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
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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Platforms & Apps
16 Free Open-source Content Management Systems
October 9, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of content management systems for creating websites, managing media, organizing mailing lists, facilitating online stores, 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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Design & Dev Tools
25 Free Tools to Test Your Website
September 26, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Regular testing of the health and vitality of an ecommerce site will ensure optimal performance. Here is a list of tools to test sites for download speed, user experience, accessibility, 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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Schools & Resources
13 New Ecommerce Books for Fall 2022
September 19, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Once a quarter we publish a rundown of new books that could help online merchants. This installment includes titles on brand building, international ecommerce, demand creation, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: September 18, 2022
September 18, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly rundown of new services that could help merchants includes updates on live shopping, warehousing and distribution, cryptocurrency, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
20 Free Web Design Tools from Summer 2022
September 12, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Every three months we publish a rundown of free tools — design, usability, page builders, more — that could advance an ecommerce site. Here's our summer 2022 installment.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 31, 2022
August 31, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of new services for merchants includes updates on last-mile logistics, creator partnerships, pay-in-4, and more.
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Schools & Resources
11 Web Design Podcasts for Online Merchants
August 29, 2022 • Sig Ueland
There are many resources for staying current on design-related topics. Here's our all-new update to a list of podcasts on user experience, ecommerce design, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 15, 2022
August 15, 2022 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our twice-monthly rundown of new services for merchants includes updates on same-day deliveries, fraud prevention, SMS purchasing, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
12 Tools to Create Infographics
August 2, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Infographics are popular among consumers for conveying complex information clearly and concisely. Here is a list of simple-to-use tools for organizing and creating.
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Platforms & Apps
35 Free Google Tools for Small Businesses
July 25, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Google offers a wide array of free tools for entrepreneurs and small business teams. Here is a list of Google tools for productivity and communication, digital marketing, web development, and more.
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User Experience
Design Every Page for the Desired Outcome
July 25, 2022 • Barbara Carneiro
When developing an ecommerce website, merchants should ensure every page guides visitors towards the desired outcome. Longtime design guru Barbara Carneiro explains.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: July 17, 2022
July 17, 2022 • Sig Ueland
Ecommerce merchants enjoy nonstop innovation from vendors. Our mid-July rundown of new services that could help sellers includes social shopping, shipping and fulfillment, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
No-code Apps Are Everywhere
July 3, 2022 • Armando Roggio
No-code tools and platforms allow users without programming skills to create apps and workflows. Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow, BigCommerce, Wix — all offer no-code capabilities.