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
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.”
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 15, 2021
August 15, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates from mid-August from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on branded mobile apps, headless commerce, small business grants, purchase protection, acquisitions of Amazon sellers, and buy-now-pay-later purchasing.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: August 2, 2021
August 2, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late July from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on customer chat, cross-border selling, live-streaming, social commerce, design tools, and local selling.
-
Platforms & Apps
Setting Up an Accessible Shopify Store
July 25, 2021 • Joseph C. Dolson
Ecommerce has come a long way in accommodating consumers with disabilities. I've addressed over the years many accessibility aspects of online shopping, from screen readers to lawsuits. Shopify, the focus of this post, is a rare ecommerce platform that supplies Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: July 15, 2021
July 15, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-July from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on live-streaming marketplaces, payment services, social commerce, headless commerce, customer experience, multichannel fulfillment, and holiday marketing.
-
Platforms & Apps
11 Platforms for Headless Commerce
July 6, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Headless commerce separates the frontend from the backend of a brand's web presence, in an API-first architecture. Headless technology can provide significant advantages in design and performance. Here is a list of platforms that facilitate a headless approach for ecommerce merchants.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: July 4, 2021
July 4, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for late June from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, subscription newsletters, payment solutions, email marketing, live-video shopping, last-mile deliveries, and drop shipping.
-
Platforms & Apps
Shopify Announces Online Store 2.0, More
July 1, 2021 • Armando Roggio
During its "Unite" event on June 29, Shopify announced significant changes to its ecommerce platform aimed at performance, ease of use, and empowering developers. The company also announced a new revenue-sharing model, giving app and theme creators 100% of revenue up to $1 million each year.
-
Schools & Resources
12 New Ecommerce Books for Summer 2021
June 21, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here’s a batch of new ecommerce books for your summer 2021 reading list. There are titles on cryptocurrency, customer experience, fulfillment, leadership, social media marketing, startup strategies, and building an online course.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: June 15, 2021
June 15, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-June from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on pay-later financing, social commerce, B2B solutions, affiliate marketing, fraud prevention, and sales tax.
-
Design & Dev Tools
22 Free Web Design Tools from Spring 2021
June 14, 2021 • Sig Ueland
Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from spring 2021. There are icon libraries, gradient palettes, project boilerplates, feedback and collaboration tools, fonts, and more. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions.
-
Platforms & Apps
12 WordPress Plugins to Sell Digital Downloads
June 7, 2021 • Sig Ueland
WordPress is a versatile content management system with nearly 60,000 available plugins. If you are interested in selling videos, PDFs, photos, software, or other digital products, there are plenty of plugin tools to help. Here is a list of WordPress plugins to sell digital downloads.
-
Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: June 2, 2021
June 2, 2021 • 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 social commerce, product drops, live shopping, two-day shipping, fraud prevention, and long-term financing.