“Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It’s cheaper,” said John C. Bogle, an investor and founder of Vanguard Group.
Not just that—it can be a shortcut to an insight you’d otherwise spend a long time acquiring. Books are exactly that. They’re years or even decades of experiments, lessons, mistakes, and smart moves, compressed into about 250 pages.
To get a sense of what’s inspiring ecommerce leaders today, we reached out to 16 of the best ecommerce practitioners and asked them for the best ecommerce books leaders should read, along with their favorite lessons from each.
These books are about more than pure ecommerce and include topics like messaging, marketing, writing, customer needs, personal development, mindset, and connections.
16 best ecommerce books in 2024
- The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
- Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
- The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
- DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson
- Influence by Robert Cialdini
- Supermaker by Jaime Schmidt
- Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
- 12 Months to $1 Million by Ryan Daniel Moran
- Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
- Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- E-commerce 2021 by Kenneth C. Laudon and Carol Guercio Traver
- Linchpin by Seth Godin
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
1. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman
Recommended by:
Nick Disabato, designer, writer, and founder of Draft, an interaction design consultancy.
What it’s about:
The Personal MBA is an antidote to the expensive and time-consuming business degree. This book distills entrepreneurship, marketing, sales, negotiation, operations, productivity, and systems design into simple mental models you can apply to your business.
Four methods to increase revenue, the iron law of the market, and the pricing uncertainty principle are a few of the many concepts The Personal MBA explains.
This book will inspire you to skip many of the trials and errors of running a business and make better decisions, from solving business problems to planning your day.
Best lesson:
“This book teaches you a lot about business, yes, but it’s also a book about self-care, overcoming cognitive biases, and protecting your boundaries and sovereignty,” says Nick.
“It will help you adopt the mindset of a business owner, especially in ecommerce, where the mindset is usually short-term and driven by fear.”
2. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley
Recommended by:
Tina Donati, a freelance writer and content lead at Alloy Automation, an integrations platform for businesses like Shopify merchants.
What it’s about:
Everybody Writes is the go-to guide to creating content that stands out and attracts loyal customers. That includes emails, blog posts, and social media posts. Ann Handley argues that great writing matters more than ever before, and that our online words are our currency.
The book is packed with actionable advice and real-world examples. As an ecommerce leader, this is the guide you need to help share your message to your customers with style, clarity, and empathy.
Best lesson:
“I’ve been a professional writer for years, and this book still taught me so many valuable lessons. Ann makes it clear that writing is an art that can be learned with discipline,” says Tina. “I think so many marketers immediately cast themselves off as ‘non-writers,’ but with practice and the right advice, anyone can develop the skill to be a good copywriter.
“For DTC founders, this book is a great way to learn some of these best practices. The truth is, writing is incorporated in everything you do. There’s copy all over your website, in your emails, in the content you create, on your social channels—it’s so ingrained in the ecommerce experience that it’s important for it to be done well.
“As a founder with limited resources, learning how to be a better writer can be your saving grace between a good customer experience and a bad one. Ann’s book will help teach you how to write clearly, effectively, and in a way that your customers care about.”
3. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Recommended by:
Caitlin Teed, partner manager at Ryder Ecommerce and former program manager at Shopify.
What it’s about:
The Art of Gathering argues that coming together is more important than ever, but that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive. Priya Parker has run many high-powered gatherings around the world and shows you what works, what doesn’t, and why.
Creating meaningful, memorable experiences as an ecommerce leader—for your employees, partners, and customers—is essential. Use this book for your next meeting, conference, company retreat, and more.
Best lesson:
“This book helped me reimagine traditional expectations you put on yourself when you meet with other people. I learned that it’s okay to be vulnerable, and it’s okay to say no to an event that doesn’t align with you,” says Caitlin.
“It helped me think outside the box and push the bar on what a great gathering looks and feels like. How we gather matters. This book breaks down conventions and helps you think outside the box and, as a business owner, helps you reconnect with how you approach gatherings within your team and beyond.”
4. DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson
Recommended by:
Connor Gross, an ecommerce founder with a seven-figure exit and co-host of The Next Generation podcast.
What it’s about:
DotCom Secrets is the result of thousands of tests the author ran to understand what makes a successful online business. It’s packed with processes, funnels, and scripts he used to scale companies online.
This book will help you understand the psychology behind consumer behavior, tell stories, and build relationships. With it, you’ll create or rebuild your marketing system, define your ideal customer, and scale your online store.
Best lesson:
“For me, the book introduced the concept of value ladders and completely changed how I think about acquiring customers and how to nurture that relationship to earn more,” says Connor.
“The whole concept is that selling anything is hard, and the more expensive your product gets, the tougher it is to convince customers to buy from you as soon as they hear about you. So your best bet is to begin by giving away free content to get people to engage early. Eventually, you’ll want to begin selling them more and more expensive products, and you’ll build trust with them for the long run.”
5. Influence by Robert Cialdini
Recommended by:
Emma Zerner, cofounder and content strategist of Icecartel, a brand of men’s moissanite jewelry.
What it’s about:
Influence explores the subtle but powerful art of persuasion. It unpacks the psychology behind why people say yes into six universal principles of influence. These principles include reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, social proof, and liking.
This book is a dive into stories and real-life examples of the science of persuasion so you can run an influential brand and a profitable business.
Best lesson:
“The best thing about Influence is learning how you can apply the principles behind influence and persuasion to enhance user experience and boost sales. This has been instrumental in shaping our approach to ecommerce,” says Emma.
“The most significant lesson is the importance of understanding human behavior and decision making. We’ve used these principles to optimize our product pages, design persuasive call-to-action elements, and build our marketing strategies to resonate with our target audience.
“The book’s timeless wisdom continues to drive our ecommerce success.”
6. Supermaker by Jaime Schmidt
Recommended by:
Kristen LaFrance, ecommerce adviser and community builder.
What it’s about:
Supermaker was born out of Jaime Schmidt’s experience building Schmidt’s Natural, a natural products brand, and growing it into more than 30,000 stores. Seven years later, Unilever bought Schmidt’s Natural in a nine-figure acquisition.
Jaime gives advice on branding, product development, social media marketing, PR, customer engagement, and scaling. This book is informational and entertaining, as well as actionable and inspiring for ecommerce founders.
Best lesson:
“It really exposed what a truly founder-led company looked like and opened my eyes to the potential of really great CPG brands,” says Kristen.
“The best lesson? An honest look at truly how hard it is to develop a longstanding, highly successful brand, and that founders are some of the most resilient and brilliant people.”
7. Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug
Recommended by:
Daniel Kroytor, founder of TailoredPay, a merchant account provider.
What it’s about:
Don’t Make Me Think is a guide focused on web design and usability. It emphasizes principles of clarity and simplicity when it comes to navigation, information architecture, and usability testing. Designers, developers, and website owners love it—ecommerce pros will too.
This book makes the complex web design principles simple and digestible, packed with insider tips and examples for creating a website your customers will love visiting time and again.
Best lesson:
“Many books will touch on this topic from the perspective of the business, not the website visitors. They make things easy for the company, but they neglect the needs of customers. Usability is the focus in this one,” says Daniel.
“Krug does a masterful job of placing the entrepreneur in the website visitor’s shoes, highlighting designs that can cause difficulty, showcasing navigation details that can create a seamless experience, and explaining how to create portals for efficient conversions and checkout.”
8. 12 Months to $1 Million by Ryan Daniel Moran
Recommended by:
Shlesha Pandey, founder and strategist at EcomRevolutionX, a copy and email marketing agency for ecommerce companies.
What it’s about:
12 Months to $1 Million is a roadmap to hitting seven figures in revenue in a year or less. The author shares his own journey to teach about finding money-making opportunities, creating products people actually want, and marketing like a pro.
The 1-year plan is broken down into 3 stages of 4 months to set a strong foundation, reach 25 sales a day in the second stage, and finally at least 100 sales per day for lasting, sustainable success.
Best lesson:
“There’s so much to explore here for ecommerce businesses, but one crucial lesson for me is the deep dive into achieving product-market fit,” says Shlesha.
“The step-by-step guidance to identify products that not only resonate with customers but also ensure sustained sales and business growth is why this book is a winner for me.”
9. Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Recommended by:
Troy Petrunoff, retention marketing manager at Every Many Jack, a men’s natural grooming brand.
What it’s about:
Building a StoryBrand covers the seven universal elements of powerful stories to help you improve how you connect with your customers.
You’ll learn the real reason customers make purchases and what you can do to simplify your brand message so they can understand it and resonate with it. This will help you cut through the noise and engage your customers to see real ecommerce success.
Best lesson:
“This book is packed with many good lessons, especially for founders that might not have a marketing background,” says Troy. “For example, ‘If you confuse, you’ll lose.’ You can have the best product ever, but if you don’t do a good job presenting it via clear, concise, and informative copy—not muddled down with flowery, marketing-y language—you risk losing potential customers.
“You have to be able to describe your brand in one sentence. Your products in one sentence. And why your brand is best in one sentence.
“When we launch a new product at Every Man Jack and we’re writing the product description, we keep it short and sweet but make sure to address what the product does for you, the customer, and why it’s the best version of this product; for example, top tier ingredients or scents.”
10. Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman
Recommended by:
Benjamin Beck, marketing director at Tortuga, a travel gear company.
What it’s about:
Never Lose a Customer Again is the ultimate customer retention guide. Its focus is on the first 100 days of a customer’s journey, offering strategies to enhance their experience and turn one-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers.
This book is the guide to building real, lasting connections by making customers feel seen, heard, and valued. Lean on its practical insights, anecdotes, and tips to turn transactions into relationships.
Best lesson:
“Many books are focused on getting the first sale rather than on customer retention and loyalty. Joey Coleman offers a step-by-step approach to keep your customers for life, and when you remember that acquiring a new customer can be several times more expensive than upselling a current one, that’s invaluable,” says Ben.
“At Tortuga, we’ve implemented the eight phases of customer experience by adding personal follow-ups to make recommendations on the next travel bag our customers should add to their collection for their next trip.”
11. Atomic Habits by James Clear
Recommended by:
James Sowers, director of The Good, a portfolio of tools for ecommerce companies, and operator at UserInput, a customer research agency for ecommerce companies
What it’s about:
Atomic Habits is the ultimate book on building habits and changing your daily behaviors in the long run. Its focus is on making small improvements frequently, rather than big, sweeping changes, as these improvements accumulate and the impact is enormous.
You can use this book to build deeper focus at work, read more, journal regularly, reflect on your work, build better relationships with your colleagues and employees, build a fitness routine—anything that will help you become your best self, at work and elsewhere.
Best lesson:
“The lesson is that before you can successfully manage a business, you have to learn how to successfully manage yourself,” says James.
“Time, energy, finances, mental capacity… it’s all important and all in limited supply. Atomic Habits helped me build the discipline and routines to be a more effective business leader and entrepreneur.”
12. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
Recommended by:
Michelle Ebbin, founder of Jettproof, a sensory clothing brand for children and adults.
What it’s about:
The E-Myth Revisited focuses on getting you to work on your business—that is, focusing on growth, your competitors’ role, and your USP—and not just in it—as in doing the day-to-day work.
This is the updated edition of the original 1985 version. It breaks down your assumptions and expectations that can get in the way of running a successful company—a valuable read for growing a successful ecommerce business.
Best lesson:
“It’s the one entrepreneurs don’t want, but absolutely need to learn: there is no magic wand that makes everything run smoothly! Many ecommerce leaders lose money on the smallest tasks because they still haven’t learned that the key to success is consistency,” says Michelle.
“Create processes and systems that are consistent and you will get consistent, predictable results. It’s not the fun or exciting answer most people want, but once you start implementing it, its value is huge. Consistency creates a framework that builds value and trust. As Gerber writes, ‘Documentation is an affirmation of order.’”
13. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Recommended by:
Michael Rosenbaum, founder and CEO of Spacer, a parking and storage marketplace.
What it’s about:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People shares a principle-centered approach for solving professional and personal problems. These principles—or habits—include beginning with the end in mind, taking a win-win approach, and focusing on what you can control.
Implementing these seven habits will help you lead your life, team, and ecommerce company in a truly effective and intentional way.
Best lesson:
“When running an ecommerce business, you constantly have to make big decisions on where to focus your time, energy, and resources. The chapter ‘Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood’ is a philosophy I incorporate every day when it comes to managing my team, speaking with stakeholders, and fostering a culture of true efficiency,” says Michael.
“In the start-up world, time is often the most precious resource you have, and the lessons I’ve learned in this book have helped me to work, whether it be by myself or with others, in a much more productive way.”
14. E-commerce 2021 by Kenneth C. Laudon and Carol Guercio Traver
Recommended by:
Steve Pogson, founder of First Pier, an ecommerce agency and a Shopify partner.
What it’s about:
E-commerce 2021: Business. Technology. Society does exactly what it says on the tin—it explores the relationship between business, tech, and society. Experts describe it as the ultimate guide to the online business world.
The book gives a holistic view on the world of ecommerce, from the behind-the-scenes tech to the impact ecommerce has on our society. It’s full of case studies, insights, and trends to help you understand the ecommerce ecosystem.
It’s worth noting there’s also a fresher version of this book called E-Commerce 2023: Business. Technology. Society with more recent data and trends, but you’ll get the benefits from this book, whichever edition you can get your hands on.
Best lesson:
“This book balances academic rigor and real-world relevance. The key concepts it presents are paired with concrete business examples and case studies so you can really internalize these learnings,” says Steve.
“A lesson that resonated with me is the emphasis on customer centricity in the ecommerce world. In an era of increasing digital competition, it’s not just about having a robust online platform, but also about understanding customer needs and responding to them.
“We’ve implemented this at First Pier through personalized tools like the Shopify product recommendation quiz, which embraces customer understanding to give customized recommendations and take the customer experience to the next level.”
15. Linchpin by Seth Godin
Recommended by:
Lillie Sun, adviser, operator, and strategist for DTC brands.
What it’s about:
In Linchpin, Seth Godin defines linchpins as people who figure out what to do when there’s no rulebook. They love their work, challenge and delight their peers and customers, and get the best jobs.
Linchpins are indispensable—they’re the key building blocks of exceptional companies. Your ecommerce business can thrive by hiring and nurturing linchpins, and this book will help you create a culture where linchpins thrive.
Best lesson:
“Best lesson I learned is that, in ecommerce, being good at your job doesn’t mean being really good at one task, or one project. The key to building a successful business is finding people who are linchpins, who can see beyond surface level to do work that is extremely meaningful,” says Lillie.
“This book truly highlights the concept of being indispensable and the opportunities it can create for you.”
16. Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
Recommended by:
Gabe Mays, founder and CEO of POPSMASH, a product quiz software for Shopify stores.
What it’s about:
Zero to One is a visionary business book focused on the concept of going from zero to one—that is, creating something entirely new rather than tweaking or improving ideas that already exist.
This is the book for you if you want to create unique value in the marketplace, build an ecommerce business that dominates its space, and shape the future of your industry.
Best lesson:
“The most valuable lesson for ecommerce businesses is that they must differentiate themselves from competitors to succeed in a crowded ecommerce space. Don’t know how to differentiate your ecommerce brand? This book will give you some ideas,” says Gabe.
“You’ll get examples of innovative companies and how they changed the game by doing something new, rather than copying what came before.
“But more importantly, this book will help you decide where to innovate and differentiate, and where to stick with the status quo.”
Your next ecommerce read is on this list
Whatever it is you’re looking to improve next in your ecommerce business, there’s a good chance the book to help you achieve that is on the list we’ve just covered.
Find what it is, and start from that ecommerce book. Make sure to save this list so you can come back to it and pick another one when you’re ready to chase your next goal. You’ve got this!
Ecommerce books FAQ
What is an ecommerce book?
An ecommerce book is an ideal opportunity to master a subsection of ecommerce you want to improve, often sold for as little as $15. Authors of ecommerce books have summarized their careers’ work into a couple hundred pages, so you can instantly implement what they’ve spent years figuring out.
What are the four areas of ecommerce?
Ecommerce works in four types of transactions between the seller and the buyer:
- Business-to-business (B2B), such as a cleaning product manufacturer selling to professional cleaners
- Business-to-consumer (B2C), like a shoe manufacturer selling running shoes to end customers
- Consumer-to-consumer (C2C), where individuals sell to each other, like on an online marketplace
- Consumer-to-business (C2B), where individuals sell their products or services to companies, like design elements, photographs, or music
Is ecommerce still profitable?
Yes—the average gross profit margin for online retailers is over 40%. With ecommerce, there are fewer barriers to start selling and expanding your business compared to brick-and-mortar businesses. That’s because to scale your ecommerce store, you don’t need additional physical stores or a ton of new staff—just a smart marketing strategy and a smooth order fulfillment process.
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