Years ago, in early 2001, I spoke with an investment banker friend. He had crunched the financials on Amazon, an up-and-coming bookseller turned retailer, and offered a somber assessment. “There’s no way that company survives,” he told me.
The conversation has stuck with me. It’s a reminder of the evolution of digital commerce and its inevitability.
Hence closing out a gloomy 2022, we still see sunny skies ahead with only occasional storms. And we’ll be here, producing content that we hope elevates your business and your life.
We’ve published roughly 500 articles since January. The 25 most-read includes our always-popular resource lists, instructional pieces, trending topics, and more.
But none of those are possible without you, our valued reader. Concluding our 17th year, all of us thank you.
Top 25 in 2022
12 Examples of Brands in the Metaverse
Metaverse is the blending of digital and physical experiences. The term first appeared in a 1992 novel. Now brands are in the metaverse, engaging consumers creatively. Read more …
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20 Platforms to Sell Digital Products
Creators and merchants have multiple options for selling digital goods, such as ebooks, courses, and software. Here is a rundown of ecommerce platforms to sell digital goods. Read more …
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14 Marketplaces to Buy and Sell Websites
Whether you’re buying a web business or selling, marketplaces can make the transaction happen. Here is a list of marketplaces to buy and sell online businesses. Read more …
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16 New Free Commercial Fonts for 2022
Compelling web design adds trust to an ecommerce site. Properly used, fonts can establish branding and creativity. Here’s our annual list of new commercial fonts. Read more …
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Google Ads: How to Set Up Account-level UTM Parameters
UTM parameters can help marketers track the performance of Google Ads. Unfortunately, manually creating tracking parameter strings takes time and is error-prone. Read more …
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Here is a list of free apps to design a website, logo, and more. There are graphic editors for two- and three-dimensional content, font tools, and extensive resource libraries. Read more …
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5 Predictions for the 2022 Holiday Shopping Season
Since 2013 senior contributor Armando Roggio has predicted ecommerce sales for the upcoming holiday season. His 2022 predictions consider inflation and more. Read more …
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iOS 15: Impact on Email Marketing to Date
Apple’s iOS 15 operating system launched in September 2021. Its new “Mail Privacy Protection” inflates the reported open rates of commercial emails. Read more …
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25 Free Tools to Test Your Website
Regular testing of the health and vitality of an ecommerce site will ensure optimal performance. Here is a list of tools to test sites for download speed, accessibility, and more. Read more …
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Indonesia, an Overlooked Ecommerce Market
Indonesia has the fourth-largest global population and a sizeable ecommerce economy. Yet Western merchants often overlook the opportunity to sell there. Read more …
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AWS Boosts Amazon’s Q2 2022 Results
Amazon reported mixed results for Q2 2022. Product sales fell, but revenue from Amazon Web Services and subscriptions grew (a lot). We dive into the details. Read more …
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Keyword research is knowing what consumers are searching for and their words to describe those items. Contributor Ann Smarty lists her go-to tools, with explanations. Read more …
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SEO for Google’s ‘People also ask’
Google’s search results pages are evolving. New elements and sections present organic-traffic opportunities. One of the most useful is “People also ask.” Read more …
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15 Sites for Free Commercial Fonts
The perfect font for your design projects doesn’t have to cost money. Many free options are available. Here are 15 sites offering free commercial fonts to download. Read more …
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How the Ukraine War Impacts Ecommerce
Human suffering from the Ukraine war is far more important than economic impacts. Nonetheless, business leaders should contemplate the potential effects. Read more …
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Setting Up Google’s Performance Max Campaigns
Google’s Performance Max campaigns are the latest iteration in the company’s emphasis on automation and machine learning. It’s worth testing. Read more …
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Rivian Write-down Moves Amazon to Q1 2022 Net Loss
Amazon released its first-quarter 2022 financial results at the end of April, and they were disappointing. For the first time since 2015, the company reported a loss. Read more …
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Southeast Asia Tops Worldwide Ecommerce Growth
There are 10 countries in Southeast Asia. Five of them have the fastest ecommerce growth rates on the planet. Here are the numbers — sales, growth %, and leading providers. Read more …
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Sales Report 2022: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday
U.S. consumers spent freely this year during the traditional five-day holiday shopping kickoff. We look at the numbers in this our eighth annual Cyber Week sales analysis. Read more …
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13 Augmented Reality Examples from Retailers, Brands
Augmented reality allows consumers to visualize the appearance of products on their bodies, in their homes, and more. Apple’s ARKit has made the technology accessible. Read more …
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5 Content Marketing Ideas for February 2022
Content marketing drives search engine rankings and inbound traffic. Every month since 2014 we’ve published a list of content ideas for ecommerce merchants. Read more …
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Charts: Metaverse Market Size, Participants
The metaverse, where virtual and physical worlds collide, is booming. In four charts, we analyze the market size, participants, and outlook. Read more …
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9 Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns
How, exactly, should ecommerce marketers use influencers? Blog posts, social media, videos, other? We explain nine types of proven campaigns. Read more …
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5 Content Marketing Ideas for September 2022
This month’s installment of ecommerce content ideas includes back-to-school suggestions, “ultimate guides,” “Shut up and take my money,” and more. Read more …
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Shopify Buys Logistics Company Deliverr
Shopify’s acquisition of fulfillment company Deliverr will help it compete with Amazon and will otherwise jumpstart stalled growth. Read more …
