Company

The blue checkmark badge on Instagram is usually found next to the handles of celebrities or well-known global brands like Nike and Lululemon. Since these badges are handed out on an individual basis by moderators at Instagram, it is impossible to pay for one or fool an algorithm into thinking you are worthy of verifying. So, how do you earn one for your own account?

The Shopify integration with Amazon makes it possible for anyone selling in USD or CAD to easily list on the world’s largest marketplace and get next-level product and brand visibility.

Your online store showcases your brand, enables you to communicate with loyal customers, and offers the best buying experience. Expanding the ways you sell with Shopify allows you to do even more: you'll be able to increase sales by reaching millions of customers hunting for products like yours. 

There are advantages to selling through your own storefront and through a marketplace like Amazon.

Luckily, you don't have to choose one or the other, and many entrepreneurs are reaping the benefits of taking a multi-channel approach to their ecommerce business.

With Shopify's latest integration, merchants can now add Amazon as a Sales Channel in their Shopify store, which will let you create Amazon listings from existing products, sync inventory tracked by Shopify with your Amazon listings, fulfill Amazon orders from within Shopify, and more.

Our guest on this special episode of Shopify Masters is Brandon Chu, a Director of Product at Shopify focused on platform integrations, who will be talking about how to successfully launch with Shopify's latest Amazon channel.

At first glance, online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay seem to be a creation of mutual benefit. Ecommerce store owners gain increased exposure for their products, and the marketplaces gain an expanded product range without having to increase inventory.

There are, however, some pros and cons that apply across the board.

In this post, we’ll explore those pros and cons, so you can make the decision of whether or not to sell on marketplaces, well-informed of the upsides, downsides, and differences between Amazon and eBay.

The NFL recently announced that they’re going to start selling branded gear that celebrates “micro moments.”

"The excitement in every record or amazing play is there, but the half-life of each moment is so short, you have to do what you can to capture it," Chris Halpin, the league’s senior VP of consumer products, told ESPN.

But you don’t need to be at the helm of a multi-billion-dollar entertainment empire to sell real-time products that your tribe will love. There’s a great deal that any ecommerce seller can learn from the micro moments trend. And there are always trending memes that you can take advantage off.

Anyone who's ever cleaned a sink or bathtub is probably familiar with the hair and gunk (and occasional piece of expensive jewelry) that can muck up the pipes.

But common problems often lead to compelling products when entrepreneurs sink their teeth into them.

On this episode of Shopify Masters, we talk to Naushad Ali, the founder of Drain Strain: a clog-preventing drain stopper meant for your bathroom sink that was featured on Shark Tank and is now sold in 1,200 Home Depot stores.

Amazon is one of the biggest marketplaces online with 183 million shoppers frequenting it every month.

On this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll catch the lessons learned from an entrepreneur duo that launched a $2 million business selling on Amazon.  

Meet Lindsay Windham and Nate Justiss: the founders of Distil Union, a micro-collective creating clever products for your everyday life.

Getting featured in the press isn't just a way to drive traffic to your store or create interest in your products.

Each PR win builds your business' credibility, which can do a lot for earning a customer's trust if you can incorporate these mentions into your website and marketing.

On this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear from Dave Venn and Praj Karmacharya, the husband and wife entrepreneur team behind Corala Cashmere, a luxury Canadian boutique offering premium quality scarves, shawls and hats handwoven from the world’s finest cashmere.

Find out how they earned coverage in local print publications and promoted their business in the early days.

An Instameet is a community event for Instagrammers to meet up at a certain spot to shoot photos and videos together.

Naturally, these meet-ups, encouraged by Instagram, attract all kinds of photographers and influencers that you could potentially work with.

On this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll learn from an entrepreneur who built a $2 million dollar business by working with influencers he met through these in-person Instagram meetups.

Meet Chase Fisher of Blenders Eyewear: your first stop for fresh, vibrant and comfortable sunglasses.

Shopify Masters is a podcast where real merchants share their stories, mistakes, and learning experiences on their journey from startup to success.

With 105 episodes to date, there are a lot of hidden gems that deserve to be highlighted.

So we've rounded up the best of the best this past year to bring you the top 10 most-listened-to episodes of 2016. 

Once every few years, during the holiday season, it seems like one ridiculous idea for a product or toy becomes insanely popular.

This is the story of those unlikely ideas and how they went from a spark of brilliant inspiration—or even a coincidental discovery—to something that was purchased, enjoyed, and loved by millions.

If you give a person a fish, you feed them for a day. But if you teach them how to fish, you can sell them fishing gear.

That's the main premise behind content marketing—it lets you attract and create more customers through education, entertainment, or inspiration via content that relates to the products you sell.

Nev Lapwood is the founder of Snowboard Addiction, your source for snowboarding tutorials and training equipment.

On this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll learn how he built a $1 million business by creating and promoting snowboard training videos on YouTube and Facebook.