Design & Development
The nuts and bolts of an ecommerce site are design and development. We address design innovation and trends — including layouts, colors, photography, logos, video, and more. We explain the basics of code — HTML, CSS, JavaScript — as well as platforms, themes, plugins, open source, and related topics.
Code | Design & Dev Tools | Platforms & Apps | Schools & Resources | Typography & Fonts | User Experience-
Schools & Resources
11 New Ecommerce Books for Spring 2021
March 16, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here’s a batch of new ecommerce books for your spring reading list. There are titles on branding, social media marketing, cross-border selling, podcasting, customer experience, transacting on Amazon and Shopify, and selling your business.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 15, 2021
March 15, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-March from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on Amazon advertising, shipping rates, live-streaming, drone deliveries, fraud mitigation, and chatbots.
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Code
You Can’t Solve Accessibility with 1 Line of Code
March 14, 2021 • Joseph C. Dolson
Accessibility overlays are third-party web scripts that alter the user experience. Providers of overlays sometimes claim that installing their script will prevent lawsuits in the U.S. under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Let me be blunt: these products will not protect you from lawsuits or necessarily help visitors with accessibility needs.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Winter 2021
March 8, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Free resources from the design community can add value to a website. Here is a list of new tools and design elements from winter 2021. There are website and page builders, icon libraries, pattern and color palette tools, free fonts, and a template marketplace. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions.
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Design & Dev Tools
15 Easy-to-use Logo Makers
March 2, 2021 • Sig Ueland
A logo represents your store, your company, and your mission. A good logo stands out and builds trust. Here is a list of logo makers and design tools. All of these are inexpensive and easy-to-use.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 1, 2021
March 1, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late February from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on live stream shopping, email marketing, managed hosting, and artificial intelligence-powered voice assistance.
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Design & Development
Even Small Companies Use AI, Machine Learning
February 24, 2021 • Armando Roggio
Data, technology, and people are at hand to make artificial intelligence and machine learning available to all commerce companies. To be certain, artificial intelligence and its sub-field, machine learning, have gone through cycles of inflated expectations followed by disappointments.
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Design & Dev Tools
13 Free Video Editors from Basic to Advanced
February 16, 2021 • Sig Ueland
The right software can help create compelling product videos, clips, or ads to share on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or anywhere else. Many free video editors offer basic, easy-to-use features as well as advanced tools and effects for professional-quality. Here is a list of free video editors.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 15, 2021
February 15, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-February from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on headless commerce, payment options, live-video shopping, artificial intelligence, collaborative web development, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 1, 2021
February 1, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late January from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on user experience tools, monetizing newsletters, promotional incentives, fulfillment, and hiring a developer.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 17, 2021
January 17, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-January from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on delivery services, loyalty programs, social media management, payment solutions, and headless commerce.
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Platforms & Apps
15 Tools to Get Things Done
January 11, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of tools to help you get things done. There are to-do lists, work timers, and project management platforms. Several tools are based on the Getting Things Done system. Others are based on the Pomodoro Technique. Nearly all of these have free plans.
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Typography & Fonts
19 New Free Commercial Fonts for 2021
January 5, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Adding a new font to your ecommerce site can create a fresh and unique look. Here is a list of fonts released in the last year. All are free for commercial use, though several are from larger premium font families. Before using a font, be sure to verify its terms.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 3, 2021
January 3, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-December from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on augmented reality, fraud prevention, customizable product services,
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Schools & Resources
14 New Business Books for 2021
December 29, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new and upcoming business books for entrepreneurs, managers, and creative professionals. Learn how to sell your business, harness the power of your developers, adopt the principles of success at Amazon, alter your thinking to achieve quick mastery, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Charts: Shopify’s Share of Global Websites, Ecommerce Sales
December 15, 2020 • Anna Kayfitz
Shopify launched in 2004 in Ottawa, Canada, when its founders were dissatisfied with existing platforms to sell their snowboarding gear. Fast forward to 2020, and Shopify is a global brand. Total 2020 revenue will exceed $2 billion. Its common shares trade at roughly $1,000 each.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 15, 2020
December 15, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-December from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on the return and dispute processes, fulfillment, personalization, contact center services, and merchant banking.
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Platforms & Apps
13 Favorite Productivity Apps for 2020
December 14, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here are my favorite new mobile productivity apps in 2020. There are apps for secure browsing, team communication, email management, note-taking, task management, positive habits, event planning, relaxation breathing, and more. Most of the apps are free, though several also offer premium add-ons.
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Schools & Resources
Our Favorite Books of 2020
December 8, 2020 • PEC Staff
We asked our contributors to tell us the best book they've read this year. Here are their responses.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2020
December 7, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Free resources from the design community can add value to an ecommerce site. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from fall 2020. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, graphic tools, fonts, and more. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 1, 2020
December 1, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-November from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on artificial intelligence, membership monetization, brand protection, international payments, and online returns.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 16, 2020
November 16, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-November from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on product videos, social commerce, holiday promotions, live-streaming, logistics, shipping, and wearable payments.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 2, 2020
November 2, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late October from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, discounted shipping, holiday deals, live chat, analytics, and content creation.
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Schools & Resources
20 Free Tutorials to Learn WordPress
October 27, 2020 • Sig Ueland
WordPress is a free content management system to power a simple blog, complex website, or online store. WordPress also supports an active development community that provides instructional tutorials for users at all levels. Here is a list of free tutorials to learn WordPress.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 15, 2020
October 15, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-October from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on voice commerce, social commerce, customer-support texting, cybersecurity, on-demand fulfillment, and holiday shipping.
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Platforms & Apps
8 Marketplaces for Themes, Templates, Plugins
October 12, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Themes, templates, and plugins can simplify the creation and customization of a website. Here is a list of marketplaces to access themes, templates, and plugins. Several of these marketplaces also offer other digital assets, such as graphics, fonts, and videos to create and customize a website.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 1, 2020
October 1, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-September from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, AI marketing, live streaming, personalization, conversational commerce, and installment payments.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: September 15, 2020
September 15, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-September from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, cybersecurity, international payments, product personalization, holiday shipping, artificial intelligence, and automated delivery drones.
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Schools & Resources
13 New Ecommerce Books for Fall 2020
September 15, 2020 • Sig Ueland
Here's a batch of new ecommerce books for your autumn reading list. There are titles on buying and selling a business, producing and fostering creative work, monetizing your podcast, live video marketing, Amazon, and the blockchain.
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Platforms & Apps
Is JAMstack Right for Your Ecommerce Business?
September 8, 2020 • Armando Roggio
Looming changes in ecommerce development could provide a short-term competitive advantage for some businesses. Many platforms give a business just about everything needed to build an ecommerce site. They are comprehensive and monolithic. But they are also restrictive, or so JAMstack proponents imply.