10 Books All Ecommerce Founders Must Read in 2022

Like it or not, 2022 is here, and it’s time to think about the year ahead. 

Whether you’re building your first online store or you’re an ecommerce veteran, being a business founder isn’t easy and with so much to consider, it’s easy to lose sight of your goals. 

How do you stay motivated when the going gets tough? How do you keep your brand relevant and rise to the top of search engine results? How do you continue to connect with your customers and keep them coming back for more? How do you find time to focus on personal development? What better way to answer these questions than the people who have been there, done that. So we’ve curated a list of the best 10 ecommerce books you need to read in 2022. 

1. Best on Brand: Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller

Building a Story Brand focuses on how to build a brand story that genuinely connects with your customers. It’s jam-packed with advice on how to motivate and encourage customers to become loyal advocates. And, it discusses the common pitfalls and actionable advice on how to avoid them. For example, you can have the best product in the world, but if you don’t present it to your customers in the right way, you risk losing a lot of revenue. We especially recommend this book to new ecommerce business owners who aren’t marketing savvy.

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Atomic Habits is all about breaking bad routines and making small behavioural changes that can grow into life-altering outcomes. It delves into the psychology and neuroscience behind tiny habits and why they can lead to big changes. And shares inspiring stories from leading CEOs and Olympic gold medallists on how they’ve used the science behind small changes to help them achieve success, stay happy and motivated. This book is a must-read for any entrepreneur looking to change their mindset and become the best version of themselves in 2022. 

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People presents a holistic, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. The premise of this book is about focusing on what you can control rather than what you can’t. As an ecommerce owner, you face challenges every day where you have to make big decisions. Reading this book will help you cut through the clutter, focus on what’s important and lead effectively.

4. Dotcom Secrets by Russel Brunson

Dotcom Secrets takes the best of what the author has discovered from thousands of unique split tests to understand what makes a successful online business. It’s simple to follow, and packed full of strategies on how to improve traffic, conversions and ultimately scale. 

5. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Business and Influence—And How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk

Bestselling author and motivational speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crushing It offers lessons and inspiration on how dozens of entrepreneurs, including Gary himself, made it big. And how their success has everything to do with understanding social media platforms and how they used them to their full potential. This book is definitely worth a read even if you’re a social media expert because it gives you innovative tips and tweaks on how to enhance your current strategy.

6. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight

Nike founder and board chairperson, Phil Knight, shares the inside story of the company’s early days, and how it grew from a small start-up to the world’s most iconic and successful brands. The man behind the swoosh shares his story of entrepreneurship, the obstacles he faced, and lessons he learnt along the way. We recommend reading this book wherever you are on your business journey. It will certainly motivate you to make your mark on the world, that’s for sure.

7. How to Be An Overnight Success: Making It In Business by Maria Hatzistefanis

“You are not born an entrepreneur. It’s a skill that you learn along the way.” – Maria Hatzistefanis

When the skincare company Rodial launched its cult ‘snake’ serum, the media described it as an ‘overnight success’. When in fact Rodial’s founder Maria Hatzistefanis had been grafting for 18 years, building the business from scratch all from her bedroom. In How To Become An Overnight Success, Maria shares her experience of what it took to build her beauty business from the ground up and how it became a favourite of big celebrity names such as Kylie Jenner. Definitely give this a read if you’re just starting out and in need of some inspiration to keep going.

8. Never Split The Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss

Any successful ecommerce founder will tell you the importance of negotiating. Think about how many times you negotiate when running your business. It’s a lot, right? So it’s essential that you’re good at it. 

In this book, Chris Voss shares tried-and-tested negotiation tactics taken from his experience as an FBI hostage negotiator. Give it a read and you’ll be getting more bang for your buck in 2022. 

9. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

The Personal MBA gives you simple mental models for every subject you need to run a successful business, without the hefty price tag of a business degree. From marketing and sales to operations and productivity, this book is your key to making better business decisions. A must-read for any ecommerce founder looking for direction when planning for the year ahead.

10. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

One of Silicon Valley’s most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, Ben Horowitz offers his expert advice on building and running a start-up, including his tips on navigating your way through the toughest business challenges. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is an open and honest depiction of how difficult it can be to run a business. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or founder of a well established D2C brand, this book will prove invaluable. 

What are the best books for ecommerce founders to read in 2022?

Here’s a list of our top 10 recommendations again:

1. Best on Brand: Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller 
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
4. Dotcom Secrets by Russel Brunson 
5. Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Business and Influence—And How You Can, Too by Gary Vaynerchuk
6. Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight
7. How to Be An Overnight Success: Making It In Business by Maria Hatzistefanis
8. Never Split The Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss 
9. The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman 
10. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz

Be sure to save this list and make your way through it as the weeks and months go by. If you’d like one-to-one advice on planning for 2022 specifically related to your business needs, please reach out to our ecommerce experts today. We’d be happy to help.