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-
Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Spring 2019
June 10, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from spring 2019. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, color tools, fonts, and more. All of these are free.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: June 3, 2019
June 3, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-May from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on seven-day deliveries, B2B platforms, cross-channel marketing, subscription businesses, selling on Amazon, financial technology, and creative economic development.
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Schools & Resources
Reading List: Jeff Hunt of Snap36
May 29, 2019 • PEC Staff
“Reading List” is an occasional series where we ask ecommerce professionals to name some of their favorite books and blogs and tell us why they read them. For this installment, we corresponded with Jeff Hunt. He is the CEO and founder of Snap36, a provider of interactive 360-degree product images.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: May 16, 2019
May 16, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-May from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on subscription platforms, help desk ticketing, inventory management, selling on Amazon, and selling on Instagram.
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Platforms & Apps
15 Plugins to Improve WordPress Search
May 13, 2019 • Sig Ueland
WordPress is a flexible content management system, but its default site search doesn’t support taxonomies, custom post types, or custom fields. Here is a list of plugins to improve the internal search on your WordPress site.
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Schools & Resources
13 Free Learning Resources for Designers, Developers
May 6, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of free online learning resources for designers and developers. There are tutorial sites, informative trade blogs, technical sites, educational games for designers and developers, and courses from a traditional university.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: May 1, 2019
May 1, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new platforms, services, and integrations for late-April from companies that cater to online merchants. There are updates on blockchain, video production, email marketing, international shipping, and returns.
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Design & Development
Moving Data May Become Software’s Best Feature
April 22, 2019 • Armando Roggio
The commerce technology stack is changing. And the ability to move information from one system or platform to another is, perhaps, the essential feature mid-sized or enterprise businesses should look for in software providers.
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Schools & Resources
13 Podcasts to Spark Your Creativity
April 22, 2019 • Sig Ueland
An ecommerce merchant needs to be creative, whether it’s finding opportunities, designing a website, or growing a brand. Fortunately, there are a variety of podcasts to spark and harness your ...
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: April 17, 2019
April 17, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-April from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, mobile ad networks, online marketplaces, content management systems, and voice-based shopping.
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Design & Development
The Case for Optimizing Image Performance
April 12, 2019 • Armando Roggio
For ecommerce, pictures can showcase products, inspire customers, and boost conversion rates. For web performance, however, pictures can hurt page load times and, thereby, the user experience. In March 2019, the ...
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Platforms & Apps
7 Reasons to Consider a Headless CMS
April 9, 2019 • Armando Roggio
There are many reasons for a business to consider a headless content management system. Among them are a need to use content in multiple channels, a desire for improved customization, and relief from a cluttered, conventional platform.
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Platforms & Apps
18 Helpful Plugins for WordPress Multisite Networks
April 8, 2019 • Sig Ueland
WordPress lets you create and manage multiple websites from a single installation by using the multisite feature. Here is a list of helpful plugins for multisite networks on WordPress. There are plugins to control access, clone websites, enhance performance, back up your network, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: April 3, 2019
April 3, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late March from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, furniture shipping, chargeback management, Amazon summits, and Facebook ad transparency.
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Platforms & Apps
18 Podcasting Tools and Resources
April 1, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of tools to help you produce your podcast. There are both online and offline tools to record, edit, and mix the audio. There are hosting platforms and tools to distribute and track your episodes.
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Schools & Resources
14 New Ecommerce Books for Spring 2019
March 25, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Spring is finally here with a new batch of ecommerce books. There are titles on advertising on Amazon, omnichannel strategy, blockchain, user experience, artificial intelligence, social media marketing, podcasting, and drop shipping.
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Code
How to Stop Sniply and Similar Services from Framing Your Content
March 19, 2019 • Armando Roggio
Social sharing tools such as Sniply, Backly, and similar put other companies' ads right on top of your popular and well-prepared content. But you don't have to let it happen. There are ways to stop these services from "framing" your content.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 18, 2019
March 18, 2019 • 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 shoppable ads, fintech, B2B, shipping, multichannel fulfillment, and personalization.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Winter 2019
March 15, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Add value to your website by utilizing free resources from the design community. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from winter 2019. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, color tools, fonts, and more. All of these are free.
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Schools & Resources
13 Instagram Accounts for UX, UI Design
March 11, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Instagram is a good place to find inspiration and insight on web design. The visual platform is full of user experience and user interface designers sharing their work. Here is a list of UX and UI feeds to follow on Instagram. The feeds are from freelance designers, in-house designers, agencies and, resource sites.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 3, 2019
March 3, 2019 • 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 small business grants, eliminating counterfeit products, curated marketplaces, video distribution, and a Pinterest IPO.
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Schools & Resources
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Merchant Voice
2018: My year in books
March 1, 2019 • Peter Keller
It’s shocking to me how valuable books can be. There are books that have stood the test of time — “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” the Bible, and more — and a never-ending stream of new titles. You can pick up a book for less than $20, and read it in a few hours.
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Platforms & Apps
18 Slack Apps and Bots for Team Collaboration
February 25, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Slack is a collaboration hub for teams, providing a single place for messaging, tools, and files. For small businesses, Slack can be a helpful platform to create and develop. Here is a list of integrated apps and bots from Slack and third-party vendors to enhance team productivity on Slack.
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User Experience
WCAG 2.1 a Welcome Update to Web Accessibility
February 18, 2019 • Joseph C. Dolson
WCAG 2.1 is the first major update to web accessibility guidelines since 2008. Rather than writing a new set from scratch, the W3C amended the existing guidelines to add several new key recommendations.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 17, 2019
February 17, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-February from companies that offer services to ecommerce merchants. There are updates on live-stream shopping, product management with artificial intelligence, digital payments, augmented reality for sampling products, and multiple features from Amazon.
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Design & Dev Tools
21 Tools and Resources for Voice Commerce
February 5, 2019 • Sig Ueland
For now, voice commerce produces little revenue. In the future, voice commerce may be a primary sales channel. Here is a list of tools and resources for voice commerce — to get started and to help with advanced development.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 4, 2019
February 4, 2019 • 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 shipping, social media, support for entrepreneurs, email marketing, credit automation, and virtual shopping.
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User Experience
The Legal Picture for Web Accessibility in 2019
January 30, 2019 • Joseph C. Dolson
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires websites to be accessible to disabled users. This has been well established in the courts — most recently in a decision by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals against Domino's Pizza.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 16, 2019
January 16, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases for mid-January from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on shipping, virtual shopping, landing page creation, sales tax collection, social media marketing, and large-purchase financing.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 1, 2019
January 1, 2019 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late December from companies that offer services to ecommerce merchants. There are updates on platform development, same-day shipping, visual search, competitive pricing, artificial intelligence, and high-end purchases.