eCommerce
More online sales through sharper strategy, media and creative.
How I work with eCommerce brands
I start with the economics. Before talking about channels or creative, I want to know what a customer is worth, what you can afford to pay for one and how long it takes to earn that money back. Those three numbers shape every decision that follows.
Then I look at the brand from the customer's side: how they find you, why they choose you, what nearly stops them and what brings them back. Most of the biggest opportunities sit in the gaps between those moments rather than in the ad account.
From there, the work is a mix of sharper positioning, better creative, smarter spend and a retention programme that compounds over time. I have built and grown direct-to-consumer brands as a founder and as an agency owner, working with brands such as FACEGYM and Canagan, so I know where the money tends to leak and where it is worth pushing harder.
The challenges I see
Rising acquisition costs
Paid social and search get more expensive every year, and many brands respond by spending more on the same ads. The result is growth that costs more each month and margins that quietly shrink.
Creative that runs out of steam
Platforms reward fresh creative, and most brands cannot produce enough of it. Ads tire, performance drops and the team spends its time firefighting rather than building.
A brand that blends in
When every competitor uses the same formats, offers and influencers, it becomes hard for customers to remember who they bought from. Without a distinctive brand, every sale has to be bought again.
Too few repeat customers
Many online brands are built around the first purchase. Without a strong retention programme, lifetime value stays low and the business depends on paid media to stand still.
Data nobody fully trusts
Platforms all claim the same sale, tracking breaks after every update and the numbers in the dashboard never quite match the bank account. Decisions end up being made on instinct.
Growth that stalls at a ceiling
What worked to reach the first stage of growth rarely works for the next. New channels, new markets and new products all need a plan, not just a bigger budget.
What I do
Brand and offer strategy
I sharpen what you stand for and what you sell: the positioning, the hero products, the bundles and the offers that make people choose you rather than the cheapest alternative.
Paid social and search
Strategy, structure and testing across Meta, TikTok, Google and beyond, with budgets tied to what a customer is actually worth to the business, not to platform targets.
Creative that performs
Social-first creative, user-generated content and creator partnerships, produced at the volume paid channels need and judged on results rather than opinion.
Email, SMS and retention
Welcome journeys, post-purchase flows, replenishment, win-back and loyalty that turn first orders into repeat customers and lift lifetime value.
Conversion and customer experience
Product pages, landing pages, checkout and offers reviewed and improved, so more of the traffic you pay for turns into revenue.
Tracking and attribution
Analytics and attribution set up so you can trust the numbers, and reporting that shows contribution margin and payback, not just platform-reported returns.
New markets and marketplaces
Plans for launching in new countries, on Amazon or on TikTok Shop, with the positioning, logistics questions and channel mix worked out before the money goes in.
Team and partner leadership
Leading the in-house team and the agencies around it, setting clear standards and making sure everyone is pulling towards the same commercial goals.
Signs it is time to bring me in
Revenue is up, profit is not
Sales look healthy on the dashboard, yet the bank balance tells a different story. Discounts, rising ad costs and returns are quietly eating the margin.
You are the bottleneck
Every creative decision, every budget change and every agency question lands on the founder. Growth slows to the speed of one inbox.
Your agency reports, but nobody leads
You get monthly decks full of platform metrics, but nobody is joining the dots between brand, media, site and retention.
A launch is coming
A new product, a new market or a retail listing is on the horizon, and you want it planned properly rather than improvised.
Investors want a clearer story
A raise or a board meeting is approaching, and you need the growth plan, the numbers and the narrative to line up.
Things that used to work have stopped
The ads that built the business no longer perform, and doing more of the same is only making it worse.
How we start
First conversation
We talk through the brand, the numbers and what you want the next year to look like. No pitch deck, just an honest discussion about where growth is coming from.
Audit
I review the ad accounts, the website, the retention programme, the creative and the reporting, and look at the business through the customer's eyes.
Plan
You get a clear plan with priorities, owners and targets tied to margin and payback, so everyone knows what matters most and why.
Delivery and leadership
Depending on the role we agree, I lead the work week to week, guide your team and partners, or support the board, and we review results together every month.
How I can help
Fractional CMO →
Senior leadership for eCommerce brands that need one person to own growth across brand, paid media, retention and the team.
Consulting →
A focused strategy project, such as positioning, a new market launch or a full review of your acquisition and retention.
NED →
Board-level experience for founder-led brands preparing to raise, scale or sell, with a sharp eye on unit economics.
Agency Services →
Hands-on delivery of paid social, search, email, creative and websites through Vertical Brands, my agency.
Why eCommerce brands work with me
I have sat on both sides: building direct-to-consumer brands of my own and running an agency that grows them for others. I know what it feels like when the ad account is the only thing keeping revenue up, and how to change that.
I bring brand and performance together. The creative has to stop people scrolling, and the numbers have to prove it was worth it. Most eCommerce brands are strong at one and weak at the other, and the biggest gains usually come from fixing the balance.
And I stay practical. Every recommendation is tied to margin, payback or lifetime value, so you always know why something matters and what it should deliver.
My view on eCommerce growth
The best online brands are not the ones with the cleverest media buying. They are the ones customers actually want to come back to. Paid media can find people, but only brand, product and experience can keep them.
That is why I treat creative as a performance lever and retention as an acquisition strategy. A sharper story makes every ad work harder, and a loyal customer base lowers the cost of every new one.
Creative people feel. Performance you can measure. In eCommerce, you need both, every single day.
eCommerce marketing questions, answered
What does an eCommerce marketing consultant do?
An eCommerce marketing consultant looks across your brand, channels, creative, website and retention to find where growth is coming from, where it is being lost and what to change. I work as a consultant on focused projects, as a fractional CMO who leads the work week to week, or as a non-executive director on the board, depending on what the business needs.
Do you work with Shopify brands?
Yes. Most of the eCommerce brands I work with run on Shopify, and I know how it connects with Klaviyo, Meta, Google and the rest of the stack. I also work with brands on other platforms and can help you decide whether a move makes sense.
How do you reduce customer acquisition costs?
Usually by working on several things at once: a sharper offer, better creative, tighter targeting, higher conversion on site and a retention programme that makes each customer worth more. The cheapest acquisition improvement is often not in the ad account at all, but in the landing page or the product page.
Can you help us grow repeat purchases?
Yes. Retention is one of the most valuable and most overlooked areas for online brands. I shape the lifecycle programme across email, SMS and loyalty so that first-time buyers come back, and I make sure retention is measured as carefully as acquisition.
Do you help with TikTok Shop and Amazon?
Yes. Marketplaces and social commerce can be powerful growth channels, but they need a clear plan for pricing, positioning, content and how they sit alongside your own website. I help you decide whether they are right for you and how to launch properly.
Can you help us launch in a new country?
Yes. International expansion needs more than translating the website. I help you choose the right market, adapt the positioning and offer, plan the launch channels and set realistic targets before you commit the budget.
What size of eCommerce brand do you work with?
Mostly founder-led and growing brands that have proven people want the product and now need growth to become more predictable and more profitable. I also work with established brands that want a fresh, senior view on their marketing.
How do you measure success for eCommerce brands?
With the numbers that matter to the business: revenue, contribution margin, customer acquisition cost, payback period, repeat purchase rate and lifetime value. Platform-reported returns are useful, but they never tell the whole story.
Do you also handle the creative?
I lead and direct the creative, and when you need it produced, Vertical Brands can deliver social-first content, user-generated content, design and video. If you already have creative partners, I work with them and help raise the standard.
Can you work alongside our existing agency?
Yes. Many brands I work with already have agencies for paid media, email or creative. My role is to set clear direction, sharpen briefs and hold the work to a high standard, so you get more from the partners you already have.
Which brands have you worked with?
I have worked with brands such as FACEGYM, Canagan, bp, Stoli and Distill Ventures, across beauty, pet food, energy and drinks. Case studies are on the Vertical Brands website.
How do we get started?
Get in touch through the contact form with a little about the brand and what you want to achieve. We will arrange a first conversation, and I will suggest the type of support that fits best, whether that is a project, an ongoing role or hands-on delivery.
How quickly will we see results?
Some improvements, such as fixing tracking, restructuring campaigns or improving a key landing page, can show results within weeks. Brand, creative and retention work compound over months. I always plan for early wins alongside the longer-term work.
Do you work with brands outside the UK?
Yes. I am based in London but travel a lot, and I work with brands and teams around the world. Most of the work happens remotely, with time together in person when it adds the most value.
What does it cost?
It depends on the role and the scope. A focused consulting project, an ongoing fractional CMO role and hands-on delivery through Vertical Brands are priced differently. I share clear options after our first conversation.
Can you help with wholesale and retail as well as direct to consumer?
Yes. Many brands grow through a mix of their own website, marketplaces and retail partners. I help plan how each channel fits together, so they support rather than undercut one another.
