🚨 90% of Shopify stores are invisible to AI shoppers (yours included?)

👋 Hey Fastlane Insiders,

I know it's Thursday afternoon/evening and you're probably already mentally shifting into weekend mode—especially with the 4th of July tomorrow for my US readers. Before you fire up the grill and dive into some well-deserved downtime with friends and family, I wanted to share something that's been keeping me up at night.

The ecommerce game is changing faster than most founders realize. While everyone's still perfecting their SEO in the wake of AI and scaling ad spend, the smartest operators are quietly positioning themselves in channels that most brands haven't even noticed yet. And the gap between the leaders and everyone else? It's widening fast.

I genuinely appreciate you taking 10 minutes to dig into this—I know your time is precious, especially heading into a holiday weekend. But if you're serious about staying ahead, what I'm sharing today could reshape how you think about growth for the rest of 2025.

Here's what's packed into this edition:

🎙️ New Podcast Episode — Why 90% of Shopify stores are completely invisible to AI shopping assistants (and the simple fix that's driving 217%+ more product views)

💡 Knowledge Drops — The YouTube influencer gold rush that's projected to hit $2.35B, plus why conversational AI is becoming the secret weapon your competitors pray you'll ignore

🛠️ Tool of the Week — The visitor identification game-changer that's helping brands capture the 97% of traffic that usually walks away forever

Now go enjoy your holiday weekend—but when you're back, pick one of these moves and run with it. The brands that act fast on emerging channels aren't just getting ahead, they're locking in advantages that compound.

Let's dive in,
—Steve

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🎧 New Podcast Episode!

Your Store Is Invisible to AI—Here's How To Fix It Before Q4

Here's the uncomfortable truth: while you're still perfecting your SEO and scaling ad spend, your customers have already moved on. They're asking ChatGPT and Perplexity what to buy next—and 90% of Shopify stores are completely invisible to these AI shopping assistants.

Amazon and Walmart? They saw this coming. While everyone else was distracted, they quietly dominated AI search. The result? They're capturing customers before those shoppers even think about visiting your store.

Tanner Larson just shared some game-changing insights that every serious DTC founder needs to hear:

• 58% of shoppers now use AI search to discover products, and 40% have actually purchased based on AI recommendations in just the last three months

• Amazon sits at 100% AI visibility, Walmart at 97%—but most Shopify stores? Just 8%, and most never improve

• AI doesn't care about your beautiful product pages or SEO strategy—it wants structured data that clearly explains what you sell, who it's for, and why it's the perfect match

• Early movers are already seeing 217%+ more AI-driven product views, 14% conversion rates (4x the industry average), and 40% of those buyers are completely new customers

Here's what should keep you up at night: Forrester predicts nearly $48 billion will shift away from brands that aren't AI-ready—and most of that exodus happens during BFCM.

The window is closing fast. AI rewards first movers, and that advantage compounds. In 12 months, this goes from competitive edge to survival requirement. Your competitors are still chasing Google rankings while shoppers are already asking AI what to buy—and buying it immediately.

So the question is: will you be the brand they discover, or the one they never see?

LISTEN NOW →

P.S. Tanner's sharing a free analyzer tool to see exactly where your store stands, plus the complete playbook for building your AI visibility layer. If you're serious about owning Q4, this is your moment to get ahead.

💡 Knowledge Drops of the Week

Why Your Competitors Hope You Sleep on the YouTube Influencer Gold Rush

Thanks to our friends over at Stack Influence for this eye-opening breakdown.

While you're perfecting your next Instagram Reel or chasing the latest TikTok trend, the smartest DTC brands are quietly redirecting their budgets to YouTube—and seeing ROI numbers that should make every growth-focused founder pay attention.

Here's what caught our attention: more than half of U.S. marketers are now betting big on YouTube influencers, with platform spend projected to hit $2.35 billion in 2025—officially outpacing every other social channel.

The reason for this sudden gold rush? It's not just about reach anymore. YouTube delivers something most platforms can't: trust that actually converts. When creators demonstrate your product in long-form content, 60% of users trust their recommendation more—and 58% are likely to buy. This isn't vanity metrics; this is high-intent traffic.

But here's where it gets interesting for DTC operators:

The Five Game-Changing Advantages Smart Brands Are Leveraging:

• Evergreen ROI: Unlike Stories that disappear, one YouTube review can drive traffic and sales for months or years through search and recommendations

• Direct Commerce Integration: Clickable links in descriptions mean no "link in bio" friction—viewers go from inspiration to purchase in seconds

• Micro-Influencer Goldmine: The real winners aren't chasing celebrities—they're partnering with niche creators who own their category and deliver higher engagement rates

• Long-Term Brand Building: Smart brands are moving beyond one-off sponsorships to ongoing creator partnerships that build lasting audience trust

• Search Engine Power: YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine, meaning your influencer content keeps getting discovered long after launch

The reality check? Your competitors are already mapping out their YouTube creator strategies and locking up the best partnerships in your niche. The brands earning $5.78 for every $1 spent on YouTube influencer marketing aren't just scaling—they're becoming the default choice when customers are ready to buy.

The window to get ahead is still open, but it's closing fast.

READ THE FULL BREAKDOWN →

P.S. This deep dive reveals the exact creator selection frameworks and evergreen content strategies that 7- and 8-figure brands are using to break through growth plateaus. If you're serious about finding your next revenue unlock, this is required reading.

Why Your Competitors Are Praying You Sleep on Conversational AI in 2025

Here's the uncomfortable truth: while most brands are still "testing" chatbots, the smartest Shopify teams are quietly weaving AI-powered conversations into every customer touchpoint—and the revenue numbers are staggering.

The AI ecommerce market is projected to hit $8.65 billion in 2025, growing at 24% annually. The brands that figure this out first aren't just getting ahead—they're locking up entire categories before their competitors even realize what's happening.

What the leaders know (and hope you miss):

• Conversion rates that rewrite your P&L: Shoppers who engage with AI convert at 12.3% vs. 3.1% without it—that's 4X higher conversion rates

• Speed that closes deals: AI-assisted shoppers check out 47% faster, getting instant recommendations instead of endless browsing

• AOV on autopilot: Returning customers using AI chat spend 25% more per order—this isn't just acquisition, it's retention gold

• First-time buyer magnetism: 64% of AI-driven sales come from brand-new customers who've never bought before

• Cart recovery, revolutionized: Proactive AI chat recovers 35% of abandoned carts automatically

• Support that actually scales: AI handles 93% of questions without human intervention, but the magic is in the hybrid approach

• Personalization that pays: Brands mastering AI-driven personalization see 40% more revenue and 78% higher repeat purchase rates

The market reality? 97% of retailers are increasing AI spend this year, and 95% of U.S. companies now use generative AI. The message couldn't be clearer: AI isn't a side project—it's the backbone of modern ecommerce.

But here's your window: Only 34% of consumers trust AI to make purchases, and just as many feel brands are truly personalizing their experience. That trust gap represents the biggest opportunity in ecommerce right now—if you know how to bridge it.

The brands that crack the code on conversational AI aren't just scaling—they're becoming the default choice when customers are ready to buy. Visual searches are up 70%, voice commerce is hitting 37% adoption, and the future is less typing, more tapping and talking.

The question isn't whether conversational AI works. The question is how fast you'll move before your category gets locked up.

READ THE FULL BREAKDOWN →

P.S. The most successful brands aren't just adopting AI—they're building systematic playbooks that combine automation, personalization, and human touch. This deep dive reveals the exact conversational tactics, personalization frameworks, and backend automations that are driving real revenue for 7- and 8-figure brands right now.

🔥 Tool of the Week 🔥

The Secret Weapon to Capture Every High-Intent Visitor (Even When They Don't Buy)

Here's the painful truth: 97% of your website visitors leave without buying anything—and most never come back. While you're busy optimizing checkout flows and perfecting product pages, your highest-intent traffic is walking away forever.

Opensend flips this script entirely.

Instead of watching potential customers disappear into the digital void, Opensend identifies anonymous visitors and turns them into retargetable audiences across email, ads, and even direct mail. Think of it as capturing the business cards of everyone who walks through your store—even if they don't introduce themselves.

Why smart DTC brands are going all-in:

• Instant email list growth: Users report adding thousands of new subscribers from visitors who never filled out a form

• Cart recovery on steroids: Proactively re-engage 35% of abandoned carts with targeted follow-ups

• ROI that makes CFOs smile: Brands consistently see 10x+ returns from previously invisible traffic

• Seamless integration: Plugs directly into Shopify and Klaviyo in under 15 minutes

• Quality over quantity: Unlike competitors, Opensend vets each contact for recent activity and intent

The best part? Your competitors are still letting 97% of their traffic walk away while you're building audiences from visitors they'll never see again.

Early adopters are already capturing the high-intent traffic that everyone else is losing. The question isn't whether this works—it's how much revenue you're leaving on the table by not capturing it.

TRY OPENSEND NOW →

🎯 Before You Go

Happy 4th of July long weekend to all my American readers! 

While you're celebrating independence, here's to declaring your own independence from the "wait and see" approach that keeps most brands stuck in neutral.

Every week, you get a choice: file these ideas away for "later," or pick one and put it to work before your competitors even see what's coming.

Here's what I know: The brands that act fast on emerging channels—AI visibility, YouTube creators, conversational commerce—aren't just getting ahead, they're locking in advantages that compound quarter after quarter. The rest? They're left wondering where the traffic (and sales) went.

So here's my challenge: Choose one move from today's playbook—maybe it's testing your AI visibility, mapping out your YouTube creator strategy, or adding a conversational AI touchpoint. Give yourself 48 hours to take the first step.

Got questions, roadblocks, or wins to share? Hit reply—I read every note, and your feedback shapes what I dig into next. If you're experimenting with these tactics, I want to hear how it's going.

If this sparked an idea for someone in your circle, pass it on. The best operators I know share what works.

Next week: I'm breaking down the retention tactics and AI personalization plays that are quietly building cult brands.

Keep building your edge,
—Steve