The Unofficial Shopify Podcast

Also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY [https://youtu.be/XXSr4Po30oY] Paid ads are busted. SEO is back but weirder. Gen Z isn’t using Google. What now? VC Smriti Jayaraman pulls back the curtain on the Shopify brands building futuristic funnels today. We’re talking AI quizzes, voice search, digital oracles, and tech that reads your face to guess your shirt size. It’s strange. It’s smart. And it works. 💡 WHAT WE COVER: * Why AI search is reshaping ecommerce—and how to rank in it * How Shopify brands are using gamified funnels to capture attention * What to know about AI influencers, personalized merchandising, and site search * Why your brand needs to think like a membership club, not a subscription box * Real tech examples from Corazon Capital’s portfolio 💸 SPONSORS * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Viralsweep [https://www.viralsweep.com/] – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways 🔗 LINKS * Smriti Jayaraman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/smritijayaraman/] * BoldVoice [https://www.boldvoice.com] * iAsk.ai [https://iask.ai] * Laws of Motion [https://www.lawsofmotion.ai] * Perplexity [https://www.perplexity.ai] * Corazon Capital [https://corazon.com] 🎯 WORK WITH ME * Want me to grow your Shopify store? Apply here [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * See what we’ve done for other merchants: View portfolio [https://ethercycle.com/work] * Get my free newsletter for Shopify insights: Join here [https://kurtelster.com/] 🎧 The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster. Subscribe for weekly interviews with Shopify entrepreneurs and experts.

Her fans call her "The Queen of Air Fryers." She gave away recipes. Her fans demanded a cookbook. One $15 PDF later, Cathy Yoder had a 5-figure launch weekend—and she hasn't looked back. With over 700K subscribers, Cathy built a content-powered Shopify business that turns viewers into superfans (and customers). In this episode, Cathy breaks down: * How to use YouTube as your #1 lead-gen channel * Building products based on comment section gold * What flopped, what worked, and why done > perfect * Integrating YouTube with Shopify for seamless sales If you're a creator, a merchant, or both—this is the funnel playbook you've been waiting for. Sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Boost AI Search & Filter [https://boostcommerce.net/] – AI-powered search that converts Work with Kurt: * Grow your Shopify store with me → ethercycle.com/apply [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * See how we help stores grow → ethercycle.com/work [https://ethercycle.com/work] * Get my Shopify newsletter → kurtelster.com [https://kurtelster.com/]

Pit Viper isn’t for everyone. And that might be the secret to its success. It starts with a guy on a ski trip. His sunglasses break. So, naturally, he walks into a military surplus store, finds an old pair of ballistic glasses from the early 90s, and thinks, these are perfect. Fast forward a few years, and those surplus shades—once traded for beers and ski lifts—have turned into Pit Viper, a brand worth millions. But here’s the question: how do you build a business that doesn’t just sell sunglasses, but sells attitude? A brand that’s loud, weird, and completely unignorable? Today on the show: Chris Garcin, CEO of Pit Viper, explains how they took what should have been a joke and turned it into a cult phenomenon. Links & Resources 🔗 Shop Pit Viper: www.pitviper.com [https://www.pitviper.com] 🎧 More stories like this: The Unofficial Shopify Podcast [https://www.unofficialshopifypodcast.com] Work With Kurt 🚀 Want to grow your Shopify store? We help brands like yours increase conversions, improve UX, and drive more sales. 📩 Let’s talk: ethercycle.com/apply [https://www.ethercycle.com/apply] 🛠️ See how I’ve helped other brands: ethercycle.com/work [https://www.ethercycle.com/work] 💡 Join my newsletter for no-BS ecommerce insights: kurtelster.com [https://www.kurtelster.com] Connect with Kurt: * 💬 Twitter: @kurtinc [https://twitter.com/kurtinc] * 📩 Newsletter: kurtelster.com [https://kurtelster.com] Sponsors: * 📈 Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * 🔥 Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * 📬 Viralsweep [https://www.viralsweep.com/] – Create sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways. 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Leave a review on iTunes—it helps more Shopify merchants find the show!

Two Shopify Partners get real in an AMA packed with listener questions. Store spying tricks, AI fails, bold 2025 predictions, a garage full of jacked-up cars, and a sneak peek at their next app. What you’ll learn: * How to spy on Shopify stores using public endpoints and browser tools * What’s broken (and what’s promising) in Shopify’s new AI tools * How devs actually use ChatGPT to write Shopify code * Email marketing best practices, including double opt-in insights * A look behind the scenes at a new Shopify app in development Sponsors: * Zipify – Build high-converting sales funnels: http://zipify.com/KURT [http://zipify.com/KURT] * Cleverific – Smart order editing for Shopify: https://cleverific.com/unofficial [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] * Viralsweep – Run sweepstakes, contests, and giveaways: https://www.viralsweep.com/ [https://www.viralsweep.com/] Show Links: * Liquid Weekly: https://liquidweekly.com/ [https://liquidweekly.com/] * Editions.dev: https://editions.dev/pages/editions-dev [https://editions.dev/pages/editions-dev] * Tactical Baby Gear: https://tacticalbabygear.com/ [https://tacticalbabygear.com/] * Shopify AI Store Setup Tool: https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/ai-store-generator-tool [https://changelog.shopify.com/posts/ai-store-generator-tool] * Copy All URLs Chrome Extension: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/copy-all-urls/djdmadneanknadilpjiknlnanaolmbfk?hl=en [https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/copy-all-urls/djdmadneanknadilpjiknlnanaolmbfk?hl=en] * Store Leads: https://storeleads.app/reports/shopify [https://storeleads.app/reports/shopify] Work with Kurt: * Grow your Shopify store with me → https://ethercycle.com/apply [https://ethercycle.com/apply] * See our client results → https://ethercycle.com/work [https://ethercycle.com/work] * Join my newsletter → https://kurtelster.com/ [https://kurtelster.com/]

Lady Gaga has a new Shopify site. But this isn’t just a merch store. It’s a stage, a story, a digital home—built to evolve as fast as she does. Her team needed something different. A site that could change overnight and feel as immersive as her albums. So they went headless, partnering with Commerce-UI, a Shopify agency known for pushing boundaries. In this episode, Shopify Partner Michal Klim takes us inside the build: * How Hydrogen and Oxygen power a site that never stands still. * Why merch sales weren’t the top priority—and what was. * Why a “conversion-first” mindset wouldn’t work here—and what did. It’s a story about what happens when a global superstar takes Shopify beyond ecommerce best practices. 🎧 Listen now on The Unofficial Shopify Podcast. The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is made by possible by our sponsors: * Zipify [http://zipify.com/KURT] – Build high-converting sales funnels * Cleverific [https://cleverific.com/unofficial] – Smart order editing for Shopify * Address Validator [https://www.addressvalidator.com/] – Reduce delivery address errors & costs Special thanks to our friends at Shopify and to our listeners. Show Links * Lady Gaga’s Shopify Store [https://www.ladygaga.com/] – See the site in action * Abracadabra! Building Lady Gaga's magical storefront experience on Hydrogen [https://www.shopify.com/news/lady-gaga-hydrogen] - Shopify Newsroom article * Commerce-UI [https://commerce-ui.com/] – The agency behind Lady Gaga’s Shopify site * Shopify Hydrogen [https://hydrogen.shopify.dev/] – Build headless commerce experiences * Shopify Oxygen [https://hydrogen.shopify.dev/docs/hosting] – Deploy Hydrogen storefronts on Shopify’s infrastructure * Sanity CMS [https://www.sanity.io/] – Headless CMS used for editorial content Work with Kurt Want to optimize your Shopify store and grow your business? I help Shopify merchants like you increase conversions, streamline operations, and build standout online experiences. Apply to work with me: Ethercycle [https://ethercycle.com/apply] See how I’ve helped other brands: Recent Client Successes [https://ethercycle.com/work] Get my best Shopify insights: Join My Newsletter [https://kurtelster.com/] Let’s make your Shopify store better, faster, and more profitable.