Launching an online storefront became easier than ever, but preparing it for conquering the likes of buyers is still a challenge that requires you to use a set of business software tools and services. Read on and get ready to get software cheaper with our partner’s software discounts site.
1. E-Commerce Platform
All online storefronts have a core, which is called an e-commerce platform. Platforms like WooCommerce, Square, Shopify, Ecwid, and BigCommerce are just a few of the most popular examples on the market. These platforms provide your business with a set of ready-made software solutions for:
- setting up your online storefront;
- managing sales without the need to create a full-stack e-commerce solution from the ground up;
- creating appealing and effective storefront appearance with presets.
Choose an e-commerce platform based on your business needs and thoroughly compare pricing and scaling opportunities to get a perfect match not only to start but to grow your business in the future.
2. Payment Processor
Listing products on your e-commerce website is already great, but you also need to make them purchasable. For this purpose, you need to connect your storefront to a payment processing third-party, such as Stripe or PayPal to let buyers make transactions seamlessly. Payment processors offer easy-to-integrate service APIs that take just a small commission for processing your payments and offer a variety of multi-currency payment options in exchange.
3. Email Marketing Automation
Email marketing remains one of the most powerful sale drivers for e-commerce, so leaving your storefront without an email marketing campaign is equal to robbing yourself. However, sending all those dozens of emails and building efficient letter sequences is impossible without a decent automation tool. Services like MailChimp, GetResponse, MailerLite, or
SendinBlue let you:
- store and grow your email lists;
- track subscription statuses;
- automate sequences of letters;
- adjust triggers for specific emails based on user actions;
- notify users about abandoned carts to boost conversion.
4. Analytics
Understanding buyers’ behavior patterns and purchasing habits can provide your business with valuable insights into how the sales funnels can be improved. Using tools like KissMetrics, Mixpanel, Piwik, Google Analytics, and Visual Website Optimizer, you can figure out what your storefront lacks and where it performs effectively. Use this information to optimize performance and improve the user experience for higher sales.
5. Social Media Hub
Social media marketing is the second most effective source of new clients after email marketing, but it usually involves working with several social media platforms at the same time. To organize all your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other business accounts, you should use social media management like HootSuite. This and similar platforms offer automation for simplified content deliverance as well as convenient analytical tools.
6. CRM
Customer Relationship Management systems like Zendesk, Salesforce, or HubSpot are designed to help you administer interactions with buyers and ensure that everyone receives a timely response from your systems. Besides, a CRM is an indispensable tool for analyzing your business flows.
Time to Do It!
Use this new knowledge to start building your perfect e-commerce business today! All your competitors are already using the listed software solutions and perhaps can’t imagine a better way of doing their business! Would you like to recommend anything else to other readers? If yes, you’re welcome to share your insights in the comments.