Kerry Murdock

Articles by: Kerry Murdock

Kerry Murdock

Kerry Murdock is publisher and editor of Practical Ecommerce. Since 2005 he has managed all aspects of Practical Ecommerce’s journalism, from selecting writers and topics to editing and fact-checking thousands of professional articles addressing all facets of worldwide ecommerce.

He was previously the publisher of two community newspapers and a small book publishing company.

He is a member of SABEW (Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing) and holds a B.S. in Accounting from Oklahoma State University and an M.A. in Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

SEO Tools
SeoProfy Founder: Study Competitors to Improve Rankings

June 7, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

The best tactic for improving organic search rankings is analyzing successful competitors. That's according to Victor Karpenko, the founder of Ukraine-based SeoProfy, a global consultancy.
Finance
Q&A: Alyona Mysko of Ukraine-based Fuel Finance

April 25, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

Fuel Finance is a Ukraine-based "financial department in the cloud." Alyona Myskyo launched the company two and a half years ago to provide easy-to-follow info to help merchants with quick decision-making.
Business
Q&A: Anastasia Zhuk, Ukraine Agency Owner

March 13, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

The Whidegroup is an ecommerce agency in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, near Crimea. Its co-owner, Anastasia Zhuk, describes in this interview the war's impact on her business, family, and life.
Business
20 Years in Ecommerce for Miva’s CEO

January 19, 2022 • Kerry Murdock

Miva, the ecommerce platform, launched in the 1990s. Rick Wilson joined the business then as a salesman. He's now the CEO. He recently completed the company's second capital raise and authored his second book.
Business
2021 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

December 30, 2021 • Kerry Murdock

We published an article in late January from contributor Sig Ueland. It addressed the rise of drone delivery and the providers spearheading that technology. "8 Commercial Drone Delivery Companies" became our most-read piece in 2021. Sig returned to human-free carriers six months later, addressing robots rather than drones.
Business
Remembering Hamlet Batista

February 8, 2021 • Kerry Murdock

All of us here mourn the death last month of Hamlet Batista, our friend and contributor. Hamlet first appeared in Practical Ecommerce in an interview. A mutual acquaintance, an SEO practitioner, had suggested that we publish his views. “He’s really smart,” said the acquaintance. “He’s applying for a genius visa.”
Business
2020 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

December 31, 2020 • Kerry Murdock

Contributor Marcia Kaplan emailed me in early February 2020. She described a sickness in China that appeared to be impacting global trade. She called it a virus and suggested that we address it. "Coronavirus Disrupting the Global Economy, Including Ecommerce," Marcia's piece, made our annual top 25 list — articles published during the year with the most page views. It was the first of dozens of Covid-related stories.
Staffing
TaxJar CEO on Managing a Remote, 160-employee Team

April 3, 2020 • Kerry Murdock

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing many companies to adjust to a home-based workforce. TaxJar, a sales-tax compliance platform, has been entirely remote since its founding seven years ago. All 160 employees work remotely, mainly from their homes. Mark Faggiano is founder and CEO of TaxJar. I recently spoke with him about managing a large, distant workforce.
Business
2019 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

December 30, 2019 • Kerry Murdock

We've published roughly 500 articles in 2019. What follows is our annual list of the 25 most popular based on the number of page views. Articles related to search engine optimization remain, collectively, the most read. Other leading topics include
Business
Miva CEO on Thriving in an Amazon-dominant Market

August 19, 2019 • Kerry Murdock

The rise of Amazon has prompted some observers to suggest independent ecommerce merchants are threatened. Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva, the ecommerce platform, disagrees. His new book "Dragon Proof Ecommerce," offers a roadmap for continued growth. I recently spoke with him about the book, Amazon, and the outlook for independent ecommerce.
Business
Thrift Books CEO on $150 Million of Annual Used Book Sales

July 31, 2019 • Kerry Murdock

Anyone who has purchased used books on Amazon likely encountered Thrift Books. It launched in 2003 as a pure-play Amazon seller. It is now the largest used-book seller in the world. I recently spoke with Thrift Books’ CEO, Mike Ward, about the company and the logistics of selling tens of millions of books every year.
Business
Moz Founder Rand Fishkin on New Book, New Company

August 13, 2018 • Kerry Murdock

Rand Fishkin founded Moz in 2001 as a blog, calling it SEOmoz. It became an industry beacon. He left Moz earlier this year. His new book is a transparent view of running that company. I spoke with Fishkin last week about the book, leaving Moz, and his new venture, SparkToro.
Cross-border Selling
DHL Executive on International Selling, Logistics

July 25, 2018 • Kerry Murdock

Selling across international borders can provide helpful revenue to merchants. But the complexity of laws, transit times, and delivery cost can be daunting. Dr. Eugene Laney is an authority on ...
Business
Sales Tax Pro on Impact of Supreme Court’s Wayfair Decision

June 28, 2018 • Kerry Murdock

For roughly 200 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has resolved disputes arising from companies selling products across state borders. A notable case occurred in 1992 when the state of North Dakota ...
Amazon & Marketplaces
Beardbrand Founder on Moving Away from Amazon

May 24, 2018 • Kerry Murdock

In an ecommerce world that is seemingly dominated by Amazon, Eric Bandholz has just moved his company’s products away from that marketplace. The company, Beardbrand, is now focused on selling ...
SEO
What, Exactly, Is Barebones SEO?

February 22, 2018 • Kerry Murdock

Organic traffic from Google and other search engines remains critical to many merchants. It generates a steady stream of prospects. And it insulates merchants from over-relying on Amazon for sales. There is no greater authority on search engine optimization than Stephan Spencer. He's the co-author of The Art of SEO and the sole author of leading digital marketing books. I recently spoke with him on bare-minimum SEO tactics for ecommerce.
Cross-border Selling
Does U.S. Postal Service Subsidize China-based Merchants?

December 12, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

Cross-border ecommerce is booming, as is cross-border shipping. But the postage rates among countries for that shipping greatly vary. Merchants in certain countries, such as China, can ship very cheaply ...
Business
Volusion C.E.O. Bullish on Smaller Ecommerce Businesses

October 24, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

In an era when many ecommerce platforms are migrating to large, enterprise-level clients, Volusion is doing the opposite. It’s focused on smaller and mid-size companies, even startups. To discuss it,
Business
Miva C.E.O. on New Investment, Amazon, Ecommerce Outlook

September 28, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

It’s been an eventful year for Miva, the pioneering ecommerce platform. Its longtime president became C.E.O. and the company raised $18 million of private equity, which is the first such ...
Business
Magento C.E.O. on Revamped Product Line; Digital Transformation

September 20, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

Magento, the ecommerce platform, launched in 2007, grew dramatically, and was acquired by eBay. When eBay divested PayPal in 2015, it also sold Magento, to a private equity firm. Magento’s ...
Business
Algopix C.E.O. on Marketplaces, Brands, and Resellers

August 2, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

Given the ease with which brands and manufacturers can sell their products directly to consumers, many observers believe the future of resellers is limited. Ori Greenburg, an ecommerce veteran and ...
Business
Saudi Entrepreneur on Ecommerce in the Middle East

July 25, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

In the United States, ecommerce is mature and sophisticated. That is not the case in Saudi Arabia, where it’s new and challenging. Hamza el Bayed is co-founder of a Jeddah,
Amazon & Marketplaces
BigCommerce CEO on Amazon, Other Channels

April 12, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

Many merchants view Amazon as a competitor, albeit one they are forced to sell on. Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce, disagrees. He believes Amazon can complement an ecommerce business. I ...
Amazon & Marketplaces
Data Platform Identifies Counterfeits on Amazon, Other Marketplaces

March 13, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

The dominance of Amazon and its marketplace is clear. What’s not so clear are the counterfeit items that are also sold there. Rob Dunkel is the founder of 3PM Marketplace ...
Amazon & Marketplaces
For Merchants, How to Navigate Amazon’s Marketplace?

January 13, 2017 • Kerry Murdock

The increasing dominance of Amazon has many merchants scratching their heads, wondering how exactly to work with that company, and how that company will impact their own businesses. I recently spoke ...
Business
U.S. Robotics Founder on Early-day Internet, Entrepreneurship

December 14, 2016 • Kerry Murdock

Without U.S. Robotics, the pioneering modem manufacturer, there arguably would not be a World Wide Web. I recently spoke with the co-founder of U.S. Robotics, Casey Cowell, to discuss that company,
Business
Former Amazon Exec on Marketplace Selling Strategies

October 30, 2015 • Kerry Murdock

Selling on Amazon’s marketplace can be challenging. There are, to be sure, millions of prospective customers. But there are also many competitors selling there, often at prices that are difficult ...
Business
Steve Case on SMB Ecommerce; Bigcommerce Investment

January 19, 2015 • Kerry Murdock

Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online, is by any measure an Internet visionary. His private equity firm, Revolution, invested, in 2013, $40 million in Bigcommerce, a leading platform for ...
Business
Dr. Ralph Wilson on the Founding of Web Marketing Today

July 18, 2012 • Kerry Murdock

Before Google, Netscape, and Internet Explorer, there was Web Marketing Today. Dr. Ralph F. Wilson founded it back in 1995 as a vehicle to supplement his then-fledgling web development practice.
SEO
Too Much SEO Can Harm an Ecommerce Business

January 26, 2012 • Kerry Murdock

Balancing SEO with usability was the topic when we recently spoke with Hamlet Batista. He is a pioneering SEO innovator and the founder of Hamlet Batista Group, an SEO consultancy.