In this episode of Seven Figures and Beyond, Greg Shuey sits down with Ben Sharf, co-founder of Platter, to challenge the conventional thinking around what it actually takes to build a high-converting eCommerce storefront. Ben shares the origin story of Platter—how his pivot from a promising hockey career and a corporate consulting role during COVID led to launching a tech-enabled agency that has built over 150 Shopify storefronts. Through that experience, Ben uncovered a frustrating reality: even brands doing tens of millions in revenue are often using clunky, bloated tech stacks and struggling with basic usability and design decisions that actively hurt conversions.
Ben walks listeners through what really matters when designing for performance. He outlines the core drivers of conversion—clear messaging, intuitive navigation, social proof, and reducing buyer friction at every stage. He emphasizes how many brands unknowingly overcomplicate the shopping experience with unnecessary page loads, hidden CTAs, and poor layout decisions. He also breaks down homepage and PDP structures, showing how simplifying the layout, elevating visual assets, and enabling one-click purchasing can drive meaningful improvements in performance—without expensive redesigns or flashy branding.
The conversation also tackles the tension between branding and conversion—a common challenge for DTC brand owners. Ben makes a strong case for prioritizing functionality and conversion over aesthetics, especially for brands with medium-priced, large-catalog product lines. He explains how trying to retrofit modern performance elements into outdated or overbuilt sites leads to inefficiency and technical debt, and why many brands should consider a full rebuild over a redesign. Whether you're running a lean team or prepping for a major site overhaul, this episode is packed with straightforward, high-leverage insights for anyone looking to boost revenue by simplifying the customer experience.
Episode Links
Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/
Ben Sharf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-sharf-b554a5b3/
Platter: https://www.platter.com
Turning Pro Podcast: https://www.turningpropod.com/
https://www.stryde.com/the-truth-about-high-converting-ecommerce-sites/
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