from basic business intelligence (analyzing graphs to derive insights) to predictive analytics (tools that tell you *what* to do based on data), merchants will find AI-driven platforms that can optimize ads, segment customers, and even create video ads. AI tools like prescient.ai and platforms that automatically optimize video creative ads can significantly improve return on ad spend, transforming how businesses engage with their customers.
Page speed is often touted as a crucial metric, but Haynie points out that it’s not the speed itself that matters—it’s how it affects conversion rate. Many e-commerce merchants misunderstand page speed, focusing on full-page load time rather than the more critical metric: *time to first interaction*. Lowering page speed load time by even one second can increase conversion rates significantly. Haynie stresses that improving speed should be viewed through the lens of ROI: “If lowering your page load time by one second generates an additional $10,000 in monthly revenue, you can justify spending up to $10,000 to make that improvement.” However, it’s important to balance page speed optimization with other conversion rate strategies, asking whether there’s a larger opportunity elsewhere that could deliver more significant gains.
Split testing is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of tools and strategies. By testing various versions of elements like product images or checkout flows, merchants can make data-backed decisions to optimize conversion rates. Haynie recommends tools like getbloom.ai, which allows merchants to split test product images, such as comparing lifestyle images against standard white-background images. Split testing can lead to better product merchandising, with Haynie noting that most customers respond more to lifestyle images, which show the product in action, compared to simple product shots.
For many e-commerce businesses, boosting profitability comes down to focusing on key areas like increasing average order value, retention rates, and effective merchandising. Haynie highlights the importance of personalization software and merchandising tools that optimize product placement based on both customer behavior and business metrics like profit margins and inventory levels. For instance, tools like advancedcommerce.com can help merchants personalize product recommendations by combining customer preferences with insights into product margins and inventory. This ensures businesses promote high-margin products without overselling items that are naturally popular and don’t need additional marketing push.
Imagine an e-commerce store selling fashion accessories. They’re using standard white-background product images but are seeing low conversion rates.
Haynie’s approach:
1. Implement split testing with getbloom.ai.
2. Test lifestyle images of products in action versus the standard white background.
3. Analyze the impact on conversion rates.
4. Optimize the image order and number based on real data.
5. Add elements like estimated delivery dates to improve conversions further.
To achieve e-commerce success, entrepreneurs must focus on aligning tool use with clear business goals, making data-driven decisions, and continuously optimizing based on measurable results. Split testing and personalization are powerful strategies that can significantly enhance conversion rates and profitability.
As Derric Haynie puts it: “The most important thing really is you as a merchant seeing the technology landscape and all of these opportunities, and then road mapping them out based on your own internal resources, obligations, and profitability goals.”
Derric Haynie is an expert in e-commerce optimization, specializing in data-driven strategies and the effective use of tools to drive profitability. His insights have helped countless online businesses thrive in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
Thanks everyone for listening to this episode of the Deal Closers Podcast brought to you by websiteclosers.com. If you like the show, be sure to rate us, write a review, press the follow button and share it with your network. Of course, we’re looking if you’re looking for help selling your e-commerce business, be sure to visit websiteclosers.com. This episode was edited and produced by Earfluence. I’m Izach Porter, connect with me on LinkedIn and we’ll see you next time on the Deal Closers Podcast.
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