The e-commerce world offers countless opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Two giants stand tall in this space: Amazon and Shopify. Each platform serves business owners in fundamentally different ways. Their distinct approaches to online selling can either accelerate your growth or limit your potential, depending on your specific needs. As someone who has guided […]

Amazon vs Shopify: Which E-Commerce Platform is Right for Your Business? appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Starting an e-commerce website in 2025 is easier than ever—but how to build an ecommerce website that’s aligned with your brand, speaks directly to your ideal customers, and drives consistent growth? That takes strategy. As someone who’s helped businesses launch and scale from the inside as a Fractional CMO, I’ve seen the difference between launching […]

How to Build an Ecommerce Website in 2025 (Step-by-Step from a Fractional CMO) appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Selecting the right e-commerce platform is a pivotal decision that can significantly impact your online business’s success. With numerous options available, the decision between deploying WooCommerce vs Shopify, two of the most popular choices, is something that most e-commerce marketers face at some point in their career. Each offers distinct features, advantages, and potential drawbacks. […]

WooCommerce vs Shopify: Pros, Cons, and Key Differences appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Let’s face it: running an ecommerce business today isn’t just about having a great product. It’s about how efficiently you run your store, how well you serve your customers, and how smart you are with your time and resources. And that all starts with having the right ecommerce tools in place. But here’s the problem […]

19 Must-Have Ecommerce Tools to Grow Your Online Store in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

If you own an e-commerce store or you’re thinking about starting one, it’s important to think about how you’ll store and display the site data. After all, even the smallest e-commerce shop has product photos, descriptions, pricing information, inventory, and more. In other words, unlike simple websites focused on content creation like a blog, there […]

15 Best Ecommerce CMS Platforms (2025 Comparison Guide) appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Shopify has long been the go-to ecommerce platform for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to establish an online store. With increasing competition from platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Squarespace, is Shopify worth it and still the best option in 2025? As a Fractional CMO who has worked with brands on ecommerce strategy, I’ll break down Shopify’s […]

Is Shopify Worth It in 2025? A Fractional CMO’s Take on Pros, Cons & Growth Potential appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

With all the benefits of influencer marketing, it’s no surprise that most up-and-coming ecommerce brands are experimenting with it. Established brands, too, have fully embraced influencer marketing, often leveraging affiliate networks to drive sales. But for many business owners, getting started with influencer marketing can feel overwhelming. Where do you find influencers? How do you […]

Shopify Collabs Explained: How to Grow Sales with Influencer Marketing appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Did you know that nearly 70% of online purchases now happen on mobile? Or that more than 875 million people have bought from a Shopify-powered store while WordPress powers more than 40% of all websites? Choosing between Shopify and WordPress for your eCommerce store in 2025 is crucial—the right choice can skyrocket your sales and […]

WordPress vs Shopify: The Ultimate 2025 Comparison Guide appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Content marketing is an essential tool for ecommerce businesses. Content marketing builds brand awareness, attracts visitors, and converts them into loyal customers. With the right strategy, ecommerce brands can leverage content to create meaningful customer experiences, improve search engine visibility, and ultimately drive sales. I have created a content marketing guide to explore effective content […]

Content Marketing for Ecommerce: Strategies to Boost Sales in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Finding the right ecommerce hosting solution is critical to the success of both smaller and larger stores. A reliable hosting provider ensures your business website works without a hitch. It reduces load times and introduces advanced security measures, both vital for customer satisfaction. I do understand that finding the right eCommerce hosting plan can be […]

15 Reliable Ecommerce Hosting Providers (2025) appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Having helped a number of ecommerce businesses as a Fractional CMO, I know firsthand how important it is to speak the language of Excel.  What do I mean? When you are responsible for an ecommerce marketing budget, you need to be able to explain to your client—or boss—in clear numbers what your ROI looks like […]

Ecommerce Analytics: Key Metrics, Top Tools, Case Studies and Best Practices appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

If you want to be successful with your online business, you need to find the right theme for your website. This is especially the case for ecommerce websites hosted on Shopify: These Shopify themes might impact your ability to convert. Shopify themes are virtual templates that, when used right, can improve your brand image and […]

The 15 Best Shopify Themes (Free & Premium) for eCommerce Success in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

As I prepare to build my first Shopify store for my books, coaching, and consulting services, I am experiencing firsthand how building an outstanding Shopify store requires inspiration and careful planning. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refresh your online store, analyzing successful Shopify website examples shows you what works in terms of design, […]

Top 15 Shopify Website Examples to Inspire Your Online Store appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Tracking key performance indicators is essential to measuring the growth of your e-commerce business. These indicators provide you with valuable insights, enabling you to make data-driven decisions and devise stellar growth strategies. The goal here is to make things quantifiable. So you know what’s working and what’s not. Running a successful business is a collaborative […]

30 Most Important Ecommerce KPIs to Track for Growth: Essential Metrics for Success appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

As Shopify has grown, so have its offerings. While online stores were once only large enough to provide landing pages and product description pages, these platforms have begun to offer the ability to establish your online presence–and Shopify is no different.  User experience on Shopify differs from company to company, however; for many businesses, Shopify […]

10 Best Ways to Use Shopify and WordPress Together to Sell More Online appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Take a quick look around the Internet, and you’ll quickly notice one thing: ecommerce is everywhere. In fact, these websites are a growing source of not only opportunities to buy something but also a chance to learn. After all, content marketing and consumer education are an important way to drive traffic to these sites. That’s […]

15 Ecommerce Website Examples to Inspire You appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

With the ever-increasing popularity of e-commerce, it’s unsurprising that there are many platforms where people can buy and sell. Originally, most people chose to do business through a platform, such as eBay or Amazon, if they wanted to reach customers. Running a website once required a lot of work and technical expertise. For small-time sellers, […]

How Does Shopify Work? The Complete Beginner’s Guide appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Amazon seller tools are perfect solutions for any business selling on Amazon. They streamline tasks that you would otherwise need hours to complete and provide high-quality insights for your operations. With these software tools, the sky is the limit for your online business!  The Need for Tools to Help Increase Sales on Amazon Selling products […]

15 Killer Amazon Seller Tools appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Finding that perfect Shopify theme can be tricky. Because of that, companies often use other websites as inspiration. While browsing the web, you might notice a compelling visual design. In these situations, you need to use a detector tool to figure out what kind of theme the company used so you can emulate it. Understanding […]

15 Shopify Theme Detectors to Inspire Your Store Design appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

If you built a Shopify store, you want to take every advantage to promote it. When it comes to social media, all eyes seem to be on TikTok and Instagram. Good. That means you will have less competition to market on the largest social network of them all. Facebook is a great place to advertise. […]

18 Ways How to Promote Your Shopify Store on Facebook appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Ecommerce is a big business, with virtually everyone operating a business offering something or other in the way of ecommerce availability. Even though this is the case, however, ecommerce marketing strategies are not necessarily intuitive and easy to approach. I have put together 20 of the definitive ecommerce marketing strategies to implement in 2025, to […]

20 Definitive Ecommerce Marketing Strategies to Implement in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

YouTube has long been a place where people can create awesome content and then monetize it for extra cash. However, in the past few years, top creators have been able to make enough to quit their day jobs – so much so that being a YouTuber is increasingly a potential career path. At the same […]

7 Best Ways How to Promote Your Shopify Store on YouTube appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

What once offered discount books has become a global empire, used to sell wares as diverse as home products, car supplies, and niche interests. I am, of course, talking about Amazon. Amazon has become ubiquitous. How many of us in need of something, immediately hop onto Amazon and start searching? For this reason alone, developing […]

Amazon SEO: 18 Best Strategies to Rank Your Products appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Nowadays, most entrepreneurs use website builders to jumpstart their ecommerce adventure. Most of these tools are intuitive and come with a vast number of integrations and features. You can utilize them from Day 1 to create a powerful branded online store.  Let me help you navigate your selecting the best ecommerce website builders on the […]

15 Best Ecommerce Website Builders to Set Up Your Web Shop appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Looking to build your online store on WordPress? One of the WordPress ecommerce themes that I will detail below is exactly what you need to get the job done. Premade WordPress eCommerce themes are the best way to quickly create a functional ready-for-shopping website on WordPress. Most of these themes come with a drag-and-drop builder, […]

15 Powerful WordPress Ecommerce Themes to Build Your Next Online Store With appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

While there are many ecommerce platforms such as Shopify that exist, but what do you do if you want to maintain your WordPress site and simply add or augment its ecommerce functionality? The beauty of WordPress’s extensible architecture is that you can do this through a number of powerful WordPress ecommerce plugins. If you’re using […]

15 Powerful WordPress Ecommerce Plugins appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

A discussion of TikTok would not truly be complete without a look into the way the social media platform makes ecommerce possible. Although TikTok is certainly no stranger to children and teenagers, using TikTok for business is also a commonplace practice, whether through an affiliate program, or by reaching a company or brand directly through […]

TikTok Ecommerce: What You Need to Know Today appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

The role of visuals should not be underestimated, especially in electronic commerce. The online market grows every day. High-quality ecommerce photography has become an essential part of every successful digital marketing strategy. A good ecommerce photo shoot does more than showcase your product. Its goal is to tell stories, evoke emotions, and compel actions without […]

Trending Techniques: Staying Ahead of the Curve in Ecommerce Photography appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

The dynamics of e-commerce marketing have changed on a considerable level in recent years. The majority of online retailers and ecommerce businesses keep finding ways to skyrocket their revenue, customer retention, ecommerce sales, and even market share. One of the most prominent ways to achieve the same was email strategy. Now, this is not about […]

9 Killer Ecommerce Email Marketing Strategies for Maximizing ROI appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Most e-commerce sites let a lot of sales fly out the window. Although plenty of people browse and complete their purchases, there’s also a large number of abandoned carts each day. And unlike brick-and-mortar stores, it’s easy to abandon multiple purchases per day. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce this consumer practice for your business. […]

15 Proven Abandoned Cart Email Templates To Win Back Lost Sales appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Nowadays, there are lots of incredible website builders tailor-made for small businesses. In fact, even the larger platforms offer specialized plans for smaller shops, barely charging anything for basic functions. In this article, we’ll review the 15 best Ecommerce platforms while analyzing the optimal solutions for specific industries.  What Is An Ecommerce for Small Business […]

15 Best Ecommerce for Small Business Platforms in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Nowadays, many eCommerce builders come with free plans tailor-made for small businesses and single entrepreneurs. With this software, young enthusiasts can create their first commercial site and start selling online without having to incur major monthly costs. In fact, some free plans are so advanced that they can compare to other companies’ paid plans in […]

13 Free eCommerce Platforms to Launch Your Store on in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

If you are an ecommerce brand, having an Amazon marketing strategy is not an option. Ever since the debut of the e-commerce giant almost 30 years ago, Amazon has been a popular destination for online shopping. Even when you mostly went there to purchase books, the site had a reputation for its huge selection and […]

23 Amazon Marketing Strategies for 2025 (with 3 Case Studies) appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

In the last few years, eCommerce businesses have slowly started implementing artificial intelligence into their daily operations. Online retailers nowadays use various AI in ecommerce tools to improve customer experience, detect fraud, optimize prices, and create ads. Most importantly, machine learning and its subset deep learning allow you to significantly increase conversions. The whole online […]

13 Ways to Use AI in Ecommerce in 2025 (with Tools Recommendations) appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

With more of us buying more online, you’re probably curious as to how to make money with ecommerce. After all, ecommerce is expanding in every direction possible. On its way to becoming an inseparable part of customer experience, it is anticipated to make up 24% of retail sales worldwide by 2026. With more and more […]

10 Ways How to Make Money with Ecommerce Today appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

One of the biggest questions that people ask when times are hard or when they want to boost their income is how they can make more money online. After all, in the age of high-speed internet and side hustles, it’s easy to increase our incomes from the comfort of our own homes. These days, selling […]

15 Ways How to Make Money on Shopify in 2025 appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

As the owner of a Shopify store, the chances are you’re focused on the growth of your business. However, one of the biggest obstacles is your competition. No matter how good your products are, somebody else is trying to convince potential customers that their product is better than yours or that it is a better […]

Shopify Affiliate Marketing: How to Leverage Influencers to Grow Your Shopify Store appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

Want to bring qualified prospects to your store without paying thousands in ad spend? This complete Shopify SEO guide and checklist is what you need to read. First things first, why invest in SEO?  The SEO drum has been beating for so long that people have begun to turn deaf to it. Comparisons like SEO […]

Shopify SEO Checklist: 11+ SEO Tasks to Increase Store Sales without Paid Ads appeared first on NealSchaffer.com

SEO is vital for your eCommerce website if you intend to survive. Relying on PPC advertising alone can be expensive, and your sales funnel will probably dry up once you switch off the ads. The goal of SEO is to get your web pages to rank highly on SERPs (search engine results pages).  Ecommerce SEO […]

The Ultimate Guide to SEO for eCommerce Websites appeared first on NealSchaffer.com