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-
Platforms & Apps
My Top Ecommerce Tools for 2024
November 24, 2023 • Andrew Broadbent
Any list of helpful ecommerce tools would be extensive. Here are five must-haves per our correspondent.
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Design & Dev Tools
Will Custom GPTs Boost Ecommerce?
November 20, 2023 • Armando Roggio
OpenAI and Amazon Web Services now offer custom generative AI builders. We see benefits for merchants, potentially.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Nov. 20, 2023
November 20, 2023 • Sig Ueland
New releases this week address video commerce, ecommerce marketing, social commerce, cross-border payments, composable commerce, more.
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Platforms & Apps
21 New Shopify Tools to Explore
November 19, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Shopify's "Editions Summer '23" includes over 100 new platform features. Here are 21 of them.
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Platforms & Apps
Top Shopify Updates in Editions Summer ’23
November 13, 2023 • Andrew Broadbent
Shopify's latest Editions rundown included 100 new platform features. Our correspondent chooses his top six.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Nov. 13, 2023
November 13, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week: composable commerce, AI-powered shopping, open banking, tax compliance, cross-border logistics, holiday shopping promotions, more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Nov. 6, 2023
November 6, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week's list of upgrades and rollouts includes same-day deliveries, customer intelligence tools, conversational commerce, payment options, and more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Oct. 30, 2023
October 30, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week: AR try-on tools, reverse logistics, delivery insurance, AI-powered advertising, point-of-sale tools, cross-border payments, livestream shopping, more.
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Schools & Resources
13 Courses to Learn Ecommerce Skills
October 25, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Plenty of free or inexpensive courses can help advance ecommerce skills. Here's our rundown.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Oct. 23, 2023
October 23, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week: drone deliveries, generative AI, tracking, verified reviews, social media ads, shoppable videos, and livestream shopping.
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Design & Dev Tools
4 AI Tools to Condense Text, Audio, Video
October 17, 2023 • Ann Smarty
Sophisticated tools can now analyze, summarize, repurpose, and explain content — supercharging productivity.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Oct. 16, 2023
October 16, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week: holiday shipping, B2B payments, returns and reverse logistics, digital wallets, social media advertising, more.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Oct. 9, 2023
October 9, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week's updates include email marketing, generative AI, carbon-neutral delivery, returns delivery, B2B tools, point-of-sale tools, and full-stack commerce technology.
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Design & Dev Tools
Comparing 4 Image-to-text AI Tools
October 3, 2023 • Ann Smarty
Drop a photo into an AI vision technology tool and receive product descriptions, social media captions, and more. We test four leading providers.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Oct. 2, 2023
October 2, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week's updates include shipping labels, B2B tools, ad targeting, virtual experiences, fulfillment, and generative AI.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Sept. 25, 2023
September 25, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Updates this week include fulfillment, point-of-sale platforms, social commerce, flexible payment options, and AI-powered customer service.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Game-changers (in 2014)
September 18, 2023 • Armando Roggio
We described in 2014 five technologies that would change ecommerce. They didn't.
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Platforms & Apps
Ecommerce Product Releases: Sept. 18, 2023
September 18, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week's installment includes updates to Amazon's shipping software, new Meta ad tools, new Pinterest ad formats, and much more.
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Schools & Resources
13 New Ecommerce Books for Fall 2023
September 12, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our quarterly rundown includes titles on B2B marketing, cryptocurrencies, AI, email, big data, and much more.
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Platforms & Apps
How to Train ChatGPT for Better Responses
September 12, 2023 • Ann Smarty
ChatGPT's responses are generic by default. Here's how to customize them to your business or product.
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Platforms & Apps
TikTok Replaces ‘Storefront’ with ‘Shop’
September 11, 2023 • Samantha Collier
TikTok Shop enables consumers to buy products without leaving the platform.
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Platforms & Apps
Commerce Briefs: September 11, 2023
September 11, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Updates on shipping labels, green logistics, social commerce, B2B tools, headless commerce, more.
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Platforms & Apps
Commerce Briefs: September 4, 2023
September 4, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This week's Commerce Briefs includes updates on Buy with Prime, Bonanza marketplace, DHL cross-border shipping, and more.
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Design & Dev Tools
19 Free Web Design Tools from Summer 2023
August 29, 2023 • Sig Ueland
This installment of our quarterly design-tool series includes new color palette generators, icon libraries, no-code builders, and more.
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Schools & Resources
13 Free Online Courses for Entrepreneurs
August 22, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Learn basic skills such as accounting, marketing, and funding as well as creativity, tools, mental frameworks, and more.
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Schools & Resources
10 (More) Books to Grow a Business
August 14, 2023 • Sig Ueland
Last month we published a list of 14 books to jumpstart growth. Here are 10 more.
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Design & Dev Tools
Google’s Advice on Domain Names
August 3, 2023 • Ann Smarty
Three Google veterans discussed domain name practices in a recent podcast. Here are their suggestions — and ours.
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Schools & Resources
12 Books on the History of the Internet and Ecommerce
July 31, 2023 • Sig Ueland
The origins of Google, Amazon, and Facebook started long before those companies launched. Here's our rundown of books chronicling how it all began.
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Platforms & Apps
12 Shopify Apps with ChatGPT Integration
July 25, 2023 • Ann Smarty
Shopify app developers are embracing ChatGPT for customer service, product descriptions, and more.
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Schools & Resources
14 Books to Grow a Business
July 23, 2023 • Sig Ueland
There's no shortage of advice for starting or growing a business. Here's our rundown of time-tested books from folks who've done it or witnessed it.
New Ecommerce Tools: February 18, 2026
Email Marketing Awaits True AI
The Truth about 'Direct' Traffic
AI Content Licensing for Merchants
Low-Value Imports Upend E.U. Ecommerce
Bing Adds AI Visibility Reporting
SEO for AI, Low Traffic, No Clicks