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Showing posts from June, 2021

How to Raise Entrepreneurial Kids

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Fronds with Benefits: A Beginner’s Guide to Selling Plants Online

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Interest in buying plants online surged in early 2020, just as retail businesses everywhere were shutting their doors against COVID’s first wave. Online plant businesses sprung up from garages and garden sheds to answer the demand—a demand that doesn’t show signs of slowing. Your green thumb could be worth more than you think. If you’ve ever thought of selling plants online, now is the time. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3holvs8

June 2021 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 June 2021. Articles from early ... The post June 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3he7xJe

Book Excerpt: ‘The Digital Seeker’

We go to the internet because we seek something: love . . .adventure . . . education . . . opportunity . . . the hot new gadget . . . the must-have holiday toy . . . an escape from our daily life. But when we get there, we find the internet is a frustrating place — because when it comes to choices, the internet has outdone itself. The post Book Excerpt: ‘The Digital Seeker’ appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3wbHdVK

Highlights from Shopify Unite 2021 (And What They Mean for Merchants)

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Need Better Product Descriptions? Address Emotion, Logic

Product descriptions drive conversions. Neuroscience confirms that people buy with emotion and justify the purchase with logic. So shoppers need to know the benefits to make an emotional decision and the features for a logical one. Let's look at examples. The post Need Better Product Descriptions? Address Emotion, Logic appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3x6S04v

How Sarah’s Scribbles Went From Viral Comic to Creative Franchise

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In this episode of Shopify Masters, Sarah Andersen, the creator behind Sarah’s Scribbles and Fangs, shares her creative process, what she looks for in partners and collaborators, and how she runs a successful merchandise line. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3y504Tu

10 Autonomous Robots for Last-mile Deliveries

The future is here, sort of. Companies have staked out urban landscapes to test autonomous last-mile delivery systems on the streets and mobile food delivery robots on campus sidewalks. Here is a list of companies developing autonomous delivery robots and systems. Nearly all of these companies currently have live beta programs. The post 10 Autonomous Robots for Last-mile Deliveries appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3646pCB

A Subdued Prime Day 2021 Despite Competitors

Every year since 2017 I've written an analysis of Amazon's Prime Day. This year's review includes the online sales of certain competitors rather than Amazon alone. Amazon itself does not share complete Prime Day revenue figures. The post A Subdued Prime Day 2021 Despite Competitors appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3A8SMQr

From T-Shirts to High Fashion: How to Start a Clothing Business in 2021

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A clothing line needs more than just beautiful clothes to create a lasting online business—you’ll need to master branding, marketing, manufacturing, and retailing, among other things. Check out our latest guide to launching and growing a clothing business. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3jkw8yA

Vitaman.com Seeks Real Men for Hair, Skin Care

On his website, Antonio Centeno lists the businesses he owns. They include Real Men Real Style, a blog and YouTube channel with millions of readers and subscribers. Menfluential Media is an influencer ad network. And there's Vitaman, a direct-to-consumer online seller of organic skin and hair products for men. The post Vitaman.com Seeks Real Men for Hair, Skin Care appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2T2Oo4M

Product Line Extensions 101: What It Is, Examples, and Tips for Creating Your Strategy

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Brands both big and small use product line extensions to reach a larger audience and increase revenue. This 101 guide will walk you through examples and tips on creating an extension strategy, so you can build a more profitable business.   More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2Jdhmov

Apple’s iOS 15 Could Improve Email Marketing

When it's released this fall, Apple's iOS 15 could make capturing some email marketing metrics more difficult, which might improve performance. On June 7, 2021, Apple described some of the new privacy features it would offer in its forthcoming operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac computers. The post Apple’s iOS 15 Could Improve Email Marketing appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3zUpG7q

30+ Shopping Cart Abandonment Statistics (and Strategies for Recouping Lost Sales)

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You’re missing out on ecommerce sales—the data shows it. Almost 70% of people adding items to their online shopping cart will exit without buying. Here’s the data behind why people abandon their carts (and what you can do to fix it).  More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3qk6s6T

Brave Launches Google Search Competitor

Brave Search hopes to serve privacy-minded consumers worried about tracking cookies and invasive advertising. On June 22, 2021, Brave Search entered public beta, meaning that anyone can type in queries on the new search engine and see the results. The post Brave Launches Google Search Competitor appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3xKyXNv

Follow the Post-Purchase Path For Long Term Growth

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Bloated sales channels and crowded markets make earning new customers difficult and expensive. But acquisition is only one of the paths you can take to grow your business. The second is the post-purchase path that leads to more repeat-customers. Shop's latest feature, post-purchase automations, will help earn more sales with repeat purchases from your existing customers.  More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3dnRBTN

Post Brexit, U.K. Ecommerce Sales Remain Strong

January 2021 was the first month of the U.K. not belonging to the E.U. According to the U.K.'s Office for National Statistics, exports to the E.U. dropped 40.7% in January from December 2020. The post Post Brexit, U.K. Ecommerce Sales Remain Strong appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3gOYW0M

How Amazon Sellers Combat Rising Ad Costs

Smaller advertisers can remain competitive by placing a maximum cost for a specific keyword on Amazon's "suggested bid" mechanism. But a key overlooked metric to a successful ad campaign is relevancy and the likelihood that the ad will convert into a sale. The post How Amazon Sellers Combat Rising Ad Costs appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3wPCTfF

How the Sustainable Brand Beloved by British Royals is Supporting Underprivileged Children

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In this episode of Shopify Masters, Paul Forkan shares with us how he and his brother Rob turned tragedy into inspiration by building Gandys International. We get to hear their founding story and learn how to select charities to partner with and how to maintain ideal profit margins. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2TNYKWm

What Is Your Company’s Secondary Audience?

Ecommerce sites rely on a primary target audience. These are the people who are most apt to purchase products and become loyal customers. It's the same audience marketers use for advertising. However, secondary audiences can be lucrative, too. The post What Is Your Company’s Secondary Audience? appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3vMOxXi

12 New Ecommerce Books for Summer 2021

Here’s a batch of new ecommerce books for your summer 2021 reading list. There are titles on cryptocurrency, customer experience, fulfillment, leadership, social media marketing, startup strategies, and building an online course. The post 12 New Ecommerce Books for Summer 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3xF5AMG

An Arms Race of Ecommerce Data Is Coming

Consumer brands and large retailers are creating data-driven infrastructure and workflows that could impact the entire ecommerce industry, according to a performance analytics firm. The post An Arms Race of Ecommerce Data Is Coming appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2SFs6WU

Girlfriend’s Eyelashes Spur DTC Entrepreneur

What prompts an entrepreneur to enter the eyelash industry? For Jason Wong, it was watching his girlfriend apply makeup. Just 23, Wong is a Los Angeles-based serial entrepreneur and consultant. His latest company, Doe Lashes, launched two years ago as a direct-to-consumer seller of comfortable, lightweight eyelashes. The post Girlfriend’s Eyelashes Spur DTC Entrepreneur appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3cQqLDt

Influencer Marketing, Part 3: Setting Goals

Now that you know what influencer marketing is and why you as an ecommerce brand should use it, the next step is to create campaign goals before spending your hard-earned budget. The ultimate marketing goal of ecommerce brands is, presumably, acquiring profitable customers. But there are many ways to do that. The post Influencer Marketing, Part 3: Setting Goals appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3vyr9Nl

Email Marketers Should Know Subscribers Better

How important is email list segmentation? Some leading retail brands and marketplaces are allowing subscribers to opt-out of Father's Day email promotions this year. Etsy, Free Fly Apparel, Tesco, and many others have asked subscribers if they want to receive marketing announcements for Mother's Day or Father's Day. The post Email Marketers Should Know Subscribers Better appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2Tx39wK

Why Print on Demand Is (Probably) The Quickest Path for Anyone Who Wants to Sell T-Shirts

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If you’re looking for a low barrier to entry to entrepreneurship, then the $10 billion custom t-shirt industry might be for you. Thanks to a growing ecosystem of print-on-demand companies, it’s relatively easy for anyone to design (or outsource design) shirts and sell them online. In this guide, we review our favorite print-on-demand companies and how to get started. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3gqhDaL

Ecommerce Product Releases: June 15, 2021

Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-June from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on pay-later financing, social commerce, B2B solutions, affiliate marketing, fraud prevention, and sales tax. The post Ecommerce Product Releases: June 15, 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3vshmZ9

Apple’s iOS 15 Will Change Email Marketing

Apple recently unveiled its iOS 15 software, which rolls out this fall. Most of the new features focus on privacy, data tracking, and user security. Two features, "Mail Privacy Protection" and "Hide My Email," will dramatically impact email marketing. The post Apple’s iOS 15 Will Change Email Marketing appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3pXoDiv

The Ballsy Idea Behind Building a 10,000 Subscriber Base

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In this episode of Shopify Masters, Adam Hendle of Ballsy shares with us the process of formulating personal care products, learnings from logistical mishaps, and their ideal tech stack. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3iKQRvc

Steps to Greener Ecommerce Warehouses

Ecommerce warehouses are often not environmentally friendly. They consume vast amounts of energy. Many pose hazards to their employees. Material handling equipment, lighting, heating, air conditioning — all create emissions, some of them toxic. The post Steps to Greener Ecommerce Warehouses appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3woEzNh

22 Free Web Design Tools from Spring 2021

Here is a list of new web tools and design elements from spring 2021. There are icon libraries, gradient palettes, project boilerplates, feedback and collaboration tools, fonts, and more. All of these tools are free, though some also offer premium versions. The post 22 Free Web Design Tools from Spring 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3gwbGrE

Berlin Brands’ Exec on Ecommerce Acquisitions, Technology, More

Berlin Brands Group started on eBay 15 years ago. It is now a global ecommerce powerhouse, with over $300 million in annual revenue across a dozen or more brands. Managing Director Christian Salza addresses the company's acquisition process, its focus on technology, and more. The post Berlin Brands’ Exec on Ecommerce Acquisitions, Technology, More appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3vf0Mfc

CommerceCo Recap: SEO Link Building Is Hard

Link building is among the most important search engine optimization techniques. It is foundational and essential. Just about every successful commerce business wants or needs to build links, but it is hard to do well. Moreover, there is no easy way to "hack" link building. The post CommerceCo Recap: SEO Link Building Is Hard appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3xdGVOR

Amazon Ramps Up Its Own Delivery Service

Amazon Logistics provides shipping services to third-party sellers regardless of the sales channel. The program, called Multi-channel Fulfillment, is available to merchants who use Fulfillment by Amazon. The post Amazon Ramps Up Its Own Delivery Service appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3wdIRqC

Get Ready for a Marketplace Bloodbath

As the retail industry continues its digital transformation, consumer brands and traditional retailers are churning out Amazon-like marketplaces that could lead to new battles over products and customers. Oriental Trading Company, Inc., a discount party-supply chain, recently announced that it would launch an online marketplace. The post Get Ready for a Marketplace Bloodbath appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2SlAf2q

The Founder’s Zodiac: The College Student’s Star Map to Starting a Small Business

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If you’re a college student, summer may look less like relaxation and more like opportunity. The future is bright for those who seize it. Even better news: there are ways to design your summer around something you enjoy, where you set your own hours and make money. There is no shortage of clever small business ideas for college students. But which one is right for you? Take our personality test to discover your calling. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/2RDujl2

Charts: 2020 Cross-border Ecommerce Purchases by Country

Advances in technology and logistics have facilitated the growth of cross-border ecommerce sales.  We've analyzed data from 2020 for the total retail ecommerce purchases by country versus the amount of cross-border purchases and the percentage of cross-border to the total. The post Charts: 2020 Cross-border Ecommerce Purchases by Country appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3gkmUiK

Google Ads Updates Performance Max, Customer Match, Product Feeds, More

In its annual Marketing Livestream event last month, Google addressed updates to Google Ads, among other topics. Only a handful of the updates could produce noticeable performance changes for advertisers. I'll review the most impactful updates in this post. The post Google Ads Updates Performance Max, Customer Match, Product Feeds, More appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3wgugLb

How a Former Banker Turned Pastry Chef Whipped Up Cult-Favorite Skincare

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In this episode of Shopify Masters, Kate McLeod shares her journey of launching and scaling her namesake skincare company. From multiple career changes to product development to establishing retail relationships with Anthropologie and Goop, Kate highlights how she follows her intuition to build a life and business that she loves.  More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3pwH2SZ

12 WordPress Plugins to Sell Digital Downloads

WordPress is a versatile content management system with nearly 60,000 available plugins. If you are interested in selling videos, PDFs, photos, software, or other digital products, there are plenty of plugin tools to help. Here is a list of WordPress plugins to sell digital downloads. The post 12 WordPress Plugins to Sell Digital Downloads appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3uZq1lJ

The 3 Common Mistakes of Ecommerce Launches

I've consulted over the years on dozens, perhaps hundreds, of ecommerce launches. Here are three frequent mistakes in the building of online stores. The post The 3 Common Mistakes of Ecommerce Launches appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3gdJgCx

From Shoes to Milk Bottles, Here’s What People Plan to Buy Post-Pandemic

As the enduring lockdowns and retail closures begin to lift, what do shoppers plan to buy? We asked 3,000 shoppers in North America to find out. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3waNmC0

Form Nutrition Finds Opportunity in a Crowded Market

Is there a more competitive consumer market than nutritional supplements? I asked that question to Damian Soong, the co-founder of Form Nutrition, a maker and seller of plant-based proteins and food products, which launched in 2017. "Certainly it was a crowded space," he told me. "But the sellers were all doing the same thing." The post Form Nutrition Finds Opportunity in a Crowded Market appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/34N1Gor

CommerceCo Recap: SMS Marketing Fundamentals

Text messaging can be among the productive retail marketing channels, provided the workflows are automated and the performance is tracked. Entrepreneur Jordan West, the owner of an ecommerce marketing agency and an apparel company, uses text-message marketing to drive sales. He believes text messages are among his best marketing channels. The post CommerceCo Recap: SMS Marketing Fundamentals appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3uMh0Mr

Will Central Banks Replace Cryptocurrencies?

Last month I explained why cryptocurrencies are not ready for mainstream retail. The reasons include rampant volatility, lack of regulation, and extraordinary risk. Aiming to bring stability, governments worldwide are considering central bank digital currencies — CBDCs. The post Will Central Banks Replace Cryptocurrencies? appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3pkNKeW

Ecommerce Product Releases: June 2, 2021

Here is a list of product releases and updates for late May from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on social commerce, product drops, live shopping, two-day shipping, fraud prevention, and long-term financing. The post Ecommerce Product Releases: June 2, 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3yUQT9u

Selling Sunshine: How a Former Mortgage Professional Became TikTok’s Plant Mom

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Partly Sunny Projects is an online plant business shipping the fruits of California sunshine across the country. The idea sprouted as a diversion from founder Sonja’s stressful job and was watered by the uptick in pandemic-borne hobbies. We picked Sonja’s brain for her takes on quitting a job, starting over, and winning at selling on TikTok. More from Shopify Blog - Company https://ift.tt/3caD90w

5 Content Marketing Ideas for July 2021

In July 2021, your content marketing could focus on teaching a skill, showing off products via a live stream, celebrating UFOs, enjoying grandmothers, or reviewing an upcoming summer blockbuster. Regardless, remember that the purpose of content marketing is to attract, engage, and retain customers. The post 5 Content Marketing Ideas for July 2021 appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3uDHTCs

May 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts

Since 2005, we’ve published thousands of articles, podcasts, and webinars to help ecommerce merchants. What follows are the 10 most popular articles that we published in May 2021. Articles from early in the month are more likely to make the list than later ones. The post May 2021 Top 10: Our Most Popular Posts appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/3fG8hXY

19 Open Source Ecommerce Platforms

Open-source ecommerce platforms offer businesses a customizable option for launching an online store, with active support communities, how-to resources, and directories of third-party developers. The post 19 Open Source Ecommerce Platforms appeared first on Practical Ecommerce . from Practical Ecommerce https://ift.tt/2Rb4cS9