The eCommerce Marketing Podcast walks you through everything that goes into ecommerce marketing — from inbound marketing to paid advertising to conversions. Learn the strategies top marketing experts use to grow their businesses.
In this episode of the eCommerce Marketing Podcast, host Arlen Robinson speaks with Sarah Gallagher, a seasoned expert in eCommerce strategy. They discuss the critical importance of performance and speed in eCommerce, exploring how these factors can significantly impact marketing efforts, customer retention, and overall business success. Sarah shares insights from her extensive experience, including practical tips for optimizing site speed and real-world examples of performance upgrades leading to increased conversion rates. The conversation also touches on the evolving landscape of eCommerce, the integration of social platforms, and the tools brands can use to assess their performance.
Key Episode Takeaways:
- Speed is crucial for eCommerce success.
- Performance upgrades can lead to significant revenue increases.
- Optimizing site speed can improve conversion rates by 37%.
- Brands must provide a friction-free customer experience.
- Regular performance assessments are essential for maintaining site efficiency.
- Image optimization is a key factor in site speed.
- Integrating with social platforms can enhance brand visibility.
- Understanding customer behavior is vital for eCommerce strategy.
- Monthly performance reviews can prevent degradation over time.
- A solid performance foundation is necessary before implementing design changes.
For show transcript highlights, past guests, and more, visit: https://www.ecommercemarketingpodcast.com
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Past guests on the ecommerce marketing podcast include Neil Patel, Nemo Chu, Luke Lintz, Luke Carthy, Amber Armstrong, Kris Ruby and many more.
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Sarah Gallagher leads the team at Gamma Waves and has spent over 15 years at the forefront of digital and ecommerce strategy. She’s not just keeping up with ecommerce trends—she’s setting them. Known for helping mid-market brands evolve into ecommerce powerhouses, Sarah combines technical expertise with a passion for fostering collaboration, excellence, and inclusivity. Earlier in her career, she even launched the first ecommerce site for The North Face.
In this episode, Sarah shares why performance optimization—specifically speed across the entire customer journey—is crucial for ecommerce success. She breaks down actionable strategies for supercharging marketing, testing, targeting, and conversion rates by simply making ecommerce experiences faster and friction-free. Through real-world examples and tactical advice, Sarah shows how brands can dramatically improve revenue without needing massive redesigns.
Key Topics Discussed
- Why speed across the customer journey is critical for ecommerce success today
- How milliseconds of load time directly translate to millions in revenue
- Common (and overlooked) bottlenecks like oversized images and unused apps
- Real-world case study: increasing conversion rates by 37% with backend performance fixes
- The importance of regular performance audits using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix
- How performance improvements amplify the results of all marketing channels
- The evolving role of AI and technology in ecommerce site optimization
- Best practices for balancing marketplace selling (TikTok Shop, Instagram Shop) with owning the customer journey
Time Stamps
[00:02] – Introduction to Sarah Gallagher and her ecommerce journey (including launching North Face’s first eCommerce site)
[02:30] – What drew Sarah to ecommerce and why the pace of change keeps her passionate
[04:31] – Biggest changes in ecommerce from early days to now
[08:17] – Why speed matters more than ever across the customer journey
[10:46] – Tangible tips to increase site speed, even on platforms like Shopify
[14:53] – How load time affects campaign performance and customer experience
[16:55] – Case Study: Boosting conversion rates and revenue by fixing performance bottlenecks
[19:01] – Why foundational performance fixes should come before UX redesigns
[20:41] – The role of TikTok Shop, Instagram Shop, and marketplace selling in today’s ecommerce
[22:26] – Where ecommerce performance optimization is heading in the future
[25:00] – Tools and frameworks to start monitoring and improving site speed
[26:38] – Fun Fact: Sarah hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back!
[28:16] – Where to connect with Sarah and learn more about Gamma Waves
Guest Contact Information
- Website: gammawaves.io
- LinkedIn: Sarah Gallagher
