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
New and Classic Books on Web Accessibility
August 1, 2024 • Jean Gazis
An accessible ecommerce site is good for sales and essential for legality. Here's our selection of eight new and timeless books on accessibility, UX, more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: July 30, 2024
July 30, 2024 • Sig Ueland
New releases this week include tools for AI-powered content creation, automated deliveries, shoppable video, website speed, logistics, and sustainable packaging.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: July 25, 2024
July 25, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: AI-powered customer service agents, post-purchase platforms, logistics, research resources, payments, and financing for ecommerce businesses.
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Platforms & Apps
15 Custom GPTs for Productivity
July 23, 2024 • Sig Ueland
Get more done with Custom GPTs for coding, presentations, Excel spreadsheets, research, much more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: July 18, 2024
July 18, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: AI-powered shopping assistants, crowdfunding, social commerce, big data, livestream shopping, subscriptions, app development, and cross-border payments.
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Schools & Resources
Top Books for Cross-Border Success
July 17, 2024 • Jean Gazis
Ecommerce connects global shoppers and affords merchants opportunities to sell across borders.
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Platforms & Apps
13 Custom GPTs to Generate Content
July 9, 2024 • Sig Ueland
Need a new ad, logo, presentation, image, or video? There's a custom GPT for that.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: July 9, 2024
July 9, 2024 • Sig Ueland
New tools for merchants this week include social commerce, flexible payments, luxury shopping, fulfillment, AI-powered pricing, and shopping in the metaverse.
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Code
Beware of Instant Site-speed Fixes
July 5, 2024 • Eric Bandholz
A Shopify store owner once paid a firm to redesign his site. The result was slow page loads and the owner's journey to improve them.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: July 2, 2024
July 2, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week's rundown includes new tools for shoppable media, AI assistants, personalization, returns forecasting, installment payments, shipping platforms, and marketplaces.
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Schools & Resources
10 New Ecommerce Books for Summer 2024
July 1, 2024 • Jean Gazis
This installment of our quarterly rundown includes fresh takes on economics and finance, AI, startups, marketing strategy, Amazon, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: June 27, 2024
June 27, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week's rollouts include AI-powered search, subscriptions, social commerce, chatbots, local shopping, reverse logistics, live shopping, and retail media networks.
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Typography & Fonts
Free Typography Fonts, Tools, Courses
June 25, 2024 • Sig Ueland
Typography is an essential component of web design. It’s also affordable, with free commercial fonts, tools, and educational materials.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: June 17, 2024
June 17, 2024 • Sig Ueland
New tools this week include generative AI, chatbots, digital payments, social commerce, subscriptions, media networks, and cryptocurrencies.
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Schools & Resources
Get a Handle on AI with These 10 Books
June 16, 2024 • Jean Gazis
Artificial intelligence represents both opportunities and fear. Here are 10 respected books to help understand AI's promise and pitfalls for business and beyond.
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Design & Dev Tools
19 Free Web Design Tools, Spring 2024
June 11, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our quarterly rundown includes tools for AI images, audio and video editors, color palettes, multisite management, visual testing, website builders, free fonts, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: June 10, 2024
June 10, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: virtual universe stores, customized checkout, multichannel management, AI website builders, cross-channel commerce, product images, global sourcing, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
Charts: Business Adoption of AI Q2 2024
June 5, 2024 • Adel Boukarroum
Per a new PwC survey, 72% of global businesses now use at least one AI application.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: June 4, 2024
June 4, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week's rundown includes updates on drone deliveries, POS systems, conversational AI, fulfillment, brand-influencer partnerships, and multichannel management.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: May 29, 2024
May 29, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our weekly rundown includes updates on generative AI, product images, page speed optimization, automated marketing, omnichannel management, and more.
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Schools & Resources
Favorite Books of Ecommerce Pros Q2 2024
May 23, 2024 • Jean Gazis
We queried 30 founders, owners, marketers, and SEO specialists. Here's what they're reading.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: May 21, 2024
May 21, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: updates on tax compliance, accessibility, inventory, cross-channel order fulfillment, chargebacks, and management for perishable-goods brands.
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Design & Dev Tools
23 Free Tools to Test a Website
May 16, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This all-new update to our popular resource includes tools to evaluate page speed, security, accessibility, regulatory compliance, code, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
AI Tools to Convert Articles into Videos
May 14, 2024 • Ann Smarty
New AI tools can repurpose text into video — suitable for TikToks, Reels, YouTube Shorts, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: May 14, 2024
May 14, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: shoppable video, digital payments, returns management, AI-powered pricing, generative-AI ad tools, and advertising for marketplace merchants.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: May 7, 2024
May 7, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: updates on ecommerce operations software, social commerce, post-purchase experiences, digital payments, the metaverse, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Using ChatGPT’s Memory Feature
May 6, 2024 • Ann Smarty
Enabling memory in ChatGPT facilitates personalized responses. The related "temporary chats" option is handy for privacy.
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User Experience
E.U. Accessibility Act Impacts Global Merchants
April 30, 2024 • Bet Hannon
No matter their location, ecommerce businesses with E.U. customers must comply with the European Accessibility Act. Only "micro-enterprises" are exempt.
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Platforms & Apps
13 Website Usability Testing Tools
April 30, 2024 • Sig Ueland
For merchants, elevating a site's user experience means more conversions. Usability testing platforms can identify pain points, collect feedback, more.
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Platforms & Apps
New Ecommerce Tools: April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024 • Sig Ueland
This week: updates on drone deliveries, AI, social commerce, composable commerce, fulfillment, and cross-border payments.
New Ecommerce Tools: January 16, 2025
Shopify Pro on Themes, Upgrades, Ecosystem
How to Promote Products on X
Charts: Outlook of Global Retail CEOs Q4 2024
20 Free Commercial Fonts for 2025
Ecommerce SMBs Need Faceless Videos
Drive More ROI from Meta and Google Ads