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Showing posts from December, 2020

Field-Tested Customer Service Phrases to Use in Every Support Conversation

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Boring scripts are no good. But equipping yourself with tested phrases can help you tackle the trickiest support scenarios with clarity and consistency. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2MbJQAv

2020 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year

Contributor Marcia Kaplan emailed me in early February 2020. She described a sickness in China that appeared to be impacting global trade. She called it a virus and suggested that we address it. "Coronavirus Disrupting the Global Economy, Including Ecommerce," Marcia's piece, made our annual top 25 list — articles published during the year with the most page views.  It was the first of dozens of Covid-related stories. The post 2020 Top 25: Our Most Popular Posts of the Year appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3n1YwE1

5 Retail Insights from a Covid Christmas

Holiday consumer spending offers insights into the retail industry, including ecommerce's continued growth, consumer spending, and customer relationships. 2020 has been extraordinary — the pandemic, natural disasters, and a divisive U.S. election. What follows are five insights from the 2020 Christmas season. The post 5 Retail Insights from a Covid Christmas appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/38K9b0Z

14 New Business Books for 2021

Here is a list of new and upcoming business books for entrepreneurs, managers, and creative professionals. Learn how to sell your business, harness the power of your developers, adopt the principles of success at Amazon, alter your thinking to achieve quick mastery, and more. The post 14 New Business Books for 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2WQ7n0Q

A Year of Resiliency: Reflecting on 8 Founders Who Thrived in a Most Unusual Year

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Each week on the Shopify Masters podcast, we shine a light on individuals who turned ideas into businesses and overcame tremendous hurdles to scale and grow. This year, those hurdles were greater than ever. While no two business journeys are alike, these founders do share a common characteristic: relentless resiliency. So this week, we highlight eight conversations from 2020 that demonstrate that remarkable resilience and growth against the odds. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3pvEHGF

The Keys to More Ecommerce Conversions

Ecommerce conversion rate optimization and user experience are complementary, but the former works best when businesses focus on shopper expectations, competitive innovation, and the industry segment. The post The Keys to More Ecommerce Conversions appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3mTWwh1

Upset Customers? Here's How to Stop Customer Complaints Before They Happen

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Customer complaints can be your biggest hurdle or your biggest ally. We walk through proactive measures to reduce them and how to use the complaints you do get as powerful feedback. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/38DU21h

Attributing Sales to Email Marketing Is Not Always Easy

Attributing sales to email marketing can be difficult. A typical customer journey involves multiple touchpoints, such as email, organic search, and social media. The better we understand the impact of each channel on conversions, the better we can optimize that channel for growth. The post Attributing Sales to Email Marketing Is Not Always Easy appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3hmMrYI

Big changes are coming to the E.U. VAT

As I write this in mid-December, there is no Brexit trade agreement between the U.K. and the E.U. Businesses in the U.K. have no idea what will happen on January 1, when the U.K. formally exits from the E.U. However, the real problem for U.K. and other merchants will be adjusting to changes in the E.U.'s value-added tax. The post Big changes are coming to the E.U. VAT appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3aG2Ztt

Big Changes from Google Ads in 2020

The year 2020 witnessed raging Australian wildfires, a presidential impeachment, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Google Ads had some big changes this year, too. The post Big Changes from Google Ads in 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3mLacuL

5 Things That Made Us Happy in 2020 (Yes, Really!)

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We at Shopify found moments of joy this year thanks to a strong community of small businesses owners who helped each other succeed, the impact we made together to fight climate change, and the stories of resilient founders finding silver linings. As we say goodbye to 2020, we reflect on what made us happy this year. Plus, we’ll share our advice for keeping the good vibes going through 2021. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3pfLpR5

5 Essentials for Ecommerce Site Search in 2021

Ecommerce site search is vital for navigation and conversions. Picking the right provider should be based on features, data, and measurability. Here are a few tips to help you decide. The post 5 Essentials for Ecommerce Site Search in 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/38rityO

Leveraging Influencer Marketing to Build a 7-Figure Jewelry Brand

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Nominal is the jewelry brand that blends culture and fashion to create meaningful accessories. Founded by life and business partners Lena Sarsour and Akram Abdallah, Nominal grew from an idea of expression into a 7-figure business. On this episode of Shopify Masters, Akram shares with us how the company found ideal manufacturing partners and how to use influencer marketing to scale the business. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2Ks87qf

12 Outstanding Digital Media Campaigns from 2020

Reviewing the year’s best digital marketing campaigns from established brands can generate ideas for your own efforts. Here is a list of outstanding digital marketing campaigns from 2020. The campaigns are mostly tied to Covid-19, working remotely, the presidential election, and social injustice. The post 12 Outstanding Digital Media Campaigns from 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3aIQj5h

Amazon Marketplace Sellers Are Attractive Acquisition Targets

Buyouts of Amazon marketplace sellers are booming. Aggregators are scooping up successful small sellers and creating large and lucrative portfolio companies. The acquisitions are mostly fueled by angel, venture capital, and private equity funding. The post Amazon Marketplace Sellers Are Attractive Acquisition Targets appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/38pEe1I

Entrepreneur’s Page-builder Tools Attract Outside Equity, 100 Employees

Finbarr Taylor moved to the U.S. nine years ago with a goal. "I moved from Scotland to Silicon Valley with the express intent of starting a tech company," he told me. Taylor's tech company is Shogun, which provides innovative page-builder tools that enhance ecommerce sites. He is co-founder and CEO. The post Entrepreneur’s Page-builder Tools Attract Outside Equity, 100 Employees appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2WoYtHw

Inside the Instagram Algorithm for 2021: How it Works and Where to Shift Your Strategy

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As Instagram’s algorithm changes, yesterday’s marketing tactics might become less effective tomorrow. Here’s how you can evolve your Instagram strategy to get the most out of the platform today. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2LOrsk9

The Cost of Being the Boss: What Business Owners Spend in Their First Year

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In October, we surveyed over 150 aspirational entrepreneurs in the US and asked them to answer a deceptively simple question: “How much does it cost to start a business?” We then compared their answers to the reported spending of 300 business owners. Here's what we found.  More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/34kwPzS

Understanding Amazon’s ‘Brand Health’ Initiative

Amazon's new A10 search algorithm ranks organic results, in part, on the "health" of a brand. In this post, I'll address the Amazon Brand Health initiative, its key metrics, and its effects on marketplace sellers. The post Understanding Amazon’s ‘Brand Health’ Initiative appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/37sKNRX

Google Core Update Finishes & Calling App Beta Testers

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The following is an email that was sent to out list on 17/12/2020. Hey,  Today Google announced the core update has officially finished rolling out……What a  roller coaster ! I hope everyone has survived. If your site was hit, there are many others in the same boat, and there will be a plethora of solutions that start to filter their way into the groups and forums.  Sit tight….. Recovery…..And Then Some Of One Of Our Sites One of the abnormal aspects of this update was a second round of the update within the core update.  Many sites that were given a boost, were smashed, and many that tanked initially, recovered, and some cases moved even higher that they were previously.  One of our sites did just that… Check it out below: Calling Beta Testers For Our Upgraded App We are about to start  pre beta testing  the upgraded Optizen app . Why is it  PRE beta ……..you might ask? Currently (prior to release) it’s only able to be installed on development stores. Development sto

5 Ways to Boost January 2021 Retail Sales

For many retailers, January sales feel like a slump after the high-flying holiday season. But stores can still take steps to earn relatively more. Here are five tactics to try. The post 5 Ways to Boost January 2021 Retail Sales appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3oX06Iz

Charts: Shopify’s Share of Global Websites, Ecommerce Sales

Shopify launched in 2004 in Ottawa, Canada when its founders were dissatisfied with existing platforms to sell their snowboarding gear.  Fast forward to 2020, and Shopify is a global brand. Total 2020 revenue will exceed $2 billion. Its common shares trade at roughly $1,000 each. The post Charts: Shopify’s Share of Global Websites, Ecommerce Sales appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3oV3K5E

Ecommerce Product Releases: December 15, 2020

Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-December from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on the return and dispute processes, fulfillment, personalization, contact center services, and merchant banking. The post Ecommerce Product Releases: December 15, 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2LtdvcT

The Marketing Tactics of LeBron James’ Sports Nutrition Company

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Backed by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ladder is a sports nutrition company dedicated to creating high-performance supplements. In this episode of Shopify Masters, we chat with Luke Droulez the co-CEO at Ladder to chat about the importance of brand identity, content marketing, and celebrity partnerships. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2KrpHup

Does Buy Now, Pay Later Threaten Credit Card Issuers?

Capital One recently announced that it will ban the use of its credit cards to fund buy-now-pay-later transactions. According to a Capital One spokesperson, BNPL transactions “can be risky for customers and the banks that serve them.” In this article, I will examine Capital One’s claim. The post Does Buy Now, Pay Later Threaten Credit Card Issuers? appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3nmlUNp

13 Favorite Productivity Apps for 2020

Here are my favorite new mobile productivity apps in 2020. There are apps for secure browsing, team communication, email management, note-taking, task management, positive habits, event planning, relaxation breathing, and more. Most of the apps are free, though several also offer premium add-ons. The post 13 Favorite Productivity Apps for 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3gId0Ya

For the Fans: How to Make and Sell Your Own Merch

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If you're lucky enough to have a loyal fanbase—whether you're a business owner or content creator—chances are you've at least thought about making and selling merch. But a successful merch strategy involves more than just slapping your logo on a t-shirt or backpack. In this guide, you'll learn how to come up with your own merch strategy, from brainstorming product ideas to selling directly to fans. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3mkLqkF

How Influencer Marketing Drives Holiday Sales

Influencers have the power to help drive ecommerce sales the way old school media did in years past. Advertising on 1950s television and other mass media was successful because of the audiences. Today, the same thing may be true for influencer marketing. The post How Influencer Marketing Drives Holiday Sales appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3me0f8R

Get More Followers and Likes With These 20 Instagram Post Ideas

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For many small business owners, there’s no question that they should be building a presence on Instagram. They sign up for an account, set up their profile, but then they hit a hurdle:  What exactly should you post? More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2L7CFJh

Gym Owner Shifts to Online Weight Training (and Thrives)

Perhaps no industry has been more disrupted by the internet than education. Online training is booming — from 1-hour courses to college degrees. Take Barbell Logic, for example. It provides one-on-one strength and conditioning training, entirely web-based. The post Gym Owner Shifts to Online Weight Training (and Thrives) appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/39WACa6

Clienteling Personalizes In-store, Online Shopping

"Clienteling" enables shoppers and personnel in physical stores to interact with online channels, such as web, mobile, and social. Saks Fifth Avenue, for example, has used clienteling for over five years. With clienteling, in-store associates to access an application that provides info about a shopper. The result is merchants can better serve customers and drive higher average value orders. The post Clienteling Personalizes In-store, Online Shopping appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2VZ8JpI

Last Minute Holiday Shipping and Fulfillment Tips

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Stressing over holiday order fulfillment and shipping? You got this. Here are 4 things you can still do to get orders into your customers’ hands by the holidays.   More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/340xciB

Visa Wants to Buy Plaid. U.S. Sues

In January 2020, Visa announced it was acquiring Plaid for $5.3 billion. Before long, the U.S. Department of Justice began scrutinizing the transaction, resulting in the filing of an antitrust lawsuit to stop it. In this article, I will describe Plaid and explain why the Department of Justice is attempting to block the deal. The post Visa Wants to Buy Plaid. U.S. Sues appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/341unOu

Google 2020 Core Update – Video

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The following is an email blast that went out ot our list on 10-12-2020 Hey,  With the December core update still rolling out, I’ve recorded a quick video on what we are seeing so far for our Shopify stores, and also, a wordpress affiliate site that got whacked.     Here’s the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShPrxE2ebt8 Cheers, Jono https://ecomxseo.com ShopifyX SEO V2  – The Most Comprehensive Shopify SEO course on the planet: ShopifyX SEO V2 Course            (Get $150 with code:  v2launch )         (Payment plan also available) Shopifxy SEO V2 Course ShopifyX SEO V2 - The most comprehensive Shopify SEO course on the planet. Over 100 modules of deep, actionable content to drive free Google traffic to your store. get started The post Google 2020 Core Update – Video appeared first on EcomX SEO - Shopify SEO Services & Courses . from EcomX SEO – Shopify SEO Services & Courses https://ift.tt/3gyCqHB

Use These 27 Free Shopify Apps to Manage, Market, and Grow Your Shopify Store

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With thousands of apps in the   Shopify App Store, you have a lot of options when it comes to extending the functionality of your online store. But with so many options to choose from, we thought it would be useful to highlight 27 of the best free Shopify apps you can add to your store. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2GERl3I

The Long-term Effect of Buy Now, Pay Later

Point-of-sale financing services such as Klarna and Affirm make it easy for online shoppers to buy now and pay later. These financial tech companies have the ability to reduce checkout friction and please customers, but they may affect ecommerce in other, perhaps unexpected, ways. The post The Long-term Effect of Buy Now, Pay Later appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3oOE8aT

The Founder’s Zodiac: Building Community in Isolation—Advice for Every Sign

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How do you make connections in a pandemic? How do you find your people when you can’t physically be near anyone? Here, we’ve consulted our own community to explore ways you can build a community around yourself, your brand, or your cause. We’ll talk about why community matters all the time, not just during a lockdown. And, you guessed it, we have advice picked just for your Founder Sign. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3m21AiO

Our Favorite Books of 2020

We asked our contributors to tell us the best book they've read this year. Here are their responses. The post Our Favorite Books of 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/36UHwKW

How to Name Product Categories

Category names on an ecommerce site have a huge impact on organic search rankings and on-site conversions. To determine the right names: Start by listing all categories on competitors' sites and marketplaces. Next, add additional category names that may apply to your products. Then determine the search volume for each term. The post How to Name Product Categories appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/33RC7Co

The Formula for Building a Cult-Favorite Skincare Line

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Julie Clarke wanted to find a natural solution for her eczema, so she invested time into learning about holistic health and natural ingredients. What began as an experiment with home remedies grew into a fan-favorite skincare brand. In this special episode of the Shopify Masters podcast, we chat with Julie about how she landed high-profile media coverage, the challenges of becoming a mom while running her business, and the dramatic ways COVID-19 changed her business. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/39SVv5Y

20 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2020

Free resources from the design community can add value to an ecommerce site. Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from fall 2020. There are designer and developer apps, coding resources, graphic tools, fonts, and more. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions. The post 20 Free Web Design Tools from Fall 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2VUEG29

Google December 2020 Core Update – Shopify Store Reactions

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The following is a copy of an email that went out to our email list on 12/7/2020 Hey,   So unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few days, you would of heard…..or noticed that Google is currently rolling out a core update.  This particular update seems way overdue…..but hey….it is 2020 afterall.  Running Around With Hair On Fire As happens on SEO social media channels when updates are rolling out you get the inevitable gasps of desperation: “ all my traffic is gone ” or “ 5 years work down the drain “ or on the flip side…. “ traffic up 50%….I’m an SEO guru rockstar “ The thing is, no matter how a site reacts, we simply don’t know what Google will do, and we cannot control it. I feel for those that have lost traffic and rankings.  We actually have had 1 affiliate site that lost about 30% of it’s traffic.  We are not worrying too much, as this site is only 4 months old (and was probably over performing, and has now come back to where it probably deserves t

My Top 6 Conversion Tactics for 2021

Despite the unprecedented changes in 2020, the standard ecommerce usability requirements remain true: simplify navigation, ensure mobile-friendliness, and streamline the checkout process. But there are plenty more conversion tactics merchants should deploy heading into 2021. Here are my top six below. The post My Top 6 Conversion Tactics for 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2JPANZM

Agency CEO: Adopt an ‘Abundance Mentality’

Online selling is increasingly competitive, forcing merchants to selfish and shortsighted decisions. That's according to Corey Blake, CEO of MWI, a digital marketing agency. "When we have a scarcity outlook with short-sightedness," he told me, "We're scraping and clawing to keep it all. A better approach is an abundance mentality." The post Agency CEO: Adopt an ‘Abundance Mentality’ appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2VCRWbJ

The Advantages of Brand Licensing in a Different Country

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Milky Mama is the maker of lactation treats and supplements created by Krystal Nicole Duhaney, a registered nurse and lactation consultant. After seeing the success of Milky Mama in the United States, Uri Weinberger licensed the business and brought it to Canada. In this episode of Shopify Masters, we chat with Uri on the process of licensing, marketing strategies, and scaling the business. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2Iae9Lf

5 Content Marketing Ideas for January 2021

January 2021 can represent a beginning for content marketers to build communities, stream live videos, write about national holidays, report industry news, or visually expose interesting industry data. Content marketing is the act of curating or creating content such as articles, podcasts, videos, and graphics. The post 5 Content Marketing Ideas for January 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3lE9uPt

When to Apply Google Ads Recommendations (or Not)

The work of a pay-per-click ad specialist is seemingly never complete — more optimizations are always possible. Google Ads provides a recommendations tab to help. These include changes to core account components. The post When to Apply Google Ads Recommendations (or Not) appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2VzDXDD

Black Friday Cyber Monday 2020: An Analysis of Over $5.1 Billion in Sales

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We knew Black Friday Cyber Monday would be different this year, but different how? Every BFCM, we follow our merchants’ online sales in real-time. This year, we wanted to see exactly how COVID-19 accelerated broader trends in commerce. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/37ziNuX

Google Surfaces – Leveraging Free Google Traffic

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The following is a copy of en email blast that went out to our list on 3/12/2020 Hey,  Google is one of the most powerful ways to market and promote your products……. ….but, we all know they are one of the most frustrating businesses on the planet……. There are times though, when Google gives us awesome free stuff, but as Google does, it normally doesn’t promote the cool free stuff all that well. Enter Google Surfaces If you haven’t heard of Google surfaces yet, it’s part of Google Merchant Centre, and it’s essentially an extension of Google shopping paid ads, that allows you to show your products in the the Google Shopping section of Google…….FREE. The caveat here is that your products will be shown after the paid ads, just like the image below. Even if you are not using Google shopping paid ads, it’s worth setting up Google surfaces as it’s free, and it’s does bring in buyer traffic. It Has SEO Benefits It’s also has an SEO benefit, as quality traffic is a core rankin

Pajamas with Purpose: This Fashion Brand Creates Opportunities for Those with Disabilities

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Jovana Mullins launched her social impact brand in a pandemic, selling dresses to a market that wanted sweatpants. But through strength of community and a clear mission to positively impact the lives of those with disabilities, Alivia conquered 2020. And, at its helm, Jovana stuck to her values and made clever early pivots—thanks to saved scrap fabric from the cutting room floor. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/39D1vPZ

Sales Report: 2020 Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday

The challenges of this unique holiday shopping season have made omnichannel commerce a necessity. With several states closing non-essential brick-and-mortar stores and others severely limiting the number of shoppers allowed inside, consumers embraced online shopping with gusto during Cyber Week — Thanksgiving Day to Cyber Monday — with a big surge in mobile ordering. The post Sales Report: 2020 Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2JscX6x

Ecommerce Product Releases: December 1, 2020

Here is a list of product releases and updates for late-November from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on artificial intelligence, membership monetization, brand protection, international payments, and online returns. The post Ecommerce Product Releases: December 1, 2020 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/39wK8R6

November 2020 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

Our mission since 2005 is to publish independent content to help ecommerce merchants. What follows are the 10 most popular articles that we published in November 2020. Articles from early ... The post November 2020 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3msXwsW