Kerry Murdock

George W. Bush had just begun his second presidential term when we launched Practical Ecommerce in mid-2005. An innovative ecommerce platform (requiring no software downloads!) would soon debut in Canada. The founders, former snowboard sellers, called it Shopify. Like many of you, we’ve experienced the rise of cloud computing, social media, logistics, and marketplaces, but nothing compares to the disruption of artificial intelligence. Apparently, our audience agrees.

For years, Scot Wingo observed consumer shopping journeys while running ChannelAdvisor, the marketplace management firm he started in 2001. He says consumers approach the process in three stages: researching the market, finding suitable products, and buying the right item. An apt acronym — ReFiBuy — is the name of his latest company. It’s a generative engine optimization platform for retailers and brands. By any measure, Scot is an ecommerce pioneer.

#SeoTips Back in 2009 I asked a marketing contact at Overstock.com about possibly interviewing Patrick Byrne, the CEO. “I’ll ask him,” the contact replied. An hour or two later, I received an email — from Patrick Byrne. He was available. The dialog and subsequent interview are memorable. He involved no public relations personnel — unusual for a publicly traded company — and required no preparation. “Should I send my questions in advance?” I asked. “No,” he said.