So, you've started an ecommerce business. That’s great! Starting one is easy, while building a successful one is the hard part. But don’t worry--there are plenty of learning tools available for you. One of the best ways to learn is to read, read, read. Then read some more. While experience is often the best teacher, it’s best to know some critical do’s and don’ts before stepping out into the field. There are at least five books every ecommerce store owner should read. Take a look below.

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

While this book isn’t necessarily specific to ecommerce, there’s a reason I mention it. Originally published in 1936, it has sold millions of copies. The key concept of this book is simple--how to influence people. That's really what you want when you bring people to your site, isn’t it? You want to win them to your cause and influence them to stay. Well, this book will show you the way. As an ecommerce store owner, one of the main things you want to do is make the best of your situation. This book will show you how to “take any situation and make it work for you.”

2. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

In our society, something that has become almost as ubiquitous as the sun is the phrase “going viral.” It is used to describe something--usually a video, a picture, or a story--that gains widespread attention extremely quickly. Many are always searching for ways for something to go viral or, at the very least, become exceedingly popular because they want the widespread attention. Gladwell states, “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do.” The Tipping Point is a great insight into at what point an idea becomes, well, viral. With this book as the key, you could unlock the door to the next viral phenomenon. Don’t be on the back end of the the trend--create and tend to the trend.

3. Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited by Steve Krug

Accessibility and user-friendliness is key! In our world of instant gratification, nobody wants to search too hard for commodities or have access to a site that is difficult to use. Krug asserts that human-computer interaction should be easy. Many people simply give up using things that are too difficult to grasp or access. Sites that are simple yet effective are most desirable among consumers. If you want your site to have fluidity, then read this book. Do your consumers a favor and help them help you.

4. The Thank you Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk

One of the things that is often overlooked when running an ecommerce site is not technological. It isn’t product or price. It’s not even something people think is needed at all in ecommerce. But it is. It’s human interaction. I know, that sounds crazy and highly impossible, but I assure you it is neither. One of the mains reasons that people still use brick-and-mortar stores, besides convenience, is human interaction. When you have sites like Amazon, people can get most anything they want with a few wiggles of their fingertips and they don’t even have to leave their seat. If you have the Echo, this is exacerbated. So, why do they still go to the stores? Human interaction. It’s difficult to do online, but not impossible. If you check out this book, you’ll find just how it can be accomplished. People can get just about any and everything they want at any online store. You want your consumers to satisfy their craving of the personal touch and human interaction with your site.

5. SEO 2018: Learn Search Engine Optimization with Smart Internet Marketing Strategies by Adam Clarke

If you haven’t heard of the term “search engine optimization,” then you need to head back to the drawing board, my friend. Search engine optimization is the process of increasing traffic via search engines, such as Google. What many people fail to realize is that Google uses algorithms to scan multiple sites in order to better find what it is a person is searching for. Those algorithms are constantly changing. If your site isn’t up to snuff, then Google may very well ignore it--or at the very least push it back several hundred pages. If you want your page to be among the “top hits” on Google, you need to optimize your site. SEO is the most important factor in having an ecommerce site. It doesn’t matter if your website is user friendly, highly interactive, or influential if no one can find you in the search engine.

There are many books that can teach you new tricks as you’re taking the journey to building your website, but these are great books to get your started. These books can help optimize your performance and then experience can take it from there. Happy reading.