WORKWEEK

Twitter might call this ~funnel hacking~. 

In reality, there’s no better way to study a brand, or a business, then to behave like a customer. 

🔍Step 1: Search for the brand on Google. 🔍

(to see where they rank / if they sell on Amazon / if they sell on any marketplaces + any retailers, to see if they are running a search campaign / to see if if someone else is bidding on their name). 

*you’re about to get set yourself up to get hit with a bunch of the brand’s ads – this is what we’re going for! You can also always stalk a brand’s ads via TikTok’s Creative Center and check out their ads via Facebook (oops, Meta) Library. 

📱Step 2: Click through to the brand’s website. 📱

Is there a popup? What popup? Postscript? Attentive? Klaviyo? Privy? Voyage? Emotive? Inspect the brand’s code to see the pixels, apps, and technology the brand is using (you can also use a Google Chrome Plugin to inspect this for you!) Shall I continue? 

🚦Step 3: Enter your phone number and email address. 🚦

On the email address front, I ALWAYS add the date into the email address I enter. 

For example, I’d type [email protected] –  anything after the + won’t effect where the email is routed, meaning you can type whatever you want and the email will still go to your regular inbox – in my case [email protected]).

I do this because I like to know when I subscribe so that I’m able to see how frequently I get hit with messages, and track the email welcome journey timing. MOVING ON! 

👋Step 4: Opt in by text, and open the welcome email 👋

(so that you can JUDGE IT – I mean LEARN from it). 

🖱️Step 5: Click the CTA in the email 🖱️

(and see if the welcome discount code is appended to the link for ease of use/ redemption (I hope it is!!)

🛍️Step 6: Shop around! 🛍️

Look at the brand’s homepage + collections pages + PDPs + add whatever catches your eye to your cart. Check the brand’s promobar (at the top of homepage) – does it mention free shipping? Is free shipping available? If yes, is this mentioned below the add-to-cart button on the PDPs?

EXTRA CREDIT: message the brand’s customer service team to ask a question pre-purchase! Are they nice? Responsive? Funny? Helpful? 

🛳️ Step 7: Now the fun begins! Time to abandon ship. See ya!! 🛳️

Abandon your cart, and go about your day. 

⌚Step 8: Watch the clock. ⌚

You’re in abandoned cart sequence land – will you get a cart reminder via text? By email? Both? Which came first? Interact with both or whichever one comes in (click the link). DON’T SHOP THOUGH. 

⏰Step 9: More time has passed. ⏰

You’ve watched Southern Charm, lived your life, and then BOOM! 

The brand is BACK in action – they’ve sent you a SECOND ABANDONED CART REMINDER – does it have a discount code? 

Is it steeper (at more of a discount than A) the original welcome offer in the popup on site B) an even steeper offer than the first abandoned cart? 

If yes, GO SHOPPING. You’ve earned it! You were patient. 

Check if there’s a split-payment option on site (Affirm, AfterPay, ShopPay, Klarna), check if your address pre-fills (convenient!), check if there’s an address validator present (there should be), check if they are using a post-purchase upsell (ReBuy, Carthook, OrderBump), check if they are offsetting the carbon inprint of your order (EcoCart, Shop). 

All of these things should be present! So, see what they are using. 

You learned a lot – maybe some things the brand did WOWED you!

Maybe the brand turned you off. Maybe their subject line was funny. Maybe the experience was clunky. 

Whatever it is, let’s keep our eyes peeled – WE’VE JUST SWITCHED LISTS. 

Gone are the days of window shopping – we are officially purchasers. 

A journey of a thousand credit card miles begins with a single purchase… oh wait, that’s not how that goes. Anywho, let’s continue. 

✅Step 10: Check your order confirmation. ✅

Is it Shopify native? 

Did the brand customize their transactional emails (I really hope they did). 

Is it creative? I really hope it is!

👀 Step 11: Let’s watch our purchase make its way to us. 👀

Does the brand just slap a label on the order, ship, and call it a day? 

Do they use Wonderment or Malamo to improve the customer experience (and to get ahead of CX tickets from customers checking on their orders?) 

Do they send tracking updates by text? 

By email? 

We’re looking at all of it!! 

🕵️Step 12: Did my package arrive when the brand said it would?🕵️

Did it ship out the same day I placed my order (if I ordered early in the morning?) 

Did it take 3 days to ship out? 

This might seem specific, but it’s really not. 

CUSTOMERS WATCH THEIR PACKAGES – THEY CHECK THEIR TRACKING – THEY NOTICE SO MUCH IN THE TIME BETWEEN WHEN THEY’VE SPENT THEIR HARD-EARNED MONEY AND WHEN THE THING THEY ORDERED ARRIVES. 

*I know I talk about this like every other week, but if the product isn’t going to ship out immediately and if you haven’t warned your customers on your PDP ahead of purchase, you are really messing up. That is not okay. Major trust issues with your customers to follow.

🎁Step 13: IT’S HERE! IT’S HERE! 🎁

How’s the packaging? Is it branded? 

Did I get what I ordered EXACTLY? 

Is the thing I ordered what I expected? Is there a packing slip (BTW, I’m team no packing slip 🌎♻️). 

Is the packaging eco-friendly? 🌎♻️

Is there a QR code? 

🥳Step 14: Time to enjoy what we bought! 🥳

If it’s clothes, let’s wear her! If it’s a candle, let’s light her! If it’s food, then time for a snack. 

I have no chill about this – I have already waited multiple days to get whatever it is that I ordered – USING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IS THE BEST PART! 

🧐Step 15: Did I like it? 🧐 

Was it worth the price? Is it underpriced? Do I want another? 

Have I already texted my sisters and the groupchat gushing over it / telling everyone to buy it? 

Do I hate it? So many ways that this can go. 

😱Step 16: The moment of truth: the review request arrives. 😱

(by email? My SMS? Both? Which comes first)? 

How many stars? 

What review software are they using? 

How many reviews does the product already have? 

Is the review request form optimized? 

Did I need to verify anything about myself before leaving the review? 

How long from the time the package was marked as delivered until when the first review request hit? 

Was I incentivized to leave my review? 

Did my review get published (Is the brand rejecting some reviews? Is it auto-publishing?)

^ REVIEWS ARE YOUR LIFEBLOOD. This is really what I’m here for – this is the part of the journey that I really want to see. 

REVIEWS ARE SO, SO IMPORTANT. THEY MATTER. THEY WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON WHETHER YOUR BRAND MAKES IT. WHETHER YOUR BRAND GOES TO MILLIONS OR… doesn’t.

Remember: anyone can convince someone to buy something ONCE. 

So, let’s spend some time breaking this part down – because your reviews strategy is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GET RIGHT. 

See you back here in your inbox this Wednesday. Let’s wear pink. 

*If there’s a brand you’d like me to breakdown in a future newsletter, let me know! Happy to take one (shop) for the team. EMAIL ME BACK! 

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