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-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 1, 2023
March 1, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly rundown includes updates on shipping, domains, website builders, chatbots, analytics, grocery tools, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
11 Podcast Platforms to Host, Distribute, Monetize
February 27, 2023 • Sig Ueland
By 2024 500 million folks worldwide will listen to podcasts annually. Here are 11 comprehensive platforms to host your episode files, distribute them across the internet, and monetize them with ads, donations, and subscriptions.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Ecommerce Icon Sets
February 21, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Professional icons can engage shoppers and assist in navigation, checkout, and more. Here's our all-new update of ecommerce icons for most every need.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 15, 2023
February 14, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly series includes updates live video commerce, shipping services, social commerce, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
4 Ecommerce Growth Levers
February 7, 2023 • Armando Roggio
Ecommerce success depends on compelling products that consumers want to buy. Beyond that are critical foundational levers — technology, people, content, and money.
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Platforms & Apps
15 Group Messaging Mobile Apps
February 6, 2023 • Sig Ueland
The rise of remote employees requires specialized tools for team collaboration and communication. Here are 15 of those tools in our all-new update of a popular resource.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 1, 2023
February 1, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our long-running series includes new services for digital wallets, in-video search, shipping, SEO, headless development, omnichannel fulfillment, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
13 AI Chatbots for Business
January 31, 2023 • Sig Ueland
ChatGPT demonstrates the stunning benefits of artificial intelligence. Many other providers offer impressive AI-driven tools for customer service, process automation, and more. Here are 13 of them.
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Design & Dev Tools
21 Productivity Tools for 2023
January 24, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Staying organized and productive has never been easier. Innovative apps help manage time, collaboration, workflows, projects, and more. Many offer free versions for individuals.
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User Experience
Simple Steps to Mobile-first Web Design
January 23, 2023 • Barbara Carneiro
For too long mobile websites have been scaled-down desktop versions. The result is often an awkward user experience. Mobile-first design reflects the reality of today's consumer.
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Design & Dev Tools
Shopify App Developer Takes on Coupon Leaks
January 20, 2023 • Eric Bandholz
Dennis Hegstad's latest Shopify app is called Vigilance. It monitors and blocks unwanted coupon code injections at checkout, saving merchants big bucks.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 16, 2023
January 16, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our long-running series includes updates on no-code page builders, Amazon collaborations, AI-powered shipping, and more.
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Typography & Fonts
20 New Free Commercial Fonts for 2023
January 9, 2023 • Sig Ueland
We periodically profile new, compelling fonts to enhance the design of an ecommerce site. Here's the latest installment.
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Schools & Resources
A Practical Guide to Starting an Ecommerce Business
January 2, 2023 • Armando Roggio
Starting an ecommerce business can be the first step in a rewarding career. But it's not easy. This guide by Senior Contributor Armando Roggio, a 20-year ecommerce veteran, is realistic and thus enormously helpful.
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Schools & Resources
Our Favorite Books of 2022
December 28, 2022 • PEC Staff
Contributors to Practical Ecommerce are experts in their respective fields and seasoned writers and thinkers. We asked them for notable books they read in 2022. Here are their responses.
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Typography & Fonts
4 Ways Fonts Enhance an Ecommerce Brand
December 27, 2022 • Barbara Carneiro
The right font on an ecommerce website enhances the brand's mission. Here are four ecommerce examples of typography done well.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 18, 2022
December 18, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly “Product Releases” series includes updates on WooCommerce, consolidated returns, B2B payments, shipping, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2022
December 12, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new web tools and design elements that could help merchants. There are color gradients, security tools, text-to-image generators, and more.
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Schools & Resources
11 New Business Books for 2023
December 5, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This curated list of books that could help merchants include titles on growing a business, transforming a brand, influencing an audience, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 4, 2022
December 4, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly rundown of new services to help merchants includes updates on product recommendations, artificial intelligence, drop shipping, cryptocurrencies, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 15, 2022
November 15, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly rundown includes updates on social commerce, visual search, product tagging, last-mile delivery, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Klaviyo Founder: ‘We’re Good at Storing Data’
November 11, 2022 • Eric Bandholz
Andrew Bialecki launched Klaviyo in 2012 as a data repository for other businesses. Then a friend told him about Shopify. Fast forward to 2022 and Klaviyo is a global email-marketing juggernaut.
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Platforms & Apps
13 Easy-to-use CRMs
November 8, 2022 • Sig Ueland
A customer relationship management tool can help a business grow and scale at an affordable price. Here is a list of simple CRMs for businesses of all sizes.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 2, 2022
November 2, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Ecommerce merchants enjoy non-stop innovation from vendors and service providers. This installment of “Product Releases” includes updates on pop-up retail, rewards programs, live commerce, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
3 Up-and-coming Mobile Shopping Experiences
October 23, 2022 • Armando Roggio
The evolution of smartphone-based shopping continues. Three technologies could soon dominate that experience. We explain.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 17, 2022
October 17, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of new services that could help merchants includes updates on shipping and fulfillment, sales tax, digital advertising, mobile commerce, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
How AI Powers Ecommerce Recommendations
October 4, 2022 • Al Gharakhanian
Ecommerce product recommendations are increasingly powered by machine learning. We explain three such models and suggest implementation tactics for small businesses.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 3, 2022
October 3, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Twice monthly we publish a list of new services, updates, and collaborations that could help merchants. This installment includes updates on visual search, artificial intelligence, international shipping, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
The Rise of the Ecommerce Marketer
September 26, 2022 • Armando Roggio
With new sophisticated tools and platforms, the ecommerce industry has shifted from requiring highly-technical leaders to primarily needing marketers.
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User Experience
3 Questions Every Home Page Should Answer
September 20, 2022 • Barbara Carneiro
Modern consumers are deluged with information. Our brains subconsciously adapt, using three questions to cull out what's important. Websites should address those questions — quickly.
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