As an ecommerce brand, you know that your business's success depends on many factors. From marketing to customer service and inventory management, there's always something to be done and some aspect of your ecommerce store to improve.
And that's why having the right ecommerce tools at your disposal is so important. Ecommerce is about more than just an ecommerce website; ecommerce is about creating an entire ecommerce ecosystem.
The right ecommerce platforms and ecommerce integrations can help you save time, improve efficiency, and boost sales. They can also help you better understand your customers' needs to create a more personalized shopping experience—the type of personalized experience the modern ecommerce customer craves.
1. Ecommerce platforms
Your ecommerce platform is the foundation of your business and your online store. It is what allows you to sell your products online and process payments. There are many ecommerce platforms available, so it is important to research and find one that is right for your needs. Some platforms will manage your selling on your store; others will connect you to third-party marketplace product feeds. Pricing on ecommerce platforms can also vary significantly.
Some popular ecommerce platforms include Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento.
2. Email marketing tools
Email marketing is a powerful tool to help you stay in touch with your customers and promote your products. A good email marketing tool will make creating and sending email campaigns easy--tracking your results and segmenting your lists. Most business owners don't have time to manage every email they need to send on their own. Still, even small businesses can automate customer touchpoints—such as abandoned cart emails and follow-ups.
Some popular email marketing tools include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot.
3. Web analytics tools and SEO tools
A web analytics tool can help you track website traffic and SEO and understand how visitors interact with your site. This information can improve your website design, content, and content marketing campaigns. At a baseline, web metrics will show whether your marketing strategies are working and whether your online business is getting the exposure it needs.
Some popular web analytics tools include Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush.
4. Web attribution tools
When you have a multi-channel presence, it can be difficult to determine exactly where your ecommerce sales are coming from. Attribution tools like Emotive make it easier to determine which channels are most successful and which could waste resources. Connect your social media platforms to your attribution tools to track the impact of your digital marketing strategies and the effectiveness of your current content marketing campaigns.
Popular web attribution tools include Google Analytics and Emotive Attribution.
5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools
A CRM tool can help you manage your customer relationships. Customer relationships include tracking customer interactions, storing customer data, and automating tasks. A good CRM tool can help you improve customer service, boost sales, and grow your business. Some CRM tools are mixed with analytics tools so you can do everything in a single platform.
Some popular CRM tools include Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho.
6. Inventory management tools
An inventory management tool can help you track your inventory levels and ensure you have enough products on hand to meet customer demand. This can help you avoid stockouts and lost sales. Having built-in inventory management within your ecommerce platform is ideal, but sometimes you may need real-time inventory data across multiple channels. This is especially true if you're doing something complex, such as using your marketing platform for dropshipping.
Some popular inventory management tools include Shopify Inventory, WooCommerce Inventory, and Magento Inventory.
7. Payment processors and payment gateways
A payment processor lets you accept payments online. There are many different payment processors, so it is important to compare their fees and features before deciding. Payment processors frequently have their own shopping cart experiences, too, so you want to find one that can integrate with your website builder.
Some popular payment processors include PayPal, Stripe, and Square.
8. Shipping software
Shipping software helps you calculate shipping rates, print shipping labels, and track packages. This can save you time and money, and it can help you provide a better customer experience. Today, many shipping software solutions come with some pretty significant discounts; working with them means you'll pay less for shipping, improving your bottom line.
Some popular shipping software programs include ShipStation, Pirate Ship, and Easyship.
9. Chatbots
A chatbot can simulate conversations with human users and triage messages. Chatbots can answer customer questions, provide support, and even make sales. Chatbots are rapidly becoming one of the best ecommerce tools because they let you capture leads even when customer support isn't available. The best chatbots are customizable to your brand and your customer journey.
Some popular chatbot platforms include Chatfuel, ManyChat, and Drift. You can even find an open-source chatbot to customize your own.
10. Social media management tools
A social media management tool helps you manage multiple channels of social media at once. This includes scheduling posts, tracking analytics, and engaging with followers. Great social media tools will also provide advanced options, such as editorial workflows (for approvals) and A/B testing (to improve engagement).
Some popular tools for social media management include Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social.
11. Content creation tools
A content creation tool can help you create high-quality content for your website and social media channels. This includes blog posts, images, and videos. Today, the internet is multimedia; a content creation tool can help you create fast graphs and visuals for your ecommerce site and even tell you what content you should prepare to appeal to a search engine.
Some popular content creation tools include Canva, Surfer SEO, and Piktochart.
12. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tools
A CRO tool can help you improve the conversion rate of your website. This means getting more visitors to take a desired action, like purchasing or signing up for a newsletter. CRO tools will help you dig into cart abandonment, identify issues with your checkout, and otherwise improve the ease of use of your website. It's not easy to analyze your buyer's journey, but CRO tools can help.
Some popular CRO tools include Google Analytics, Hotjar, and Crazyegg.
13. Web design tools
A web design tool can help you create a professional-looking website without coding experience. This includes templates, drag-and-drop features, and a variety of design options. Look for a web design tool that can also help you create a mobile app or a responsive mobile site, as many ecommerce customers now use their phones.
Some popular web design tools include Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly.
14. Accounting and finance tools
Finally, you may need a system that can help you with your finances, too. Get notifications when you make a sale, track your budget, and pay your taxes. A SaaS bookkeeping program can integrate with your ecommerce platform to give you key insights into your cash flows and budgeting.
Some popular accounting and finance tools include Quickbooks and Freshbooks.
Create your perfect ecommerce ecosystem
These are just a few of the essential tools that can help you run a successful ecommerce business. With the right tools, you can save time, improve efficiency, and boost sales.
Here are some additional tips for using these tools effectively:
Choose the right tools for your needs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so it is important to choose the tools that are right for your specific business. A scalable solution can grow with you; a too-simple solution could be quickly outgrown.
Integrate your tools. Integrating your tools can help you streamline your operations and save time. Connect your marketing platform to third-party marketplaces like eBay and social media platforms like LinkedIn so that you can manage everything at once.
Automate tasks. Automating tasks can help you free up time to focus on other revenue-generating aspects of your business. The more you automate tasks, the more you can do with your time.
Track your results. It is important to track your results to see how your tools are performing and make necessary adjustments.
The Emotive platform provides SMS marketing, attribution, and white glove services—to automate, optimize, and improve your ecommerce marketing. With Emotive, you can launch and track marketing campaigns, attribute your marketing leads, and gain insights into the power of your ads.
Take a test drive of Emotive today.