Ecommerce Conversations

Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 4: Copywriting Is Key

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Good copy sells. Generic imagery and descriptions might cause shoppers to move on without giving your product a second thought. Spicing up your copy, ...

Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 3: Getting Started

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The early days of an ecommerce business are among the most important. Growing a business from infancy is complicated and unforgiving. There are many f...

Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 2: Selecting Platforms

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Selecting an ecommerce platform is among the most critical decisions of a new entrepreneur. There are hundreds of choices. This is the second installm...

Building an Ecommerce Business, Part 1: Picking Partners

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is the first episode of an extended series on launching, growing, and selling an ecommerce business.  The topic of this initial episode is choos...

Moz Founder on Startups, Business Decisions

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Rand Fishkin founded Moz in 2001 as a blog, calling it at the time SEOmoz. It became an industry beacon, helping thousands of companies dissect and im...

DHL Exec on Cross-border Opportunities, Challenges

24 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Selling across international borders can provide helpful revenue to many merchants. But the complexity of laws, transit times, and delivery cost can b...

Brand Analyst on Amazon's Private Label Strategy

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon has made significant investments in its own private label brands, in areas such as diapers, dog food, and paper towels. The company's priv...

Sales Tax Authority on South Dakota v. Wayfair Decision

28 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The recent South Dakota v. Wayfair decision by the U.S. Supreme Court changed online sales tax. To discuss the details of the decision, and its impact...

Beardbrand Founder on Success without Amazon

24 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In an ecommerce world that is seemingly dominated by Amazon, Eric Bandholz has just moved his company's products away from that marketplace. The ...

SMS a Game-changer for Ecommerce Businesses?

17 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

SMS a Game-changer for Ecommerce Businesses? by Practical EcommerceThis is take 1 from Derek at Voice Jungle.

Internet Lawyer on New EU Data Regulations

15 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The General Data Protection Regulation from the European Union takes effect on May 25. The law is sweeping, with massive fines for noncompliance. It a...

WompMobile CEO on Mobile Page Innovation

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mobile optimization used to provide a competitive advantage. But as the mobile internet has grown, responsive websites are no longer optional. They ar...

Stephan Spencer on Barebones SEO for Ecommerce

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Organic traffic from Google and other search engines remains critical to many merchants. There is no greater authority on search engine optimization t...

Shipping Goods from China to U.S. Is (Very) Inexpensive

12 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The postage rates among countries for international shipping greatly vary. Merchants in certain countries, such as China, can ship very cheaply to U.S...

Volusion Founder on S.M.B.-focused Strategy, Ecommerce Outlook

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In an era when many ecommerce platforms are migrating to large enterprise clients, Volusion is doing the opposite. It's focused on smaller and mi...

Miva C.E.O. on New Investment, Amazon Reality

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been an eventful year for Miva, the pioneering ecommerce platform. Its longtime president became C.E.O. and the company raised $18 million of p...

Magento C.E.O. on the State of Ecommerce

19 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Magento, the ecommerce platform, launched in 2007, grew dramatically, and was acquired by eBay. When eBay divested PayPal in 2015, it also sold Magent...

Algopix C.E.O. on Future of Brands vs. Resellers

02 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Given the ease with which brands and manufacturers can sell their products directly to consumers, many observers believe the future of resellers is li...

Entrepreneur in Saudi Arabia Launches Online Apparel Company

25 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the United States, ecommerce is mature and sophisticated. That's not the case in Saudi Arabia, where it's new and challenging. Hamza el B...

Channel Signal Founder on Importance of Product Reviews

14 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Product reviews can play an important role in ecommerce. Something like 9 out of 10 shoppers read product reviews, and many studies over many years ha...

Success on Amazon Depends on Reviews and Photos, Says Viral Launch C.E.O.

13 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The Amazon marketplace contains nearly 500 million products, from about 2 million sellers. That's a lot of competition. In fact, being competitiv...

Imgix Founder (and former YouTube Exec) on Image Optimization

23 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fast loading web pages are critical for conversions and general worldwide usability. Optimized images can greatly increase page speed. No one is more ...

Twiggle CEO on Site Search Expectations

22 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

By some estimates, more than half of the visitors to an online store will use that store's site search to find products, and hopefully make a pur...

ShipStation Founder on Shipping Expectations

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If you want satisfied customers, your business needs to provide a level of perceived service that's greater than your customers' expectation...

Amazon Complements SMB Ecommerce, Says BigCommerce CEO

12 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Many small-to-midsize ecommerce merchants view Amazon as a competitor, albeit one they are force to sell on. Brent Bellm, CEO of BigCommerce, disagree...

Tech Founder on Identifying Counterfeits on Amazon, Other Marketplaces

12 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The dominance of Amazon and its marketplace is apparent. What's not so apparent are the counterfeit items that are also sold there. Rob Dunkel, i...

For Merchants, Amazon’s Marketplace Offers Opportunities, Obstacles

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The increasing dominance of Amazon has many merchants scratching their heads, wondering how exactly to work with that company, and how that company wi...

U.S. Robotics Co-founder on Early-day Internet, Entrepreneurship

13 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Without U.S. Robotics, the early-day modem manufacturer, there arguably would not be a World Wide Web. The co-founder of U.S. Robotics, Casey Cowell, ...

Former Amazon Exec on Marketplace Selling Strategies

30 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Selling on Amazon’s marketplace can be challenging. There are, to be sure, millions of prospective customers. But there are also many competitors ...

John Lawson, Ignite Keynote Speaker, on Social Selling for Ecommerce

22 Jun 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Practical Ecommerce's Ignite 2015 conference contains 39 sessions on topics critical to small and midsize ecommerce merchants, to accelerate reve...

Congress to Pass Internet Sales Tax, Says Exactor CEO

02 Apr 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The rise of ecommerce has reduced local brick-and-mortar retail sales and the corresponding sales taxes from those transactions — putting states and...

Steve Case on SMB Ecommerce; Bigcommerce Investment

18 Jan 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online, is by any measure an Internet visionary and pioneer. His private equity firm, Revolution, invested, in 2...

Miva President on Ecommerce Longevity, Innovation

27 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Miva is both a pioneering early day ecommerce shopping cart and a cutting-edge progressive platform. Its President, Rick Wilson, joins us today to di...

Retention Science CEO on Data-driven Ecommerce

08 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The co-founder of Retention Science, Jerry Jao, is an expert on using data, lots of data, to grow ecommerce revenues. Beyond that, he’s a gifted Tai...

ChannelAdvisor CEO on the New Facebook Buy Button

10 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Selling products on third-party websites is not new. What is new is the so-called Facebook Buy button, which allows ecommerce merchants to sell their ...

Berkery Noyes Exec on Ecommerce Mergers, Acquisitions

08 Aug 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every day, it seems, we read of an Internet-based company acquiring another one, or raising capital, or expanding into a new segment. Evan Klein, mana...

LemonStand CEO on Starting an Ecommerce Business

24 Jul 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Starting a new ecommerce business can be frustrating, complicated, and risky. LemonStand is a popular ecommerce platform that often caters to startup...

Optimizely CEO On AB Split Testing

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The process of testing different variations on a website can greatly enhance its conversions and performance. A leading A/B split testing platform is ...

SLI Systems CEO On Google's Commerce Search

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce site search — including Google’s announcement that it is dropping its Commerce Search platform — is our topic today. Dr. Shaun Ryan, C...

SumALL CEO On Using Big Data

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

An ecommerce merchant deals with lots of data. There’s revenue, profit, customers, traffic, order values, Likes, followers . . . lots of data. One c...

Monetate CEO on Ecommerce Personalization

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Retailers increasingly use data to personalize an online shopping experience. Geo location, shopping and browsing history, weather — all can impact ...

TurnTo Founder On Using Past Customers For New Sales

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce merchants strive to answer questions from shoppers. Relevant, helpful answers presumably increase conversion rates. One company offers a sol...

QR Code Mobile App Helps With Repeat Business

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce merchants strive for repeat business from existing customers. Our guest today owns a company that has produced a mobile app to encourage rep...

Reputation Changer CEO On Overcoming Bad Publicity

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Say you are an ecommerce merchant with an angry customer. The customer is so angry, he posts bad, negative reviews on the Internet about your company ...

Pawnshops Migrate Online; Pawntique.com CEO Explains

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Most sectors of the retail economy do business on the Internet. That now includes pawnshops. Our guest, Don Battis, is the founder of Pawntique.com, a...

Outright CEO on Accounting for Non-Accountants

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every business, ecommerce or otherwise, should maintain accurate books and records. But for some entrepreneurs, the accounting function is intimidatin...

Dropship.com Co-founder on Pros, Cons of Drop Shipping

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Drop shipping is the process of selling an item that is then shipped by a manufacturer or wholesaler. Many ecommerce merchants utilize drop shipping, ...

Ecommerce Owner on Selling the Business

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Many merchants dream of building a successful ecommerce business, and then selling it. Our guest today — who is now a Practical eCommerce contributi...

TRXTraining.com Exec On Innovative Video

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The use of video by ecommerce merchants can increase sales. One company that uses video in innovative ways is TRX Training, a retailer of exercise equ...

Logistics Expert On Reducing Shipping Costs

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Strategies and ideas to reduce shipping expense appeal to most every ecommerce merchant. Our guest today is a shipping and logistics expert, helping m...

Alibaba V.P. On Opportunities For U.S. Ecommerce Merchants

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no bigger name in the ecommerce industry than Alibaba. It was launched in 1999 in China, but it now services millions of businesses and cons...

EquaShip CEO on Low-Volume Shipping Discounts

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The cost of shipping is material to most every ecommerce business. There’s a company that offers smaller merchants discounted shipping rates that ar...

Vat19.com Owner On 2011 Growth, Profits

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve recently asked ecommerce merchants to share their 2011 experiences — good or bad — with us. For this installment, we are joined by Jamie S...

Cat5 Commerce CEO Recaps 2011

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

A review of ecommerce sales for 2011 is the topic of our interview today. We are joined by an ecommerce entrepreneur and pioneer who will share his co...

Preventing Cross-Border Domain-Name Disputes

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every ecommerce merchant has a domain name. For U.S. based merchants, it likely ends in a .com, or a .net, or both. But there are over 200 country-spe...

Listrak CEO On Managing Dormant Email Lists

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

For many ecommerce merchants, email marketing is a principal source of revenue. A merchant’s email list is critically important to the company’s s...

Expert Explains Email Blacklists, ISP Blocks

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Email marketing is critically important to many ecommerce merchants. But what happens if a merchant’s email is blocked by an Internet service provid...

ICANN to Issue Custom Top-Level Domains, Expert Explains

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The range of possible domain names is about to greatly increase. That’s because ICANN, the authoritative body over Internet domain names, is about t...

Maymiser President On Multivariant Ecommerce Testing

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce merchants strive to increase the number of visitors to their sites that actually purchase products. Increasing those conversions frequently ...

AmericanBridal.com Founder On Selling The Business

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Many merchants dream of building a successful ecommerce business, and then selling it. Our guest for this interview has done just that. She’s here t...

Yahoo! General Manager On Platform Status, Future Upgrades

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Yahoo! Small Business remains a leading, hosted platform for ecommerce businesses. But the company itself has experienced turmoil — the CEO was rece...

Dydacomp CEO on Multichannel Selling Strategies

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The rush to sell products across multiple ecommerce channels is fine until a merchant starts to manage the back office complexities of updating invent...

SearchSpring Co-Founder on Improving Faceted-Category Navigation

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Sophisticated site search helps consumers find products on an ecommerce site, and therefore increases sales. But site search can also work with facete...

X.commerce To Inspire Developers, Says General Manager

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The notion of combining an online marketplace with a payment platform, a shopping cart and a robust backend is not new. But when the marketplace is eB...

ChannelAdvisor CEO On Shop.org

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Networking and exchanging ideas can help many online retailers. One organization that promotes this type of activity is Shop.org, the trade associatio...

SLI Systems CEO on New Site-Search Developments

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The need for sophisticated site search is becoming increasingly important for ecommerce merchants, who are all serving increasingly sophisticated cons...

Innovators: Subscriptions; One-time Use; Consumer Voting

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There are innovators and trendsetters in the ecommerce business. Our guest, Harley Finkelstein, looks for these innovations, and trends, and then shar...

Credit Card Exec On Durbin Amendment, New Debit Card Rates

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Durbin Amendment to the U.S. Dodd-Frank legislative package affects ecommerce merchants. That’s because the Amendment greatly lowers the rate —...

Affiliate Marketing Exec Offers Alternative To Nexus Sales Tax Laws

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The migration to online retailing is putting U.S. states in a bind. Their reliance on sales tax from local brick and mortar retailers means that as lo...

Cisco Exec On The Scope Of Worldwide Ecommerce

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The ecommerce industry in the U.S. is robust. It’s also robust in other industrialized countries, while other regions lag in ecommerce activity. The...

Dijipop Founder on Ecommerce ‘End-Caps’

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Physical, brick-and-mortar retailers market products with end-caps and special placements in an aisle, where retailers are typically paid for those pr...

Affiliate Marketer On Impact Of Sales Tax Nexus Laws

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The efforts by state governments to collect online sales taxes is impacting affiliate marketers. That’s because a group of states is attempting to e...

How To Spend $700,000 On A Domain Name

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Most ecommerce merchants own several domain names, perhaps buying and selling them as opportunities occur. One merchant in Missouri just purchased a d...

Shopify Exec on Cloud Computing, Third-Party Apps

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Cloud computing is a term that’s frequently discussed, and also frequently misunderstood. Google Docs would be an example of cloud computing, wherea...

Google's Orphaned Books Case, And Its Impact On U.S. Copyrights

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The balancing of copyright law with the dissemination of information on the Internet can sometimes get tangled. And nowhere is that more evident than ...

Sales-Tax Update from Streamlined Sales Tax Director

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Attempts to simplify the administration and collection of Internet sales taxes might be the most daunting task in the ecommerce industry. There are th...

Credit-Card Exec On Reducing Processing Costs

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There is nothing more confusing to ecommerce merchants than credit card processing. The rates wildly fluctuate and the monthly statements are hard to ...

Miva Merchant President On Hostasaurus Acquisition, Saas Platform

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Rick Wilson The evolution of Miva Merchant continues. That pioneering platform, which first launched in the late 1990s, was acquired almost four years...

Lingo24 Founder On Reaching Global Markets

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There are many countries with fast-growing economies — and fast-growing Internet audiences — that are not natively English speaking. How do ecomme...

PCI Council General Manager Bob Russo

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Most merchants like the idea of the credit card industry policing itself, versus lawmakers getting involved. PCI Security Standards Council is the ind...

OverstockArt.com CEO On 2010 Holiday Selling Results

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The holiday selling season is important for many online merchants. This includes David Sasson, the founder and CEO of OverstockArt.com, a retailer of ...

U.S. Agency Official On Promoting Ecommerce Exports

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Many ecommerce merchants want to sell products to consumers in other countries. But the process is not as easy as selling domestically. The complexiti...

Shopatron CEO On Linking Manufacturers, Retailers And Order Fulfillment

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Many ecommerce merchants sell products from large manufacturers and suppliers. Increasingly, those manufacturers and suppliers also sell the same prod...

Invodo CEO On Video That Converts

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The adoption of product videos on ecommerce sites continues. Most every merchant, seemingly, can benefit from product videos and we are joined here by...

SLI Systems CEO On Mobile Site Search

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Merchants contemplating mobile optimized ecommerce sites should also consider specialized mobile site search. SLI Systems is a leading provider of eco...

ThePopcornFactory.com Goes Mobile

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Mobile commerce is coming. Many merchants, both large and small, are contemplating their mobile commerce strategies, and one merchant that has just la...

Early Impact CEO On Subscription Revenue Opportunities

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The notion of adding additional revenue to an ecommerce business presumably appeals to merchants. And, increasingly, one way to do that is with the us...

Venture Capital Tips For Ecommerce Firms

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The lack of capital can prevent an ecommerce business from growing. But many merchants are unsure as to how to obtain capital, or how the funding proc...

Cloud Hosting Tips From An Ecommerce Merchant

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Every ecommerce site has a web host. Some are hosted by shopping cart providers; others are hosted by third-party companies. And increasingly, many ar...

'Spotlight Visualizer' Allows Consumers To See Products Locally

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce merchants are innovators. And many in that industry continually find new and better ways to sell products online. One of those companies is ...

NetSuite Exec On Financial Management For Ecommerce Firms

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Financial management is critical to ecommerce companies. But the tools to manage financial matters vary, and many of them don’t automatically integr...

ChannelAdvisor Ceo On Comparison Shopping Engines

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Comparison shopping engines can drive traffic to an ecommerce site. But there are over 120 such engines, and how to decide which of them to use–and ...

OverstockArt.com CEO On Selling Handpainted Art

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

You could argue that a center of the online, retail art world is in Kansas. That’s where OverstockArt.com is located, and in nine years it has grown...

TheFind.com CEO on Shopping-Only Search Engines

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Specialized shopping search engines are becoming increasingly important for consumers. And among the largest of these shopping engines is TheFind.com....

Intuit Exec On QuickBooks 2010, Future Shopping Cart Plans

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Most every ecommerce merchant either uses QuickBooks or is familiar with it. There’s a new 2010 version of that program that includes new document m...

Bilksi Case - Internet Inventions Patent - Eligible, Says Attorney

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The Bilksi case involved, potentially, a dramatic shift in U.S. patent law. It’s been awaiting decision by the U.S. Supreme Court since the Fall 200...

Alibaba CEO On Vendio Acquisition, Future Of Ecommerce

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Alibaba is a leading force in global, business-to-business ecommerce. The company is based in China and it links millions of wholesale suppliers with ...

Language Translation More than Language, Says LanguageWeaver.com Exec

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

There are more consumers that don’t speak English than those that do. And how to reach those non-English-speaking prospects is our topic today. Mere...

Internet Patents Threatened By Bilski Case, Says Attorney

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation on the Internet depends on the ability by entrepreneurs to protect intellectual property. But that protection could be threatened by a case...

AlgoZone CEO on Ready-Made Ecommerce Templates

22 May 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Ecommerce merchants frequently incur development fees to obtain specific features or appearances for their websites. But there are also prebuilt templ...