Author: Bogdan Rancea

Bogdan Rancea

Bogdan Rancea is the co-founder of Ecommerce-Platforms.com 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.

Articles Bogdan has written:

Shopify POS vs Lavu POS: Which One Should You Choose?

Bogdan Rancea
Articles POS Systems

Shopify POS and Lavu POS are two leading point-of-sale systems — but which one actually fits your business?

I spent over 100 hours researching and testing both platforms across retail and restaurant settings to help you make the right decision.

If you're running an ecommerce store with physical sales, Shopify POS is the clear winner.

But if you're managing a restaurant, Lavu POS has key advantages that Shopify simply doesn’t offer.

Let’s break it all down so you can confidently pick the best tool for your business.

Continue reading “Shopify POS vs Lavu POS: Which One Should You Choose?”

Spocket vs Zendrop: Which Is the Better Dropshipping Supplier?

Bogdan Rancea
Articles Dropshipping Comparisons

In over a decade of working in ecommerce — advising brands, testing platforms, and reviewing supply chain tools — I’ve seen a lot of dropshipping platforms come and go.

But two names that consistently stand out are Spocket and Zendrop.

Both platforms are designed to streamline the supplier side of ecommerce.

Whether you're building your first Shopify store or scaling up to hundreds of orders a day, these tools promise faster shipping, higher quality products, and automation features that save time.

But after extensive testing and research, I can tell you: they’re built for different types of businesses.

Here’s how they compare.

Continue reading “Spocket vs Zendrop: Which Is the Better Dropshipping Supplier?”

HubSpot vs Pipedrive CRM: The No-Nonsense 2025 Comparison for Growth

Bogdan Rancea
Articles CRM Software

Working with, and for ecommerce teams for years has made one thing clear: the right CRM software can double your sales efficiency, but the wrong one can slow everything down.

HubSpot and Pipedrive are two of the biggest names in CRM for ecommerce companies for a few reasons. They’re easy-to-use, comprehensive, and can be pretty affordable. I wanted to see how they stacked up for myself.

I connected both to online stores, tracked live campaigns, and watched how each handled leads, automations, and customer data once orders started coming in.

Continue reading “HubSpot vs Pipedrive CRM: The No-Nonsense 2025 Comparison for Growth”

Zendrop vs Shopify: What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Actually Need?

Bogdan Rancea
Articles dropshipping Ecommerce Comparisons

Zendrop and Shopify serve two different purposes in the ecommerce world—but they’re often misunderstood and compared like-for-like.

After more than 12 years in the ecommerce industry, I’ve tested and worked with both platforms extensively, and the confusion usually comes from how closely they work together.

The key thing to understand is this: Shopify is where you build and manage your online store. Zendrop is a product sourcing and fulfillment tool that plugs into that store.

So rather than thinking about Zendrop vs Shopify as a “pick one” decision, it’s more accurate to ask: “Do I need both—and when?”

Continue reading “Zendrop vs Shopify: What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Actually Need?”

Is Gelato+ Worth It? My Honest 2025 Review

Bogdan Rancea
Articles

If you run a print-on-demand store, you’ll eventually reach a moment when you start to think seriously about upgrading to a “premium” plan, like Gelato+.

Most of us start off with the free plan (and stick with it for as long as possible), but after a while, that plan can start to feel restrictive.

Maybe you’re juggling orders across Shopify and Etsy, spending half your day updating mockups, and wondering if those “AI tools” everyone talks about are helpful.

If you ask me, Gelato+ is worth it, for the right people. It’s for sellers who are past the experiment stage. It’s not for hobbyists, and that’s a good thing.

Continue reading “Is Gelato+ Worth It? My Honest 2025 Review”

Spocket vs Shopify: Which Is Better for Your Online Store?

Bogdan Rancea
Articles

Spocket and Shopify serve very different purposes in ecommerce, but they’re often mentioned in the same breath — especially when dropshipping is involved.

After testing and analyzing both platforms extensively, I can say this: if you want to build and grow your own store, Shopify is the better choice.

If you’re looking to source products to sell through that store, Spocket is where it fits in.

In this detailed comparison, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about Spocket and Shopify — including pricing, ease of use, product sourcing, and features — to help you decide how each tool fits your business needs.

Continue reading “Spocket vs Shopify: Which Is Better for Your Online Store?”

How to Manage Returns in a Marketplace: A Practical Guide for Ecommerce Teams

Bogdan Rancea
Articles

Returns are unavoidable in ecommerce.

Whether you’re selling through major marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy, running a niche multi-vendor platform, or scaling your own DTC brand with marketplace functionality—returns come with the territory.

And how you manage them often determines how customers perceive your brand, how sellers stay loyal to your platform, and how much profit leaks from your operations.

In the past 12+ years working in ecommerce—advising marketplaces, SaaS platforms, and scaling brands—I’ve seen the full range: companies drowning in manual refund processes, sellers losing money over unclear policies, and platforms getting buried in chargebacks from mishandled return issues.

But I’ve also seen the other side: teams who build clean, fair, and efficient return systems that increase customer trust, reduce overhead, and even recover revenue.

This guide brings together the exact return management strategies I’ve seen work over and over again.

Continue reading “How to Manage Returns in a Marketplace: A Practical Guide for Ecommerce Teams”

The Best CRM for B2B Companies: 9 Options and Why We Think HubSpot Wins

Bogdan Rancea
Articles B2B

If you’ve ever chased a deal through six different apps and three “almost-working” spreadsheets, you already understand why companies love CRMs. I’ve spent most of my career reviewing ecommerce tools, from store builders to marketing apps. A CRM is probably the most useful tool any business can have – particularly if you’re B2B.

B2B deals are always going to be way more complicated than B2C sales. A good CRM doesn't make them simple, but it does reduce the stress.

HubSpot is the best CRM for B2B companies, and I’ll explain why soon. But this isn’t a love letter to HubSpot, it’s a field report.

Over the last few months, I ran side-by-side tests on nine major B2B CRMs, wiring each into real pipelines, connecting emails, syncing contacts, and measuring what happened when the pressure was on.

Continue reading “The Best CRM for B2B Companies: 9 Options and Why We Think HubSpot Wins”

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