Ecomm Growth Strategies

Based in Sebastopol, California, this small consultancy has worked in e-commerce since 2006, run by Michael Hixson, who previously built and sold his own online business (recognized in Internet Retailer's Second 500) before turning to client work. The agency serves small to mid-sized online retailers, including jewelry, tea, home goods and hospitality businesses, taking on projects where owners have limited in-house time or technical resources. Its work centers on Shopify: theme updates, app installation, site builds and ongoing store optimization, alongside conversion rate optimization such as UX improvements on existing sites. Automated email marketing is a stated specialty, covering personalization, abandoned cart flows, transactional emails and platforms like Omnisend. The agency also advises on Amazon and third-party marketplace strategy, treating these channels as a significant part of retail search traffic. Newer offerings include Shopify coaching, aimed at store owners who want guidance on prioritizing design, product pages, apps, SEO and email rather than full outsourced development, and an AI Visibility Audit service that reviews website and brand signals to assess how a business appears within AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. General e-commerce consulting rounds out the offering, providing roadmaps for site optimization and improvement based on client-specific obstacles.