Running a profitable ecommerce business requires a lot of knowledge. You'll learn a lot by making mistakes and experimenting on your store. However, it's also important to learn from those who have succeeded before you. Whether you choose to read ecommerce blogs, listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, join communities, or take an online course every now and then, you should try to stay on top of relevant trends. We've created this list of the top 35 ecommerce resources to help you build a profitable ecommerce store.
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Blogs
Shopify blog - Shopify's blog is one of the biggest ecommerce blogs. They regularly feature step-by-step case studies and sometimes even give stores away. Articles like 'Win a Profitable Ecommerce Business and Over $3700 in Prizes' and '22 Top-Rated Shopify Apps for Fashion Stores' can be found on their blog.
StoreYa - This ecommerce blog provides store owners with the information they need to succeed with Facebook and Google Ads. They even have a Shopify app that helps you automate your marketing so you can drive more traffic to your store. If you're looking for a blog and tool that helps you convert customers StoreYa will do that and more. Ecommerce resources to check out on their blog include 'Start a Successful Online Clothing Business in 7 Steps' and 'Your Full Guide to White Background Product Photography.'
A Better Lemonade Stand - This ecommerce blog provides ecommerce entrepreneurs with various products to help simplify their business from business plans to store critiques. The blog features unique content with articles such as '7 Ways to Use Slack to Manage Your Online Business' and evergreen content like 'The Complete Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization for First Year Stores.'
Practical Ecommerce - The Practical Ecommerce blog is divided into four categories: marketing, conversion, management, and design & development. Articles like '11 Animated Websites, for Design Inspiration' and '3 Ways to Acquire Customers on Social Media' can be found on their blog.'
DigitalCommerce 360 - This ecommerce news site that gives valuable industry insight to entrepreneurs. As a news site, the articles are focused on popular ecommerce websites and their sales growth.
Bootstrapping Ecommerce - Bootstrapping Ecommerce, run by entrepreneur Shabbir Nooruddin, shares ecommerce tactics from personal experience from running his own ecommerce business. You can find articles like 'Why You Should be Building Links For an eCommerce Website' and 'How To Drive Ecommerce Sales Using Quizzes' on his ecommerce blog.
Ecommerce Platforms - The Ecommerce Platforms blog is an ecommerce platform review site. Their articles compare the best ecommerce platforms on various features. Articles include 'Best Payment Gateways Reviewed and Compared: Worldpay vs Authorize.net vs Adyen vs Stripe vs PayPal' and 'Top 5 Ecommerce Platforms: Shopify vs Volusion vs Big Cartel vs 3dcart.'
Ecommerce Times - The Ecommerce Times blog is another ecommerce news site. While it might not feature tactics that you can implement, you'll stay informed about newsworthy events that relate to ecommerce. Articles include 'Google Clamps Down on Sneaky Malicious Sites.'
Ometria - The Ometria blog is a high-quality ecommerce resource offering expert insights primarily focused on AI-driven marketing, customer retention, and omnichannel personalization strategies for retail and ecommerce brands.
DHL's Small Business Advice - This insightful resource hub, managed by DHL, delivers tons of helpful content for SMEs - whether you're seeking new ideas or following trends to help stay ahead of the game in business, logistics, ecommerce, operations, and culture. Their content covers a wide range of topics, including how to design your packaging for today's visual world, reducing your cart abandonment rates, marketing a subscription business, weekly ecommerce trend recaps and more. This is a great resource for any aspiring ecommerce entrepreneur.
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Podcasts
The Shopify Podcast -The Shopify Podcast is an excellent ecommerce resource as it features interviews with some of the most successful Shopify store owners. You'll learn the secrets of six and seven figure online stores. Episodes include: 'GetNadeef.com's 100K Business From Calling Cart Abandoners' and 'How Rhone.com Launched to 80K in Sales With a Manually-Built Mailing List.'
The eComFuel Podcast - The eComFuel Podcast features tactics from successful entrepreneurs. As an ecommerce entrepreneur himself, Andrew Youderian helps fellow entrepreneurs build profitable stores. Episodes include: 'Nurturing an Early Stage Proprietary Product' and 'Using Instagram to Generate 7 Figures in Sales.'
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast - The Unofficial Shopify Podcast hosted by Kurt Elster is one of the popular ecommerce resources for Shopify entrepreneurs. The ecommerce podcast covers a range of topics including 'Expanding Your Ecommerce Business on Amazon with Kiri Masters' and 'Conversion Rate Optimization & User Research with Joris Bryon.'
eCommerce Marketing Podcast - Hosted by Robert Kilonzo, this ecommerce podcast covers everything you need to know when it comes to ecommerce marketing. Past episodes include 'How to Use Content Marketing for Killer Results - with Lee McAlilly' and 'How to Tell your Brand's Story and Attract Customers - with Susie Shaughnessy.'
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Communities And Forums
Meetup - If you crave in-person interactions with fellow ecommerce entrepreneurs, Meetup is the best choice when it comes to in-person ecommerce resources. You'll need to search for ecommerce meetups near you. It allows you to go to events to learn ecommerce tactics and you'll have the time to take initiative to meet some people. If there aren't any near you, you can always create your own.
Reddit - While the Reddit ecommerce threads aren't as popular as others, they're still a great choice when it comes to ecommerce resources. You can also browse other ecommerce related subreddits such as Shopify, Entrepreneur and more. You can post your own questions or share your wisdom with others.
Digital Point - Digital Point features an ecommerce forum that gets daily engagement. They have pages of threads to browse through where you might be able to find some hidden gems of tactics people use to grow their business.
Shopify Ecommerce Group - Run by Terry Arsenault, the Shopify Ecommerce Group features content related to Shopify, ecommerce, social media and more. With over 40,000 members, the Facebook group is active with lots of resources shared by people in the group.
eComFuel's Ecommerce Forum - The Ecommerce Fuel forum is for the ecommerce elite - those making 6 and 7 figures in their online store. You'll learn from the best of the best. However, you need to apply for membership and will need to prove that you're making over 250K a year in revenue.
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Books
The Ultimate Guide to Starting Your First Ecommerce Business - We've created a free extensive ecommerce ebook that details everything you need to know about starting your first ecommerce business. If you're on a tight budget, all you need to do is provide your email and you'll get instant access. The 86 page ebook covers topics like generating product ideas, launching your store, finding products and creating ads. When it comes to ecommerce resources this book is the best place to start.
Ecommerce Analytics by Judah Philips - Ecommerce Analytics covers everything you need to know about, well, ecommerce analytics. The ecommerce book gives data insights that help you grow your revenue while lowering costs. You'll learn which type of customers are most likely to be loyal, the impact having sales has on your store and more.
DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson - DotCom Secrets teaches readers how to garner more leads through effective marketing funnels and sales scripts. The book provides secrets that help you get more traffic to your website and increase your conversions.
Selling on Shopify by Brian Patrick - In this book, you'll learn how to use Shopify while gaining the skills to profit quickly. You'll learn the steps you need to take when you first sign up for Shopify and how to optimize your new store.
Boost E-commerce Sales and Make More Money by Alex Harris - In this book, you'll learn over 300 tactics that'll help you increase your conversion rate, gain more leads while improving your ROI.
Starting an Online Business All-In-One for Dummies by Shannon Belew & Joel Elad - Dummies books are the epitome of content on any given topic and this 11 books-in-1 book is no exception. In this ecommerce book, you'll learn everything from web page design to advanced ecommerce tactics and everything in between.
E-commerce Blueprint - Rob Mabry - This book covers everything you need to know about starting your own online store. You'll learn how to spot a great and not-so-great supplier, how to calculate your profit margin, and more.
Ecommerce Evolved: The Essential Playbook To Build, Grow & Scale A Successful Ecommerce Business by Tanner Larsson - In this ecommerce book, you'll learn no theory, only practical concepts. You'll learn the 12 principles of ecommerce, marketing tactics and a step-by-step blueprint for creating a profitable store. You'll also have access to a private ecommerce community.
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Youtube Channels
Shopify - With over 465K subscribers, the Shopify YouTube channel is the most popular ecommerce YouTube channel. Their most popular videos are 'How to Sell Online Using Shopify' and 'Small Business Ideas: How to Start an Online T-Shirt Business.' They cover everything from building an audience on Instagram to lessons from successful entrepreneurs.
Casual Ecommerce - On Casual Ecommerce's YouTube channel, you'll learn everything you need to know about ecommerce. Boasting over 85,000 subscribers, the channel features popular videos like 'Shopify Tutorial for Beginners - Create an Online Shopify Store' which has amassed 1.3 million views.
Ecommerce Resources — Ecommerce Courses
Shopify Webinars - Shopify hosts free marketing webinars to get vital insights and strategies directly from experts, merchants, and partners.
Udemy Advanced Shopify Course for Building a Professional Store - In this course, you'll learn how to set up a Shopify store, manage shipping methods, and more.
Udemy Shopify Masterclass - In this course, you’ll discover how to source in-demand products, how to set up your Shopify store in a day, and how to optimize your ad campaigns.
LinkedIn Learning: Learning Shopify - In this course, taught by Patrick Rauland, you'll learn how to set up your Shopify store from selecting a theme to configuring taxes. The course, one of the best ecommerce resources, is rated 4.8/5 and is only an hour and a half long.
Skillshare Shopify courses - There are various Shopify courses on Skillshare. From creating a passive income dropshipping business to an advanced Shopify course in Arabic, there's a relevant course for almost everyone.
Local university or college - The best ecommerce resources can be found by browsing local universities and colleges' websites to find ecommerce courses or programs. You'll be able to learn all business and ecommerce concepts in one convenient place. The cost will likely be higher than anything else on this list but you'll still be able to take away a lot of valuable information that'll help you succeed as an entrepreneur.
Ecommerce Resources FAQ
What Types Of Ecommerce Resources Are Included In This List?
The list covers a wide range of valuable resources, including ecommerce blogs, podcasts, communities and forums (like Reddit and Facebook groups), essential ecommerce books, YouTube channels, and online courses.
Where Can I Find The Best Free Resources For Starting An Ecommerce Business?
You can find excellent free ecommerce resources such as the free ebook "The Ultimate Guide to Starting Your First Ecommerce Business", the Shopify Blog, various active Reddit and Facebook ecommerce communities, and free Shopify Webinars and YouTube tutorials.
Does This List Include Resources For Advanced Ecommerce Store Owners?
Yes, the list includes deep-dive analytics books like "Ecommerce Analytics" by Judah Phillips, and specialized courses like the Udemy Advanced Shopify Course.