Podcast Summary: Coffee N°5 with Lara Schmoisman – "The Digital Revolution: User Experience and Tech Strategy with Don Allen"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Coffee N°5 with Lara Schmoisman
• Host: Lara Schmoisman
• Description: Coffee N°5 is a comprehensive guide for running, growing, and scaling a successful business in today’s competitive landscape. Hosted by award-winning marketing strategist Lara Schmoisman, each episode offers actionable strategies, insider tips, and real-world success stories from industry leaders across various sectors. The podcast blends expertise in omnichannel marketing with a passion for helping brands unlock their potential, making it invaluable for both seasoned entrepreneurs and newcomers.

Episode Details:

• Title: The Digital Revolution: User Experience and Tech Strategy with Don Allen
• Release Date: July 22, 2025
• Guest: Don Allen, CTO of Mode Operandi

1. Introduction & Background

Lara Schmoisman kicks off the episode by sharing a personal anecdote about meeting Don Allen in a coffee shop a year prior. This initial encounter led to Don joining the podcast as the CTO of Mode Operandi, a company with a notable trajectory including stints at Costco E-Commerce and Zulily.

[00:51] Don Allen: "Yeah, thank you for inviting me. I was, I don't get asked. I think it's only my second one."

2. Evolution of E-Commerce and User Experience

Don delves into his extensive experience in e-commerce, beginning his journey in 1999 at Costco Wholesale. He reflects on the significant advancements in website development and user experience over the past 25 years.

[02:03] Don Allen: "Making a compelling website is table stakes for everyone because... you can bring up a website that looks as good as any other, any other website in a day or two."

He emphasizes that while aesthetics are now commonplace, the true differentiator lies in the product quality and the ability to personalize the shopping experience.

3. Personalization and Product Display Strategy

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the challenge of displaying the right products to the right customers. Don explains how Mode Operandi leverages AI to analyze purchase history and preferences to tailor product displays.

[04:29] Lara Schmoisman: "So do you keep brands only that they're performing or you let the brands be?"

[04:44] Don Allen: "If you have too much product for someone to look at at one time... you use AI enabled tools now that look at the purchase history of customers to try to show them the products that they're most compelled to purchase."

He highlights the balance between showcasing trending items and allowing customers to explore new products, ensuring that the experience remains both personalized and diverse.

4. Maintaining Brand Authority and Curated Selections

Don discusses the importance of maintaining brand authority in the fashion industry. Mode Operandi's chief merchant, April Hannigan, plays a crucial role in selecting relevant and trending products from global fashion weeks.

[06:17] Don Allen: "...you have to have your own opinion about fashion. And that's what the experts at Moda do."

He also touches upon the significance of Lauren Santo Domingo, the founder, whose curated selections help in setting trends rather than just following them.

[06:17] Don Allen: "Lauren can do more than just reflect what the fashion industry is doing. She can actually create, she actually creates something and she can, you know, augment what's already happening."

5. SEO Challenges in the Age of AI

The conversation shifts to the evolving landscape of SEO and visibility. Don explains how traditional organic SEO has been disrupted by the advent of AI-driven search results and increased competition for visibility.

[07:30] Don Allen: "It's gotten harder than ever now because... if you don’t want to just buy the ads outright, which sometimes you have to, then you have to find other clever ways."

He introduces innovative strategies Mode Operandi employs, such as using AI to generate SEO tags based on product images, enhancing their search engine visibility without manual intervention.

[25:30] Don Allen: "We would just take this image and feed it to an AI and say, give me 20 SEO tags based on what you see. It would give us those tags, and we would go embed those into the page."

6. Marketplace Integration and Technology Choices

Don shares insights into Mode Operandi’s strategic decision to integrate marketplace technology using platforms like Miracle. He discusses the benefits and challenges of managing a large inventory, especially for products that are hard to store and ship.

[09:11] Don Allen: "We just put in marketplace about two years ago we enabled a marketplace technology through a platform called Miracle."

He explains the rationale behind leveraging third-party platforms to handle commodity aspects of the business, allowing Mode Operandi to focus on areas that provide a competitive edge.

7. Comparing Online and Physical Store Experiences

A key highlight is the comparison between online and physical store experiences. Don illustrates how online platforms can tailor the shopping experience based on user behavior, something that physical stores inherently struggle with.

[10:05] Don Allen: "Recognizing the kind of shopper that someone is online is much easier than it is in a store. And you can reshape the store online. You can't reshape a physical store."

He emphasizes the flexibility of online platforms in adapting to different shopping styles, whether a customer prefers browsing extensively or seeks quick access to popular items.

8. Platform Migration: Challenges and Strategies

Don provides an in-depth look at Mode Operandi’s transition from a bespoke e-commerce system to standardized platforms like Shopify. He outlines the complexities involved in migrating systems, training the team, and ensuring minimal disruption to operations.

[17:01] Don Allen: "But Moda has even today is running on its own e commerce system... So we need to move to a platform."

He recounts past experiences, such as the challenging 18-month launch of Costco’s second-generation site, and how those lessons inform current strategies to implement changes in manageable phases.

[20:05] Don Allen: "The whole company has to be involved in the migration because they have to get the training, they have to know the changes are coming."

9. Adapting to Modern Development Tools

Reflecting on the technological advancements over the years, Don expresses admiration for modern development tools that enhance efficiency and reduce errors. He contrasts this with the rudimentary tools available when he began his career.

[23:03] Don Allen: "The tools that we have today, 25 years later, compared to the tools that we had when we were starting, it's night and day."

He underscores the importance of creativity and strategic use of AI tools to maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly standardized technological landscape.

10. Conclusion and Future Outlook

As the conversation wraps up, Don reiterates the critical balance between leveraging technology and maintaining a strong product focus. He encourages continuous innovation and creative application of AI tools to stay relevant and effectively meet customer needs.

[26:23] Lara Schmoisman: "That's amazing. Don, thank you so much for having coffee with us."

Key Takeaways:

• Personalization: Utilizing AI to tailor the shopping experience based on individual customer behavior and preferences.
• SEO Innovation: Implementing AI-driven strategies to enhance search engine visibility in a competitive digital landscape.
• Platform Strategy: Transitioning from bespoke systems to standardized platforms like Shopify to leverage existing technological advancements and reduce maintenance burdens.
• Balancing Trends and Authority: Maintaining brand authority by blending current fashion trends with curated selections from industry experts.
• Adapting to Technological Advances: Embracing modern development tools and fostering creativity to stay ahead in the e-commerce space.

Notable Quotes:

• Don Allen [02:03]: "Making a compelling website is table stakes for everyone because... you can bring up a website that looks as good as any other, any other website in a day or two."
• Don Allen [04:44]: "...use AI enabled tools now that look at the purchase history of customers to try to show them the products that they're most compelled to purchase."
• Don Allen [07:30]: "It's gotten harder than ever now because... if you don’t want to just buy the ads outright, which sometimes you have to, then you have to find other clever ways."
• Don Allen [16:56]: "No one's going to write their own email system anymore. There's too many good email providers out there."
• Don Allen [23:03]: "The tools that we have today, 25 years later, compared to the tools that we had when we were starting, it's night and day."

This episode of Coffee N°5 offers valuable insights into the intersection of user experience and technological strategy in the e-commerce realm. Don Allen’s experiences and strategies provide actionable takeaways for businesses aiming to navigate the complexities of the digital revolution.