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 ......
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