WordPress Unveils A New AI Writing Assistant

Aloha!

Today's?trend of the?week?is "rainscapes".

Green living is on the rise. Consumers worldwide are taking action to conserve water by embracing rainwater harvesting, rain barrels,?and?drought-tolerant landscaping to make their homes more sustainable.

Trending on Pinterest:

?- Rainwater harvesting architecture +155%

?- Drought-tolerant landscape design +385

?- Rock drainage landscaping+70%

?- Rain chain drainage +35%

Today we have for you:

• A new AI writing assistant joins the fray?
• eBay launches an eCommerce accelerator program
• New metrics?and?dimensions added to GA4

And:

• How to succeed in foreign SEO
• Amazon aggregators consolidate
• A KDP investment fund case study?

Alright, let’s dive in.

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MARKETPLACE TRENDS

Here are the latest trends from last?week's marketplace activity:?

Gimme five

WORDPRESS

WordPress Unveils Its New AI Writing Assistant

10-second takeaway?

As more?and?more businesses jump on the AI bandwagon, WordPress is not one to be left behind. The website builder's parent company, Automattic, has unveiled an?AI-powered writing assistant?for WordPress users.

Simply named "Jetpack AI Assistant", the new tool offers a range of capabilities to enhance content creation.

Additional features to be released in the coming?weeks

Integrated as a block within the WordPress.com editor, users can engage with the chatbot-like interface through text interactions, similar to other generative AI systems like ChatGPT or Google's Bard.

Some notable use cases for the tool include:

• Creating blog posts, lists, or tables
• Checking for spelling?and?grammar errors
• Adjusting the tone of your posts (formal, humorous, confident, etc)
• Generating engaging post titles
• Language translation

While the tool is still in the experimental phase, it has the potential to become a valuable time-saving tool for generating quick drafts or fine-tuning existing articles.

Additionally, the automatic language translation feature could prove especially beneficial for online business owners aiming to expand their reach in international markets.

The AI Assistant is free to use for all WordPress?for a limited time.?

THE OPPORTUNITY

Exploring the Power of Foreign SEO?

With over 31 million active bloggers in the United States alone, it's no surprise that achieving success in the ever-competitive SEO market is becoming increasingly challenging.

However, hidden beyond the boundaries of cutthroat English language SEO lies an untapped treasure trove of opportunities in foreign markets.

Capitalizing on?this?potential is?this?week's guest,?Taylor Kimball. Taylor is an SEO expert who operates sites in both Thai?and?Portuguese – two languages that he does not speak.

So how does Taylor create content for an audience he is unable to communicate with? By assembling a stellar team of local content experts.

Taylor explains, "Buying a foreign language site isn’t so much about the site itself, but rather the team behind it. You’ll need to find people who are fluent in that language?and?familiar with the culture. Foreign SEO is about partnerships with key people."

Language barriers are not Taylor's only hurdle. Foreign affiliate?and?display advertising opportunities can be limited, particularly in markets where Amazon doesn't have a strong presence.

To overcome?this?challenge, Taylor has had to get creative?and?experiment with reaching out to local brands?and?smaller companies to establish private affiliate deals.

On the plus side, Taylor has found that non-English SEO often lags behind the English-speaking market, presenting SEOs with access to highly competitive niches?and?the chance to implement techniques that may no longer be effective in the English-speaking realm.

Listen to the full episode?to learn more.

ECOMMERCE FUNDING

eBay?and?Techstars Offer Assistance to eCommerce Innovators

10-second takeaway?

eBay?and?Techstars have partnered to launch the?Techstars Future of eCommerce powered by eBay?accelerator program.

The program will invest in early-stage businesses working on innovative eCommerce technologies.

"An unparalleled opportunity for founders"

Startups accepted into the program will gain access to mentors, thought leaders,?and?investors from both Techstars?and?eBay.

The 13-week?program is designed to support startups that are using innovative technologies such as AI, Web3, privacy, security,?and?infrastructure to shape the future of eCommerce.

In an effort to make the program more accessible to a diverse range of startups, founders will be allowed to participate both remotely?and?in person in San Francisco.?

Applications?to join the program close on 5 July 2023 at 11:59 pm PST.

HIDDEN GEM

Listing #69583 -?$704,986.00

DISPLAY ADVERTISING, AMAZON ASSOCIATES, AFFILIATE | AUTOMOTIVE, INFORMATION | 47X

Created in July 2020, the WordPress site features informational articles?and?guides about various vehicles. The well-branded site contains high-quality content that has been featured in publications like The Washington Post?and?USA Today. Minimal effort is required to maintain?this?business.

We’re highlighting?this?business?this?week?because of its following strengths:

• Diversified revenue streams:?display ads (92.5%), Amazon Associates (4.5%), affiliate links (2.9%),?and?sponsored posts (0.1%)
• High volume of content:?Approximately?60-100 articles published per month
• Traffic Spread:?top 3 pages 3.5%, 2.8%,?and?1.3% of traffic respectively

Learn More >

AMAZON AGGREGATORS

SellerX Acquires Elevate Brands

10-second takeaway?

Berlin-based Amazon aggregator SellerX has acquired Austin-based Elevate Brands.

The merger?creates a new company, SellerX Group, with a combined portfolio of 80 Amazon brands?and?40,000 products, generating $431 million in revenue.

Agile aggregators adjust by acquiring other ailing aggregators

The deal, expected to close in June, is an all-share transaction?and?includes a?new investment of over $64 million?from existing SellerX investors.

The SellerX Group aims to leverage its technology platform, global supply chain infrastructure,?and?warehouse operations to launch new products?and?expand into multiple channels. The company's focus areas include sports?and?outdoors, home?and?kitchen, mobile accessories, pets,?and?consumables.

This?acquisition follows the recent merger between Suma?and?D1 Brands, which marked the first merger of U.S.-based Amazon aggregators.

The consolidation trend in the overcrowded Amazon aggregator space is?expected to continue.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

?Flexport?acquires Shopify Logistics:?Shopify shifting back to basics

?Catching the coming?eCommerce wave:?new report on consumer payment trends

?Shopify, WooCommerce,?and?more?hacked:?credit card info stolen from users

?TikTok?aims to 4x its eCom network:?betting on strong growth in Southeast Asia

ONLINE BUSINESS INVESTING

KDP Fund Case Study:?18.1% Returns within 12 months

Millions of authors have embraced self-publishing through Amazon KDP, resulting in a booming industry worth $1.25 billion.

However, until now, profiting from?this?industry required direct ownership of a KDP business.

Is investing in Amazon KDP businesses worth it?

Keenly aware of the inherent potential to be found in?this?monetization, WebStreet decided to launch its?first KDP fund?in early 2022.

Overseen by Portfolio Manager Andy, the fund has seen remarkable success within its first year.

The fund was created with the acquisition of two KDP businesses with a combined value of $1.02 million.

Both businesses possessed valuable author brands, established audience bases,?and?advertising opportunities that had been underutilized.

Post-acquisition, the focus was on strategic growth initiatives. These included keyword optimization, ad campaigns,?and?conversion rate optimization. Andy also implemented a robust tracking system that allowed for real-time monitoring?and?informed decision-making.

These growth initiatives were a success, leading to increased sales?and?improved profitability. The core business stabilized its growth trajectory despite the changing pandemic landscape, while the secondary business achieved an impressive 50% year-over-year growth in December.

By Q4, the fund had generated an overall return of 18.1%, proving the viability?and?scalability of KDP businesses as?investable assets.

GA4

New Dimensions?and?Metrics Added to GA4

Google Analytics 4 has expanded its audience builder tool with five new dimensions?and?one new metric.

These updates?enable businesses to delve deeper into website metrics?and?goals by providing enhanced tracking capabilities?and?more granular data for analysis.

The new dimensions offer valuable insights:

1. Country: Allows location-based analysis for targeted marketing strategies.
2. Manual term (UTM Term): Improves campaign tracking?and?keyword performance evaluation.
3. Mobile device info: Provides detailed data on audience device preferences to optimize mobile experiences.
4. Minute: Allows time-sensitive analysis at a minute-by-minute level for real-time content adjustments.
5. New vs. Returning: Simplifies understanding of user engagement?and?identifying returning customers.

Additionally, the new metric,?session duration, allows businesses to analyze user engagement patterns?and?how long users spend on their website.?This?helps identify areas for improvement?and?increased conversions.

These updates provide a timely upgrade as Universal Analytics 3 approaches its?data collection deadline?(1 July 2023),?and?Google Analytics 4 takes over.

LIVING LA VIDA NOMAD

On Top of the World

Our vetting advisor Bryan recently took a break from moving mountains for our sellers to conquer some real-life summits at the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.??

MEME OF THE?WEEK

Been somewhere cool or seen a meme that made you chuckle?

Send us a DM on Instagram (@empireflippers) with your favorite meme or nomad shot?and?we'll include it in the next email!