Schools & Resources

Our schools and resources coverage explores sources to help merchants improve their ecommerce skills. We look at helpful books, podcasts, blogs, tutorials, courses, YouTube channels, and more.

Schools & Resources
Booklist: NearbyNow.com Founder Scott Dunlap

October 14, 2009 • PEC Staff

Booklist is an occasional feature in which we ask ecommerce personalities about the books they read, and why. For this list, we asked Scott Dunlap, founder of ecommerce technology developer ...
Schools & Resources
The PeC Review: “Online Marketing Inside Out” Is a Helpful Book

August 26, 2009 • Armando Roggio

Boiled down to its essence, ecommerce is really about marketing. In the brick-and-mortar world, a small retailer might have a half-dozen competitors citywide, and location, longevity, and luck can be as important as marketing. For example, there is a small, dirty bike shop I know that ...
Schools & Resources
The PeC Review: “The Unofficial Magento User Guide” Helpful for Novices

July 16, 2009 • Armando Roggio

Magento Commerce, the open source ecommerce platform, has a massive following and an engaged development community. So it is no surprise that one of its devotees has released an unofficial users' guide designed to help do-it-yourselfers implement this powerful platform. James D. Ballo...
Schools & Resources
Ten Inspiring Ecommerce Site Designs

July 10, 2009 • Armando Roggio

Creating a great (and successful) ecommerce site requires a mix of terrific products, strong marketing, informative content, and strong site aesthetics. In this article, I have located ten ecommerce sites that offer inspiration for the site aesthetics portion of this mixture. Certa...
Schools & Resources
The PeC Review: MIT OpenCourseWare A Great Educational Resource

July 6, 2009 • Armando Roggio

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the leading universities in the world, offers free online courses that can provide ecommerce business owners and managers with MBA-quality course material. MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) provides open access to the MIT faculty’s course ...
Schools & Resources
12 Good Ecommerce Resources

May 6, 2009 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce entrepreneurs frequently earn their profits in small margins, where slight competitive advantages can be the difference between flourishing and floundering. Gaining a competitive advantage can be as simple as trying a new marketing tactic, making a subtle adjustment to your w...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Ruby on Rails Creator David Heinemeier Hansson

February 13, 2009 • PEC Staff

Booklist is an occasional feature where we ask Internet personalities about the books they read, and why. For this installment, we’ve asked David Heinemeier Hansson, the creator of the Ruby on Rails software framework. Heinemier Hansson created Rails in 2004 while a student in Denmark...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Sagefire CEO Has "Standby" Books and "Recent Reads"

February 4, 2009 • PEC Staff

J.P. O'Brien is CEO of Sagefire, Inc., a Boulder, CO based software firm that produces KeepMore.net, the popular online accounting package. O'Brien tells us about books that are timeless for him, as well as newer books that keep him engaged and entertained. "Standbys" and "recent read...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Zappos CEO on Books That Inspire

January 27, 2009 • Brendan Gibbons

In Booklist, we ask ecommerce professionals to name books they believe are useful resources for ecommerce merchants. For this list, we asked Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com,, an online retailer of shoes, bags and other accessories. Made to Stick Whether you're trying to get a message...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Brulant CEO Len Pagon

January 28, 2008 • PEC Staff

In Booklist, we ask ecommerce professionals to name some of their favorite books. For this list, we asked Len Pagon, CEO and president of Brulant, a company that combines technology, interactive marketing and creative design. The Fifth Discipline By Peter M. Senge A great source fo...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Juice Media CEO Rick Enrico

January 21, 2008 • PEC Staff

In Booklist, we ask ecommerce professionals to name a few of their favorite books. For this list, we asked Rick Enrico, President and CEO of Juice Media Worldwide, a media and marketing technology company.   Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die By Chip and Dan Heath ...
Schools & Resources
Booklist: Mercado CEO Corey Leibow

January 14, 2008 • PEC Staff

In Booklist, we ask ecommerce professionals to name books they are currently reading. For this list, we asked Corey Leibow, CEO and President of Mercado, an ecommerce search and merchandising provider for small-to-mid sized business. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping By Paco Under...