Hey, thanks for tuning in to another Partner Interview at EcomBalance. At EcomBalance, we’re all about creating win-win partnerships where we are able to grow with other companies in the eCommerce space.
In this exclusive interview, we interview Kimberly Lock from ZonGuru, a powerful toolset that helps Amazon brands accelerate their growth.
Kimberly is ZonGuru’s in-house Product Research Expert. She launched her own Amazon business in 2019 in the US and is expanding to the Australian marketplace in 2022. She focuses on both data and creating a brand experience for her customers by combining the insights from ZonGuru’s data along with her marketing skills to present a consistent message in her social media, advertising and product development. Her focus on branding has allowed her to compete against big brands in her category.
We hope that you enjoy the interview and that it brings value to you as an eCommerce business owner.
Connor: Hey Kimberly, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. As a company, one of our goals is to highlight our partners so that our clients can benefit where it makes most sense. To get started, can you give us a high-level introduction to ZonGuru and a little bit about how the company got started?
Kimberly: Who We Are: Established in 2016, ZonGuru is a powerful toolset that helps Amazon brands accelerate their growth. The platform now offers 17 different tools connected to 10 Amazon marketplaces across North America, Europe, India, and Australia. ZonGuru’s services are offered to thousands of sellers and enterprise agencies who want to optimize and promote their customers’ storefronts and listings effectively and efficiently.
What We Do: Our core team consists of seasoned Amazon Sellers who know from experience what data points matter, what will make any seller business move forward, and our focus has always been only on the information that is really vital for making important decisions.
Why Choose Us: ZonGuru provides data solutions that always focus on being simple, relevant, impactful, and efficient. The resulting product: ZonGuru has the cleanest UI, the only relevant data points, and the best support team (rated #1 in the industry on Trustpilot).
Connor: Thanks for sharing that! Can you dive a bit more into the research tools and software that you offer to help ecommerce entrepreneurs achieve success? Our audience is always looking for reputable companies that they can lean on for specific parts of their eCommerce businesses.
Kimberly: Zonguru provides an all-in-one toolsuite, perfect for all of your Amazon business needs. With state of the art product research, optimization, and automation tools – we cater to all aspects of your Amazon journey. Along with a world class toolsuite, we have a dedicated team of customer success agents to help you along the way, as well as weekly training & monthly webinars.
Connor: Jumping off of that…when you’re thinking about your ideal customer, who is that? Where are they selling online? Where are they located in the world? How much sales do they typically have in a year? If there’s any other qualities, please include them as well. We’re all about making introductions where it benefits both parties.
Kimberly: Our ideal customer ranges from a Researcher looking for their first successful Amazon product to a seasoned 7-figure seller with multiple brands. Our ideal customer is focused on building a long term sustainable business using the private label model. Many of our customers are Amazon sellers with monthly revenues ranging from 30-150k selling 6-20 SKUs with their focus on selling in North America, UK, EU, Australia and or India.
Connor: For our audience to truly understand what makes you stand out from other ecommerce software and research tool providers in the space, can you share a story of how ZonGuru truly helped one of its customers?
Kimberly: Working in Customer Success, I get the opportunity to help our customers in a variety of ways from simply updating email addresses to helping them get the most out of our many tools with guidance and training. I had one customer recently who was having a difficult time communicating his issue with us. Once I was able to get to the heart of the matter with some additional questions, I was able to show him how to resolve his issue quickly and easily.
Connor: As you and your company think about the next year ahead, what does it look like? Are there any specific initiatives that you’re working on as a team to better your product or service for your customers?
Kimberly: Best Niche category Report / Mobile App / Agency Dashboard
ZonGuru’s initial focus was small to medium sized amazon sellers and still is. However, as Amazon becomes more seasoned, there has been a rise in Amazon agencies and aggregators, especially in the past year. We have found that there are no tools available to such businesses and therefore, ZonGuru has shifted and created enterprise solutions and features which aid amazon agencies with the management, optimization, scaling and reporting of their amazon accounts at an enterprise level.
Connor: How about this…everyone loves a company’s growth story. We all naturally go through ups and downs as a company. What was one of the biggest challenges that the company faced in its growing stages?
Kimberly: Expanding into emerging markets like Australia and India. Understanding the nuances in these new markets and developing tools that convey the info.
Connor: Thanks! Let’s talk some eCommerce! Where do you see the industry heading in the next 1-2 years? Any big changes that you’re predicting for the industry? How can eCommerce companies prepare for it?
Kimberly: Over the last five years, Amazon’s performance and growth worldwide has been massive. From 2016 to 2021, the e-commerce giant’s net revenue and service sales increased by almost 350% (Statista, 2022), going from roughly $385 million USD to $470 million USD in just the last 12 months! Building upon this immense success, the company continues to export its proven business model, expanding into new markets around the world. Today, it attempts to solidify its presence in new regions like Australia, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.
Top Amazon sellers share a common theme with their business platform—global selling and the ambition to expand. New markets mean new opportunities; however, seeking ‘greener pastures’ in foreign markets comes with its own set of challenges.
Connor: Changing gears a little bit…When it comes to bookkeeping and accounting, what do you think the biggest pain points for eCommerce business owners are? Feel free to speak from personal experience as well.
Kimberly: One of the biggest issues for sellers when it comes to bookkeeping and accounting is correctly recording Amazon fees and charges into their system. This is compounded when they have multiple products and sell in more than one marketplace. Our Business Dashboard is able to provide reporting on combined or separate products and marketplaces.
Connor: Okay, here’s an open mic opportunity. If there’s one thing that you’d want the EcomBalance community to hear from you, what would it be?
Kimberly: No matter how passionate you are about your niche and your products, if the data doesn’t work you could be setting yourself up for disaster, a disaster you can avoid if you listen to the data. You need the combination of buyer demand (or search volume) across multiple keywords along with a healthy revenue potential and a differentiation that solves a pain point your competition is not addressing well. If your gross margin is not enough to cover your marketing budget, your PPC and your external traffic sources, and still leave you with a healthy net margin – you need to reconsider.
Connor: As we close this out, I just have one more question. Where is the best place to find and follow you and the company online? Also, if you have one, is there any special offer that you’ll be offering to the community today?
Kimberly: Yes! With help from the experts at ZonGuru, expanding into new global markets is easier than ever. Our custom Niche Analysis Report will take a look at some of the top Amazon global markets and analyze the opportunities in each, specifically for your niche. So, whether you’re looking to expand your business or simply curious about what could be on the horizon, get your free custom Niche Analysis Report for insights on how to grow into some of the world’s most lucrative e-commerce markets.
CTA: Get your free custom Niche Analysis report
