Practical Ecommerce

2 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Armando Roggio

A growing form of revenue-based financing can fund the marketing push or inventory boost for ecommerce merchants to capture growth opportunities. But “merchant cash advances” are often expensive and not suited to every business. Ecommerce companies experience highs and lows. Merchant cash advances tend to work better when merchants are on the upswing. A merchant cash advance (MCA) is a loan, a lump-sum payment, that the borrower agrees to repay through a fixed percentage of revenue.

2 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Eric Bandholz

As a kid, Brett Curry was fascinated by TV commercials. Now the owner of OMG Commerce, an ecommerce marketing agency, he says YouTube ads are similar. “A good TV ad often makes a good YouTube ad,” he told me. I asked for details. What’s a good YouTube ad strategy for ecommerce? How much should an advertiser spend? Which products work the best? Brett addressed those questions and more in our recent conversation. Our entire audio is embedded below. The transcript is edited for length and clarity.

2 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Sig Ueland

We publish a rundown each week of new products from companies offering services to ecommerce merchants. This installment includes updates on virtual shopping, agentic commerce, analytics, dropshipping, omnichannel payments, logistics, loyalty programs, promotions, and gamification. Got an ecommerce product release? Email [email protected]. Roblox launches APIs for in-game shopping of physical items.

2 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Ann Smarty

Google’s AI Overviews answers queries directly on search result pages. The feature often eliminates the need to visit external sites, although it includes links to some for deeper research. Google provides no comprehensive reports of links in Overviews, leaving little official insight for publishers. Third-party tools offer that data, but at prices many merchants cannot afford. We’re left with Search Console to reveal links to a site in Overviews indirectly. Here’s how.

2 weeks ago | practicalecommerce.com | Vonnie Williams

The era of “40% off everything, today only” as a revenue driver is mostly gone. Nowadays, sophistication is key since repeat customers expect more than discounts. For experienced marketers, the challenge isn’t just timing or promotion. It’s building urgency in a way that aligns with long-term goals, brand positioning, and channel constraints. Discounts alone no longer create urgency. Merchants need a mix of temporal, social, and product-based cues that build momentum throughout a campaign.