Ecommerce is fast-paced (shocking stat, I know), so staying up-to-date on the latest trends and acquisitions is essential to shaping a profitable long-term growth strategy. Luckily for folks like you – and us – several excellent publications cater specifically to online direct-to-consumer retail. You have many options, so we’re making it easy today by highlighting some of our favorites that every ecommerce retailer should be reading. Enjoy!
Retail Online Integration
With a tagline that reads “A retailer’s guide to cross-channel success,” this publication delivers for merchants operating ecommerce as just one of their selling channels. The website is packed with guest posts from industry experts like the Catalog Doctor and ecommerce consultants from all sides of the industry. My favorite part – the website is easily segmented into different areas of expertise (there’s even an Operations section! Yay!), so you’ll always quickly find the latest news and articles that cater to your tastes. Subscriptions to their e-newsletter and magazine are free and offer feature articles written by both ROI staff and other retailers.
Practical Ecommerce
Want a publication that gets down and dirty into the deep trenches of online retail? Practical Ecommerce is the one for you! This digital publication features a wide variety of how-to articles from their bank of contributors, which range from CEOs of start-up companies to executives of successful niche retailers to tech guys from start-of-the-art service providers. You can expect content on marketing, conversion, carts and platform, social media, search engines, management, and design and development as just a few of the areas of interest on this site. They also offer several weekly e-newsletters, all of which are completely free.
Multichannel Merchant
Nobody gets the inside scoop on what’s happening in online retail like Multichannel Merchant! In the Breaking News section, you’ll get up-to-the-minute info on the latest acquisitions, expansions, and rulings on commerce-related legislation. Beyond that, there are many valuable articles and tips from other retailers, service providers, and consultants. Especially noteworthy is the infographics tab, where I found this recent post on the growth of online shopping in the last decade. Great stuff! Lastly, the videos section is killer, featuring interviews with the hottest retailers in the industry. Don’t forget to sign up for their free quarterly publication and newsletters and look for us in the O+F Advisor, dedicated solely to operations and fulfillment!
Internet Retailer
The publisher’s claim that their website is a ‘portal to ecommerce intelligence’ couldn’t be more accurate. A special mention is the chart and data tab, which highlights ecommerce trends and data for the month every month. The technology tab is also beneficial; it keeps you updated with the latest technologies that can help you increase customer security when shopping through your website. And always check up on the mobile commerce tab; it’s a great help in keeping track of consumer behavior regarding e-commerce. The event calendar also helps to know what’s going on in the ecommerce space so you can plan to attend some of the best trade shows in the industry.