The Shopify Solutions Podcast
Want to get the most out of your Shopify business? Listen to the Shopify Solutions Podcast to get concrete examples and recommendations on how to build and grow your eCommerce business. Hosted by Scott Austin, owner of JadePuma, a Shopify-focused agency in San Diego, California. Scott has decades of e-commerce experience with the biggest companies and the smallest stores and everything in between.
The Shopify Solutions Podcast
Episode 165 - Revenue Growth Through Ads
8/13/25 - Episode 165
Episode Summary
In this episode, Scott Austin speaks with Sean McCarthy from Customers.ai, a customer acquisition expert, to explore how eCommerce brands can significantly grow revenue through paid ads. They present a case study of a brand that scaled from $90K to $250K in monthly revenue within months through a strategic, data-driven advertising approach.
Key Takeaways:
- Customer Acquisition Strategy: The brand initially had poor ad performance with low ROAS. Sean implemented a structured acquisition strategy, moving from ad-hoc efforts to a deliberate, customer-centric funnel.
- Channel Shifts: They started with Facebook and Instagram but shifted toward Google Ads, which better targeted high-intent customers searching for barefoot shoes—leading to improved performance.
- Attribution and Analytics: A key to success was using an attribution platform to accurately measure and connect performance across Facebook, Google, Klaviyo, and Shopify.
- Content and Creative: Success required high-quality, lifestyle content (not just product shots). This was repurposed across platforms to test various creatives and learn what resonated.
- Testing and Iteration: The team tested many ad types (videos, slideshows, etc.). They emphasized learning over failure—understanding what doesn’t work is as valuable as knowing what does.
- Indicators for Scaling Ads: Brands should consider paid ads when they have strong fundamentals like a high repeat customer rate (e.g., 25%) and solid conversion rates. These suggest a strong product/market fit.
- Advice on Hiring Agencies: Sean advises brand owners to learn the basics and run ads themselves first before hiring an agency. Agencies should be focused on optimizing spend—not just scaling budget quickly.
Final Message:
Investing in paid ads can drive rapid growth—but only if it’s done strategically. It requires time, money, tracking, testing, and good creative. Start small, build a foundation, and scale intentionally.
Show Links
- Shawn McCarthy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnwmccarthy/
- Customers.ai - https://customers.ai/
- Linear Shopping Experiences - https://apps.shopify.com/linear-shopping-experience
Transcript & Video
https://jadepuma.com/blogs/the-shopify-solutions-podcast/episode-165-revenue-growth-through-ads