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
17 Free Tools for Color, Code, SEO, UI, More
March 14, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Rarely do small-to-midsize merchants need to spend a lot of money to improve the appearance and performance of their ecommerce sites. Here are handy, free tools for color, code, SEO, much more.
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Typography & Fonts
15 Sites for Free Commercial Fonts
March 7, 2022 • Sig Ueland
The perfect font for your design projects doesn't have to cost money. Many free options are available. Here are 15 sites offering free commercial fonts to download.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: March 2, 2022
March 2, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Our latest rundown of new services that could help ecommerce merchants includes mobile payments, product recommendations, fulfillment, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Design Tools for 2022
February 28, 2022 • Sig Ueland
We update our rundown of free design tools every year. This 2022 installment includes apps for web design, logos, fonts, color palettes, photo and video resources, and much more.
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User Experience
How Information Design Drives Conversions
February 22, 2022 • Barbara Carneiro
Understanding visitors' goals and the steps you want them to take will help determine the layout of your site's information. We explain in this post, using four examples.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 15, 2022
February 15, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Twice a month we publish a rundown of new products and services that could interest merchants. This installment includes mobile payments, B2B ecommerce, augmented reality, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
21 Google Workplace Apps
February 7, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Google Workspace is a comprehensive, cloud-based suite of apps to jumpstart productivity. Here's our rundown of Google's apps in Workspace and their purpose.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: February 3, 2022
February 3, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Twice a month we publish a rundown of new services and products that could help merchants. This installment includes headless commerce, AR, AI, and more.
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User Experience
Ecommerce Design Is Critical (but Misunderstood)
January 18, 2022 • Barbara Carneiro
Done correctly, ecommerce design conveys trust and drives conversions. Its value is much more than being good on the eye. Longtime designer Barbara Carnerio cites three critical rules.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 17, 2022
January 17, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Twice a month we publish a rundown of new products and services to help merchants. This installment includes ecommerce design, SMS marketing, next-generation search, Amazon advertising, and more.
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Typography & Fonts
16 New Free Commercial Fonts for 2022
January 10, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Compelling web design adds credibility and trust to an ecommerce site. Properly used, fonts can establish branding and creativity. Here's our annual list of new (and free) commercial fonts.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: January 2, 2022
January 2, 2022 • 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 next-day and zero-emissions deliveries, in-app referrals, video content creation, early-stage financing, and non-fungible tokens.
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Schools & Resources
15 New Business Books for 2022
December 28, 2021 • Sig Ueland
It’s time to plan your reading list for 2022. Here is a list of new and upcoming business books for entrepreneurs, managers, and creative professionals. Learn how to communicate with numbers, scale your business, use data to convert customers, find talent, develop your influence, and make sense of the metaverse.
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Design & Dev Tools
22 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2021
December 20, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Improving the design of an ecommerce site doesn't have to cost money. There are many free resources from the design community. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from fall 2021. There are color and gradient generators, image editors, coding tools, design collaboration tools, fonts, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: December 16, 2021
December 16, 2021 • 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 content creation, app development tools, digital goods, chargebacks, pay-later financing, and video editing.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 30, 2021
November 30, 2021 • 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 live-stream shopping, holiday shipping, drone deliveries, direct-to-consumer marketing, buy-now pay-later services, cloud training, and sustainable ecommerce.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 15, 2021
November 15, 2021 • 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 shoppable video, B2B fulfillment, social commerce, shopper protection, and shipping enhancements.
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Platforms & Apps
13 One-Page WordPress Themes for Startups, Products, More
November 8, 2021 • Sig Ueland
A one-page WordPress theme can launch a business, product, or even a promotion. Modern single-page design utilizes stylish minimalism to keep visitors focused, while leaving room for bells and whistles. Here is a list of one-page commercial WordPress themes.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: November 1, 2021
November 1, 2021 • 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 fraud protection, product protection, international commerce, social commerce, local selling, cybersecurity training, and more.
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Code
11 Free Websites to Learn Code in 2022
October 31, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Learning code has never been easier. Many free resources can help a beginner master a programming language or build a new web project. For online merchants, a better understanding of code means less reliance on third-party developers. Here is a list of resources to learn code in 2022.
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Design & Development
The Trade-offs of Third-party Add-ons
October 26, 2021 • Lori McDonald
Third-party apps and add-ons can enhance an ecommerce platform. Examples include exit popups, customer reviews, product recommendations, and marketing automation. But third-party add-ons can create more problems than benefits.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 17, 2021
October 17, 2021 • 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 email marketing, digital payments, subscription tools, social commerce, Amazon integration, WooCommerce, and live video shopping.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: October 3, 2021
October 3, 2021 • 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 augmented reality tools, conversational commerce, social commerce, small business financing, fraud protection, and buy-now, pay-later.
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Design & Dev Tools
17 Useful UX and UI Design Tools
September 28, 2021 • Sig Ueland
User experience and user interface tools can help with every stage of website and mobile-app design — from early whiteboard brainstorming to testing your prototype with end-users. Here is a list of useful UX and UI design tools.
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Code
Ask an Expert: What Is ReactJS?
September 21, 2021 • PEC Staff
“Ask an Expert” is an occasional feature where we pose questions to ecommerce practitioners. For this installment, we’ve turned to Rajesh Bhimani, founder Skynet Technologies, a web development firm. He addresses the purpose and popularity of ReactJS.
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Schools & Resources
12 New Ecommerce Books for Fall 2021
September 20, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here’s a batch of new ecommerce books for your fall reading list. There are titles on branding, social media marketing, personalized customer experience, entrepreneurship, and the post-pandemic workplace. I compiled this list using Amazon. From Amazon’s “Books” category, I selected “Business & Money.” From there I chose the “Processes & Infrastructure” sub-category and selected “E-commerce.”
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: September 16, 2021
September 16, 2021 • 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 team productivity tools, small business financing, subscription sales, logistics, and managing campaigns on Amazon.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Color Design Tools and Tutorials
September 7, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Choosing colors is among the most important design decisions for a logo, brand, or website. People decide whether to buy a product or service mainly by what they see. Fortunately, there are free tools to help pick the right colors for your business. Here is a list of tools and tutorials on color design.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 31, 2021
August 31, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late August from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, cybersecurity, global tax management, omnichannel advertising, and buy now, pay later.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Summer 2021
August 30, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new web tools and design elements that can enhance an ecommerce site. There are page builders, design collaboration tools, gradient generators, video apps, coding tools, fonts, and more. All are free, though some also offer premium versions as well.