👋 Hey Fastlane Insiders,

Happy Thursday! Thanks for making time for this week's insights.

Wow, 7 years to get here, but episode 400 has landed!

This milestone episode features the founder of Portless, who's revolutionizing how Shopify brands handle their China imports and tariffs. If you're tired of having cash tied up in inventory and paying duties before making a single sale, you'll want to hear this conversation. It's honestly changing how I think about supply chains for 2025.

I've also got two powerful growth strategies that most merchants are completely overlooking:

• How order editing apps are turning customer "mistakes" into serious revenue opportunities

• Why tracking the complete customer journey (not just the last click) is giving smart brands a 40% clearer picture of what's actually driving sales

Plus, this week's featured tool is solving the #1 reason shoppers abandon carts-and it works while you sleep. One brand I spoke with recovered $27K in sales their first month using this approach.

Let's dive in!

– Steve

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🎧 New Podcast Episode!

Portless: The Secret Weapon for Shopify Brands Facing Tariffs & Supply Chain Mayhem

If you're importing products from China, you've probably lost sleep over tariffs and supply chain headaches. Cash tied up in inventory, unpredictable demand swings, and those painful import taxes you have to pay before selling a single unit.

That's exactly why I invited Izzy from Portless.com to the podcast this week. They're building something that's not just innovative, but potentially game-changing for brands who want to work smarter with their overseas manufacturing.

Why Portless is different

Traditional supply chains were designed for yesterday's business world - huge orders, months of waiting, and all your money committed until products finally arrive. Portless takes a completely different approach:

• They keep your inventory close to the factory (China, Vietnam, soon India)

• They fulfill orders on demand when your customers buy

• You only pay tariffs when you actually sell and ship a product

This means better cash flow and significantly less risk for your business.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Tariff flexibility: Pay duties only when you make a sale, not when inventory arrives

• Nimble inventory management: Run smaller, faster production cycles (similar to Shein's model) without overstock problems

• Product-market fit insights: Discover why certain products (lightweight goods, fashion, accessories) work best with this approach

• Expansion opportunities: Get practical advice on fulfillment beyond China before making any big moves

• Simple Shopify setup: Learn how their platform connects to your store in minutes with no technical hassles

The ecommerce brands that adapt quickest to these new models are positioning themselves for major advantages. Don't let competitors get ahead while you're stuck with outdated supply chain strategies.

[ LISTEN NOW ] → Get operational freedom from your supply chain

💡 Knowledge Drops of the Week

Shopify Order Editing Apps: The Hidden Growth Lever for 2025

Is your support team drowning in "Can I change my address?" and "I forgot to add something" tickets? There's a better way-and it's becoming one of the smartest revenue plays for leading Shopify brands in 2025.

In my latest blog post, I dive into why order editing isn't just about fixing customer mistakes-it's actually a powerful growth tool that's flying under the radar for most merchants.

What smart Shopify brands know about order editing

The best order editing apps do two critical things: they let customers make their own post-purchase changes (addresses, product swaps, adding forgotten items) AND they present perfectly-timed upsell offers during that editing process.

This simple approach transforms what would be a support headache into a revenue opportunity. One brand I feature in the article generated an extra $12,000 in just 60 days through these post-purchase upsells!

Why this matters for your store:

• Slash support tickets: Let customers fix their own orders instead of creating tickets your team has to handle

• Boost customer satisfaction: Shoppers love the ability to make quick changes without the back-and-forth

• Create unexpected revenue: Convert order modifications into high-converting upsell opportunities

The merchants seeing the biggest impact are setting strategic editing windows that align with their fulfillment processes-creating a seamless experience for both operations teams and customers.

The brands that implement this strategy first gain a significant competitive advantage in both efficiency and revenue. Don't miss this opportunity to upgrade your post-purchase experience while your competitors are still handling these requests manually.

[ READ NOW ] → Order editing can increase your store’s revenue and loyalty

Multi-Channel Attribution: Stop Guessing and Know Exactly What's Driving Your Shopify Sales

Here's the reality every Shopify merchant faces-your customers zigzag through 5-7 touchpoints before buying. They see your Facebook ad on Monday, open your email on Tuesday, and finally purchase after clicking your abandoned cart reminder on Wednesday.

But if you're only tracking the last click (like 72% of merchants still do), you're missing the complete story behind your sales.

In this latest blog post, it breaks down why multi-channel attribution has become a board-level priority for top-performing Shopify brands in 2025:

What you'll discover:

• The attribution blind spot that's causing you to misallocate your marketing budget (and how to fix it)

• Why both Facebook AND your abandoned cart emails deserve credit for that sale (and exactly how to split the difference)

• Simple steps to unify your data across all channels so nothing falls through the cracks

• How to set up proper attribution in your Shopify store without needing a data scientist

I've seen brands recover 10-15% of "lost" conversions just by implementing one simple attribution fix I detail in the article.

The merchants who get this right aren't just making better marketing decisions-they're slashing customer acquisition costs by up to 50% while their competitors keep throwing money at the wrong channels.

Ready to see what's actually driving your sales so you can double down on what works? This is your competitive edge for 2025.

[ READ NOW ] → Discover which marketing channels are actually driving your Shopify sales

🔥 Tool of the Week 🔥

Don't Let Another Sale Slip Away: How Sendbird's AI Captures Revenue While You Sleep

Ever watched your sales slip away because a customer had a question at 2am and nobody was there to answer it? Those abandoned carts aren't just statistics-they're real revenue walking out the virtual door.

This is why Sendbird has become a go-to recommendation for Shopify brands. Their AI customer service solution is literally paying for itself by answering shopper questions instantly-right at that critical moment when customers are deciding whether to buy.

How top Shopify brands are using Sendbird to boost sales:

• Always-on support across all channels: Your customers get immediate answers on your website, through SMS, in your app, and even on social media-24/7/365

• Proactive abandonment prevention: The AI detects when shoppers are hesitating or about to leave and jumps in with helpful suggestions before they bounce

• Seamless human backup: When conversations get complex, the system intelligently routes to your team with full context-no awkward "let me transfer you"

• Dramatic results you can measure: Virgin Mobile reduced support tickets by 26% while maintaining perfect customer satisfaction scores, and other brands report cutting support costs by 70%

What impresses me most is how the system handles the routine questions that eat up your team's time (like "Where's my order?" and "Do you ship to Canada?"), freeing them to focus on high-value conversations that actually drive sales.

If you're seeing abandoned carts pile up or your support team is drowning during busy periods, this is a no-brainer investment that pays for itself almost immediately.

[ GET A FREE DEMO ] → Find out how much revenue your delayed customer responses are costing you!

 🙏 Thank You for Your Time and Trust

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for investing your most valuable currency-your time-with Fastlane Insider. As the saying goes, "Time is the only currency we spend without knowing its balance, so spend it wisely."

It's truly an honor to have the opportunity to share the knowledge I continue to acquire and to pay it forward. My goal is simple: to help you improve efficiencies, profitably grow, and scale your business.

Your commitment to learning and growing inspires me every day, and I'm grateful to be part of your journey.

Thank you for being here and for trusting me to be a part of your success.

– Steve
eCommerceFastlane.com