Is your chatbot secretly killing your conversions?

Building a brand is wild, messy, and incredible, and we think more people need to hear your side of it.

On August 5th, we are heading into the studio in London for our next round of podcast shoots, and we are looking for eCommerce founders and operators who want to step up to the mic.

Whether you want to talk about a massive growth win, an operational disaster you survived, or the reality of bootstrapping your way to scale, this is your platform to get your story out there. You'll be joining an alumni list of incredible past guests, including the teams behind BEAST, Henri-Lloyd, and indu.

Spaces for this shoot are limited, so if you are ready to share your playbook with the community, drop your details below!

Apply to be a guest.

Is your chatbot a customer magnet or a conversion killer?

Most conversational AI systems are designed to make a dazzling first impression, not to build lasting relationships.

In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, every digital interaction is a chance to build trust or break it. Your automated systems, whether it’s a chatbot, a dynamic FAQ, or a post-purchase flow, have one job: move the customer closer to their goal.

If your customer wants to track an order, they just need the link. If they want to know your return policy, they just need the timeframe.

Here is how to audit your chat experience to ensure it is actually driving conversions instead of creating friction:

1. Focus on clarity over banter

It’s easy to get caught up in emojis and overly conversational personalities, but transparency always trumps wit.

Customers aren't there to be entertained by your UI; they just need to solve their problem without the hassle. Unless that personality helps them get to the checkout faster, keep it simple.

2. Fix your failure state

Errors happen. What defines a great system is how it handles those hiccups. Instead of programming your bot to give long, overly clever apologies when it gets confused, try steering it to give clear, calm directions.

A seamless hand-off to a real human is often the best recovery experience you can offer.

3. Optimise for relevance, not memory

A smart system should recall the information crucial to the current task. It doesn't need to remind the customer of every single thing they have ever bought or typed.

Ambiguity is a trust-killer; keeping the conversation hyper-focused on solving the immediate roadblock builds confidence.

4. Design for longevity, not flash

Sustainable conversation systems aren't trying to be the life of the party. They simply work. When your system is reliable, consistent in its tone, and predictably helpful, your customers learn the patterns quickly, which fosters deep, lasting loyalty.

The Takeaway

Open your website on your phone. Ask your own chatbot to track a fake order, or ask a slightly complex question about a return.

If you feel even a second of frustration navigating the automated loops, your customers are definitely feeling it too.

Deep Dive London: Preparing for Peak

16th July | London | 9 AM - 3 PM

We are hosting an intimate, highly tactical Deep Dive workshop in London for 20 brand founders and operators. Breakfast and lunch will be served, and we’ll get straight to work on prepping your store for the busiest quarter of the year!

What we are tackling:

• Protecting paid traffic: Fast, reversible CRO fixes you can ship before the peak window closes.
• Content to conversion: The exact framework to turn raw UGC into your highest-converting paid media asset.
• Scaling without chaos: Building a resilient fulfilment and returns network that won't break under Black Friday pressure.
• Peer roundtables: Honest idea sharing with fellow DTC operators.

Last few seats are left, register your interest now!

In Other News…

Summer Spending is Set to Surge: After a sluggish, rain-soaked spring, UK retailers are bracing for an estimated £3.2 billion seasonal spending boost as consumers finally prep for summer holidays, festivals, and travel.

What this means for you: Pivot your ad creatives right now to focus heavily on travel convenience, outdoor events, and high-energy summer aesthetics to capture this delayed wave of consumer demand.

Rethinking SEO Priorities in the AI Era: As Google pushes further into AI Overviews, traditional "keyword ranking" is becoming less effective. Brands must now prioritise "conversational intent," ensuring their content answers complex, multi-step questions rather than just targeting single high-volume keywords.

What this means for you: To win organic traffic from AI search engines, you need to structure your site data to answer specific questions: How long does it last? Is it waterproof? What is the exact return policy?