16 eCommerce Books You Should Read in 2024

The world of eCommerce business is increasingly more competitive. To stay ahead of the curve and manage business challenges successfully, you need to gain as much knowledge as possible. 

And what better way to do that than through reading eCommerce books?

If you are an online business owner, check out the following eCommerce books and learn more about paving your path to profit. From social media marketing to driving more customer engagement and advanced eCommerce conversion rate optimization, this list of books has it all. 

Ecommerce Evolved: The Essential Playbook to Build, Grow & Scale a Successful Ecommerce Business, Tanner Larsson



Tanner Larsson, the co-founder of Amplified Partnerships and CEO of BuildGrowScale.com, is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in e-commerce.

His book, "Ecommerce Evolved," is a comprehensive guide that outlines strategies to build, grow, and scale a successful eCommerce business. The book distills years of research and practical experience into an eCommerce blueprint. It covers crucial aspects of eCommerce, including marketing, sales, customer service, and operations. It also provides actionable insights to help businesses optimize their eCommerce marketing strategies and achieve sustainable growth.

Some of the essential lessons in this book include:

• Understanding your customer: Larsson emphasizes the importance of understanding your customer's needs and behavior. This involves studying their buying habits, preferences, and demographics to create personalized marketing strategies and product offerings.
• Effective marketing and sales strategies: The book highlights the significance of targeted marketing and effective sales strategies in eCommerce. It provides insight on how to create compelling content, utilize SEO, and adopt email marketing to drive traffic and increase sales.
• Importance of customer service: Larsson underlines the role of excellent customer service in retaining customers and building brand loyalty in the eCommerce industry.
• Optimizing operations: The guide also stresses the need to streamline operations, including inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping, to ensure customer satisfaction and increase operational efficiency.

Pro tip! Need someone to help you implement all the business strategies you learn from these books? Hire an eCommerce freelancer to lend you a hand.

DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online, Russell Brunson



Russell Brunson, the co-founder of ClickFunnels, is well-known in the world of online marketing.

His book, "DotCom Secrets," offers a roadmap for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and drive growth. The book provides a step-by-step guide on how to use sales funnels to generate more leads and convert them into customers. It also shares insights into attracting the right audience, crafting compelling offers, and creating effective follow-up sequences.

Some of the eCommerce growth hacks in this book include:

• Leveraging sales funnels: Brunson introduces the concept of sales funnels and explains how they can be used to guide potential customers through the buying process, from the initial stages of awareness to the final purchase decision.
• Attracting the right audience: The book stresses the importance of identifying and attracting your target audience. Brunson provides actionable strategies for understanding your audience's needs, interests, and challenges to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns.
• Creating compelling offers: "DotCom Secrets" outlines how to craft offers that resonate with your target audience, providing insights into the art of persuasion and how to structure deals that customers will find irresistible.
• Effective follow-up sequences: Brunson emphasizes the critical role of follow-up in online marketing, and offers tips on how to create engaging follow-up sequences that keep your brand top-of-mind for customers and encourage repeat business.

Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, Steve Krug



Steve Krug, a renowned usability consultant, has made significant contributions to the field of user experience design.

His book, "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited," is a definitive guide to web usability. It emphasizes the importance of intuitive navigation and information design in enhancing user experience. The book provides practical advice on how to create user-friendly websites that meet the needs of users and achieve business objectives.

Some of his essential tips from this book include:

• Intuitive navigation: In "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited," Krug emphasizes the importance of creating websites with intuitive navigation. Clear, user-friendly navigation can significantly enhance a user's experience, making it easier for them to find the information they need and interact with the site.
• Effective information design: Krug argues that good information design is critical to web usability. This involves presenting information in a clear and organized manner, making use of visual hierarchy, and ensuring content is easily digestible.
• Understanding user needs: The book underscores the importance of understanding the needs and preferences of users when designing a website. By understanding how users interact with a website, developers can create a user-friendly and effective design to meet business objectives.

One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com, Richard L. Brandt



Richard L. Brandt, a veteran technology journalist, has written extensively about the digital revolution.

His book, "One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com," chronicles the journey of Amazon from a small online bookstore to a global ecommerce giant. The book provides an insightful account of Jeff Bezos's leadership style, his vision for Amazon, and the innovative strategies that propelled the company's growth.

The essential lessons in this book include:

• Visionary leadership: Learn from Bezos's ability to anticipate and adapt to eCommerce trends, his relentless focus on customer service, and his willingness to take calculated risks.
• Innovation and disruption: Get insights into Amazon's culture of innovation and disruption. Learn how the company has pushed boundaries in the ecommerce industry through its customer-centric approach, technological innovations, and disruptive business models.
• Long-term strategy: The narrative emphasizes the importance of a long-term strategic outlook. Bezos's focus on long-term growth over immediate profitability transformed Amazon into an ecommerce powerhouse, shaping the future of online retail.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand out From The Crowd, Allan Dib



Allan Dib, a successful entrepreneur and marketing expert, offers a simplified approach to marketing planning in his book, "The 1-Page Marketing Plan."

The must-read book outlines a nine-step process for creating a marketing plan on a single page. It covers key areas like identifying target markets, crafting a compelling message, and selecting effective marketing channels. The book is a practical guide for businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts and achieve better results.

This book discusses how to:

• Identify target markets: Dib emphasizes the importance of identifying and understanding your target market to create effective marketing strategies. It's vital to clearly define who your ideal customers are, what their needs and challenges are, and how your product or service can meet those needs.
• Craft a compelling message: "The 1-Page Marketing Plan" underlines the significance of crafting a compelling message that resonates with your target market. Dib provides valuable insights into developing a unique selling proposition that distinguishes your brand from competitors and highlights the unique value you offer.
• Select effective marketing channels: The book offers guidance on choosing the most effective marketing channels for reaching your target audience. Dib stresses the need to consider the preferences and habits of your audience, as well as the nature of your product or service when selecting marketing channels.

Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula to Sell Almost Anything Online, Build a Business You Love, and Live the Life of Your Dreams, Jeff Walker



Jeff Walker is an internet entrepreneur who has created successful online businesses.

His book, "Launch," provides a comprehensive guide to selling almost anything online and building a business you love. Drawing from his own experiences, Walker reveals his secret formula for launching successful products online. This includes practical strategies for attracting customers, marketing products effectively, and achieving substantial online sales. The book also emphasizes the importance of pursuing a business that aligns with your passions and goals, enabling you to live the life of your dreams.

You'll learn about

• The product launch formula: Walker presents his proven product launch formula, which outlines a strategy for successful online product launches. The formula provides a roadmap for building anticipation, engaging customers, and driving sales during a product launch.
• Attracting and engaging customers: An essential lesson from the book is attracting and deeply engaging customers. Walker offers strategies for building an active and enthusiastic community of customers who are eager to purchase your product.
• Building a passion-driven business: The book emphasizes providing financial success, fulfillment, aligning your business with your passions and goals. By doing what you love, you can create a business that provides financial success and fulfillment.

The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company, Steve Blank and Bob Dorf



Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur, and Bob Dorf, a startup coach, have combined their expertise in "The Startup Owner's Manual."

This book offers a step-by-step guide for building a successful company. It covers essential topics like identifying market opportunities, developing business models, acquiring customers, and scaling operations. The book also introduces the concept of Customer Development, a methodology for discovering and validating the right market for your product and building a customer base.

You'll get essential tips about

• Identifying market opportunities: The book stresses the importance of identifying market opportunities and understanding customer needs. It offers strategies to analyze market trends and consumer behavior, which are crucial for product development and business growth.
• Developing business models: Blank and Dorf provide valuable insights into developing effective business models. They discuss key components such as value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure, guiding entrepreneurs in designing a model that aligns with your business goals.
• Customer development: A major highlight of "The Startup Owner's Manual" is the concept of Customer Development. This methodology focuses on discovering and validating the right market for your product and constructing strategies to build a loyal customer base.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, Brad Stone



We just had to include another book about Amazon.com's story! Brad Stone, a senior executive editor for technology at Bloomberg News, provides his own in-depth account of Amazon's rise in "The Everything Store." Stone focuses on Bezos' leadership style, strategic decisions, and the innovative practices shaping Amazon's success.

Some tips to stir your interest in this book include:

• Innovative leadership: "The Everything Store" shines a spotlight on Jeff Bezos's unique and innovative leadership style. The book reveals how Bezos's visionary thinking, relentless ambition, and willingness to take risks have been instrumental in driving Amazon's success.
• Strategic decisions: Brad Stone provides an in-depth exploration of the strategic decisions that have shaped Amazon. This includes its focus on customer service, long-term growth over short-term profit, and constant innovation, offering a valuable lesson in strategic thinking and planning.
• Cultivating a culture of innovation: The book highlights the importance of fostering a culture of innovation. Stone elucidates how Amazon's emphasis on creativity, experimentation, and disruption has enabled it to stay ahead of the competition and continually redefine the e-commerce industry.

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



Eric Ries, an entrepreneur and author, introduces a new approach to business development in "The Lean Startup." The book advocates for continuous innovation and rapid experimentation to build successful businesses. It presents a set of principles and practices that help entrepreneurs reduce the risk of startup failure, learn what customers really want, and build a viable product.

The book discusses

• Continuous innovation: The Lean Startup emphasizes the importance of continuous innovation in achieving business success. Ries proposes that businesses should constantly iterate and improve their products based on customer feedback. This approach helps companies stay relevant and competitive in an ever-changing market.
• Rapid experimentation: Learn about the concept of rapid experimentation, where businesses use a build-measure-learn feedback loop to test their ideas and hypotheses. This approach allows entrepreneurs to quickly validate or dismiss their assumptions, leading to faster learning and progress.
• Validated learning: Understand the significance of validated learning, a process that measures how customers respond to a product. This is a fundamental principle that helps businesses ascertain whether they are making progress toward their goals or merely creating a facade of productivity.

Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms, Jaime Schmidt



Jaime Schmidt, Founder of Schmidt's Naturals, shares her entrepreneurial journey in "Supermaker." The book provides valuable insights into starting a business from scratch, scaling it, and eventually selling it to a global company. Schmidt offers practical advice on product development, branding, marketing, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. The book also emphasizes the importance of staying true to your values and vision as you build your business.

Read about

• Product development and branding: Discover valuable lessons in product development and branding. Schmidt emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality, unique products that meet customer needs. She also shares insights on how to develop a strong and impactful brand that resonates with customers.
• Strategic marketing: Get practical advice on strategic marketing, explaining how to reach and engage your target audience effectively. Her strategies include leveraging social media, organic growth tactics, and partnerships to expand your market reach and increase brand visibility.
• Staying true to your vision: One of the key takeaways from "Supermaker" is the importance of staying true to your vision and values, even as your business grows. Schmidt highlights this principle's importance by sharing her experiences of maintaining her brand’s ethos and commitment to natural ingredients, despite market pressures.

How to Sell on Amazon: 7 FBA Secrets That Turn Beginners into Best Sellers, Matt Voss



Matt Voss is a successful e-commerce entrepreneur and this book is a comprehensive guide to selling products on Amazon using the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service. It provides a step-by-step approach for beginners to become best sellers on Amazon, shedding light on secrets such as choosing the right niche, pricing strategies, improving product page ranking, and leveraging Amazon's vast customer base.

Here are some Amazon FBA tips from this book:

• Choosing the right niche: Voss emphasizes the importance of selecting the right niche for selling products on Amazon. He guides readers on how to research market trends, understand customer needs, and identify profitable and less competitive niches. This strategic decision is the first step towards achieving success on the platform.
• Effective pricing strategies: The book provides insights into developing effective pricing strategies. Voss explains how to set competitive prices that not only attract customers but also ensure profitability. He also discusses how to monitor and adjust prices based on market changes and competitor actions.
• Improving product page ranking: "How to Sell on Amazon" offers valuable tips on how to improve your product page ranking on Amazon. Voss outlines key strategies for optimizing product listings for search, using keywords effectively, and managing customer reviews to improve visibility and sales.

Ecommerce Marketing: How to Get Traffic That BUYS to Your Website, Chloë Thomas



Chloë Thomas, an eCommerce expert, provides actionable advice in her book "Ecommerce Marketing" on attracting traffic that converts into customers.

Learn about various aspects of eCommerce marketing, including choosing your sales channels, improving your product listing, and handling shipping effectively. Get tips, as well, on taking good photos and writing compelling product descriptions.

Some of the essentials in this book include:

• Choosing the right sales channels: Thomas underscores the importance of selecting the right sales channels in eCommerce marketing. She encourages businesses to strategically choose platforms where their target audience is most active, enabling more effective marketing and higher conversion rates.
• Creating compelling product listings: The book offers valuable insights into creating engaging product listings. Thomas guides readers on how to take high-quality product photos and write compelling descriptions that not only accurately represent the product but also resonate with potential customers, thereby increasing the chances of purchase.
• Effective shipping management: "Ecommerce Marketing" sheds light on the importance of handling shipping effectively. Thomas advises businesses to offer reliable and reasonably-priced shipping options to enhance customer satisfaction and foster loyalty, contributing to repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth.

The Amazon Way: Amazon’s 14 Leadership Principles, John Rossman



John Rossman, a former Amazon executive, provides insights into the unique business culture of Amazon in his book "The Amazon Way."

The book discusses Amazon's 14 leadership principles that have guided its innovation and decision-making processes. It gives readers a deeper understanding of how these principles have shaped Amazon's massive success.

This book explores

• Customer obsession: One of the key principles in "The Amazon Way" is Amazon's obsession with customer satisfaction. Rossman explains how this relentless focus on meeting and exceeding customer expectations has driven Amazon's innovation and success. This principle underscores the importance of understanding and prioritizing customer needs in every business decision.
• Long-term thinking: Learn about Amazon's commitment to long-term thinking. Despite the pressures of meeting short-term financial targets, Amazon has consistently prioritized long-term strategic goals over immediate profits. This principle serves as a reminder for businesses to be patient, make strategic investments, and focus on sustainable growth.
• Bias for action: The book highlights Amazon's "Bias for Action" principle, which encourages swift decision-making and execution, even when all information may not be available. This principle has enabled Amazon to stay agile, rapidly innovate, and maintain its competitive edge in the fast-paced e-commerce industry.

Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message so Customers Will Listen, Donald Miller



Donald Miller, a successful author and public speaker, presents a seven-part framework for effective storytelling in marketing in his book "Building a StoryBrand." The book helps businesses craft their brand message in a way that connects with customers and prompts them to take action.

You'll learn how to better

• Understand your customer's story: Miller emphasizes the importance of understanding your customer's story to effectively connect with them. He guides you on how to identify your customers' pain points, desires, and motivations, enabling businesses to position your products or services as solutions that resonate with potential customers.
• Create a clear message: The book provides a framework for creating a clear and compelling brand message that cuts through the noise and resonates with customers. Miller explains how to use storytelling elements such as character, conflict, and resolution to create a message that is easy to understand and remember.
• Provide a clear call to action: "Building a StoryBrand" also stresses the importance of including a strong call to action in marketing messages. Miller explains how to prompt customers to take the desired action, whether it is making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or visiting your website. This principle highlights the importance of guiding customers towards the next step in their buying journey.

The Finance Book: Understand the Numbers Even if You’re Not a Finance Professional, Stuart Warner and Si Hussain



Both seasoned finance professionals, Stuart Warner and Si Hussain have written "The Finance Book" to demystify complex financial concepts. The book is designed to help non-finance professionals understand financial information and make informed decisions.

Some of the key topics covered are:

• Financial statements: "The Finance Book" explains the three main financial statements: balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. It breaks down each statement into simple terms, making it easy for non-finance professionals to understand and analyze.
• Budgeting and forecasting: The book also covers the fundamentals of budgeting and forecasting, essential skills for anyone involved in business planning or decision-making. It provides practical tips on creating budgets and forecasts that are accurate and useful in guiding business operations.
• Investment analysis: Another crucial topic covered in this book is investment analysis. Warner and Hussain explain different methods for evaluating investments, such as net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). They also discuss techniques for assessing various investment opportunities' risk and return potential.

Go beyond these book recommendations 

The more you read, the more you'll understand why and how successful businesses are built. There are many finance-related books available, and the ones listed here are just a few of the most relevant and recommended. The best way to learn more about finance is to explore different titles and get started on your finance education today.

More book ideas to help you build a successful online store include: 

• Chris Goward's "You Should Test That!"
• Josh Kaufman's "The Personal MBA" 
• Marc Ostrofsky's "Get Rich Click" 
• Gabriel Weinberg's "Super Thinking" 
• Chris Voss' "Never Split the Difference"
• Ann Handley's "Everybody Writes" 

So, what are you waiting for? Go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any of your preferred bookstores, get your favorite titles, and start shuffling through decades of know-how, expertise, and business wisdom! 

Need help with your eCommerce business? Contact Mayple, tell us more about your online store, and we'll find the best eCommerce consultant for you.