Welcome to The World's Best Email and Retention Podcast, or as we've been calling it, TWBERP. Dive into weekly episodes designed to help new and seasoned email and retention marketers make the most out of their email program. Get educated, get inspired, and get your notebook ready because you've got some work to do. Hosted by Pilothouse's Jordan Gordon on the DTC Podcast Network.
After auditing hundreds of email programs, Jordan Gordon has seen the same mistakes show up again and again. In this episode of The World’s Best Email & Retention Podcast, Jordan runs through 11 common problems that make retention programs harder to manage and less effective, from creating endless Klaviyo segments and bloated flows to mixing too many goals into one post-purchase journey. He also gets into why non-opener resends can hurt your sending reputation, where your best offer should appear in an email, what brands miss when testing dark mode, and why producing more campaigns can leave you with thinner creative. Then he moves beyond the inbox with two CRO mistakes he sees constantly: underdeveloped top product pages and homepages that have accumulated too many competing ideas. What you’ll learn: Why you probably have too many Klaviyo segments How bloated flows create dead weight in your retention program Why each automation should have one clear conversion goal Who you should ask for reviews and UGC Why non-opener double taps can hurt deliverability Where your strongest offer should appear Why every brand should be checking emails in dark mode How too much campaign volume can weaken your creative What your highest-traffic PDP needs above the fold How to clean up an overloaded homepage 00:00 – How Email + CRO Drive More Revenue 01:22 – The Email Mistakes Jordan Sees Every Day 03:19 – Why Too Many Flows Become Dead Weight 06:16 – UGC, Reviews & Post-Purchase Mistakes 10:07 – Give Every Automation One Clear Goal 13:29 – Offers, Non-Opener Resends & Dark Mode 16:22 – When Too Much Email Content Hurts Performance 22:13 – PDP & Homepage CRO Mistakes Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
In this episode of The World’s Best Email and Retention Podcast, Jordan Gordon sits down with Alia founder Shaan Arora to break down what makes a high-converting pop-up work. Shaan shares how Alia grew from a college project to $8 million in revenue before being acquired by Dotdigital for $60 million. He also explains how the company uses behavioral data to personalize pop-ups based on the shopper, timing, creative, and offer. They get into the role of data as a competitive advantage, how AI is changing software development, and why strong e-commerce brands continue testing even after they find a winning variation. What you’ll learn: How Alia grew from two early customers to a $60 million acquisition The four elements behind a “perfect pop-up” How timing, traffic source, and customer history affect conversion Why blanket discounts can quietly reduce margin How customer data creates an advantage that competitors cannot quickly copy Why Alia continues focusing on pop-ups as a core product How continuous A/B testing compounds conversion gains Why flexible software contracts can make experimentation easier 00:41 What makes a “perfect pop-up” 01:48 Alia’s $60 million acquisition 03:13 From college project to $8 million in revenue 08:54 AI, software development, and defensible SaaS moats 12:38 Personalizing the customer, timing, creative, and offer 18:48 Why strong brands never stop testing Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
In this episode of The World’s Best Email and Retention Podcast, Jordan Gordon sits down with Black Crow co-founder Shazad Khan to explore how AI could reshape the ecommerce website. As ad creative, search queries, and retention messages become more personalized, most shoppers still land on the same static product or collection page. Black Crow Storefronts is built to carry the context of each ad through the full post-click experience, creating tailored landing pages, product flows, carts, and upsells for each audience and campaign. Jordan and Shazad break down how AI storefronts work, where they fit into a brand’s marketing stack, and how creative teams, media buyers, and agencies may use them to improve conversion after the click. What you’ll learn: How AI is changing the role of the ecommerce website Why every ad could eventually lead to a unique storefront How Black Crow builds dynamic experiences from landing page to checkout Why post-click relevance can improve conversion and ROAS Which brands are ready to use AI storefronts How Black Crow supports email list growth and abandonment recovery How AI could change the responsibilities of media buyers and creative teams 00:00 How to drive more revenue without increasing ad spend 02:50 What will an ecommerce website look like in 10 years? 04:47 The personalization gap after someone clicks an ad 10:06 Inside Black Crow Storefronts 12:30 How AI builds a unique storefront for every ad 17:48 Controlling which products and audiences AI prioritizes 23:08 How AI changes creative and media buying roles 30:24 Black Crow’s AI tools for email and retention Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This week, we're revisiting a listener favourite from early in the TWBERP catalog. If you haven't been around since the beginning, we can assure you this is a good one. On with the show! In this episode, we dive into the art of creating email experiences that both sell and inspire. Join host Jordan Gordon as he explores how heritage brand Filson turns each email into a visual journey, using lifestyle photography, strategic design, and storytelling to craft an aspirational experience for their subscribers. We cover how Filson strikes the perfect balance between content-driven and conversion-focused emails, how they maximize engagement through VIP sign-ups and theme features, and why their approach to seasonal drops keeps customers coming back. Whether you’re an email marketer, brand owner, or design enthusiast, discover actionable tips to elevate your email strategy and create a more loyal audience. 00:00 — Intro 01:00 — The Role of Non-Conversion Emails 02:30 — Filson as a Case Study: Building a Visual Experience 05:00 — Making the Most of Your Best Shots 08:00 — Crafting Seasonal Drops 10:30 — Lifestyle vs. Product Focus: Striking a Balance 13:00 — VIP Sign-Ups: Building Long-Term Engagement 15:30 — Design Choices That Work Across Devices 18:00 — The Power of Theme Features 21:00 — Filson’s Take on Journal-Style Emails 24:00 — Closing Thoughts Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Before anyone talks about LTV, retention curves, or lifecycle marketing, there's one window that matters most: the first 30 days. Thomas Lalas, founder of Art of Ecomm and author of Retention Economics, joins Jordan Gordon to break down why the first month after a customer's purchase has an outsized impact on lifetime value, profitability, and long-term growth. They cover why retention is much bigger than email, how top subscription brands reduce early churn, and the systems they use to turn first-time buyers into loyal customers. In this episode: 00:00 Why email and CRO are the fastest path to profitable growth 01:21 Meet Thomas Lalas and the idea behind Retention Economics 04:40 Why retention is bigger than email marketing 07:00 The first 30 days that determine customer lifetime value 11:44 The three stages of a high-performing retention system 12:14 Pre-delivery: reducing anxiety and increasing perceived value 28:32 Post-delivery: building habits and educating customers 44:13 Rebilling: reducing churn before the next charge 49:27 Why engagement compounds over time 50:26 Agency vs. consultancy: two approaches to retention 51:24 Where to find Thomas and his book Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
All the conversion action on your Shopify store happens in a narrow window. Jordan builds out the diagnostic framework to find it, measure it, and fix it. What's covered: Why sessions, scroll depth, and page depth are all brutally short, and why that concentrates the opportunity The 10 power pages to audit: homepage, top 3 category pages by conversions, top 3 PDPs by conversions, top 3 content pages by sessions The four metrics to track per page: sessions, add to cart rate, conversion rate, conversions Entry vs. internal referrer as two distinct analytical lenses Channel segmentation: paid, organic, Klaviyo, direct/other, and why mixing them hides the real signal What healthy funnel shape looks like: PDP add to cart rate higher than category, higher than home Klaviyo benchmarks: 10% of total revenue attributed, 2-3x conversion rate on email entries Sitewide benchmarks: 7.5% add to cart, 2% conversion rate Post-click activities to deploy against specific gaps: pre-sell pages, quizzes, site funnels, category flows, bundle builders, recommendations, subscribe and save Referenced episodes: 69, 70, 73 (retention and email metrics), low-60s series (120-second session framework), recent recommendations flow and essentials flow episodes. Timestamps 00:00 – Why all the action is in the first 2 minutes, 2 folds, 2 pages 03:17 – How to diagnose a Shopify revenue problem 07:37 – The four metrics that matter: sessions, add to cart, conversion rate, conversions 08:34 – Entry vs. internal referrer explained 10:02 – Channel segmentation: paid, organic, Klaviyo, direct 12:28 – The 10 power pages framework 17:22 – What it means when homepage outperforms your top PDP 21:53 – Post-click activities to deploy against site gaps 26:16 – Klaviyo entry benchmarks and what to expect 31:06 – How to link your CRO ideas to needle-moving pages Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Email segmentation is getting tighter. Here's what our 2025 research found and what we changed going into H2 2026. We cover implied consent windows, why we pulled back from 150-day open segments to 120, the real revenue math on long buyer lookbacks, and how to structure a mailable segment that sits inside every other segment you send to. Key topics: Implied consent: 95-day default vs. the legal maximums Why 150-day open windows caused inboxing problems on some brands Long buyer lookbacks: the $400 on $14,000 reality check Engaged vs. unengaged within mailability First-time vs. repeat buyer segmentation and why it matters for sustainable revenue How to add implied consent directly into existing segments This is the internal lifecycle update Pilothouse publishes before every H2. The direction for 2026: tighter than 2025, across the board. 0:00 - What's required to inbox 2:51 - 2025 segmentation research overview 3:50 - Implied consent windows explained 5:16 - Open window: why we stayed at 120 days 7:15 - Where 85% of campaign revenue comes from 9:15 - Long buyer lookbacks: what the data showed 13:49 - How to establish mailability as your foundation 16:45 - First-time vs repeat buyer segmentation 20:27 - Using segmentation to learn about your business Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Your recommendations flow does more than fill inbox space. It introduces your audience to parts of your catalog they haven't seen, replaces a chunk of your campaign volume, and works on autopilot as your catalog changes. This episode breaks down how recommendations and essentials flows work together, why Klaviyo's default 10-recommendation set limits you to three usable emails, and how to split recommendations into specific categories (best sellers, new arrivals, trending, recommended for you) to force more variety and unlock 6-12 emails for the flow. You'll learn why hero shots underperform in these emails, how to structure a two-section layout (shopability plus special interest content), how to schedule sends based on declining intent after a site visit, and how this system frees your campaigns to focus on drops, discounts, and content people actually want. Topics covered: How recommendations and essentials flows split your catalog and trigger off site visits Working around Klaviyo's 10-recommendation default to get more emails out of the flow Building category-specific recommendation emails that tell a story Why product shots beat hero shots in this flow Two-section email structure: shopability and special interest content Scheduling sends based on visit recency and declining intent How this flow reduces the number of campaigns you need to run each month 00:00 - Introduction 03:50 - Core support vs essentials vs recommendations overview 06:46 - What is the recommendations email 09:08 - Klaviyo's 10-recommendation default and email limits 10:36 - Building category-specific recommendation emails 13:58 - Why hero shots underperform 15:52 - Two-section email structure 20:16 - Scheduling based on declining intent Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . A men's jewelry brand doing $3K/day sent one email with a password-protected sale page and did $54K in a single day. Henry Banfield, ecom strategist at Pilothouse, breaks down exactly how it worked: the month-long header build-up, the "VIP Access" password psychology, the segmentation behind the send, and why blocking the conversion drove it. Plus a second lesson on what actually retains your core customer base long-term. 00:00 - Intro 07:27 - The password-protected sale campaign 11:12 - $3K/day to $54K from one email 12:09 - Why blocking the conversion worked 14:06 - Consideration phase psychology 17:26 - List size and segmentation breakdown 21:16 - The $1 free sample that reactivated buyers 25:35 - High-interest content and engineering a payoff 29:20 - Stop optimizing for platform revenue Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . Most brands send a welcome email and immediately dump subscribers into their campaign program. This episode breaks down the automated flow that fixes that gap: the essentials flow. Jordan walks through why campaign revenue is concentrated among people who have visited the site recently, how to run the segment research yourself to confirm it, and why sending more campaigns is the wrong lever to pull. The essentials flow targets active-on-site visitors with deep, conversion-focused emails about your core products — the ones that actually drive purchases but never get the focused sell they deserve. Also covered: how the essentials flow sits above the recommendations flow in the conversion funnel support framework, how to Tetris both flows together without overlap, suppression rules, frequency windows, and how a 40-message lifecycle system replicates six to eight campaigns worth of monthly revenue without inflating send volume. The Aritzia inbox walkthrough shows exactly where the opportunity lives, even for a brand with a strong campaign program. Topics covered: Why most campaign revenue comes from recent site visitors How to run the segment research in Klaviyo Campaigns generate intent, automations convert on intent What belongs in an essentials flow and how to structure it How essentials and recommendations flows work together Suppression and re-entry rules The 40-message lifecycle build framework 00:00 – Intro 02:54 – Where the essentials flow fits in the funnel 03:24 – How to run the segment revenue research 07:22 – Two types of people on your list 09:48 – Campaigns generate intent, automations convert on intent 13:08 – Aritzia inbox walkthrough 18:41 – How to structure the essentials flow 21:07 – Essentials flow and recommendations flow together 27:47 – The 40-message lifecycle framework Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . Consumer psychology is not a channel-specific tactic. It runs underneath your email program, your site, your advertising, and your pricing. In this episode, Jordan Gordon breaks down the psychological mechanics at work across two brands operating from opposite ends of the gender and aesthetic spectrum: Skims and Percival. Topics covered include relative price anchoring, deliberate purchase behavior, self-concept theory, reactance theory, social proof with and without celebrity, the psychological redefinition of comfort, cultural currency, the mere-exposure effect, the Diderot effect, cognitive legitimacy, and reciprocity as a retention tool. The core argument: if your email program is only pushing margin-driven sends, you are burning the relationship. Brands that give real value on a consistent schedule train subscribers to stay engaged and buy repeatedly. Skims and Percival are used as case studies throughout, with direct application points for email content, welcome flows, post-purchase sequences, and long-term retention strategy. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 03:00 Why consumer psychology applies across all channels 04:00 Price is psychological: the $50 tap water case study 06:45 Deliberate purchase behavior and identity-driven buying 08:45 Social proof: Skims vs. Percival and two opposing strategies 11:00 Comfort is psychological: post-pandemic emotional marketing 13:45 Self-concept theory, tribal emblems, and reactance theory 19:30 Mere-exposure effect, the Diderot effect, and cognitive legitimacy Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . If your open rates have collapsed, your list is shrinking, or you're buried in the spam folder, this episode walks through exactly what to do. Jordan covers the 10 most important moves for recovering a damaged email account, from setting realistic expectations and rewarming your list to running email-only promotions and tracking the metrics that actually tell you if the program is healing. Topics covered: How to diagnose whether you have a spam problem or a disengagement problem When to rewarm and how to do it without destroying what's left Why subject lines matter more than design when your account is pooched How to establish a safe send size and stick to it The stale repeat buyer metric and why it's the clearest signal of recovery Why list size is one of the most misleading metrics in email How to use SMS as a bridge while email recovers 00:00 Intro 02:25 What a pooched email account looks like 04:24 Fix 1: Set realistic expectations 05:49 Fix 2: Optimize your pop-up and list growth trend 08:16 Fix 3: Decide whether to rewarm 10:08 Fix 4: Establish your safe send size 13:19 Fix 5: Two campaigns per week 16:13 Fix 6: Subject lines over design 18:35 Fix 7: Clean up content and URLs 19:34 Fix 8: Run email-only promotions 21:26 Fix 9: Lean into SMS 23:14 Fix 10: Get your metrics in order 25:39 The stale repeat buyer metric Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . When in doubt, zoom out. Most brands have a browse abandon and a checkout abandon — and call it done. In this episode, Jordan breaks down the entire conversion funnel support ecosystem: all 9 flows, how they connect, and how many emails each one actually needs. What's covered: The difference between lifecycle and funnel support (and why it matters) All 9 flows: site abandon, category abandon, browse abandon, cart abandon, checkout abandon, back in stock, price drop, recommendations, and funnel flusher Why back in stock and price drop are long-tail revenue machines How to set up flow rules so people move down the funnel — never up Why discounts don't belong in your funnel support (and the Toms email that proves it) The minimum email count for every flow in your library Plus: a live breakdown of browse abandon emails from Thrifty's and Toms — what works, what doesn't, and why hiding your product behind a hero shot is costing you conversions. Referenced episodes: The Only Site Abandon Flow You'll Ever Need The Only Browse Abandon Flow You'll Ever Need Site Funnels Episode 1 & 2 Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & what is conversion funnel support? 03:15 – The 4 core abandonment flows: site, category, browse, cart & checkout 08:30 – How to set up flow rules (people move down, never up) 13:19 – Beyond abandonment: back in stock, price drop & recommendations 19:11 – The recommendations flow: Amazon-inspired product discovery 22:00 – The funnel flusher: when and how to use it 24:25 – How many emails does each flow need? 26:24 – Live email breakdowns: Thrifty's & Toms 34:11 – Why discounts don't belong in funnel support 37:37 – Lifecycle discounting: the clean way to structure offers Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
This episode is sponsored by Klaviyo . Most ecommerce brands obsess over rates — pop-up submit rate, click-through rate, conversion rate. But rate without throughput is meaningless. In this episode, Jordan breaks down the 15 core touch points every ecommerce brand should be mapping, monitoring, and iterating on — and introduces the framework for how to actually think about them. You'll learn the difference between assets and touch points (and why it matters more now than ever), how to build your minimum viable touch point map, and what views to run through each touch point so you're never flying blind. In this episode: Assets vs. touch points — what's the difference and why it matters The 15 core touch points: from unaware landing pages to campaign headers Why throughput is the metric you should be watching How to audit your touch points once a month without losing your mind The pop-up math that tells you if yours is actually working PDP real estate — what to put around that add to cart button Browse abandon, cart abandon, and the pre/post cart email framework Drop structure — a four email set to monetize any product launch Referenced episodes: 4, 37, 46, 66, 67, 84 Episode Timestamps: 00:00 – Why throughput beats rate every time 05:18 – The 15 touch point map explained 08:13 – Touch points 1-3: Unaware, aware, and retargeting destinations 10:40 – Home fold 1 & 2: Are you sending people the right place? 14:08 – PDP: The highest value real estate on your site 19:53 – The pop-up math that tells you if yours is actually working 24:13 – Welcome, browse abandon, and the pre-cart email framework 30:25 – Campaign header/footer: The highest throughput touch point you're ignoring Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
If your store has hundreds — or thousands — of SKUs, your biggest problem isn't your product. It's discovery. Jordan sits down with Julia Whatley, Senior Partner Manager at Rebuy, to break down how smart personalization turns an overwhelming catalog into a guided buying experience. From search-driven add-to-carts to post-purchase subscription upgrades, Julia walks through the full on-site journey and how brands are using Rebuy to lift AOV, drive repeat purchases, and build more intelligent relationships with their customers. In this episode: Why mega-SKU brands have a discovery problem, not a product problem How one brand hit a 32% AOV boost and 20% bottom-line revenue increase The full personalization stack — search, bundles, smart cart, post-purchase, and more How to combine Klaviyo segments with Rebuy for truly tailored on-site experiences The "complete the look" strategy and the psychology behind purchase behavior What the winning brands of the next three years will have in common 00:00 – Intro & meet Julia Whatley, Senior Partner Manager at Rebuy 03:30 – The mega-SKU problem: why large catalogs create analysis paralysis 04:49 – KM Tools case study: 32% AOV boost & 20% bottom-line revenue increase 06:17 – Walking the full on-site journey: search, bundles, smart cart & more 12:49 – Bundle Builder: how 30% of Rebuy revenue flows through this one feature 25:47 – Secret weapons: Smart Links, geo-targeting & the Rebuy rules engine 30:55 – Klaviyo + Rebuy: why the integration is a need-to-have, not a nice-to-have 34:04 – The brands that will win in the next 3 years Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
In this episode, Jordan breaks down 7 fixes you can implement today to improve your bottom of funnel and turn existing traffic into more conversions. The throughline: you don’t need more traffic—you need to capture more of the traffic you already have. What you’ll learn: How to turn your PDP into a conversion driver (not a dead end) Why small homepage changes can drive outsized revenue The right way to structure pop-ups (including when to double or triple pop) How to fix your abandonment flows to actually convert Why most brands underutilize reactivation (and how to fix it) The strategic mistake behind most underperforming funnels (trust vs. desire) 00:00 Why BOFU is more traffic 00:41 The fastest way to drive revenue today (email + CRO) 01:50 PDP fixes: keep attention above the fold & drive scroll 04:42 Homepage tweaks that actually move revenue 07:06 Pop-ups done right (timing, double + triple pop) 11:25 Abandonment flows: what most brands are missing 12:54 Reactivation: why 12 months matters 13:54 The full funnel stack (home → PDP → flows) 14:25 The big mistake: trust vs desire (and how to fix it) Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
In this episode, Jordan dove into the data of 20 ecommerce brands to see what actually happens when you add email and SMS into the mix. The result: → 3.3x higher median growth → More revenue from repeat customers → Stronger overall efficiency (MER, ROAS, P&L) Email and SMS don’t just drive extra revenue. They make your entire acquisition system work better. In this episode: Why retention drives disproportionate growth How repeat revenue compounds over time Why email unlocks more ad spend The metrics that actually matter (and the ones that don’t) 00:00 Why Email & SMS Drive Growth 02:48 The 5 Metrics That Matter 04:42 3.3x Higher Growth Explained 10:01 What This Means for Your Business Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Most brands are producing content. Very few are turning it into authority. In this episode, Jordan and Chris Panteli from Linkifi break down how content actually drives growth beyond your own channels—and why backlinks, brand mentions, and external coverage are becoming critical in both Google and AI-driven search. If you’re only thinking about email, ads, and your website, you’re missing a major layer of the ecosystem. We cover: Why content + links still drive search visibility How backlinks build authority (and why most don’t move the needle) The difference between brand mentions vs links—and why both matter How LLMs (like ChatGPT) decide which brands to recommend The simplest way to start getting featured on major publications How to extend your content beyond your own ecosystem 00:00 The cheapest revenue channel you’re underusing 00:41 The simple SEO formula: content + links 02:19 Meet Chris Panteli (Linkifi) 05:09 How backlinks actually drive traffic 08:26 How AI decides which brands to recommend 11:18 How to get featured (even for free) 15:26 Good vs bad backlinks (what to avoid) 21:16 Building authority across the internet Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Most brands don’t have a testing problem. They have a targeting problem. In this episode, Jordan is joined by Pilothouse strategist Chris Richards to break down why “marketing to everyone” is quietly killing performance — and what to do instead. The reality: growth doesn’t come from more creative, more tests, or more spend. It comes from choosing the right customer and building your entire system around them. We get into how to actually define personas, why most brands get stuck in “tactical spinning,” and how the wrong customer at the top of funnel can break everything downstream — from ads to landing pages to email. If your performance feels inconsistent, this is likely where things are going wrong. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why targeting multiple personas at once weakens your results How to identify the most profitable customer to focus on The biggest mistake brands make when scaling “winning” ads How to align ads, landing pages, and email around one persona What metrics actually matter when validating your targeting 00:00 Why most brands struggle to grow 00:41 Why specificity beats broad targeting 01:53 What persona strategy actually looks like 03:14 Building personas from segments + behavior 04:34 Why you shouldn’t target everyone at once 05:33 Real example: choosing the right customer 07:52 The problem with “tactical spinning” 10:12 How the wrong customer breaks retention 13:04 How to measure if you’re targeting right 16:21 Aligning ads, landing pages, and email Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
Email deliverability isn’t a single metric. There’s no dashboard that tells you exactly why you’re going to spam. In this episode of The World’s Best Email & Retention Podcast, Jordan sits down with Pierre Pignault, founder of MailSoar and an “email guy’s email guy,” to break down how deliverability actually works in 2026. From misleading open rates to spam filter behavior, this is a deep dive into how top operators diagnose and fix inbox placement issues. We get into: The 3 signals that actually determine inbox vs spam Why high open rates can be a red flag How to tell if your emails are really being seen The biggest segmentation mistake killing deliverability Why deliverability issues show up weeks after they start How spam filters actually think (and what they care about) 00:00 Fastest way to drive revenue (email + CRO) 02:20 Why deliverability is impossible to measure directly 08:25 The 3 signals that determine inbox vs spam 17:35 Why high open rates can be fake 23:44 The #1 mistake killing deliverability (segmentation) 29:59 How to fix deliverability in 30 days 33:24 What happens when you send too many emails Work with Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/get-in-touch?utm_source=dtc&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=e&rPodcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DTCPodcast Subscribe to DTC: https://www.directtoconsumer.co/ Listen to DTC Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dtcpodcast
