Commerce Jam | April 2025 Edition
Gentian Shero
eCommerce Strategy & SEO | Co-founder at Shero Commerce. Life’s too short for checkout lines.
Welcome to the April 2025 edition of Commerce Jam!
Affiliate marketing isn’t the first thing most brands think about when planning their growth strategy. But lately, I’ve noticed more merchants quietly returning to it and seeing results.
With paid ads getting more expensive and less predictable, some brands are testing affiliate programs again. They’re working with creators, using trackable links, and only paying when sales happen. No big bets, just performance.
This month, among other things, we’re talking about affiliate marketing. It’s often overlooked, but when done right, it can quietly outperform paid ads.
We’ll walk through how to build an affiliate program that actually converts. No fluff. Just clear steps, tools, and examples that work.
Let’s dive in!
📋 In this issue:
How to Launch an eCommerce Affiliate Program (12 Steps)
ChatGPT Can Now Sell Your Products. Are You Ready?
What UPS Just Signaled for SMBs and Logistics
A Simple Way to Help AI Find Your Best Content
Tariffs
Takeaways from Vervaunt’s Pulse in London
Resources and Suggested Reading
On Perspective, Trees, and Bees
Final thoughts
How to Launch an eCommerce Affiliate Program (12 Steps)
Introduction to Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where an eCommerce business pays an affiliate marketer for promoting their products or services. This strategy involves creating a partnership between the eCommerce brand and the affiliate marketer, who earns a commission for each sale or referral made through their unique affiliate link.
The affiliate marketing industry has grown significantly over the years, with more businesses adopting this strategy to reach new audiences and increase sales. According to Wix, affiliate marketing now influences 16% of all U.S. eCommerce transactions.
There are three terms you need to be familiar with when it comes to affiliate marketing:
Affiliates – typically publishers like review sites, blogs, coupon platforms, newsletter networks, or big media outlets. You partner with them through affiliate networks like CJ, Rakuten, or Awin to tap into their large, built-in audiences. Using affiliates via such networks is a scalable way to drive traffic and sales through trusted editorial or promotional content.
Influencers – are creators like YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagrammers, and niche content producers with engaged followings. You collaborate with them through platforms like Refersion Influencer to create content that feels organic and targeted. Great for building trust and reaching specific demographics within your industry.
Ambassadors – are your superfans. They include loyal customers, friends, employees, or anyone excited to spread the word about your brand. These folks don’t need massive followings. They share referral links, post reviews, or talk about your products in everyday conversation.
The data tells us that affiliate marketing is not merely a supplementary tactic but a substantial contributor to eCommerce revenue. By leveraging affiliate partnerships, brands can tap into new audiences and drive sales through trusted recommendations.
Now that you understand some of the terminology, let’s dig into what makes it worth your time.
ChatGPT Can Now Sell Your Products. Are You Ready?
Last month, we talked about how Perplexity is starting to reshape product discovery. This month, Shopify took things further, officially expanding its partnership with OpenAI to make products from Shopify merchants available directly inside ChatGPT.
That means I can ask, “Where can I buy Birkenstock sandals at the best price possible?” and get live results from eCommerce stores, right inside the ChatGPT interface. No ads, no scrolling. Just answers with products, prices, and direct links to buy.
This isn’t the future. It’s already live, as you can see in this screenshot:
Shopify’s integration pulls real-time product listings using AI search and conversational browsing.
In short, AI isn’t just answering questions anymore. It’s helping people shop, and Shopify is quietly becoming the engine behind it.
If your products aren’t showing up in these results yet, it’s worth asking why. This is a reminder that the next wave of eCommerce SEO won’t just live on Google.
Merchants who treat AI platforms like new storefronts and optimize for visibility will get an early advantage.
What UPS Just Signaled for SMBs and Logistics
UPS just reported its Q1 earnings, and the message was clear. Supply chain instability is still very real. Tariffs are back on the table, and smaller merchants are feeling the hit first. Many are still sourcing from a single supplier in China, while larger brands have already started shifting to Vietnam, Thailand, or Europe. They also have the capital to pull inventory forward. Most small businesses don’t.
They’re also closing 73 of their own physical locations this year, cutting costs, and trying to improve domestic margins as Amazon pulls volume away. For eCommerce brands, that means shipping reliability could shift quickly.
If your supply chain plan hasn’t changed in a while, now is the time to revisit it. Talk to your suppliers, check in with your 3PL, and look at backup options before problems become urgent.
TikTok is Quietly Winning Back Merchants
TikTok Shops had a messy rollout in the US, but that hasn’t stopped merchants from giving it a second look. Especially those selling products under $100 with strong video creative and quick fulfillment.
This time around, TikTok is handling more of the checkout and even offering logistics support for some sellers. The shopping experience is smoother, and discovery is baked right into the feed.
It’s not for every brand. But if your Meta ads are flat and your Google Shopping is maxed out, TikTok might be the next thing to test. Not for likes. For sales.
The Power of 1,000 True Fans (Still Holds Up)
I recently came back to Kevin Kelly’s classic 1,000 True Fans. The premise is simple. You don’t need millions of customers. You need a thousand people who really care. People who trust what you’re doing, who come back, and who tell others because they believe in the product, not just the price. Give it a read when you get a chance.
Since I was there, I also signed up for his paid newsletter, called Recomendo. It’s short, useful, and refreshingly low-key. No fluff. Just a steady rhythm of value, which, in a way, is exactly what 1,000 True Fans is about.
For eCommerce brands, especially those early in the journey or going through transition, this idea is grounding. You don’t have to be everywhere or appeal to everyone. Find the few who care deeply and serve them well. That’s where real growth starts.
A Simple Way to Help AI Find Your Best Content
If you’ve been investing in solid content but you’re not showing up in tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity, there’s something new that can help. It’s called LLMs.txt, and it gives large language models a clearer view of what your site is about.
This is not a technical file. It’s a simple text document that you place in the main directory of your site, where your sitemap and robots.txt file also live. For example, yourdomain.com/llms.txt.
Inside, you list your most valuable pages and describe each one in natural language. You are not stuffing in keywords. You are helping AI tools understand your site the way a real person would. This matters more than ever now that tools like ChatGPT are answering questions with real-time web content.
If you’ve put time into writing product guides, blogs, how-to pages, or FAQs, this is a way to make sure that content actually gets seen. It works alongside your existing SEO, but it is written for AI systems, not search engines.
I put together a short guide with clear steps, an AI prompt, and a sample file you can copy.
It takes under an hour to create. It’s easy to test. And it’s built for where search is heading next.
Tariffs
Honestly, not trying to sound like a broken record here with the tariffs, but it is a reality I could not leave untouched. Starting May 2, the U.S. reinstated tariffs on small-package imports from China. This ends the “de minimis” exemption that allowed duty-free entry for shipments under $800. Now, packages face a 120 percent tariff or a $100 fee and doubling to $200 by June 1.
Retail giants like Shein and Temu are the immediate targets, but the ripple effect will hit eCommerce brands sourcing from China.
In particular, those relying on DTC drop shipping or low-margin imports will feel the crunch more than others.
If you depend on Chinese manufacturing, expect higher costs, potential delays, and more paperwork at customs. Now is the time to re-evaluate your supply chain and start diversifying.
Takeaways from Vervaunt’s Pulse in London
I’ve been close friends with the Vervaunt team for many years, and it was great to be back in London last month to attend their Pulse event. I’m proud to see how far they’ve come and how well they’ve built something that brings together eCommerce leaders and brands for meaningful conversations.
Here were some of the key takeaways:
For the first time ever, Vervaunt is taking Pulse to New York City on July 17, 2025. Registration for brands is free. Hope to see you there!
Resources and Suggested Reading
AI and Search
Visa has partnered with major tech companies to launch "Visa Intelligent Commerce," an AI-driven platform aimed at streamlining online shopping by enabling users to delegate routine tasks to AI agents while maintaining control over spending decisions.
OpenAI has rolled out new shopping capabilities in ChatGPT, offering personalized recommendations, visual product details, and direct purchase links, aiming to centralize the online shopping experience.
Rezolve, in collaboration with Tether, is introducing a crypto-enabled wallet that leverages AI to personalize the shopping experience, aiming to address the high rate of cart abandonment in eCommerce.
SEO and Content Marketing
Lumar reports that Google's AI-generated overviews may reduce clicks for top-ranking pages by up to 34.5%, prompting a reevaluation of SEO strategies.
Significant ranking volatility was observed between April 9 and 10, with many websites experiencing sudden drops, indicating a major algorithm update by Google.
The April 2025 updates from Google focus on rewarding sites that provide valuable, informative content, while penalizing those that do not meet these standards.
Advertising and Social Media
Brands are increasingly adopting AI tools like Canva AI and Meta’s Advantage+ Creative to generate ad variations, enabling faster iteration and scaling of effective creatives.
Platforms such as TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts are becoming primary channels for discovery, with shoppable video formats closing the gap to purchase.
As third-party cookies phase out, brands are turning to first-party and zero-party data collected through quizzes and surveys to power more effective targeting strategies.
Platform and Marketplace Updates
eBay has introduced AI-generated item descriptions to streamline the listing process, though the change has received mixed reactions from sellers concerned about accuracy.
Amazon is expanding its 'Haul' section, offering products under $20 shipped directly from China, aiming to enhance its global reach and compete with low-cost rivals.
Shopify has added new editing capabilities to Shopify Email, including section padding controls and a redesigned footer, providing merchants with more design flexibility.
Data and Analytics
Despite concerns over U.S. tariff wars, advertising spending remains stable, with advertisers closely watching for potential economic disruptions that could affect strategies.
The integration of generative AI with eCommerce analytics is transforming customer experiences. By analyzing customer behavior and transaction histories, AI can provide personalized product recommendations and dynamic content, leading to improved customer engagement and operational efficiency.
Research indicates that AI-driven automation, social commerce, and evolving consumer behaviors are reshaping both B2C and B2B eCommerce.
On Perspective, Trees, and Bees
Spring is a beautiful time of year in New York. Every time it comes around, I’m reminded how grateful I am. Grateful to be healthy, for my family and friends, to be building things I care about, and to keep learning along the way.
One quote I often come back to is from Marcus Aurelius. He said you cannot control the world, but you can control two things: your thoughts and how you respond to what life gives you. The rest is out of your hands.
It’s simple advice, but it helps me stay grounded. Especially in this industry, where everything moves fast and the pressure is constant.
Outside of work, I have numerous hobbies. One of them is spending time with things that grow very slowly 😊. I’m a bonsai enthusiast and have around 100 bonsai trees I cater to year-round.
Additionally, I have been a beekeeper for almost 15 years and have around 25 bee hives.
Not sure if you knew it, but the honey bees pollinate almost 80% of our food. Without them, we’d eat only cabbage and potatoes.
Both have taught me patience, presence, and the value of paying attention to small things over time. Such hobbies offer a good balance to the pace of eCommerce. And a reminder that consistent work, done with care, always adds up.
What hobbies do you have?
Final thoughts
April was a good reminder that slow and steady still wins the race. Affiliate programs are back on the radar because they reward performance, not noise. Tools like LLMs.txt aren't exciting, but they quietly improve how your business shows up in AI search results.
At the same time, new pressure points are emerging. Tariffs, shifting fulfillment models, and AI-driven search are all changing the landscape faster than most brands are ready for.
What doesn’t change is this: if you build for the right customer and stay close to what works, you’re already ahead.
Thanks for reading. See you next month. 👋
P.S. At the end of May, our team (8 of us) will be in Toronto at the Shopify Edititions event.
If you're attending, I’d love to connect in person.
Remember, life’s too short for checkout lines.
P. P.S. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to comment and share your feedback or ideas for future topics.
CRO of Rivo | Founder of Brand Concierge | Builder of Stealth Project
5mo💪🔥 this is great.
Directing High Growth Brands // Success in 10+ Luxury SMBs
5moHere for the bee updates 👏👏👏👏👏👏
C-Suite Executive | Customer Success & Digital Growth Leader | Driving Scale in SaaS, eCommerce & Emerging Tech | Author & Speaker
5moGreat read! Thanks for the updates, see you in Toronto 👋🏽
Co-founder of Barrel Holdings, acquiring and growing specialized agencies.
5moLove these, so much value. Plus, need more honey pls!