What HTML5 Means for Ecommerce Merchants
What is one thing all ecommerce stores have in common? They use HTML. In fact, just about every website uses HTML. That means when an update to HTML comes out, it ... The post What HTML5 Means for...
View ArticleWhat CSS Means for Ecommerce Merchants
Last month, in “What HTML5 Means for Ecommerce Merchants,” I described the purpose of HyperText Markup Language, and how HTML5 is better than previous versions. In this article, I’ll review ... The...
View ArticleWhat JavaScript Means for Ecommerce Merchants
Web developers use three core tools when building ecommerce sites: HTML for content and organization, CSS for the design and presentation, and JavaScript for the interaction with backend servers. This...
View ArticleHow Backend Web Applications Power Ecommerce Sites
I’ve explained how a website is displayed in a browser — the front-end technology — in “What HTML5 Means for Ecommerce Merchants,” “What CSS Means for Ecommerce Merchants,” and “What ... The post How...
View ArticleHow Backend Code Describes an Ecommerce Business
In “How Backend Web Applications Power Ecommerce Sites,” my article last month, I addressed web applications and explained how they can dynamically generate pages for your ecommerce store, eliminating...
View ArticleHow Databases Work with Ecommerce Applications
“Database-backed.” “Powered by PostgreSQL.” “Cloud database.” “Redundant, multi-zone NoSQL backend.” Those are all terms that describe ecommerce systems that use databases. But, what, exactly, do those...
View ArticleUnderstanding 4 Database Types, for Ecommerce
As I wrote in “How Databases Work with Ecommerce Applications,” you’re likely using a database for your ecommerce store even if you don’t know it. Ecommerce sites typically use databases for:...
View ArticleGlossary of Web Development Roles
Web development teams are typically complex and filled with a variety of people. It is often difficult for outsiders to understand who does what. Many roles in a development team are ... The post...
View ArticleHow to Reduce Risks of an Ecommerce Rebuild
Most every ecommerce storeowner, at some point, wants to completely rebuild her store. It’s usually for a number of reasons. Current store is too slow and is losing customers. Current store looks and...
View ArticleAlternatives to Rebuilding an Ecommerce Store
In “How to Reduce Risks of an Ecommerce Rebuild,” my article last month, I described a process to rebuild an ecommerce store that reduces the risk of sales interruptions and ... The post Alternatives...
View Article3 Backend Fixes to Increase Page Speed
Page speed is an important factor in search rankings and conversion rates. Every improvement to page speed will likely result in more sales. We’ve addressed page speed at, most recently, “10 The post 3...
View ArticleUsing Caching (and Hardware) to Improve Page Speed
In “3 Backend Fixes to Increase Page Speed,” my article last month, I explained that caching can be applied to many areas of an ecommerce website. In this post, I’ll ... The post Using Caching (and...
View ArticleTo Grow Search Traffic, Add JSON-LD
Presumably every ecommerce site wants to improve its organic search traffic. But a limiting factor with search engines has been their need to analyze huge quantities of HTML data, which is ... The post...
View ArticleUnderstanding HTTP Status Codes, for Ecommerce
An HTTP status code informs a browser about a web page or resource. When you click a link, your browser is asking the web server for the page that was ... The post Understanding HTTP Status Codes, for...
View ArticleHow a Web Developer Estimates Completion Time
It’s common for software developers to underestimate the time it takes to create a new feature. It’s one of the realities of software development. In this post, I’ll explain how a ... The post How a...
View ArticleHow to Implement Ecommerce Personalization
Personalization is a growing trend in ecommerce. Shoppers want to see relevant marketing, products, and offers. When they receive them, they typically respond by purchasing more. The idea around...
View ArticleTo Prevent Software Failures, Use Automated Testing
The larger your ecommerce store grows, the more complex the software behind it becomes. Even if you outsource your store development or use a hosted platform, this complexity will affect ... The post...
View ArticleConfessions of an Ecommerce Developer
Web developers have standard processes and techniques to get their jobs done. They also have informal habits and opinions that influence their work — the kinds of things that no ... The post...
View ArticleUnderstanding Code Deployments, for Ecommerce
“Code complete” is a common saying among software developers when they have finished a development project. But code complete doesn’t mean everything is done. Once developers have written code for a...
View ArticleDon’t Self-host an Ecommerce Store
Every ecommerce store needs to be hosted somewhere. But there’s little reason, in 2017, to self-host. In this post I’ll explain why. Self-hosting is where a company acquires physical servers and ......
View ArticleComparing Web Servers: Dedicated vs. Virtual Private
In “Don’t Self-host an Ecommerce Store,” my previous article, I explained how owning and maintaining web servers are poor options for most stores. In this article I’ll address a better alternative: The...
View ArticleCloud Hosting the Best Option for Stores that Own Code
The concept of cloud hosting can be confusing. “We’re moving to the cloud.” “The cloud can scale this.” Or my favorite, from Microsoft about Windows 7: “To the cloud.” Cloud hosting ... The post Cloud...
View ArticlePros and Cons of Hosted Ecommerce Platforms
I’ve addressed different options to host the code for your ecommerce site. In “Don’t Self-host an Ecommerce Store,” I addressed the risk and expense of owning and managing web servers. The post Pros...
View Article3 Steps to Minimize Technology Risks for an Ecommerce Store
Every business has risks. Part of what makes a business successful is how it eliminates or reduces those risks while still serving customers. The hardware and software that power your ecommerce store...
View ArticleUse Status Pages to Evaluate Cloud-based Vendors
Evaluating the performance of cloud-based vendors can be tricky. You can read reviews, but it's sometimes difficult to find unbiased opinions. One little-known method of evaluating cloud platforms is...
View Article3-part Plan to Minimize the Impact of Site Outages
“The site is down.” Few things worry developers as much as outages, especially on ecommerce sites where every minute represents lost revenue. But outages happen. To minimize their impact, plan for...
View ArticlePointers on Backing Up Ecommerce Data
Backups are an insurance policy for your ecommerce store that you hope never to use. Unfortunately, many backups aren’t adequate. The purpose of a backup is to recover the code and ... The post...
View ArticleDespite the GDPR, Cookies Are Vital to Ecommerce
Cookies are in the spotlight with the E.U.’s new General Data Protection Regulation. It follows the E.U.’s “Cookie Directive,” which has been in effect for several years. Cookies are important for ......
View ArticleProtecting Your Store from Cross-site Scripting Attacks
Security is vital for every ecommerce site. A breach of customers’ payment data or personal information could kill a business. But an ecommerce site has other security risks, too. A common ... The post...
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