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Insights & Ideas

The Maverick Blog.

E-commerce thinking, Shopify expertise, and system-led strategy – from the team that builds it every day.

Shopify
Why most Shopify stores don't convert – and how to fix them

Traffic isn't your problem. Conversion is. Here's what we look at first when a store isn't performing, and the changes that make the biggest difference.

Centeine Christison
3 min
E-Commerce Strategy
Your Customers Are Getting Squeezed. Your Sales Are Feeling It.

South Africa's petrol price jumped 15% in a single month on 1 April 2026, driven by the US-Iran conflict, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a rand that has been working against us throughout. Most South Africans are aware of what happened at the pump. What's less visible is how this plays out inside your online store.

Melissa Rowlston
5 min
E-Commerce Strategy
You don't have an e-commerce problem. You have a systems problem.

Most established businesses have already invested in product, brand, and people – but their online channel is holding them back. Here's why that's almost never a marketing problem, and almost always a systems problem.

Melissa Rowlston
4 min
E-Commerce Strategy
Custom build vs small build: which is right for your business?

More complexity isn't always better – and a smaller build done properly will outperform a custom build done poorly every time. Here's how to make the right call.

Melissa Rowlston
5 min
SEO & AI
How AI search is changing e-commerce discoverability in 2026

Google isn't the only way customers find you anymore. Here's what AI-driven search means for your store, and what you need to do about it now before your competitors do.

Melissa Rowlston
4 min
Email Marketing
The five email flows every Shopify store should have running

Abandoned cart is just the beginning. Here are the automated flows that quietly recover revenue and build customer lifetime value – and what to put in each one.

Centeine Christison
6 min
Digital Marketing
Social media as a discovery channel, not a content feed

Most brands are using social media wrong. Here's how to think about it as a demand surface – the place customers research and compare before they buy – and how to show up accordingly.

Melissa Rowlston
3 min
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