December 2025: Pace Yourself
This year, my mother-in-law (MIL) acquired a new eCommerce business, and once the foundational website transfer was finished, I jumped in to help with the marketing. I love starting businesses from scratch—it’s exciting to figure out what works, when it works, and why.
One of the first things that stood out was her product: a consumable baking ingredient. From a business perspective, that’s gold. Consumables naturally encourage loyal customers and repeat sales. I once had a friend who sold Mary Kay, and she’d joke that her customers used her products every morning…and washed them off every night. Rinse and repeat—literally. That’s the beauty of consumables: when people love them, they need them again and again.
She was also lucky enough to receive a small database of past customers, and they’ve already shown themselves to be loyal. A great head start for her growing business! But even if you’re not handed a customer list, growth always begins with starting small, being consistent, and building momentum. Marketing isn’t a one-time task. It’s a series of smart systems—many of which take only an initial setup and can run on their own while increasing your sales long-term.
Look Through Your Customer’s Eyes
One of the next steps was reviewing the website from a customer’s perspective. Food is an act of love, and baking especially is wrapped in nostalgia. When I bake, I think of making holiday crullers with my mom, or the dance-party cooking sessions my girls and I have in the kitchen. These moments are some of my favorite memories.
As eCommerce business owners, we’re not just selling a product – we’re selling the emotion behind it. It’s easy to forget that and get bogged down in the weeds. For my MIL’s site, that meant making thoughtful updates: a colorful new logo, warm and inviting product photography, clearer explanations of the health benefits, and seasonal recipes for SEO and customer engagement. The site was built on Shopify—a platform I hadn’t used before—but I’m having a blast exploring all the tools for improving sales, sending newsletters, offering holiday discounts, and tracking analytics. The Marketing Geek in me is thriving.
Less Is More
Every business owner wants to know: “How do I make more money?” Often the instinct is to do more—especially with marketing. But more isn’t always better. For example, sending too many emails can annoy customers and lead to unsubscribes. Finding the right cadence matters.
I love automations that run with little to no maintenance. A simple example? Adding an email pop-up to your website. It costs nothing, and people voluntarily give you a space in their inbox—because they want what you’re offering! For my MIL’s business, this pop-up feeds directly into her email database, and we’ve already collected many new leads. Of course, I’ll be tracking how they move through the sales funnel—because that’s my happy place.
But remember: you don’t have to do all the marketing things at once. Pace yourself.
Questions to Help You Evaluate Your Business
Ask yourself:
- What are you really selling?
And what’s one thing you can do to nurture loyal customers? - What emotion should customers feel when they think about your product?
Does your current marketing reflect that? - What small steps could help you capture new customers?
A website pop-up, loyalty program, or POS text list can go a long way. - Where can you invest marketing time or effort that costs nothing—but brings revenue back to you?
Small shifts in strategy, combined with intentional pacing, can transform the way your business grows.