King Kong founder and Shark Tank Australia judge Sabri Suby shares his personal insight with Marketing Mag on why influencer Emma Chamberlain’s coffee business launch was so successful.

Here’s the real shot of espresso every business owner needs in our current competitive-as-balls market: it’s not enough to have an ‘okay’ e-commerce site.

You must be chocolate swirl with the chopped peanuts. You must be the Chamberlain Coffee amongst the average cup of Joes. 

Why Chamberlain Coffee? In my most recent YouTube video, I discovered that YouTuber Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee has a five-star e-commerce site.

And when I see brilliance, I learn from it. I distil the essence of what that person has done and turn it into a reminder for others. 

So, let’s break down how this YouTuber nailed the e-commerce brief and sent her orders into the stratosphere.

Selling the lifestyle

Chamberlain’s doesn’t just sell any old coffee, she sells the lifestyle of someone who buys Chamberlain Coffee. Her website does a brilliant job of selling that lifestyle through clean product photography, slick video content, and consistently on-brand copywriting. 

In just three words, the tagline ‘Coffee snob approved’ tells customers that this is for people who take their coffee seriously, but also don’t mind poking fun at themselves. It’s a genius strategy that vibes with Chamberlain’s personal brand of self-deprecating, smart humour.

Mastering the product page

Each product page is an Aladdin’s cave of details, telling the geeky details behind her coffee beans, the intricacies of the roasting process and authentic customer reviews. By arming customers with knowledge, Chamberlain builds confidence in her product and builds a deeper appreciation for the craft behind it.

Chamberlain strategically highlights three flagship products on her website, specifically chosen to maximise the average order value. By showcasing premium offerings alongside staple blends, she pushes a wider range of options onto her customers and increases the chance that they’ll spend the most they possibly can.

Chamberlain understands that selling isn’t just about screaming claims louder than her competitors. It’s by crystallising her value proposition more clearly than all of her competitors. It’s by delving into those details and not being afraid to get a little nerdy.

Incentives are everything

Incentives serve as powerful motivators that prompt customers to take action. Whether it’s free shipping, discounts or complimentary gifts, perks create a sense of urgency and value, nudging shoppers towards completing their transactions. 

When shoppers feel appreciated and rewarded, they are more likely to return for future purchases and become repeat customers – boosting both short-term and long-term revenue.

With incentives scattered throughout her site, Chamberlain sweetens the deal for one-time buyers while also laying the groundwork for long-term relationships with her customers. Complimentary perks encourage shoppers to complete their initial purchase and consider subscribing to Chamberlain Coffee’s offerings, ensuring a steady stream of recurring revenue.

Enticing incentives like free shipping and surprise gifts encourage customers to buy more, ultimately boosting the average order value (AOV) and maximising revenue.

Building a seamless checkout experience

Chamberlain Coffee’s checkout process is a masterclass in efficiency and convenience. With express checkout and multiple payment options, she kills friction, making it easy for customers to complete their purchase in record time. 

By listing recommended cross-sell products, she encourages customers to add more to their carts, increasing the order value. Building that social proof into the funnel helps instil trust in the checkout process, making customers feel confident and excited about their purchase decisions.

Maximising AOV

Ambitious business owners like Chamberlain focus relentlessly on increasing their lifetime customer value and their AOV out of the gate. By positioning recommended products and free gifts strategically during checkout, she nudges customers towards higher spending – making every transaction as profitable as possible. 

AOV is the backbone of any e-commerce business, and if it isn’t strong, you can’t make a healthy profit. Chamberlain cleverly boosts her AOV by bundling products strategically, encouraging customers to buy more than they originally planned. 

By using a combination of homepage excellence, product page mastery, and maximising the average order value, Chamberlain has cemented her place among the cream of the e-commerce crop. 

Sabri Suby is the author of the international bestseller Sell Like Crazy, and founder and head of growth at Australia’s fastest-growing full-service digital marketing agency King Kong. The multimillion-dollar agency has since rolled out globally, putting down roots in the US, UK, Canada, and New Zealand. In 2023, Sabri became a judge on the new season of Shark Tank Australia.

Imagery attributed to Sabri Suby and King Kong.

Also, read about Suby’s perspective on the vanity of social media without email conversion.