Author: Bogdan Rancea

Bogdan Rancea is the founder and lead curator of ecomm.design, a showcase of the best ecommerce websites. With over 12 years in the digital commerce space he has a wealth of knowledge and a keen eye for great online retail experiences. As an ecommerce tech explorer Bogdan tests and reviews various platforms and design tools like Shopify, Figma and Canva and provides practical advice for store owners and designers. His hands on experience with these tools and his knowledge of ecommerce design trends makes him a valuable resource for businesses looking to improve their online presence. On ecomm.design Bogdan writes about online stores, ecommerce design and tips for entrepreneurs and designers.

Shopify vs Prestashop: My Verdict for 2025

By Bogdan Rancea  /  June 9, 2025

If you’re trying to build or scale an ecommerce store, chances are you’ve looked at Shopify and Prestashop. Both are solid contenders, but they offer wildly different experiences depending on your business stage, tech skills, and growth goals.

Quick Answer:

Use Shopify if you want an easy, all-in-one platform that handles the heavy lifting.

Use Prestashop if you want complete control, can code (or have a dev), and don’t mind piecing things together.

I’ve worked with both—clients scaling 7-figure stores on Shopify and dev-heavy setups on Prestashop. So here’s what I know, tested, and learned the hard way.

Let’s break it down.

Stan Store vs Gumroad: Which is Better in 2025?

By Bogdan Rancea  /  June 4, 2025

Stan Store and Gumroad both promise an easy way to sell digital products online.

I’ve spent hours testing both tools—setting up products, navigating dashboards, playing with customisations, and even simulating real purchases.

If you’re a creator, coach, or influencer trying to monetise your audience, this review will show you which one’s right for you.

BigCommerce Pricing Explained for 2025

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 29, 2025

bigcommerce pricing

Here’s the quick answer: BigCommerce pricing starts at $39/month and goes up to $399/month, with custom pricing for enterprise plans. But that number doesn’t tell you much on its own.

BigCommerce often gets labeled as an enterprise-only platform, but that’s not true — it’s actually one of the best setups for growing stores that need more control over design, SEO, and performance without hitting a ceiling.

After consulting ecommerce brands for over a decade and reviewing over 6,000 stores for our ecommerce design gallery, I’ve seen firsthand where each BigCommerce plan delivers — and where it holds you back.

Creative Fabrica Review: Is It Worth It for Ecommerce Design?

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 29, 2025

creative fabrica review

Quick answer: Yes—Creative Fabrica is 100% worth it if you’re running an ecommerce business that relies on design, branding, or product visuals. For $9 a month, it’s hands-down the best value library of fonts, graphics, and ready-to-sell POD assets I’ve ever used.

But it’s not perfect. Here’s everything you need to know before you sign up.

Customer Experience Design: How I Fixed Conversion Drops on an Ecommerce Store

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 21, 2025

When I first got into ecommerce design, I focused way too much on visuals. I’d obsess over the right font, try out trendy colours, and waste hours pushing pixels.

What I didn’t realise is that customer experience design (CXD) isn’t just how something looks. It’s how a customer feels moving through your store.

Once I started thinking about how people actually use ecommerce sites, everything changed. Bounce rates dropped, conversions went up, and returning customer rates climbed.

SamCart vs ThriveCart: My Honest Review After 10+ Years in Ecommerce

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 15, 2025

samcart vs thrivecart

SamCart and ThriveCart are two of the most popular checkout platforms online — but which one actually delivers better results for online sellers?

I’ve spent the last decade building ecommerce businesses, testing sales funnels, and optimising checkout flows. I’ve personally used both platforms across live launches, course sales, and client campaigns.

Now I’m breaking down the differences for you — feature by feature, with verdicts based on real-world use.

SamCart Review: Is It Worth It for Ecommerce in 2025?

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 15, 2025

samcart review

SamCart is one of the top-rated checkout platforms for creators, consultants, and digital sellers, offering a sleek, conversion-optimised system designed to help you sell more — without building a full ecommerce store.

After 10+ years working across ecommerce businesses and testing dozens of platforms, I’ve found SamCart to be a standout option for selling single products, online courses, and high-ticket offers.

In this review, I’ll walk through SamCart’s key features, pricing, pros and cons, and how it compares to competitors like ClickFunnels, ThriveCart, and Kajabi.

Ecommerce Glossary: 150+ Ecommerce Terms Every Store Owner Should Know

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 14, 2025

ecommerce glossary

Running an online store is hard enough. Then you get hit with jargon like “CLTV”, “3PL”, or “conversion rate”, and suddenly it feels like you need a marketing degree just to read your Shopify dashboard.

This glossary is here to cut through the noise.

No fluff. No jargon. Just straight-up definitions of the ecommerce terms you actually need to understand if you want to grow your store, make more money, and stop guessing what your ads guy is talking about.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling past 7-figures, this is the cheat sheet you’ll keep coming back to.

Let’s get into it.

BigCommerce vs WooCommerce: Which Is Best in 2025?

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 14, 2025

BigCommerce and WooCommerce are two of the biggest ecommerce platforms out there—but which one actually supports real growth?

We’ve spent over 200 hours researching, testing, and comparing both tools in depth. On top of that, we’ve analysed hundreds of real ecommerce stores powered by each platform using our design gallery, ecomm.design, to see how they perform in the wild.

As a result of that research, BigCommerce comes out on top for growing online stores. It’s got the built-in features, speed, and scalability to support serious ecommerce growth—without the technical overhead.

Format vs Squarespace: My Verdict 2025

By Bogdan Rancea  /  May 13, 2025

format vs squarespace

Quick answer:

If your primary goal is to present a visually striking portfolio with occasional sales—particularly as a photographer, artist, or designer—Format offers a streamlined, aesthetically focused experience tailored to that need.

On the other hand, if you’re building a content-rich site with ecommerce at its core, and you require more flexibility, scalability, and control over the user journey and site architecture, Squarespace is the more comprehensive and strategic choice.