Since the upheaval of 2020, the global economy has drastically changed, eCommerce included. Even so, the industry still operates at breakneck speed, which means you need to keep up to continue selling.
Whether you’re just breaking into eCommerce and are trying to learn the basics, or you’re a veteran watching for the next optimization, there’s always a mountain of new knowledge to dig through.
Your business thrives on the latest information. By continually developing your eCommerce skills, you can stay ahead of your competitors and optimize for conversions.
66 Learning resources for eCommerce sellers
From podcasts to blogs, newsletters, and Facebook groups, there’s a wealth of educational resources available. Check out the following places to sharpen your eCommerce skills and stay at the forefront of online selling.
DTC (newsletter)
DTC is a bi-weekly newsletter that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites due to their interesting subject matter. Much of their topics are self-contained within the email, which means you have everything you need to know right upon opening, without having to click to a different page.
As the name implies, this newsletter covers current trends for direct-to-consumer businesses. They share great advice on product page optimizations, include plenty of resources and freebies, and highlight relevant eCommerce events.
Read: Take a glance at their past newsletters to sample what they have to offer.
2PM (newsletter and Twitter)
2PM is a media company and growth consultancy. Their newsletter, which the company refers to as “2PM letters,” is delivered three times a week at, you guessed it, 2 p.m. (varied by time zone).
Each letter provides original commentary on the latest news reports, in addition to a curated list of must-read news. If you’re active on Twitter, follow @2PMinc for quick snippets of their memos, letters, and other relevant conversations.
Read: 2PM authors weekly memos, which are in-depth essays that analyze recent headlines. View the archive of memos here.
Second Marathon (newsletter)
This eCommerce newsletter is managed by Second Marathon co-founder Matthew Hertz. It’s sent roughly once a month, although there are occasional delays between issues. Despite the slightly inconsistent publication schedule, this newsletter is one of the best.
Hertz summarizes his top reads in each email, offering his two cents on what makes a particular headline worth paying attention to. Every newsletter features no-nonsense subject lines and covers a variety of valuable topics, like third-party marketplace and M&A news.
Read: See an archive of their previous emails here to taste Hertz’s reporting style.
A Better Lemonade Stand (newsletter)
You’ll find much more to appreciate about A Better Lemonade Stand than just its clever name. The purpose of this publication is to help entrepreneurs build better eCommerce businesses.
Their newsletter often features in-depth guides, some of which clock in at 5,000+ words. Visit A better Lemonade Stand for comprehensive guides on launching a new business and propelling your growth, and sign up for their newsletter for some of their bonus content.
Read: 100+ Store Updates to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
eCommerce Insider (newsletter)
The eCommerce Insider newsletter is run through Online Selling Experiment and written by Ryan Grant, a successful business owner and coach with over 10 years of experience.
Recommended to me by one of my favorite clients and co-founders, this newsletter delivers a quick bullet list of what’s happening (and important) in eCommerce. It’s my go-to source for Amazon updates, new industry publications and research, and important dates in eCommerce (like shipping deadlines for the holidays).
For The Love (newsletter)
This newsletter captures the magic of D2C brands that delight their customers. It’s an excellent newsletter to learn about cool brands and products, learn what they’re doing to deliver an amazing buyer experience, and more.
Read: This newsletter article talks about how one brand made the strategic decision to lose money on an initiative, which is almost unheard of in eCommerce.
Clearco (blog)
Clearco (formerly Clearbanc) provides working capital for eCommerce businesses, with an impressive machine that figures out where their best bets lie. They work with successful eCommerce brands and founders, and their material reflects it: The Clearco blog delivers professional insights that’ll appeal to anyone seeking success in the eCommerce space, from funding and finances (their core business) to marketing attribution.
Read: Coming from a funding company, their guide to multi-touch attribution shows just how well Clearco understands the data that drives eCommerce business success.
Retail Dive (blog)
While Retail Dive doesn’t focus on eCommerce exclusively, it’s still a great resource for keeping up with news that may impact your business and the industry in general.
Many of their articles offer a “Dive Brief” — quick bullet points that summarize the story before diving into the details. Content ranges from opinion pieces to news stories, all aimed at keeping you in the know about the fluctuating commerce landscape.
Read: Check out Retail Dive’s article about Costco’s same-day delivery pilot program with Uber. Review the Dive Insight, which sheds light on why Costco is suddenly prioritizing same-day delivery.
Common Thread Collective (blog and newsletter)
The aptly named Coach’s Corner blog covers tactical insights for growing DTC brands. Common Thread Collective goes in-depth on some intense topics from a boots-on-the-ground standpoint. Their posts provide some great insights into different sales channels, ad strategy, and the industry in general.
Read: Ecommerce Analytics: How to Find Growth Opportunities with Consolidated Data, Benchmarks & Three ‘Layers’ of Revenue. <- This is GOLD.
Jungle Scout (blog and newsletter)
As an eCommerce seller, you probably have ties to Amazon in some capacity. You can keep up with the massive marketplace through the latest Jungle Scout articles.
Jungle Scout is an all-in-one platform for Amazon product research. Through their well-informed blog, both beginner FBA sellers and seasoned marketplace experts can expand their eCommerce knowledge.
Read: We love this blog post about selling on Amazon because it clearly explains why your competitors choose the platform and why they quit their eCommerce journey.
Helium 10 (blog and newsletter)
Helium 10 is a product research tool for eCommerce sellers. Offering insights into keyword research, product listing optimization, and more, their website is full of helpful learning material for business owners with Amazon stores. Additionally, Helium 10 has several free tools to give you a competitive advantage over other sellers.
If you prefer to listen to their lessons instead, you can also find them on the “AM/PM Podcast.”
Watch: Your keyword strategy is critical for high-intent shoppers to find you. In their webinar, “New Techniques to Find Keywords That Drive More Organic Sales,” Helium 10 breaks down how to optimize the right keywords to outshine the competition.
Viral Launch (blog)
Viral Launch is a leader in Amazon ad optimization, product and keyword research, competitor tracking, and more. They’ve built a suite of tools for marketplace sellers to find their next bestseller, along with a robust blog to compliment. The Viral Launch blog covers the latest in Amazon, Amazon seller strategies, Amazon resources, and more.
Read: Since social selling is a huge acquisition driver today, check out Viral Launch’s guide to promoting Amazon products on TikTok.
BigCommerce (blog)
BigCommerce is a SaaS eCommerce platform designed to make your online selling journey as stress-free as possible. Their blog is loaded with educational articles and actionable insights for growing your DTC eCommerce business.
Read: If you’re just starting out in the eCommerce industry, this post contains everything you need to know about establishing your own business.
Shopify (blog)
Shopify is one of the biggest names in the eCommerce world, with more than 820,000 merchants using the platform to power their sites. Their blog is a great resource for sellers who are just starting out. From guides on how to raise capital to tips on how to choose which products to sell, it offers tons of free, valuable knowledge.
Read: For people looking to launch a side gig from home, Shopify’s “40 Home Business Ideas for 2024 (+ How To Get Started)” can spark your creative juices and includes links to specific how-to guides.
Shopify Plus (blog)
Shopify Plus proclaims to be the only cost-effective enterprise platform that’s built for change. It’s the advanced version of Shopify: While the core functionality is the same, Shopify Plus offers greater flexibility and customization options.
The Shopify Plus blog offers 301-level (and above) content, compared to Shopify’s 101-level articles. It touches on technology and concepts that are relevant to large-scale brands looking to stay on top of new trends.
Read: One of our favorite reads is Shopify Plus’ “What Is Headless Commerce: A Complete Guide for 2024.” Headless architecture is growing in popularity — make sure you know why and how to leverage it for your site.
The Shopify Blog (formerly Shopify Masters) (podcast)
Although Amazon is a powerhouse in eCommerce, selling online isn’t restricted to the marketplace. DTC is another excellent option that gives you more control over your channel, audience, and platform. You set your own rules and gain a direct line to your customers, removing any mention of competition (unlike with marketplaces, where you’re showcased side by side).
Although designed for Shopify store owners, The Shopify Podcast is a great eCommerce resource for any merchant. The show invites an eCommerce founder to talk about their business, share the lessons they’ve learned, and offer helpful resources. It’s a rich learning opportunity for any online store owner.
Listen: If your dreams of starting an eCommerce business stem from the desire to work on something you love, this episode is a must-listen to transform your passion project into a revenue machine.
Resilient Retail (podcast)
“Resilient Retail” is another Shopify podcast that details seller stories to teach listeners about the struggles, breakthroughs, and insights that’ll help future-proof any retail business. Kristen LaFrance is excellent at pinpointing the most interesting aspect of each brand story and uncovering the supporting tactics and strategies.
Listen: Kettle & Fire on using innovative feedback loops to ignite consumer interest both in-store and online — gotta love those feedback loops!
eCommerce Fastlane (podcast)
“eCommerce Fastlane” captures the tone of this podcast masterfully. If you’re operating at breakneck speed in terms of growth, sales, or investment, this show delves into topics that can help you survive it all and thrive.
Listen: “Accelerate Your Shopify Brands Success Through Automation, Delegation Or Elimination,” because we all need some of that in our lives.
Future Commerce Podcast
Future Commerce is a retail media research start-up that helps eCommerce businesses bring their strategic visions to life. They have multiple podcasts, including “Stairway to CEO,” where they interview CEOs and start-up founders on their origin stories, and “Step by Step,” which is a five-episode series helping eCommerce businesses build smarter.
Meanwhile, their namesake show explores the intersection of eCommerce and its impact on the world, including consumerism, capitalism, and more across different sales channels.
Listen: The Future of eCommerce Agencies is Discourse
Honest Ecommerce (podcast)
Honest Ecommerce is a community of online store owners and managers who want tactics without the fluff. They publish a weekly podcast where they interview founders and marketers who break down their strategies for doing the work and reaping the ensuing rewards.
Listen: Fighting the Misconceptions of Dropshipping and Passive Income – with Nora Inveiss
The eCommerceFuel Podcast
eCommerceFuel is a community of seven- and eight-figure store owners, with more than 1,000 vetted sellers following their podcast, blog, and community. They provide high-level strategies meant for business owners already deep into their founder stories and looking to optimize and expand even further.
Listen: I enjoyed this take on the hardware that still runs our lives in a ubiquitously virtual industry.
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast has gotten so popular it’s grown into a Facebook group as well. This podcast isn’t affiliated with Shopify, but covers all the growth strategy and tactics behind D2C brands.
Listen: “Using Pre-Orders to Grow Inventory” — this is a cool story on how one brand owner used pre-orders to fund her inventory growth.
My Wife Quit Her Job (podcast)
Sometimes the best way to learn is to journey through someone else’s story.
On the “My Wife Quit Her Job” podcast, Steve Chou interviews small business entrepreneurs who’ve bootstrapped their businesses and started their own ventures. In each episode, Steve and his guests reveal the strategies that led to their business success.
Listen: Steven chats with Jeff Oxford about “How To Rank An Ecommerce Store In Search,” which is a great listen for eCommerce business owners who want the top spot in Google search results.
“Built to Scale” eCommerce Show (podcast)
The “Built to Scale” podcast is from the AdKings duo Darius Kunca and Justin Gecevicius. They tackle everything related to growth and acquisition in eCommerce, and then some. Their quick, punchy episodes deliver valuable information in short episodes, usually between 10 and 20 minutes (although I’ve seen some episodes hit over 40, while others sit at just 4). Their topics range from leadership and brand building to eCommerce trends in the industry.
Listen: My favorite is still one of their flagship episodes, “How We’re Spending Up to $100K a Day On Facebook Ads For One eCommerce Business,” where listeners gain the inside scoop on how they run their ad agency.
And speaking of AdKings…
eCommerce Growth 7 & 8-Figures Mastermind by AdKings (Facebook group)
Facebook groups can reveal a trove of information, as the AdKings’ Mastermind proves. This group will teach you how to leverage social media ads to drive eCommerce sales. With approximately 2,000 members, the community provides an opportunity to connect with other eCommerce sellers, share your experiences, and learn how to grow your business.
Web Retailer (blog)
If you want to learn how to grow your eCommerce business, Web Retailer is a great starting point. Their website contains all the information and resources you need to sell successfully online, including well-researched data and analysis for different sales channels and software providers. Web Retailer is passionate about helping eCommerce businesses of all sizes thrive.
Read: Harness the power of multi-channel sales by discovering Web Retailer’s 27 alternatives to eBay. This article shares a list of seller-friendly marketplaces to help get your eCommerce business up and running.
Digital Commerce 360 (blog)
Formerly Internet Retailer, Digital Commerce 360 has been reporting on the digital transformation for over 20 years. They’re a leading research and media company that strives to deliver objective news and competitive data.
Through their site, you can glean valuable tips related to B2B selling and retail, plus access annual eCommerce rankings (though these require a paid membership).
Read: Their article on how E.l.f. Cosmetics prioritizes personalization touches on a unique strategy for engaging more website visitors. (To access the full article, you’ll have to create a free account.)
Practical Ecommerce (blog)
Practical Ecommerce prides themselves on operating independently of any eCommerce company or vendor. They cover the full spectrum of eCommerce subject matter, from SEO and marketing hacks to local selling and global commerce. Their site features short, punchy reads with unique perspectives on popular strategies.
Read: Most sellers focus on one or two primary audiences, but what about secondary ones? We love this insightful blog that delves into this question.
Tinuiti (blog)
The Tinuiti blog covers the marketing side of eCommerce, including emails, ads, and AI. They stay on top of the latest in the industry and have a good eye for knowing what trends will crop up next. I especially like their approach to content repurposing; you’ll find plenty of webinar recordings, Q&As, and event recaps on their blog as well.
Read: Experts Share 5 Google Feed Tests To Drive More Qualified Traffic To Your Site
Payability (blog)
Experience is a memorable teacher, but if you can’t rely on your own, you can look at what others have done. Payability highlights case studies from one of their eCommerce funding products, showing sellers how to utilize their capital strategically for inventory and marketing.
The blog also offers great advice for sellers looking to increase their online sales. Stay tuned for the latest eCommerce news and insightful Payability case studies.
Read: We loved reading the GO Buddha case study, where Josh Ingraham talks about his experience growing the GO Buddha business through Payability Instant Advance. If you’re interested in learning more about funding for eCommerce businesses, this case study offers some interesting insights.
Sellbrite Ecommerce Blog
To succeed in the eCommerce industry, you need to sell on multiple channels. The Sellbrite resource center encourages you to reap the benefits of multi-channel operations through their exhaustive store of educational materials, including their information-rich blog.
With guides on how to sell smarter across various channels, as well as in-depth eCommerce posts and insightful webinars, Sellbrite is a must-follow. Their blog covers topics such as retail trends, multi-channel processes, and growth strategies.
Read: It’s not just omnichannel sales that are important; you should also think about an omnichannel marketing strategy. To uncover some tried-and-tested tactics, delve into Sellbrite’s “7 Omnichannel Marketing Strategies to Boost Ecommerce Sales.”
EcommerceBytes (blog)
EcommerceBytes is a blog focused on eBay, owned by David and Ina Steiner. The couple is thorough in their research, making this a nice go-to source for all things eBay. The Steiners have diligently reported on the eCommerce giant for years and have even given quotes to major news organizations, like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Read: To gain a sense of the site’s reporting style, view this article detailing how “eBay Listings Ended Because There Were No Recent Sales.”
Marketplace Pulse (blog and newsletter)
As the name suggests, Marketplace Pulse publishes research and insights designed to give you a quick indication of the eCommerce industry and any shifts within it. Juozas Kaziukėnas provides regular updates on marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay using a neutral and journalistic POV. Further, claims are backed by research, much of which is original.
Read: Learn about the boom in yet another revenue stream for Amazon — ads.
Drip (blog and podcast)
Drip is an email marketing platform dedicated to eCommerce brands, so it has some powerful learning resources. For instance, the company blog shares useful eCommerce marketing tactics that go far beyond email marketing. From articles sharing seasonal tips to automation strategies, you’ll find a mix of learning materials to suit all skill levels.
Drip’s learning resources don’t stop at blog articles though — they also have a podcast, aptly named “Beyond the Inbox.” This show focuses on sharing candid conversations with trailblazers, giving you the chance to learn from others who’ve traversed the eCommerce growth journey.
Read: If you want to ensure your eCommerce marketing strategy has the backing of measurable insights, Drip will teach you “How to Calculate the Average Customer Lifetime Value for Ecommerce.”
Still want more from Drip? Sign up to their weekly newsletter to receive fresh marketing ideas in your inbox once a week. Plus, when you sign up, you gain lifetime access to their library of marketing resources.
Oberlo (blog)
If dropshipping is your eCommerce strategy of choice, you’ll want to add Oberlo’s blog to your must-read list.
What started as a dropshipping app for Shopify is now a rich dropshipping content platform. On the Oberlo blog, you can read inspiring stories from company founders, including series such as “A day in my life” or “My first 90 days” that go behind the scenes of other dropshipping businesses. Along with articles, you can stay in the know with Oberlo’s “Start Yours” podcast, which covers all things eCommerce, dropshipping, and launching a business, or take advantage of their business tools like their profit margin calculator.
I love that Oberlo’s blog doesn’t only focus on the practical side of running an eCommerce business; it also dives into the mindset aspect, with articles and podcast episodes on topics like burnout, money mindset, and thinking outside the box.
Read: You’ve probably heard of the paperclip challenge, where people trade a seemingly worthless paperclip for objects of higher value to see how far they can flip the original item for something of greater value. In a similar vein, this “Start Yours” episode on Oberlo’s blog follows Demi Skipper’s “Journey to Trade a Bobby Pin For a House.” It might not be directly eCommerce related, but it sure is inspiring!
Wix eCommerce (blog)
Wix is a website builder that’s been around for a while. Over the years, they’ve transformed the eCommerce capabilities of their website platform, as well as created an in-depth blog.
The Wix eCommerce blog covers almost anything you can think of concerning online selling. You can learn about best practices, dropshipping, and marketing, plus explore what other eCommerce owners are doing to earn sales.
This resource also offers several guides to expand your eCommerce knowledge. Whether you want to learn how to sell on eBay or find a great dropshipping supplier, their long-form guides have you covered.
Read: Wix eCommerce’s “AI in eCommerce“ article isn’t just another mainstream, AI-focused blog post. It shares genuinely useful examples of how brands can employ AI to their advantage.
WooCommerce (blog)
WooCommerce is the go-to eCommerce platform for WordPress websites. Meanwhile, the company’s blog shares insights to help you gain more from your online store. It houses helpful guides for those looking to start their eCommerce journey, as well as articles on more advanced topics.
Categories on the WooCommerce blog encompass selling online, marketing, shipping, customer stories, business ideas, enterprise strategies, and WooCommerce news. The Enterprise eCommerce section reveals insights specifically for stores with high sales volumes looking to scale their operations.
Read: If you’re just starting your eCommerce marketing journey, read WooCommerce’s “Beginner’s guide to ecommerce SEO“ to learn the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) and how to wield it.
Bold Commerce (resource library)
Bold Commerce is a payment checkout platform that allows brands to create tailored checkout experiences for their customers. The company’s website also features extensive eCommerce learning materials, including their blog, podcast, and webinars.
The Bold Commerce blog mostly shares advice for improving your checkout. It dives into other topics, too, like headless eCommerce and customer experience. You can also check out Bold Commerce’s webinar library, which features on-demand videos that’ll advance your eCommerce checkout knowledge.
If podcasts are more your style, the company’s “Own Your Commerce” podcast is into its third season, so there’s plenty of knowledge-packed episodes for you to listen to. The show interviews eCommerce experts to uncover valuable strategies, trends, and success stories.
Listen: Hear how Voucherify leveraged eCommerce promotional strategies like dynamic discounts and loyalty programs to boost their average order value in Bold Commerce’s “Voucherify: A bold approach to promotions that actually drive higher AOV!” podcast episode.
InFlow (blog)
The marketing consultancy InFlow has an extensive blog of free marketing resources. While their blog doesn’t focus on eCommerce exclusively, they have plenty of resources to suit retailers and store owners. You can learn about eCommerce strategies or explore other marketing insights and learning materials.
Along with the blog, InFlow also has some free downloadable tools, such as an eCommerce content audit toolkit or a GA4 eCommerce tracking toolkit.
Read: “How to Quickly Create Detailed Audience Personas on a Budget,” which includes a free template you can use.
ReConvert (blog)
Upsells are a crucial part of any eCommerce strategy, and the ReCovert eCommerce app for Shopify and Wix supports that strategy with upselling tools and features. The ReConvert blog is geared towards Shopify store owners, helping them learn how to grow their business with proven eCommerce strategies.
Topics covered include product, logistics, finances, conversion rate optimization (CRO), growth, retention, and marketing. With those high-level topics, you’re bound to uncover something that has a powerful impact on your store performance.
Read: Take your learning offline by reading the nine best eCommerce books this year, as recommended by ReConvert.
Baymard Institute (blog)
If you want fluff-free eCommerce insights, look no further than Baymard Institute’s blog. They’re a user experience (UX) research company that conducts large-scale research on online UX. Take advantage of their studies and dive into their blog to uncover lots of actionable and valuable findings. The best part? They completely focus on eCommerce.
You can access Baymard’s UX articles, benchmarks, and page designs — for free. The UX benchmarks show case studies from over 200 leading eCommerce sites. Study these benchmarks to learn how to improve your online store across a variety of UX metrics and guidelines.
Read: Discover why you should always explain industry-specific filters. While this article is thorough and overflowing with research-backed insights, it also includes a handy key takeaways overview and video summary for easier consumption.
The Good (blog)
The Good offers a Digital Experience Optimization Program for eCommerce and product marketing teams. They also have a blog filled with hundreds of articles and resources that discuss optimization, customer acquisition, customer experience, and data and analytics.
While The Good might not specifically focus on the eCommerce industry, their learning resources are undoubtedly applicable to online sellers. You can delve into the psychology behind customer behavior so you better understand why your online shoppers take certain actions and how to improve their experience on your digital store. Plus, you will find the occasional eCommerce-focused blog post amid their broader insights.
Read: If you’re curious about using psychology to secure more sales, this article by The Good explains how to do just that.
eComEngine (blog)
eComEngine specializes in eCommerce software for Amazon sellers, so, unsurprisingly, their blog is tailored to selling on Amazon. It contains lots of helpful information about Amazon. Blog posts employ simple, everyday language so it’s easy for anyone to grasp how to improve their sales skills on the marketplace. These easily digestible articles are often accompanied by helpful illustrations and are regularly updated so you always have the freshest intel.
Read: eComEngine does a great job of making the wholesale cash conversion cycle easy to understand in their “Cash Conversion Cycle and Funding as an Amazon Wholesaler” blog post.
Starter Story (case studies)
One of the best ways to learn is to study those who came before you. In keeping with that principle, Starter Story is a site dedicated to sharing business ideas and case studies from other successful online businesses.
Starter Story isn’t strictly for eCommerce businesses; they feature big names like Amazon, Boring, Fitness, and Empty Barn, to give you an idea of just how varied they are.
Search based on your interests or topics and find some ideas for a new eCommerce business. As well as their “Ideas” section, Starter Story also has a Case Studies library that houses success stories from business owners. If you have a paid account, you can filter to view only eCommerce examples. Otherwise, browse a limited number of case studies for free.
Read: Take a look at Starter Story’s list of “31 Profitable Amazon Related Business Ideas“ to get inspiration for your next marketplace investment.
Startup Cemetery by Failory (case studies)
You can learn a lot about what not to do by reviewing other people’s failures. Startup Cemetery by Failory details businesses that failed to take off. Filter the list by business type to only see eCommerce businesses.
Whether it’s due to unprofitability, a poor product, or a myriad of other reasons, Startup Cemetery lets you dig into where other eCommerce businesses went wrong so you can learn from their mistakes.
Read: The Move Loot case study shares how having a bad business model caused the demise of online furniture marketplace Move Loot in 2016 (despite having $21.8 million in funding).
OptiMonk (blog)
OptiMonk is a conversion optimization tool suite. On the company’s blog, you’ll find tips, tactics, and advice for improving conversions on your online store. Some of the topics featured include marketing, eCommerce, conversions, and breakdowns of other successful businesses. You’re bound to find something to help you improve your store’s performance.
OptiMonk’s advice isn’t restricted to their blog — they also have a tactic library where you can learn how to boost conversions by following tried-and-tested strategies. For each tactic, you’ll see the difficulty level, expected results, and how to carry it out, among other useful information.
Read: OptiMonk’s marketing breakdowns are one of my favorite content pieces to read. Their “Athletic Greens Marketing Breakdown“ explores how the greens supplement company grew to a $1.2 billion valuation.
Printful (blog)
Printful is a print-on-demand company that’ll create and ship your designs for you.
Print-on-demand is a popular online business model, and the Printful blog is filled with actionable advice to help you navigate it. They frequently update their blog, and with over 70 pages of content and counting, there’s plenty to explore.
Article length varies, ensuring you have a mix of short, bite-sized learning materials and more in-depth educational content pieces.
Read: Discover the eight secrets to eCommerce success in Printful’s guide to branded dropshipping. It walks you step-by-step through everything you need to know about starting a successful dropshipping brand.
Ecwid by Lightspeed (blog)
Ecwid by Lightspeed is an eCommerce shopping cart and online store, and their blog shares insightful content on how to build and grow a successful eCommerce business. Besides offering standable posts, Ecwid’s blog holds more in-depth collections of articles on topics such as AI for eCommerce, revenue hacks, and website must-haves.
You’ll also find the “Ecwid E-commerce Show” — a podcast dedicated to all things eCommerce — and a generous number of free downloadable resources.
Read: Get your notepad out as you read through Ecwid’s “Step Up Your Business Game” collection of articles. These pieces reveal tips and tricks for optimizing your business processes and improving your online store results.
Shogun (blog)
Disclaimer: Shogun is one of my clients
Shogun is a headless commerce platform and Shopify page builder that caters to merchants of all sizes. All their articles are extensive, helpful, and actionable. Their main blog categories include building customer experiences, headless commerce, how to sell online, and scaling your store.
Read: Learn how to boost your AOV with upselling and cross-selling strategies, or how to improve your conversion rates and buyer experience with A/B testing.
CRO Winners by Blue Stout (case studies)
Blue Stout is a conversion rate optimization agency. When it comes to raising your conversion rate, the CRO Winners database on their website has a wealth to teach you.
Blue Stout has run thousands of split tests so you don’t have to; simply browse their test results in the CRO Winners database. These pieces share a short summary of the test and why it worked, paired with an illustrative example of the analysis. Use these case studies to find out how you can improve sales by making conversion-led changes to your online store.
Read: Learn how placing product copy above the “Add to cart” button helped a luxury jewelry brand achieve a 15% conversion lift, or discover the discount pricing strategy for increasing conversions on product pages.
Store Growers (blog)
Store Growers helps eCommerce businesses earn more sales through Google Ads, so, naturally, their blog contains a wealth of advice on this method of advertising.
Many of their articles focus on eCommerce, with tips for optimizing Google Shopping campaigns and how to improve the Google Ads for your store. Store Growers also offers courses and coaching to further nurture your eCommerce skills.
Read: Store Growers’ ultimate guide to Google Ads experiments is a great resource for understanding the various tests you can run on Google Ads and how to perform them.
Gorgias (blog)
Gorgias is a customer experience (CX) platform for eCommerce brands. On the Gorgias blog, you can take a deep dive into a multitude of articles dedicated to helping you improve the CX of your online store.
With articles ranging from a 1- to 24-minute read length, you have your choice of quick tips or more thorough learning resources. Gorgias even has eCommerce business leaders guest on the blog to share their wisdom.
Read: Learn how you can upgrade customer service with positive scripting to create a friendlier, more supportive experience for your buyers, or read about Beardbrand’s move off of Amazon — and how it was a make-or-break transition for their brand.
LoyaltyLion (blog)
Consumer loyalty is a core component of growing a strong community around your brand. As a customer loyalty program, LoyaltyLion understands the ins and outs of nurturing your buyers.
The company’s blog provides tips, advice, and guides for strengthening your brand following and keeping customers engaged and happy. If you want to build a loyal consumer base, this resource is a great place to learn how.
Read: Get the lowdown on customer retention costs in this article from LoyaltyLion’s blog.
Really Good Emails (swipe files)
If you run an eCommerce store, you’ll be emailing your customers. Whether it’s transactional messages like order updates or marketing communications to keep them shopping, you need to know how to write really good emails. Thankfully, there’s a website just for that — Really Good Emails, which retains an archive of over 12,000 email swipe files.
You can browse the Really Good Emails collection of emails that other brands have sent to their subscribers, including welcome, abandoned cart, newsletter, eCommerce, and post-purchase. This is an exceptional resource for learning what other brands are doing to spark your creativity for your own email campaigns.
Read: Have a look at the 131 best abandoned cart email examples of 2024, according to Really Good Emails. You just might find inspiration to update your abandoned cart emails.
DTC Swipes by SplitBase (swipe files)
While they say you should never judge a book by its cover, an eye-catching eCommerce website is bound to capture people’s attention and encourage them to keep scrolling.
SplitBase is a conversion optimization and landing page design agency. They also maintain a collection of inspiring direct-to-consumer (DTC) swipe files. Sift through these example landing pages, product display pages (PDPs), and eCommerce elements to learn what other brands do well.
Read: Along with swipe files, SplitBase possesses insightful case studies from brands they’ve worked with. Read how they helped Dr. Squatch increase their revenue over $800,000 a month through conversion optimization.
Marketing Examples (swipe files)
Marketing Examples is a website dedicated to sharing snippets of copy and what makes them successful. When you hover over an example, you’ll see a short explainer detailing why the copy works.
The website is a great place to discover some bite-sized writing tips to improve your eCommerce marketing materials, whether you’re crafting ad copy, headlines, product descriptions, or something else.
Sign up to their newsletter to receive three short examples, two copywriting tips, and one favorite tweet every Monday.
Omnisend (blog)
Omnisend is an email and SMS marketing platform that helps merchants drive more sales. Their blog contains helpful content for improving your eCommerce marketing strategies. Some topics to explore include email marketing, email essentials, research, tools, strategies, and Omnisend product news.
It also contains eBooks, reports, videos, podcasts, and the Omnisend academy. You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to learning about email and SMS marketing from Omnisend.
If you prefer acquiring knowledge by watching videos, tune into Omnisend’s video resources. Hosted on YouTube, Omnisend creates engaging, short videos for leveling up your email marketing skills and knowledge.
Read: Learn how to integrate social media and email marketing effectively in Omnisend’s helpful guide, featuring tips and examples.
The eCommerce Playbook (podcast)
“The eCommerce Playbook” is a podcast by Taylor Holiday and Richard Gaffin from Common Thread Collective, an eCommerce marketing agency. On their show, Taylor and Richard share insights gleaned from their portfolio of DTC businesses.
The podcast releases episodes weekly, so you always have something new to learn. It unpacks eCommerce strategies, explores success stories, and offers actionable advice.
Listen: Find out whether brand still matters as Taylor and guests explore the future of eCommerce SaaS companies and the importance of branding.
Brave Commerce (podcast)
A collaboration between MikMak and Profitero, the “Brave Commerce” podcast aims to share the latest eCommerce news and tips to help eCommerce marketers navigate the industry.
On the show, you can listen to episodes featuring eCommerce brand leaders and marketers as they share their stories, thoughts, and experiences.
Listen: Tune into the “Brave Commerce” episode with Sharon John of Build-A-Bear Workshop to learn the power of creating authentic, customer-centric experiences.
eCommerce Evolution Podcast
OMG Commerce is an eCommerce agency centered on brand growth. Their team’s “eCommerce Evolution Podcast” releases interviews with a variety of merchants, vendors, and experts in the eCommerce space. There are hundreds of episodes to listen to and learn how other industry leaders grew their businesses or navigated challenges.
Listen: Hear Bryan Porter, co-founder of Simple Modern, explain how his company sold half a billion in drinkware over eight years, or how Liz Saunders of Fluencer Fruit tripled product sales with the Amazon influencer program.
DTC Pod (podcast)
“DTC Pod” teaches thought-provoking lessons in DTC for brands of all sizes, whether you’re starting out, growing, or optimizing your eCommerce business.
With an impressive line-up of guests, this show gives you the chance to hear from eCommerce experts as they walk through their growth stories, failings, and strategies. To date, there are over 200 episodes available, so you’re sure to pick up a thing or two.
Listen: “How Loren Castle’s Cookie Dough Recipe Became a U.S. Household Brand,” which details the launch of her natural cookie dough brand, Sweet Loren’s, into 25,000 supermarkets.
Tobias Lütke (X/Twitter)
Who better to learn from about eCommerce than the leader of Shopify? Tobias Lütke, Shopify’s CEO and co-founder, is vocal on X about his vast experience in the eCommerce space.
Tobi offers a glimpse into his life as the head of one of the world’s leading eCommerce platforms — including the not-so-glamorous late nights and the occasional lighthearted meme. From lessons learned as a CEO to new eCommerce technologies, plus a behind-the-scenes look at Shopify, there’s a wealth of knowledge to tap from scrolling his social media feeds.
Read: This thread reflecting on how an order at a small eCommerce store tipped Shopify over the $1 trillion mark in cumulative gross merchandise value (GMV).
Katelyn Bourgoin (X/Twitter and LinkedIn)
Katelyn Bourgoin is a mastermind when it comes to consumer psychology and understanding why people buy. So, if you want to learn how to tap into your buyers’ minds and use science to sell more, start by following her posts on X and LinkedIn. With almost daily activity, Katelyn continually offers valuable, bite-sized insights into consumer behavior and psychological tactics.
If that’s not enough, you can sign up for her newsletter, Why We Buy, to receive weekly tips directly in your inbox.
Read: Prepare to be surprised as you learn that orange juice as a breakfast drink was invented as a marketing ploy. This LinkedIn post by Katelyn explores how you can apply it (and five other marketer-invented rituals) to your business.
Cody Plofker (newsletter)
Cody Plofker is the CMO of Jones Road Beauty, a leading beauty brand by Bobbi Brown. In his weekly newsletter, he shares actionable marketing advice to help you improve your eCommerce marketing skills.
These plain text-style newsletters draw upon Cody’s experiences in the industry marketer as he shares his thoughts and advice. You’ll learn about marketing tips, tools, and even see some thought pieces from Cody on the eCommerce marketing questions he’s currently pondering.
Read: Delve into Cody’s brain as he muses over “3 Sunday Random Thoughts About Creative, Testing, and IRL“ and breaks down what he learned about campaign testing.
Relo (resource library)
Relo is a Shopify app that helps store owners build repeat revenue through cross-selling, replenishment, and subscription management tools. With a focus on DTC, the company has assembled a resource library overflowing with value for eCommerce founders and marketers.
Start with the Relo blog, which houses their eCommerce articles, toolkits, and news. From there, read their reports to discover the top tactics leading DTC brands are using to optimize and scale their business.
Relo also offers various free tools and calculators to help you make smarter decisions within your eCommerce business. Try the churn calculator to keep tabs on your store’s subscription churn rate, or fill out a form to access their DTC competitive benchmark tool and see how your brand compares to others across key DTC metrics.
Read: Equip yourself with the know-how to acquire customers in tough times by checking out this DTC lessons article featuring Ben Zettler, founder of a Shopify Plus agency.
Texts We Love by Attentive (swipe files)
An SMS and email marketing platform, Attentive aims to maximize brand performance through personalization.
One of my favorite resources from them is Texts We Love, a collection of SMS marketing examples. Scroll through Attentive’s swipe files of messages and campaigns to see how brands leverage text marketing to engage with their customers.
You can browse by vertical, category, or SMS type to drill down into the marketing examples you’re most interested in viewing. Hover over one to find out why Attentive loves it and what makes it a great example of SMS marketing.
Wrapping up — Stay on top of the industry with these eCommerce learning resources
In the quickly-changing eCommerce world, it’s always important to keep up-to-date with what’s happening among your current and potential sales channels, competitors, and brands like yours. By picking a few of the eCommerce learning resources above, you can stay informed and equipped to handle any changes.
Of course, there are many more resources available to learn about eCommerce, but I personally use the ones listed above, and subscribe to them to keep up with the industry.
Published: January 4, 2021
Updated: July 26, 2021
Updated: June 23, 2022
Updated: November 24, 2022
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Updated: July 22, 2024