In this episode of The Covert Code, host Anna Covert interviews Matthew Stafford, CEO of Build Grow Scale, to discuss optimizing eCommerce for significant growth. Matthew shares powerful insights on boosting conversions, increasing revenue, and scaling eCommerce businesses using a data-driven approach.

Key Takeaways Matthew’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Started in construction, building a successful concrete business for 23 years. Inspired by Tony Robbins’ event, shifted from construction to online marketing and eCommerce. Specialized initially in online ads but realized website optimization greatly improved ad effectiveness.

Traffic Isn’t Your Problem

Matthew emphasizes that, “Traffic isn’t your problem. Your website’s ability to convert that traffic is the real issue.” Most sites convert only 2-3%. Matthew suggests businesses focus first on converting visitors they already have, rather than spending more on ads.

Action Step: Optimize your website, especially checkout and cart pages, before scaling your ad spend.

Optimization Begins at Checkout

Matthew’s unconventional approach starts optimization from the checkout backward: “We fix the checkout and the cart first, so you start making more money right away.”

Action Step: Review your checkout experience and remove unnecessary friction.

Simplify to Boost Conversions

Websites often confuse visitors by offering too many choices. Stafford’s key advice: “Make your website so simple even Homer Simpson would understand it.” Avoid complicated wording, fonts, or overly fancy designs that can confuse and overwhelm visitors.

Use Reviews as Social Proof

Customer reviews significantly increase trust and conversions: “Over 200 reviews can roughly double your conversion rate, cutting required traffic in half.”

Combatting Bot Traffic

False bot traffic can distort analytics and hurt performance. Matthew stresses the importance of clean data:
“Make sure your data is clean, otherwise you’re making decisions based on incorrect assumptions.”

Recommended tools: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, and bot protection software like Click Cease.

Strategic Upselling at Checkout

Upselling in checkout must be a quick, complementary no-brainer to avoid cart abandonment. Stafford warns: “If the upsell requires thought, you’ll lose more sales than you gain in additional revenue.”

Two Powerful, Proven Tips for Conversions

Tip 1: Post-Purchase Survey
Place a one-question survey on the thank-you page:
“What was the one thing that almost made you not buy?”
These answers provide critical insights, revealing friction points that can be optimized.
 
Tip 2: Explain “Why” in Checkout Forms
Add short explanations next to form fields (email, phone):
Email: “Required for order confirmation”
Phone: “Required for shipping notifications”
These small clarifications dramatically reduce errors and boost conversion rates.

Behavioral Science Insights

Simple, clear fonts and straightforward messaging dramatically increase customer confidence and conversions.
Recommended reading:
“Buyology” by Martin Lindstrom
“Behavioral Science and Marketing” by Nancy Harhut

Future of E-commerce and AI

Matthew predicts AI will revolutionize eCommerce by:
Personalizing websites dynamically for each visitor (e.g., font size for older users).
Providing deep analytics insights impossible for humans to manually discern.
He recommends exploring AI tools like Google Gemini to harness these capabilities.