Favorite Books of Ecommerce Pros Q2 2024

With the plethora of ecommerce and technology books — Amazon offers hundreds of new and forthcoming titles for categories such as “starting a business” — it’s tough to isolate the gems.

Curious, I reached out to ecommerce and digital marketing pros, asking, “What books are the most informative, useful, and inspiring?”

More than 30 responded, including founders, owners, sales and marketing executives, and search-engine specialists from industries ranging from precision manufacturing to festival fashions, from Texas to Australia.

In all, they recommended more than 60 books across diverse ecommerce interests, including analytics, global marketing, web design, UX, leadership, personal development, and iconic brands such as Amazon, Zappos, and Nike.

Eight titles were clear favorites, with multiple enthusiastic endorsements.

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Reis

Lean Startup

Published in 2011, “The Lean Startup” remains a go-to resource for today’s entrepreneurs. A quote highlighted by 20,000 Kindle readers sums up its key message: “Lean thinking defines value as providing benefit to the customer; anything else is waste.” Brian Lim, who founded and operates three online retailers of rave and festival clothing, says Reis’s “validated learning” method of using data for decision-making “reduces the risks associated with launching new products and helps ensure that your business strategies are based on real customer feedback rather than assumptions.”

Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence — and How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk

Crushing It!

One recommender, Victor Trasoff-Jilg, vice president of sales at Bombing Science, an online retailer of graffiti and art supplies, calls this “a motivational and practical guide for anyone looking to build their personal brand and leverage it for business success … both inspiring and actionable.” Vaynerchuk’s “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” also received mentions.

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

Hooked

Kayden Roberts, chief marketing officer of Camgo, a chat and dating app claiming more than 7 million users worldwide, says Hooked is “especially relevant for e-commerce businesses because it explores how to create a user experience that turns casual visitors into repeat customers… This is essential for e-commerce managers looking to enhance customer loyalty and drive long-term growth.”

SEO 2024: Learn search engine optimization with smart internet marketing strategies by Adam Clarke

SEO 2024

Clarke updates his long-running, popular search engine optimization guide yearly. Respondents recommended both the 2022 and 2023 versions. The 2024 edition is now available.

Digital Marketing for Dummies by Ryan Diess and Russ Henneberry

Digital Marketing for Dummies

Laviet Joaquin, head of marketing for TP-Link, a worldwide provider of consumer networking equipment, calls this “a must-read for every ecommerce business wanting to boost online visibility“— in other words, all online merchants!

Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger

Contagious

Bonnie Ruan, chief product officer at Beska Mold, a manufacturer of precision machining parts, gives Berger’s book top marks because it “delves into why certain products and ideas become popular, and how you can use these insights to craft marketing strategies that encourage word-of-mouth sharing online.” Berger’s “Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior” also received recommendations.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

Influence

“This book has been a game-changer for our sales and marketing teams, helping us craft more effective messaging and build stronger relationships with our clients,” says Daniel Meursing, CEO of Premier Staff, an event staffing provider.

E-Commerce Evolved: The Essential Playbook to Build, Grow & Scale a Successful E-Commerce Business by Tanner Larsson

Ecommerce Evolved

Trasoff-Jilg of Bombing Science calls this book “particularly valuable for its in-depth look at creating a sustainable ecommerce operation, not just quick wins.”

10 Leading Book Authors for Ecommerce and Marketing

An Amazon search for ecommerce books pulls up a hodgepodge of titles that suggest get-rich-quick schemes such as “Making Money Online Has Never Been This EASY”; books aimed at beginners such as indie authors who don’t have much business and marketing know-how; and books written by consultants looking to promote their own businesses.

What’s more, ecommerce encompasses such a broad range of strategies and disciplines — startups, usability, AI — that there’s no single authority. Skimming through reviews takes time. To simplify the search, here’s a list of 10 veteran authors for ecommerce success.

Jonah Berger

Contagious

Berger, a Wharton School professor, writes on the science of influence, persuasion, and word-of-mouth marketing. His bestselling books include “Contagious: Why Things Catch On,” “The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind,” and “Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces That Shape Behavior.” These titles are available in multiple formats and languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese, demonstrating the global appeal of his ideas.

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Robert Cialdini

Influence

Devoting his entire career to rigorous research on what causes people to say “yes” to a request, Cialdini is a renowned expert on the science of persuasion and how to apply it ethically in business. His “Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion” is a New York Times bestseller. He writes and speaks extensively about influence and persuasion.

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Seth Godin

Linchpin

Godin sold his 1990s internet startup, Yoyodyne, to Yahoo and served as the platform’s vice president of direct marketing. A popular and prolific speaker and writer on modern marketing, he has published more than 20 books, including “Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable,” “Permission Marketing, Turning Strangers Into Friends and Friends Into Customers,” and “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?”

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Ann Handley

Everybody Writes

Digital marketing pioneer Handley is the author of the best-selling book on content marketing, “Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business,” which has been translated into nine languages. Her second book is “Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content.”

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Steve Krug

Don’t Make Me Think

Krug’s first book, “Don’t Make Me Think,” the classic and widely cited guide to web usability — and his work with companies such as Apple, Netscape, AOL, and Lexus — helped make him a sought-after speaker and consultant. “Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web (and Mobile) Usability” is still tagged as a bestseller on Amazon even though it was published in 2013 and now has a second edition.

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Charlene Li

Open Leadership

Li is a sought-after commentator and keynote speaker who focuses on the impact of emerging social technologies. She is the author of “Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform How You Lead, The Disruption Mindset: Why Some Organizations Transform While Others Fail” and coauthor of the critically acclaimed, bestselling “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies,” revised and updated.

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Donald Miller

Building a Story Brand

Miller’s updated “Building a Story Brand 2.0: How to Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen” is set for publication later this year. His other bestsellers include “Marketing Made Simple” and “How to Grow Your Small Business.” He has also written books on coaching and spirituality.

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Jakob Nielsen

Usability Engineering

Nielsen is considered a world expert on web usability, a subject he has been writing about since 1995. The dozen books he has authored or coauthored address all aspects of usability, including mobile, multimedia, and hypertext, as well as usability designing and coordinating. “Usability Engineering” is his most popular.

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David Meerman Scott

Newsjacking

Scott’s classic “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” is now in its eighth edition, making him an authority in the field. Various editions have been translated into multiple languages. His other books include “Newsjacking: How to Inject Your Ideas Into a Breaking News Story and Generate Tons of Media Coverage” and “Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From the Most Iconic Band in History.”

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Gary Vaynerchuk

Day Trading Attention

Known to his vast following as “GaryVee,” Vaynerchuk transformed in the early 2000s his family’s annual $3 million brick-and-mortar liquor business into a $60 million online wine retailer. He also co-founded the restaurant reservation platform Resy and three digital media firms. In 2017 Forbes named him a top social influencer. He has written seven books on wine, entrepreneurship, and social media. His latest, “Day Trading Attention: How to Actually Build Brand and Sales in the New Social Media World,” will be released next month.

10 New Ecommerce Books for Spring 2024

Here’s a batch of new ecommerce books for spring. There are titles on digital marketing, team development, content marketing, AI, launching a startup, and growing a business.

I compiled the list using Amazon. From the “Books” category, I selected “Business & Money.” From there I chose the “Processes & Infrastructure” sub-category and selected “E-commerce.” Then I handpicked titles from that group based on customer ratings and relation to ecommerce. I also selected a few titles from the “Business Development & Entrepreneurship” sub-category.

New Ecommerce Books for Spring 2024

Punchlines to Profit: How to Leverage The Power of Comedy to Create Revenue-Generating Content by Megan Nager

Punchlines to Profit

“Punchlines to Profit” explores the art of comedy in successful digital marketing. Whether for an established brand, a startup, or a content creator, adding humor to an online presence is a powerful way to establish a voice, entertain an audience, and gain a following. Discover the power of authenticity, the psychological effects of comedy, ways to implement comedy into your content and brand, and professional tips from stand-up comedians. Paperback $15.95.

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Reignition: Transforming Stuck Startups into Breakout Winners by Dave Hersh

Reignition

Drawing upon the author’s experience as an entrepreneur and investor, “Reignition” outlines how to transform a stagnant startup into a lean and focused organization — and remake an established company. Learn to avoid common mistakes around premature scaling. Gain the confidence to change a company, the skills to do it, and the reassurance that you are not alone. Hardcover $27.95; Kindle $9.99.

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Create Once, Distribute Forever: How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too by Ross Simmonds

Create Once, Distribute Forever

“Create Once, Distribute Forever” guides entrepreneurs wanting to unlock efficiency, brand awareness, and sustainable digital marketing success through content distribution. Learn the ins and outs of content, how to overcome roadblocks, why remixing and republishing content is important, and how to uncover your business’s most profitable distribution channels. Hardcover $26.99; Kindle $7.99.

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Untrapping Product Teams: Simplify the Complexity of Creating Digital Products by David Pereira

Untrapping Product Teams

“Untrapping Product Teams” outlines tactics for working with product teams on digital products. Explore the product journey. Learn to recognize dangerous traps and the strategies to overcome them. Simplify decision-making, apply mindful product discovery, use delivery to accelerate value, and measure results beyond outputs. Craft product principles and set solid foundations for product teams. Paperback $39.99; Kindle $14.95.

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Time Is Now: A Journey Into Demystifying AI by Raj Verma

Time Is Now

“Time is Now” will help entrepreneurs and small business owners leverage AI and emerging technologies for practical decision-making. Through stories and relevant examples, explore AI and learn how today’s leaders must make decisions through a convergence of information, context, and choice. In the explosion of AI, leaders have a responsibility to learn before they act. Leverage today’s tools with the insight needed to benefit the future. Hardcover $27.99; Kindle $9.99.

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Simple Marketing for Smart People: The One Question You Need to Win Customers without Gimmicks, Hype, or Hard Selling by Billy Broas, with Tiago Forte and Ali Abdaal

Simple Marketing For Smart People

Cutting through the clutter of the modern digital marketing landscape, “Simple Marketing for Smart People” helps readers create simple yet authentic marketing to resonate with customers and clients. Learn techniques to instill beliefs necessary to compel customers to act. Craft essential and effective marketing content through email, social media, and a website. Kindle $7.99.

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The Covert Code: Mastering the Art of Digital Marketing by Anna Covert

The Covert Code

“The Covert Code” presents clear solutions to take control of your digital media strategy. Learn the insider rules for optimizing digital media, how to create a strategic budget, when and how to leverage search marketing, where remarketing will deliver optimal value, and more. Discover how to decode the digital marketing landscape and seize the opportunity to connect with the customers you need. Hardcover $32.99; Kindle $9.99.

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Zero Risk Startup: The Ultimate Entrepreneur’s Guide to Mitigating Risks When Starting or Growing a Business by Paulo Andrez and David S. Rose

Zero Risk Startup

“Zero Risk Startup” is designed to help entrepreneurs systematically reduce risk on the path to success. Mitigate entrepreneurial uncertainties through more than 100 practical tips and tools. Learn whether or not to start a business, how to identify and mitigate risks with the Zero Risk Startup methodology, strategies to get external funding, and AI technologies for risk mitigation. Hardcover $29.99; Kindle $8.99.

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Growing Your Beautiful Small Business by David Y. Choi

Growing Your Beautiful Small Business

“Growing Your Beautiful Small Business” is for small and early-stage companies experiencing challenges. Learn fundamentals and perspectives on entrepreneurship, practical business lessons, and intellectual exercises to develop growth strategies and plans. Paperback $14.95; Kindle $9.99.

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Stress-Free LLC: A Quick Start Blueprint to Easy Business Entity Formation by Wesley WealthGuard

Stress-Free LLC

“Stress-Free LLC” is a practical guide to forming an LLC. Get a clear seven-step plan for swift and efficient LLC formation. Learn actionable tactics to optimize your LLC’s tax structure and financial efficiency. Discover why an LLC is your gateway to protecting your assets and minimizing risks, ensuring a secure foundation for your entrepreneurial endeavors. Paperback $9.99.