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Hi there, hope you're having a great Friday!
This is Colm and Simon from CommerceGurus, with a handpicked weekly roundup of eCommerce articles.
Over the summer, we asked the CommerceGurus community to tell us how they work with WooCommerce.
Store owners, freelancers, agencies, developers and in-house teams shared a treasure trove of useful data about the tools they use, the problems they face and what they would most like product makers to improve.
We’ve now turned those responses into the first report: The State of the Woo Ecosystem, 2026.
It looks at page-builder use, performance habits, development challenges and expectations over the coming year.
There are some striking findings. Elementor is used by 75% of respondents, site speed remains the most common challenge, and checkout improvements top the list of requested features.
Perhaps most encouragingly, 60% expect to use WooCommerce more over the next year, while just 3% expect to use it less.
This is the first report from the survey. We’ll be sharing more focused analysis from the responses in future, including feedback from store owners and findings relating to our own products.
Read The State of the Woo Ecosystem, 2026
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I really liked this homepage hero section concept I spotted when scrolling through X.
Starting with social proof, if you have excellent reviews and a decent number of ratings, it makes sense to convince a new customer right away when it comes to your credentials.
The headline and subtext are clearly tailored to its audience, highlighting its environmental credentials. Using an abbreviation such as PFAS, so long as your customer base is likely to be familiar with it, is quite fine and shows that you know what you are talking about.
Key USPs under the call-to-action button can highlight how many you sell each day and the number of reviews received.
It's completed by an "As Seen In" section with logos of famous publications and a featured quote from a verified buyer.
You can see on the mobile version that the order is rearranged slightly, with the quote and logos pushed below the hero image - fitting the main shot in most mobile viewports is clearly the priority.
See the Homepage Hero Concept
Oliver Kenyon from ConversionWise explains how landing pages are changing as AI-driven ad platforms get better at finding different types of customers.
Instead of sending everyone who clicks an ad to the same generic product page, ecommerce brands should build post-click experiences that closely match the message and intent of the ad - whether the customer needs educating, convincing, or simply a quick route to purchase.
He highlights several formats performing well in 2026, including quiz funnels, listicles, long-form sales pages, and advertorials.
The examples show how each format suits a different customer and buying stage.
A listicle or advertorial can educate someone unfamiliar with the product, for example, while a long-form sales page can give a more considered buyer the detail and proof they need to purchase.
Watch ConversionWise's Video on Landing Pages in 2026
Tara Bosch started SmartSweets in her kitchen at just 21, with no experience, industry connections or significant capital.
Four years later, she sold a majority stake in the low-sugar candy company for $360 million.
Rather than trying to invent an entirely new category, she entered the enormous existing candy market with a clearly differentiated product.
Early growth was helped by a highly engaged community of a few hundred customers, while the company initially proved demand with smaller retailers before expanding into larger stores.
This is a fascinating video from Ryan Daniel Moran for anyone running an online store.
Watch How SmartSweets Built a $360 Million Candy Empire
Textures is a simple browser-based tool for giving images a more tactile, analogue feel. Upload an image and experiment with different visual effects and textures to quickly create something that feels less digitally perfect.
It's a handy little tool for creating more distinctive images for websites, social posts, or other design work.
Check out Textures
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Have a great week and best of luck with your projects!
Simon and Colm from CommerceGurus
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