🚀 The Marketplace Moat: Steal the Etsy Playbook for Shopify Growth

👋 Hey Fastlane Insiders,

Today’s newsletter is all about unlocking those hidden levers most Shopify brands are missing. Here’s what’s inside:

• 🎙️ A new podcast episode with Dylan Jahraus—hear how she scaled Etsy to seven figures, then used it to fuel her Shopify store (and built a killer Etsy SEO tool along the way).

• 🚨 The latest AI shakeup: Anthropic’s CEO says up to 50% of entry-level jobs could vanish in five years. Don’t panic—see how smart brands are flipping the script and future-proofing their teams.

• 🔍 The new rules of ecommerce discovery: Why AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are where shoppers are finding products—and how to make sure your store isn’t invisible.

If you’re looking for ideas to pull ahead (while your competitors are still playing catch-up), you’re in the right place.

Let’s dive in,
—Steve

Your career will thank you.

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🎧 New Podcast Episode!

Shopify Sales Feeling Stuck? Here’s the Etsy Edge Most Brands Miss

Let’s be real—if your Shopify sales have plateaued, you’re not alone. Most brands are so focused on rising ad costs and fierce competition that they overlook a goldmine hiding in plain sight: Etsy.

Here’s the thing—Etsy isn’t just a playground for crafters anymore. With 95 million+ active buyers, it’s a ready-made audience hunting for unique and personalized finds. Unlike Shopify, where you hustle for every click, Etsy shoppers are primed to buy—and they’re willing to pay for something special.

The smart brands? They’re not picking sides. They’re using Etsy as a top-of-funnel magnet, pulling in fresh buyers and then guiding them to their own Shopify ecosystem. Think of Etsy as your lead gen engine, not just another sales channel1.

Dylan Jahraus cracked this code. She scaled her own Etsy shop to seven figures, then started coaching and building tools for other brands. Her clients have jumped from $900 to $21,000 a month—without dropping a dime on ads.

Here’s a sneak peek at Dylan’s playbook (don’t sleep on this):

• Etsy buyers crave unique, not cheap. They’ll wait for something special, so you can compete on brand and experience—not just price.

• Use Etsy to capture new fans, then bridge them to Instagram and your Shopify store. That’s how you own the relationship and the data.

• Stand out in search with killer photos and irresistible value. You don’t have to be the lowest price—just the most compelling at first glance.

• Forget paid ads. The real winners master Etsy SEO and organic traffic. That’s how top sellers hit six and seven figures, all profit.

• Sync your inventory and pricing across Shopify and Etsy with tools like Vela—no more double work.

• Build community with simple, story-driven emails (think Flodesk or Mailchimp). The best brands don’t just sell—they connect.

• Take the guesswork out of Etsy SEO. Dylan’s team built EtsyO, an AI tool that optimizes your listings in under a minute.

Don’t ditch Shopify—stack the deck by meeting buyers where they already shop, then invite them deeper into your brand’s world.

Want in? Dylan’s offering Fastlane listeners a free month of coaching when you join her Ultimate Etsy eCourse. Get step-by-step training, live calls, and hands-on feedback—perfect if you’re just starting out.

Ready to stop leaving money on the table? This is your chance to unlock a whole new wave of buyers. Don’t let your competitors get there first.

LISTEN NOW: Unlock New Shopify Sales with Etsy’s Built-In Audience

💡 Knowledge Drops of the Week

Anthropic’s AI Job Loss Warning—What Shopify Brands Need to Know

Let’s not sugarcoat it—Anthropic’s CEO just dropped a major warning: AI could wipe out up to 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs in the next 1-5 years1710. Most headlines want you to panic. But for Shopify merchants, this is less about fear and more about getting ahead of the curve.

Here’s what’s really happening:

• AI is moving fast—automating repetitive, rules-based jobs like customer support, data entry, and basic marketing tasks.

• The disruption window is short. We’re talking real changes hitting ecommerce within five years (and honestly, it’s already started)17.

• But here’s your moat: AI can’t replace creativity, empathy, or deep brand storytelling. That’s where you win.

How smart Shopify brands are flipping the script:

• Ruthlessly audit your workflows. Automate the busywork—think FAQs, order processing, product copy—with tools like Shopify Magic, Gorgias, or Klaviyo AI.

• Double down on what makes your brand human. Invest your time in creative campaigns, community-building, and strategic moves only you can make.

• Upskill yourself and your team. Make AI fluency and prompt engineering a weekly habit. The best founders aren’t just delegating to AI—they’re collaborating with it for next-level growth.

Real talk: One solo skincare founder used Shopify Magic to automate product descriptions and Klaviyo’s AI for segmented campaigns. Result? Double the conversions, less busywork, and more time for high-impact partnerships.

Don’t wait for the dust to settle—brands that adapt now will leave the rest scrambling to catch up. If you want to see exactly how to turn AI threats into opportunities, check out the full story and start future-proofing your business today.

Ready to get ahead? The next wave is coming—make sure you’re riding it, not getting swept away.

Get the Full Story → Discover How to Turn AI Threats Into Opportunities

Are You Invisible to AI Search?

Let’s be honest—if you’re still betting everything on Google and Instagram, you’re already a step behind. AI search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are now where shoppers are discovering products. If your Shopify store isn’t showing up there, you’re basically invisible—and your competitors are quietly scooping up those sales.

Here’s how Shopify-powered brands are getting ahead:

• Structured data and rich product feeds are your new SEO secret weapon. AI search engines thrive on clear, well-organized info—if you’re not feeding them what they want, you’re missing out.

• First-party data is gold. With third-party cookies fading out, brands leveraging their own customer data are winning the visibility game19.

• Conversational AI and smart segmentation aren’t just buzzwords—they’re turning casual browsers into loyal buyers by serving up hyper-relevant recommendations.

Don’t let your store get lost in the noise. The brands cracking the AI search code now are the ones everyone else will be chasing next year. Want to see how they’re doing it? Unlock the playbook and start showing up where today’s shoppers are actually searching.

The next wave of ecommerce discovery is already here—don’t get left behind.

Unlock the Playbook → See How Brands Are Winning with AI Search

🔥 Tool of the Week 🔥

Ever wonder what happens to the 98% of shoppers who browse your store and disappear? Here’s the tool that finally cracks that code: Retention.com.

What makes Retention.com a game-changer (and why you’ll want to try it this week):

• It identifies anonymous visitors—even if they never fill out a form or switch devices—so you can grow your email list 10-15x faster than those tired pop-ups.

• Reclaim lost sales by supercharging your Klaviyo abandonment flows, capturing 2-3x more cart and browse abandoners than you thought possible.

• Build retargeting audiences for Meta that actually stick, even with Apple’s privacy changes and ad blockers. No more losing your best prospects after seven days.

Here’s the kicker: StyleBlueprint added 100-200 new subscribers daily and freed up 75% of an employee’s time, all while keeping open rates sky-high. True Classic saw a $1M revenue lift and 53x ROI—just by plugging Retention.com into their stack.

With over 1,500 brands on board, this isn’t just another “growth hack”—it’s the new standard for building first-party data and reclaiming lost revenue in 202515.

If you want to stop letting high-intent shoppers slip away, now’s the time to see what Retention.com can do for your store. Don’t wait until your competitors are already using it—give it a spin this week and watch your list (and revenue) grow.

Try Retention.com Today

 🙏 Thank You for Your Time and Trust

Thanks for reading and trusting Fastlane Insider to help you navigate the evolving DTC landscape. Whether you’re ready to test Etsy as your next growth lever, future-proof your workflows with AI, or crack the code on AI-powered discovery with ChatGPT, remember: the brands who experiment now are the ones everyone else will be chasing next year.

If you caught something that sparked a new idea, hit reply—I read every response.

Until next time,
– Steve
eCommerceFastlane.com

P.S. Don’t miss Dylan’s podcast episode here for the full playbook (plus her exclusive offer for Fastlane listeners)!