Practical Ecommerce Radio Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:04:10 -0400 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1996843 en © 2026 Practical Ecommerce Radio yes 00ca8911-0306-5529-9b1d-084edf678709 Kerry episodic false Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Kerry ChannelAdvisor Founder Launches GEO for Merchants ChannelAdvisor Founder Launches GEO for Merchants Scot Wingo followed consumers' online shopping journeys while running ChannelAdvisor, the pioneering marketplace management platform he launched in 2001. He says consumers approach the process in three stages: researching the market, finding suitable products, and buying the right item.

The acronym — ReFiBuy — is the name of his latest company. It's a generative AI optimization platform for retailers and brands.

By any measure, Scot is an ecommerce pioneer. We first interviewed him in 2006, when he shared the new concept of selling products on marketplaces!

Last week, I asked him about ReFiBuy. The entire audio of our conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

 

]]> Scot Wingo followed consumers' online shopping journeys while running ChannelAdvisor, the pioneering marketplace management platform he launched in 2001. He says consumers approach the process in three stages: researching the market, finding suitable products, and buying the right item.

The acronym — ReFiBuy — is the name of his latest company. It's a generative AI optimization platform for retailers and brands.

By any measure, Scot is an ecommerce pioneer. We first interviewed him in 2006, when he shared the new concept of selling products on marketplaces!

Last week, I asked him about ReFiBuy. The entire audio of our conversation is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

 

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-17928406 Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0400 1779 full false The Problem with Optimizing for GenAI The Problem with Optimizing for GenAI Optimizing for visibility in generative AI platforms seems easy enough. Enter a sitemap URL into Bing Webmaster Tools and Search Console, and, voilà, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and even ChatGPT access and reference the content.

But Clint Butler reminds us it's not that simple. He says the problem is knowing which platform to optimize, as the tactics differ. And rarely do those platforms mention the source, much less link to it. Google, incredibly, uses one source to power AI Overviews but links to others in the citations.

Clint is a decorated, 20-year military veteran who now runs Digtalteer, a prominent search-engine-optimization agency. I spoke with him last month on the state of AI search, ecommerce optimization tactics, schema markup, and more.

]]> Optimizing for visibility in generative AI platforms seems easy enough. Enter a sitemap URL into Bing Webmaster Tools and Search Console, and, voilà, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and even ChatGPT access and reference the content.

But Clint Butler reminds us it's not that simple. He says the problem is knowing which platform to optimize, as the tactics differ. And rarely do those platforms mention the source, much less link to it. Google, incredibly, uses one source to power AI Overviews but links to others in the citations.

Clint is a decorated, 20-year military veteran who now runs Digtalteer, a prominent search-engine-optimization agency. I spoke with him last month on the state of AI search, ecommerce optimization tactics, schema markup, and more.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-16815205 Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:00:00 -0400 1625 full false How to Beat Amazon at SEO How to Beat Amazon at SEO Ted Kubaitis once managed organic search for a retailer with 25,000 SKUs and 500 categories. He feared competing against Amazon for rankings until he realized most of its product pages had zero backlinks. Then an epiphany hit.

"All it took was 25 backlinks," he told me.

Ted is now the founder of SEO Tool Lab, a prominent agency and software provider, and the host of "SEO Fight Club," a YouTube show.

]]> Ted Kubaitis once managed organic search for a retailer with 25,000 SKUs and 500 categories. He feared competing against Amazon for rankings until he realized most of its product pages had zero backlinks. Then an epiphany hit.

"All it took was 25 backlinks," he told me.

Ted is now the founder of SEO Tool Lab, a prominent agency and software provider, and the host of "SEO Fight Club," a YouTube show.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-16773693 Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0400 1749 full false Q&A: Passport CEO Talks Tariffs Q&A: Passport CEO Talks Tariffs President Trump’s tariffs have merchants scrambling to gauge the impact on imports, exports, and overall cost. There’s no better authority to assess that impact than Alex Yancher. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Passport, a global provider of cross-border logistics, localization, and support for ecommerce sellers.

]]> President Trump’s tariffs have merchants scrambling to gauge the impact on imports, exports, and overall cost. There’s no better authority to assess that impact than Alex Yancher. He’s the CEO and co-founder of Passport, a global provider of cross-border logistics, localization, and support for ecommerce sellers.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-16668591 Mon, 24 Feb 2025 09:00:00 -0500 1395 full false Norsland Lefse CEO: Holiday Prep, Profit Tweaks, Customer Feedback Norsland Lefse CEO: Holiday Prep, Profit Tweaks, Customer Feedback Kerry Buzzsprout-15741789 Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:00:00 -0400 1177 full false Ecommerce Recruiter on Landing a Job Ecommerce Recruiter on Landing a Job We occasionally hear from ecommerce pros seeking employment. Many this year report extended searches with little to no acknowledgment from would-be employers after submitting a resume.

To inquire, we once again turn to Harry Joiner. He's a 20-year ecommerce recruiter with a seasoned perspective for job seekers and the companies who hire them.

]]> We occasionally hear from ecommerce pros seeking employment. Many this year report extended searches with little to no acknowledgment from would-be employers after submitting a resume.

To inquire, we once again turn to Harry Joiner. He's a 20-year ecommerce recruiter with a seasoned perspective for job seekers and the companies who hire them.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-15656614 Thu, 29 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400 1666 full false Brilliance CEO on Acquiring a Food Manufacturer Brilliance CEO on Acquiring a Food Manufacturer Kerry Buzzsprout-15429564 Mon, 22 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -0400 1146 full false Q&A: Ecommerce Employment in 2024 Q&A: Ecommerce Employment in 2024 Harry Joiner launched his ecommerce recruiting firm in 2005. He has experienced booms, busts, and nonstop changes. I contact him periodically for a recap on ecommerce executive employment in the U.S.

Our conversation last week touched on post-Covid impacts, the demand for remote work, the dominance of LinkedIn, and more. The entire audio of our discussion is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length.

]]> Harry Joiner launched his ecommerce recruiting firm in 2005. He has experienced booms, busts, and nonstop changes. I contact him periodically for a recap on ecommerce executive employment in the U.S.

Our conversation last week touched on post-Covid impacts, the demand for remote work, the dominance of LinkedIn, and more. The entire audio of our discussion is embedded below. The transcript is edited for clarity and length.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-14254540 Mon, 08 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500 1427 full false Ecommerce Acquisitions Steady in 2023 Ecommerce Acquisitions Steady in 2023 I last spoke with Mark Daoust in late 2022. His firm, Quiet Light, a digital business brokerage, had just witnessed a post-pandemic hangover from cheap money and booming ecommerce. A normal acquisition market had returned.

We connected again last week. I asked him for an update on the state of buying and selling ecommerce companies.

No one is more qualified for that update than Daoust. His firm has grown from its founding in 2007 to 13 full-time advisors — all former entrepreneurs — who, with Daoust, have collectively experienced frenzied markets and the opposite.

]]> I last spoke with Mark Daoust in late 2022. His firm, Quiet Light, a digital business brokerage, had just witnessed a post-pandemic hangover from cheap money and booming ecommerce. A normal acquisition market had returned.

We connected again last week. I asked him for an update on the state of buying and selling ecommerce companies.

No one is more qualified for that update than Daoust. His firm has grown from its founding in 2007 to 13 full-time advisors — all former entrepreneurs — who, with Daoust, have collectively experienced frenzied markets and the opposite.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-14154232 Fri, 15 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0500 1124 full false Q&A: Barry Schwartz, Publisher of Search Engine Roundtable Q&A: Barry Schwartz, Publisher of Search Engine Roundtable Barry Schwartz was just 23 when he launched Search Engine Roundtable in 2003. Google had started five years earlier, and optimizing web pages for organic rankings was primitive, at least by today's standards.

Fast forward to 2022, and Search Engine Roundtable is a pillar of industry news and how-to. And so is Schwartz. He's a pioneering tech publisher, journalist, and search engine authority.

]]> Barry Schwartz was just 23 when he launched Search Engine Roundtable in 2003. Google had started five years earlier, and optimizing web pages for organic rankings was primitive, at least by today's standards.

Fast forward to 2022, and Search Engine Roundtable is a pillar of industry news and how-to. And so is Schwartz. He's a pioneering tech publisher, journalist, and search engine authority.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-11857139 Mon, 12 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0500 1392 full false Quiet Light Founder on State of Ecommerce M&A Quiet Light Founder on State of Ecommerce M&A What is the current state of ecommerce acquisitions? Curious, I turned to Mark Daoust. He's a pioneer in ecommerce M&A, having launched Quite Light, a brokerage, in 2007.

]]> What is the current state of ecommerce acquisitions? Curious, I turned to Mark Daoust. He's a pioneer in ecommerce M&A, having launched Quite Light, a brokerage, in 2007.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-11837221 Thu, 08 Dec 2022 10:00:00 -0500 977 full false Q&A: Executive Recruiter on State of Ecommerce Employment Q&A: Executive Recruiter on State of Ecommerce Employment It's been a rough year for many ecommerce companies. Even the largest players — Amazon, Shopify — have announced layoffs.

Amid the turmoil, we thought of Harry Joiner. He's a longtime ecommerce recruiter, having launched his executive search firm in 2005.

We recently asked him about the state of ecommerce employment, hiring tactics, and more. 

]]> It's been a rough year for many ecommerce companies. Even the largest players — Amazon, Shopify — have announced layoffs.

Amid the turmoil, we thought of Harry Joiner. He's a longtime ecommerce recruiter, having launched his executive search firm in 2005.

We recently asked him about the state of ecommerce employment, hiring tactics, and more. 

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-11823291 Tue, 06 Dec 2022 08:00:00 -0500 1300 full false Q&A: Anastasia Zhuk, Ukraine Agency Owner Q&A: Anastasia Zhuk, Ukraine Agency Owner Amid the onset of the Russian invasion, we received an email from Ukraine. The sender was the co-owner of the Whidegroup, an ecommerce agency in Zaporizhzhia, near Crimea. Politely, Anastasia Zhuk asked if we would renew her company’s directory listing.

]]> Amid the onset of the Russian invasion, we received an email from Ukraine. The sender was the co-owner of the Whidegroup, an ecommerce agency in Zaporizhzhia, near Crimea. Politely, Anastasia Zhuk asked if we would renew her company’s directory listing.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-10767161 Thu, 09 Jun 2022 17:00:00 -0400 729 full false Q&A: Alyona Mysko of Ukraine-based Fuel Finance Q&A: Alyona Mysko of Ukraine-based Fuel Finance It took a war for many of us to realize the skills of Ukrainians. The country is full of technology talent with impressive educational credentials and a strong work ethic. This interview is with Alyona Mysko, the founder of Fuel, a cloud-based financial platform located normally in Kyiv. Fuel provides essential ecommerce accounting and financial services for not a lot of money.

]]> It took a war for many of us to realize the skills of Ukrainians. The country is full of technology talent with impressive educational credentials and a strong work ethic. This interview is with Alyona Mysko, the founder of Fuel, a cloud-based financial platform located normally in Kyiv. Fuel provides essential ecommerce accounting and financial services for not a lot of money.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-10767125 Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:00:00 -0400 998 full false SeoProfy Founder: Study Competitors to Improve Rankings SeoProfy Founder: Study Competitors to Improve Rankings The best tactic for improving organic search rankings is analyzing successful competitors. That's according to Victor Karpenko, the founder of Ukraine-based SeoProfy, a global consultancy.

]]> The best tactic for improving organic search rankings is analyzing successful competitors. That's according to Victor Karpenko, the founder of Ukraine-based SeoProfy, a global consultancy.

]]> Kerry Buzzsprout-10767080 Thu, 09 Jun 2022 16:00:00 -0400 1266 full false