In 2024, online shopping is more than just an option. Most modern consumers consider it essential, making ecommerce a huge opportunity for brands to exceed customer expectations.

Successfully managing every aspect of a growing ecommerce store can be challenging. However, the right tools can help take the guesswork out of setting up your store, content creation, and more.

Here, we’ll introduce you to some of today’s best ecommerce tools.

19 Essential Ecommerce Tools for Managing Your Online Store

Don’t assume that all ecommerce tools are the same. While catch-all tool suites do exist, many top tools focus on one aspect of running a successful ecommerce business.

Ecommerce tools for internal communication and management

Large ecommerce brands aren’t one-person operations. Their success is the product of an entire team’s hard work and dedication. The following tools are must-haves for any ecommerce brand that needs to keep team members connected.

1. Slack: Slack is a streamlined messaging program that’s terrific for boosting productivity and improving communications. The platform organizes team conversations into channels for optimal organization and accessibility.

2. Trello: Trello facilitates smooth project management with features like visual organization and real-time collaboration. Options like drag-and-drop functionality and automation make it user-friendly.

3. Coda: Coda covers a variety of communications-based tasks, including calendar creation, tracking docs, etc. It also offers a Shopify pack that makes it easy to integrate the platform with your store.

Ecommerce tools for content creation

Amazing content is the heartbeat of any digital marketing strategy, and the right tools can help you create the best. Here are a few options to consider integrating into your next campaign.

4. Canva: How your content looks is just as important as how it reads. Canva makes creating great-looking content simple with user-friendly templates and an intuitive interface. Users also get access to a robust free stock image library.

5. Adobe Express: Formerly Adobe Spark, Adobe Express simplifies the process of content creation via desktop or mobile. Brainstorm endless options for blogs, social media, tutorials, and more with AE.

6. WriterAccess: The success of your marketing content hinges on quality, so hiring the right writers and creators is crucial. WriterAccess is a top-tier talent network where ecommerce brands can connect with professional copywriters, bloggers, designers, and more.

Ecommerce tools for sales and logistics

Although many ecommerce platforms come with built-in sales and logistics support, tools can be a solid way to add functionality.

Here are a few key options:

7. ShipStation: ShipStation helps ecommerce brands streamline shipping and order fulfillment operations. Key benefits and features include configurable automation, robust reporting, and access to reduced shipping costs.

8. Oberlo: Oberlo makes drop-shipping easy and intuitive with options like automated order fulfillment and detailed shipment tracking. Users also benefit from full customization, easy product importing, and 24/7 support.

9. Shipwire: Shipwire covers a variety of different tasks for dedicated ecommerce merchants, including shipping rate optimization, detailed order management, customer experience management, etc.

Ecommerce tools for marketing

A comprehensive marketing approach that includes well-chosen tools can take your ecommerce campaigns from good to great. The following tools offer several varieties of marketing support for growing brands.

10. Mailchimp: Email newsletters are among the most effective ways to reach customers and nurture leads. Mailchimp makes building and maintaining yours easy with user-friendly design features, detailed data tracking, and Shopify integration.

11. Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a comprehensive social media tool that helps marketers leverage their digital presence. Manage all of your social media in one place, effortlessly schedule posts, and more.

12. HubSpot: If you’re looking for a powerful catch-all tool to help with marketing, it’s hard to beat HubSpot. Enjoy user-friendly access to robust content management systems, sales automation, marketing workflows, etc.

Ecommerce analytics tools

Tracking and understanding user behavior, traffic patterns, and overall return on investment (ROI) is an essential part of ecommerce success. The following ecommerce analytics tools can help you stay ahead of the game.

13. Google Analytics: This free but powerful staple tool from Google belongs in every ecommerce marketer’s toolbox. Develop a deep understanding of how your customers think in real-time, analyze traffic patterns, identify valuable audience behavior trends, etc. with this game-changing program.

14. SEMRush: SEMRush is another robust toolkit that covers many bases. Ecommerce marketers use it to streamline keyword research, site audits, social tracking, competitive analysis, and more.

15. Optimizely: Optimizely specializes in helping ecommerce merchants deliver an exceptional user experience in a variety of ways. Leverage it to perform valuable A/B testing, SEO analysis, personalization tasks, etc.

Ecommerce tools for customer service

Thorough customer service is an absolute must when it comes to keeping ecommerce customers coming back.

Take the hassle out of making sure your customer service system is flawless with top ecommerce tools like the following:

16. Zendesk: Zendesk is a multichannel system for managing your customer service, consumer engagement, and data management needs. Standout features include a live chat option, a ticketing system, and thorough help desk support.

17. Acquire: If you’re looking for a way to facilitate faster, better customer service across multiple channels, Acquire is a fantastic option to consider. Clients can leverage it to access unified conversation views, easy access to customer information, and robust omnichannel support.

18. Zoho: Zoho is one of several AI tools for ecommerce capable of handling many aspects of your marketing campaigns. Among other things, Zoho can help you manage customer relationships with options like AI sales assistants, sales pipeline management, etc.

Ecommerce platforms

Ecommerce platforms can be tools, in a sense, but they’re so much more than that. They offer marketers access to comprehensive toolkits designed to complement one another and support ongoing success. Key examples include Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Magento.

Check out our comprehensive write-up on ecommerce platforms to learn more about how they can help you succeed in ecommerce.  

Integrating Interactive Content with Ecommerce

Interactivity is red-hot when it comes to creating engaging content these days. Interactive content engages ecommerce customers by making them partof an entire experience.

Integrating interactivity into your strategy can help you:

• Boost lead generation
• Increase conversions
• Enhance lasting brand awareness

Here are some more benefits to be aware of.

Personalized shopping experience

Interactive tools like personalized quizzes do more than just treat customers to a bit of good, clean fun. Match creative, engaging questions with carefully chosen results to recommend key products that are just right for your target audience.

Enhanced product understanding

Leveraging interactivity to elevate content types like ebooks, videos, and infographics can enhance your ecommerce strategy. Use them to educate your customers on the benefits of specific products and key service features.

Increased customer engagement

Creative interactive tools can also help existing and potential customers make decisions. For example, interactive calculators help consumers visualize the potential costs and savings associated with an option.

[Bonus] Tool 19: Ion, the best tool for interactive content creation

Ready to get to know one of the best, most comprehensive ecommerce tools out there today? Take a closer look at Ion, Rock Content’s answer to incredible interactive ecommerce content. It helps you cover all your bases effortlessly thanks to benefits including the following:

• Ability to create interactive calculators, ebooks, quizzes, graphics, and more without the need for coding knowledge
• Comprehensive data on content engagement and user behavior
• Quick-start templates that take the guesswork out of getting started
• Data-based targeting and personalization tools

In other words, Ion has everything you need to create amazing, head-turning interactive content your audience will love.

Case study: Successful integration of interactive content

Need more proof that interactivity is totally where it’s at when it comes to ecommerce success? Have a look at how Pedro Lopes used interactive content created with Ion to smash his ecommerce goals.

“I don’t work as a designer, nor as a programmer,” says Lopes. “But that didn’t stop me from catching sight of the endless possibilities Ion could offer me.”

Lopes used this tool to create content that increased his conversions by an impressive 431 percent. And most incredibly of all, he accomplished this in just two short months.

Ecommerce Tools FAQ

Still have questions about ecommerce tools and how you can use them to boost conversions for your brand? Check out the following FAQs for additional insight.

What is an ecommerce tool?

An ecommerce tool is a dedicated app or software program that supports various aspects of running a successful ecommerce store. Possibilities include plug-ins and individual programs, as well as entire platforms. Comprehensive tool suites like SEMRush can also be considered ecommerce tools.

What are the four types of ecommerce?

The four primary types of ecommerce are:

• B2B (business to business)
• B2C (business to consumer)
• C2B (consumer to business)
• C2C (consumer to consumer)

What are the three of the most common e-commerce technologies?

The world of ecommerce technology is vast and comprehensive. Popular examples include shopping cart software interfaces, payment processing gateways, and customer relationship management platforms (CRMs).

What is the most popular ecommerce platform?

With over half a trillion dollars in net sales in 2022, Amazon is recognized as the most popular ecommerce platform.

Ready to take your ecommerce strategy to the next level and beyond? Check out this free conversion assessment resource from Rock Content.

Stop leaving money on the table and start sending conversions through the roof today!

The post Ecommerce Tools: 19 Best Options to Drive Sales This Year appeared first on Rock Content.

When maximizing Google visibility, pay-per-click ads are terrific ways to supplement your organic digital marketing efforts. However, most go straight for standard Google Ads, overlooking Google Shopping ads altogether.

Here’s a look at what you need to know to get started and leverage this underrated option in your favor.

What Are Google Shopping Ads?

Also sometimes called product listing ads (PLAs), Google Shopping ads are paid advertising options available to marketers. They’re concise ads that appear at the top of appropriate Google Search results, on YouTube, etc.

Google Shopping ads differ from standard Google PPC ads by focusing solely on product showcasing. They also substitute text for pictures, helping attract visual buyers.

Benefits of Google Shopping Ads

Any brand that offers products for sale can benefit from incorporating Google Shopping ads in its ongoing paid marketing strategy. Key benefits include the following:

• Google Shopping ads support visibility by appearing in highly prominent places. These include the top of relevant SERP results, on Google Images, etc.
• They attract highly qualified, convertible leads—dedicated shoppers ready to buy.
• Google Shopping ads are easy to set up and manage, especially compared to other PPC options.

How Do Google Shopping Ads Work?

Google Shopping ads leverage existing Merchant Center data about your products to determine where and how best to display your ads. To set up your product feed, you simply link your Merchant Center account with your Google Ads account.

To let Google know which products you want to be advertised, simply enter them into the provided spreadsheet.

As with standard Google ads, you pay for each Google Shopping ad by the click. You have two choices when setting your bid—manual or automated. Allowing Google to set your bids automatically has its benefits, but be mindful of your budget.

Cost of Google Shopping Ads

On average, Google Shopping ads are much more cost-effective than standard ads—between $0.46 and $1.20 per click. (The average cost for a standard ad is $2.69 per click.) However, setting a reasonable budget to avoid overspending is still important. Remember to:

• Start small until you get the hang of things.
• Carefully track and analyze your results, adjusting as needed.
• Double down on ad types that do especially well.

How to Set Up Google Shopping Ads

Getting set up with Google Shopping ads is a reasonably user-friendly process. Just follow these simple steps:

• If you don’t already have a Google Merchant Center account for your products, start by creating one.
• Link your Merchant Center account to your Google Ads account.
• Set up your product feed by filling out and uploading the provided spreadsheet.
• After setting your advertising parameters and budget, launch your campaign.

Where Do Google Shopping Ads Appear?

Google Shopping ads appear across a wide range of Google products. The most prominent, sought-after place is at the top of relevant main SERPs. However, additional possibilities include the following:

• Google Images
• Gmail
• Google Shopping
• YouTube
• Google Display Network

What Do Google Shopping Ads Look Like?

Generally speaking, Google Shopping ads are simpler, more streamlined, and more visual than standard Google ads. Displayed elements include:

• High-quality imagery of the product
• Product name
• Product price
• Stores where the product is for sale
• Average star-based consumer rating

How to Optimize Google Shopping Ads

From everyday consumer product campaigns to complex B2B marketing options, Google Shopping ads significantly add to any strategy. Here are some tips for optimizing yours to the fullest.

Improve product feed quality

As with standard Google Ads, quality counts when it comes to your feed input. Use high-quality photos of your products to entice customers. Make titles descriptive and appropriately keyword-rich. Place the most essential information at the front of your titles to ensure display.

Utilize negative keywords

Prevent your ads from appearing in irrelevant searches by adding negative keywords to your strategy. Negative keywords are exactly what they sound like—keywords and phrases you don’t want associated with your products.

For example, let’s say you’re selling high-end designer tennis shoes. You wouldn’t want your ads popping up under searches for “cheap tennis shoes” or similar phrases.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Google Shopping Ads

Knowing what to avoid is just as necessary as understanding best practices when creating effective ads. Be careful about these common mistakes.

⇒ Poor product data quality

Google Shopping ads that contain poor-quality images, vague titles, etc., will not deliver results. Be thorough when providing your ad data, and include star ratings for your top-rated products.

⇒ Ignoring negative keywords

Without negative keywords, Google Shopping products are highly likely to show up in irrelevant search results. Always include them to ensure you reach your intended audience.

⇒ Lack of performance monitoring

Don’t just “set it and forget it” when it comes to your Google Shopping ads. Keep track of your results and performance, and make adjustments as needed on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion

Thoroughness in your digital marketing strategies is key if you’re serious about reaching your ideal customer. Including well-orchestrated Google Shopping ads is a solid way to reach qualified customers and boost conversions.

Are you ready to learn more about how to send your bottom line through the roof? Check out this comprehensive resource on how to use the buyer’s journey to your advantage!

Google Shopping Ads FAQ

Do you still have questions about using Google Shopping ads? Here are some FAQs to help.

What are Google Shopping ads?

Google Shopping ads are small, picture-concise ads that appear at the top of SERP results and across multiple Google products.

Are Google Shopping ads worth it?

Yes, when complete and well-crafted, Google Shopping ads can help you affordably reach more purchase-ready customers.

How much does it cost to advertise on Google Shopping?

Pricing varies, but the average cost is about $0.66 per click.

How do I enable Google Shopping ads?

Set up a Google Merchant account if you don’t already have one. Then, connect it to your Google Ads account.

What is the difference between Google Shopping ads and search ads?

Google Shopping ads are product-specific, while search ads can also cover services. Also, Google Shopping ads include pictures and do not support keyword-based bidding.

How can I make Google Shopping ads profitable?

First and foremost, focus on image and asset quality. Track and analyze performance, making adjustments as needed.

The post Google Shopping Ads: How to Use Them Effectively to Boost Your Sales appeared first on Rock Content.

In a day and age when nearly everyone is shopping online, ecommerce is more than just an opportunity. It’s a chance to potentially sell to millions of people and make a lot of money doing it.

However, it’s crucial to implement the right strategies and techniques if you’re serious about succeeding.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover expert tips and best practices for how to make money with e-commerce.

Read on to learn all about the hottest types of ecommerce, ecommerce marketing, and more.

What Is Ecommerce?

Short for electronic commerce, ecommerce is the practice of buying, selling, and marketing services, products, or both online.

Transactions take place over the internet via various platforms, apps, and interfaces. These include but may not be limited to social media, business websites, and ecommerce storefronts.

Types of ecommerce

There are various types of ecommerce to consider, as well:

B2B (business to business): Transactions where businesses sell products or services to other businesses. Example: A software company sells a project management tool to a marketing agency.

B2C (business to consumer): Transactions where businesses sell products or services directly to individual consumers. Example: An online retailer sells clothing to individual shoppers through its website.

C2C (customer to customer): Transactions where consumers sell products or services to other consumers, typically through a third-party platform. Example: An individual sells a used smartphone to another person on an online marketplace like eBay.

C2B (customer to business): Transactions where individuals sell products or services to businesses, such as freelance work or user-generated content. Example: A freelance graphic designer provides logo design services to a startup company.

Benefits of Ecommerce

Going into ecommerce comes with multiple advantages, especially for those who don’t want to open a traditional store. Here are some prime examples.

You can forgo the physical storefront

Although some merchants go into ecommerce in addition to running a physical store, that’s completely optional. Sticking strictly to ecommerce allows you to sidestep expenses related to building maintenance, security, etc.

Low overhead costs

Opening and running a traditional brick-and-mortar shop can cost you. But ecommerce is comparatively affordable. Instead of paying through the nose for rent, employee salaries, and warehouses, you can simply cover a web hosting fee.

It’s easy to scale your business

There are limits to how big a traditional business can grow before it needs to expand or open additional locations. However, there are no growth limits attached to an ecommerce business. You simply allow your website or virtual storefront to grow along with your brand.

You have access to a massive audience

Saying that ecommerce is booming is a real understatement. According to eMarketer, up to 24 percent of retail sales are likely to be ecommerce sales by 2026. Venturing into ecommerce gives you the chance to reach massive markets from all over the world.

It’s easy to track your data

Tracking and analyzing your progress and growth isn’t impossible with a traditional business, but it’s much easier with ecommerce. Built-in analytics, inventory tracking, marketing automation, etc., take all the guesswork out of monitoring how you’re doing.

10 Ecommerce Ideas to Start with Little to No Money

We’re serious when we say you don’t need much startup money to get started in ecommerce. Here are a few ecommerce ideas to make money that require little to no upfront capital out of pocket.

1. Monetize a blog. If you’re already blogging, consider kicking things up a notch by using it to sell products or services, delve into influencer marketing, etc.
2. Explore print on demand. A third-party service handles the dirty work of printing, shipping, and handling customer service. You focus on designing and uploading amazing content for products.
3. Market handmade items. Handmade arts and crafts are huge these days, and ecommerce makes it easier than ever to sell yours.
4. Market your skills. Are you a whiz at freelance writing, consulting, or virtual assisting? With ecommerce, you can earn a living marketing just about anything you’re good at as a service for hire.
5. Dive into affiliate marketing. Many brands offer affiliate programs that represent wonderful opportunities to make money. You market their products and receive a commission for each sale.
6. Consider dropshipping. Dropshipping is a solid way to dive into retail without the need to stock and ship products yourself. You handle the marketing. A third party handles the rest.
7. Sell digital products. Intangible digital goods like videos, apps, designs, or plug-ins can make excellent products to market and sell.
8. Start a subscription box. Subscriptions are smart ways to virtually guarantee repeat business from satisfied customers. Come up with a unique idea and go for it.
9. Join a marketplace. Love the idea of ecommerce selling but not the idea of managing your own standalone website? Try selling through a major marketplace (e.g., eBay or Amazon) with a built-in audience instead.
10. Explore ecommerce resale. You don’t necessarily need to create your own products to get into ecommerce. Reselling lets you easily flip or resell existing goods at a profit.

How to Start an Ecommerce Business Today

Ready to try your hand at launching a profitable ecommerce business of your own? Here’s a user-friendly step-by-step guide for getting started in the right direction.

Step 1: Choose your niche

First, settle on what type of business you’d like to start. What services or products do you want to sell? Who is your target audience, and how do you plan to serve their needs?

Step 2: Conduct market research

Next, you need to develop an understanding of the existing market you’ll be entering. Who are your competitors, and how are they already serving your potential customers? Where do your products and services fit into that picture?

Get answers to questions like these by reaching out to real members of your target audience. These can be existing customers you already have, members of demographics you’d like to reach, or both.

Step 3: Source your products

Will you be creating and shipping your products yourself or leveraging third-party services to simplify the process? Decide whether you’ll be partnering with other service providers, and carefully vet your options.

Step 4: Choose an ecommerce platform

Where and how you sell your products is just as important as what you sell. Whether you’re building your site or selling through an existing one, choose an ecommerce platform that suits your needs.

Step 5: Set up your online store

Next, focus on creating an appealing storefront experience for your future customers via a reliable ecommerce SEO checklist. Make your shop easy to navigate, fast, and user-friendly to optimize the customer experience. Test its functionality thoroughly before making it available to your customers.

Step 6: Launch and promote your store

Once everything in your shop is just so, it’s time to launch it and begin the marketing process. Essential marketing tools include a robust social media presence and an active brand blog to attract customers and boost SEO.

Ecommerce Niche Research

Choosing the right niche is crucial for the success of your ecommerce venture. Using the right tools and strategies can help you identify a profitable niche that aligns with your strengths and interests. Here are some essential tools and tips to get you started:

Tools for Niche Research

1. Google Trends: Use this tool to see the popularity of search queries over time, helping you identify emerging trends and seasonal interests.
2. SEMRush: This comprehensive SEO tool offers insights into keyword volume, competition, and related keywords, allowing you to gauge interest in your niche.
3. Ahrefs: Use Ahrefs to analyze your competition, discover top-performing content, and find gaps in the market that you can fill.

Leverage these tools to understand what your desired audience is interested in and searching for. Analyze the data to see how your products or services can meet their needs.

For instance, if Google Trends shows an upward trend in eco-friendly products, and SEMRush reveals low competition for certain related keywords, you might consider an eco-friendly niche.

Validating Your Chosen Niche

Before fully committing to a niche, ensure it has potential profitability by:

1. Assessing Audience Size: Look at the size of your target audience on social media platforms. A large, engaged audience indicates a healthy demand.
2. Analyzing Competition: Research your potential competition to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Tools like Ahrefs can show you what keywords they rank for and where you can outperform them.
3. Researching Trends: Stay updated on current trends in your niche by following industry news and reports. Use tools like Google Trends to track interest over time.
4. Engaging in Forums: Dive into forums and online communities dedicated to your niche. This helps you gauge the interests, pain points, and preferences of your potential customers.

A practical example of how to validate your chosen ecommerce niche

Suppose you are interested in the niche of organic skincare products.

1- Start by using Google Trends to confirm rising interest in organic skincare.

2- Next, use SEMRush to conduct keyword research to find keywords like “best organic skincare,” “organic skincare routine,” and “natural skincare products.”

3- Look at the search volume and competition level. A high search volume with moderate competition indicates good potential.

4- Use Ahrefs to analyze your competition by seeing which keywords they rank for. Identify gaps where you can position yourself better.

5- Check the size of relevant groups on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

6- Finally, visit forums like Reddit’s skincare community to see what issues and products are frequently discussed. High engagement and specific product mentions can validate the niche’s potential.

By following these steps and leveraging the right tools, you can effectively research and validate a profitable ecommerce niche.

Top Ecommerce Product Sourcing Models

Choosing the right product sourcing model is a crucial part of building a successful ecommerce brand. The following are all popular options:

Dropshipping

Dropshipping platforms make it possible to get started from anywhere with manageable startup costs. It’s also easy to test new products for viability. However, merchants don’t have much control over their supply chain. You also can’t personally inspect products before they ship.

Options to explore: AliExpress, Spocket, SaleHoo

Wholesale

Going the wholesale route lets you sell products in bulk to retailers instead of individual consumers. Doing things this way can lead to more consistent, predictable revenue and sales. However, you’ll need more upfront capital to acquire the initial product. You also have less control over how your products are ultimately priced or sold.

Options to explore: Amazon Business, Go Wholesale

Private labeling

Private labeling is a terrific option for merchants interested in controlling every aspect of how their brands and products develop. You also enjoy total control over pricing, packaging, design, etc. However, you need to be prepared to think big and to deal with the possibility of failed products.

Options to explore: Popular product categories like clothing, toys, beverages, etc.

Print on demand

Print-on-demand ecommerce is booming right now thanks to its low barrier to entry, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. However, potential drawbacks include product availability, loss of control over quality, and lower profit margins.

Options to explore: Printful, Printify, JetPrint, TeeLaunch

Top Ecommerce Platforms

Need some suggestions on key ecommerce platforms to explore? Check out the following options. They’re popular choices among top brands for some very good reasons.

Shopify

Shopify isn’t just efficient. It’s easy to use and set up, even for ecommerce first-timers. It offers access to multiple themes and plans. Shopify also features a large ecosystem of helpful apps, 24/7 customer service, and plenty of amazing SEO tools.

Pricing: Tiered options start at $29 per month (billed yearly) for basic and top out at $2,300 per month for plus.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a fantastic fit for merchants interested in superior customization, easy inventory tracking, and premium SEO-friendliness. It also comes with robust built-in security features and daily backups.

Pricing: WooCommerce is free, open-source software, but you’ll still need to cover hosting and domain costs.

BigCommerce

With BigCommerce, users enjoy access to a multi-storefront interface that simplifies scalability. It also supports multiple currencies, flexible shipping options, and streamlined payment processing. Analytics are robust, as well, making it easy to track your progress.

Pricing: Subscriptions start at $29 per month (billed annually) for standard and top out at $299 per month (billed annually) for pro. There are also custom enterprise packages available.

Magento

Magento comes along with many advantages, including easy scalability, airtight security, and thorough SEO optimization support. It also offers merchants customer segmentation abilities, advanced reporting, and simple customizability.

Pricing: Magento is free to download and install, so startup costs depend on your hosting and domain solutions of choice.

Wix Ecommerce

Wix makes the process of setting up an ecommerce store simple with key features like inventory tracking and easy catalog management. You can also take advantage of multiple shipping options, and secure payment processing options. Wix shops are very easy to organize and design, as well.

Pricing: Wix Ecommerce offers annual plans ranging from $27 per month to $159 per month.

• Best Ecommerce Platforms of 2024
• Learn Ecommerce Marketing

Ecommerce and Content Creation: Leveraging WriterAccess

Content creation is an essential component of any successful ecommerce strategy. High-quality content drives traffic to your online store and helps build trust, engage your audience, and convert visitors into customers.

By leveraging content creation effectively, you can significantly enhance your ecommerce business’s visibility and profitability. Here’s how content creation, particularly through blogs, plays a crucial role in ecommerce:

The Power of Blogs in Ecommerce

1. Driving Organic Traffic: Blogs are a powerful tool for driving organic traffic to your ecommerce site. By consistently publishing valuable, keyword-rich content, you improve your site’s SEO, making it more likely to appear in search engine results. This can attract potential customers who are searching for information related to your products.
2. Establishing Authority and Trust: Regularly updated blogs that offer insightful, well-researched content can establish your brand as an authority in your niche. When consumers see your brand as knowledgeable and trustworthy, they are more likely to purchase from you.
3. Engaging Your Audience: Blogs provide a platform to engage with your audience on a deeper level. You can share stories, tips, tutorials, and other valuable content that resonates with your customers’ interests and needs. This engagement fosters a sense of community and loyalty.
4. Supporting the Buyer’s Journey: Content can guide potential customers through their buying journey. Informative blog posts can help in the awareness stage by addressing common problems or questions. Detailed product guides and comparisons can assist in the consideration stage, while customer testimonials and reviews can influence the decision stage.
5. Boosting Social Media Presence: Blog content can be repurposed for social media, helping you maintain an active and engaging presence on various platforms. This not only drives traffic from social media back to your ecommerce site but also enhances your brand’s visibility and reach.
6. Improving Conversion Rates: High-quality content that educates and informs can significantly improve conversion rates. When potential customers find your content helpful, they are more likely to trust your brand and make a purchase.

Leveraging WriterAccess for Content Creation

WriterAccess is an excellent resource for ecommerce businesses looking to enhance their content creation efforts. Here’s how you can use WriterAccess to elevate your content strategy:

1. Access to Professional Writers: WriterAccess connects you with a vast pool of professional writers and designers who specialize in various niches. This means you can find writers who understand your industry and can create content that resonates with your target audience.
2. Quality Content on Demand: With WriterAccess, you can request content on demand. Whether you need blog posts, product descriptions, blog post covers, or social media content, you can get high-quality content quickly and efficiently.
3. SEO Optimization: Many writers on WriterAccess are skilled in SEO and can craft content that is optimized for search engines. This ensures your content ranks well and attracts organic traffic.
4. Consistency and Scalability: Maintaining a consistent content schedule is crucial for keeping your audience engaged and improving SEO. WriterAccess allows you to scale your content production according to your needs, ensuring a steady stream of fresh content.
5. Cost-Effective Solutions: Hiring full-time content creators can be expensive. WriterAccess offers a cost-effective solution by allowing you to pay for content as you need it, without the overhead costs of full-time employees.

By integrating content creation into your ecommerce strategy and leveraging platforms like WriterAccess, you can create a robust online presence that attracts, engages, and converts customers.

High-quality, consistent content is the key to standing out in the competitive ecommerce landscape and achieving long-term success.

How Profitable Is Ecommerce?

Ecommerce businesses always have the potential to be insanely profitable. (Key examples include the likes of Torrid, Dollar Shave Club, Modcloth, and Bonobos.) However, multiple factors can affect your profits, especially over time. These include but are not limited to:

• Website design effectiveness
• Customer retention
• Pricing in comparison to market value
• Upfront costs attached to products
• Brand strength
• Content strategy
• Customer service quality

Competition can make achieving peak profitability challenging. But the potential is also limitless. According to research by the NYU Stern School of Business, such businesses can boast gross profit margins of up to 42.78 percent.

Essential Marketing Knowledge for Running an Ecommerce Business

Without marketing know-how and best practices, even the best ecommerce venture will be dead in the water. Here are some key basics to know and master:

• SEO basics: Knowing the ins and outs of good SEO ensures search engines index your shop and serves it up to potential customers.
• Social media marketing: Today’s consumers expect to connect with the brands they buy from on social media.
• Email marketing: Email remains one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with potential customers and nurture viable leads.
• Influencer marketing: Expand your reach and connect with new audiences by partnering with top influencers in your niche.

It’s also crucial to understand the importance of flawless customer service and responsiveness. Embrace proven techniques like interactivity and personalized experiences.

Use customer feedback to improve your service and product offerings. Track and analyze your ecommerce data, as well, and use it to keep improving your marketing approach.

Ecommerce FAQ

Still have questions about how to make money with ecommerce? Check out the following FAQs.

Can you actually make money with ecommerce?

Yes, ecommerce can be very profitable. But it requires marketing know-how, dedication, and an understanding of your target audience.

How profitable is ecommerce?

Competition can make achieving peak profitability challenging. But the potential is also limitless. According to research by the NYU Stern School of Business, such businesses can boast gross profit margins of up to 42.78 percent.

What ecommerce makes the most money?

Handmade products, digital products, subscription boxes, and high-ticket options like electronics are among the most profitable ecommerce niches.

How do I start ecommerce with little money?

Options like print-on-demand, dropshipping, and blog monetization make it easy to dive into ecommerce for little to no startup cost.

Can ecommerce be a side hustle?

Absolutely. Ecommerce can be whatever you want it to be, whether that’s a side hustle or a full-time job.

Is it hard to succeed in ecommerce?

Ecommerce is very competitive, so it can be challenging to succeed. However, it can also be a rewarding process for those with passion and motivation.

What is the richest ecommerce business?

With a market cap of close to $1.55 trillion, Amazon is currently considered the most successful ecommerce business in the world.

Can ecommerce make you wealthy?

Yes, the potential for major wealth is there. But it’s important to set realistic expectations. Achieving that level of success requires a lot of dedication, planning, work, and more than a little luck.

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of giving ecommerce a try for yourself, you’re in for a wonderful adventure. However, it’s crucial to implement best practices, understand your target market, and fall back on the right resources.

The importance of content in today’s marketing landscape means one of those resources should be a WriterAccess account.

Sign up for your free 14-day WriterAccess trial today and connect with some of the best professional writers and designers in the business!

The post Ecommerce 101: Learn How to Make Money with Ecommerce appeared first on Rock Content.

Lead conversion is needed to move your prospects through the funnel to become customers and is an important step that needs to be maintained to keep up revenue and close on more deals. 

At the core of lead conversion comes in the identification of MQLs and SQLs.

But how can one convert leads if they don’t even understand the difference between MQLs and SQLs?

These two different terms refer to customers in different stages of their journey through your funnel. 

When you don’t know the difference between MQL vs SQL prospects, you can find yourself struggling for consistency between your sales and marketing teams and losing prospects when they aren’t effectively worked on. 

In this article, we’ll help you understand what MQL vs SQL means and give you some tips on how you can transfer between the two and create a cohesive, clear funnel process. This helps your brand convert leads and increase revenue. 

What is an MQL?

A marketing qualified lead (MQL) is a lead who has engaged with your brand, products, solutions, or services in a way that indicates potential interest. This can include actions such as downloading a white paper, attending a webinar, or repeatedly visiting key pages on your website.

This is an important stage of lead qualification, where the lead has shown enough interest to be considered for further marketing efforts.

At this stage, while you may have some basic information about their interactions, you might not yet have detailed insights into their pain points or detailed demographics.

The criteria used to identify an MQL can vary but typically include both surface-level interactions, like social media engagements or page visits, and more substantial actions, such as filling out a contact form or requesting a demo.

Why Do MQLs Matter?

It’s important to mark your leads as MQLs when they take an action that indicates they have interest in what you do. 

This helps you categorize them apart from others in your database who haven’t taken that step yet and haven’t indicated that they might want to purchase from you. 

When you don’t highlight in your system when a customer takes an action that indicates they have interest, you can lose out on opportunities for additional marketing to move them through your funnel closer to a sale. 

These MQLs are the people you need to be working with, rather than cold leads or those who haven’t interacted or engaged with your brand at all. 

What is an SQL?

An SQL is a sales qualified lead, which is the next stage of lead identification. 

This lead is a prospective customer who has indicated that they would like to engage with your sales team. 

This can be taken directly, by filling out a contact form or sending an inquiry to a salesperson, or indirectly, by taking a certain number of specific actions that indicate a strong interest in purchasing. 

SQLs are the next evolution of an MQL, and are usually vetted by your marketing team before they are handed off to sales. 

The prospect no longer has a passing interest in your brand with a few interactions and engagements, but instead is a prime candidate for a sales opportunity. 

Therefore, SQLs need to be the priority as they are the leads who are closest to making a purchase decision. 

Why Do SQLs Matter?

Some brands and sales teams fail to identify which of their leads are SQLs. 

That can lead to issues, especially when it comes to where the time of salespeople should be spent. 

Without an SQL identification, sales team members might be putting effort into converting leads that aren’t that interested in purchasing from the brand, and ignore those who are just one step away from buying. 

SQL vs MQL: The Difference Explained

To put it simply, MQLs are leads who have given a soft indication that they are interested in your products, while an SQL has given a hard indication that they want to purchase from your brand. 

The MQL is the beginning stage, while the SQL is what that same MQL will evolve into with the help of sales and marketing tactics. 

MQLs are interested in your brand, but aren’t ready to make a purchase decision just yet. SQLs, on the other hand, are ready to talk to a salesperson and work towards a purchase from your company. 

You don’t want to push on a MQL before they are ready to buy, and you don’t want to leave an SQL sitting without input from a salesperson. They need to work together. 

How They Work Together

When you can successfully identify SQLs and MQLs, your sales team can focus on better qualified contacts and let marketing teams work on moving MQLs through the funnel until they can be identified as an SQL. 

This helps marketing and sales teams work together, rather than stepping over each other’s toes. 

Each team will know what leads they should work with and when they can pass the lead on to the other. 

How to Transition a Lead from MQL to SQL

Now that you know the difference between MQLs and SQLs, let’s discuss some ways in which you can transition an MQL into an SQL and determine what leads fit into each category. 

This helps you smooth out the marketing to sales handoff process and create a better internal communication system for leads. 

1. Lead Scoring

A lead score is a numerical value given to a lead to determine which category they fit into. 

Typically, a brand will use the help of a digital tool to look at the information each contact has and then turn those actions into numbers that can be added together to create a clear value for each lead. 

Information that might be considered during lead scoring includes: 

Demographic Information

Basic information like a lead’s age, race, gender, marital status, job role, income, education, or ethnicity that helps you determine if they fit your buyer personas. 

Company Information

Details about the company that the individual lead works for and how well they match with your target companies.

Social Engagement

How often a lead is engaging with social posts, such as liking, sharing, or commenting on different social platforms. 

Email Engagement

How often a lead is engaging with your email marketing, such as opening, clicking, or responding to emails.

 

Online Behavior

Data on how often a lead is visiting pages on your website, reading blogs, or clicking on CTAs.

2. Lead Behavior

In addition to the above information that can be collected and used in lead scoring, there are other types of behaviors that your leads can take that will influence whether they rank as an SQL or as an MQL. 

That includes things like:

Site Visits

First-time visitors to your website are almost always MQLs. 

They have an idea about what your brand is and what your offerings are, but haven’t indicated that they want to purchase something immediately. 

When someone repeatedly comes to your website and looks at key pages like product or pricing pages, they might be ready to become an SQL. 

Engagements

The more engagements a user has with your brand, the more likely they are to be considering purchasing from your business. 

If you have an MQL who has continually engaged with your social media, emails, or other content, then they might be ready to transition to an SQL. 

Referral Channel

Not all channels in your network are created equal. Someone liking a Facebook post isn’t as valuable as someone who responds to an email blast. 

The channel that a lead comes in from can have a major impact on whether they are ranked as an MQL or as an SQL. 

Contact Requests

This is the easiest and most accurate way of determining when someone is ready to become an SQL.

If you have a contact page for your sales team or just for the company in general, you know that someone is ready to take the next step and discuss making a purchase. 

It’s a sure-fire way of determining whether a lead is an SQL or if they still need time to convert through the funnel. 

3. Likelihood of Buying

Not everyone who engages with your brand has a high likelihood of buying. As you learn more about a lead, ask yourself questions about things like:

• Budget: Can the lead afford your solution?
• Needs: Can your solution fix the problem your lead has?
• Timeline: How quickly will the lead make the decision?
• Authority: Is the lead the one who will make the purchase decision?

MQL vs SQL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the main difference between MQL and SQL?

The main difference between MQL (Marketing Qualified Leads) and SQL (Sales Qualified Leads) lies in their level of readiness to engage with the sales team. MQLs are leads who have shown interest through various marketing activities, indicating potential interest in products or services. On the other hand, SQLs are leads who have demonstrated a higher level of interest and readiness to engage with the sales team, showing intent to purchase or discuss potential solutions in more detail.

How do you determine MQL and SQL?

MQLs and SQLs are typically determined through lead scoring, which involves assigning points to leads based on their interactions with marketing and sales activities. MQLs are identified based on their engagement with marketing content, frequency of interactions, and fit with the ideal customer profile. SQLs, on the other hand, are identified based on specific inquiries about products or services, readiness to move forward with the purchasing process, and other criteria indicating a higher level of interest.

What is the stage from MQL to SQL?

The stage from MQL to SQL represents the transition of leads from the marketing funnel to the sales funnel. This transition occurs when an MQL meets certain criteria indicating a higher level of interest and readiness to engage with the sales team. At this stage, MQLs are further evaluated by the sales team to determine their suitability for direct sales engagement and conversion into customers.

What is MQL in marketing?

MQL, or Marketing Qualified Lead, is a lead who has taken an action that demonstrates an interest in a company’s brand, products, solutions, or services. MQLs are typically identified based on their interactions with marketing content, such as downloading content, attending webinars, visiting website pages, or engaging on social media. These leads are in the early to mid-stage of the sales funnel and require further nurturing to prepare them for sales engagement.

What is MQL to SQL ratio?

The MQL to SQL ratio is a metric used to measure the effectiveness of the lead qualification process and the alignment between marketing and sales efforts. It represents the number of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) that are successfully converted into Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs). A higher MQL to SQL ratio indicates that a larger percentage of MQLs are progressing through the sales funnel and becoming SQLs, reflecting a more efficient lead qualification process and better alignment between marketing and sales teams.

Wrap Up

MQL and SQL are terms to identify leads in different stages of their journey. 

When you can identify which customers are in which group, you can improve your marketing and sales efforts and more effectively target potential customers with the right tactics to convert them further down your sales funnel. 

This helps make things easier between your sales and marketing teams, increases your revenue, and helps your prospects feel heard and respected. 

Understanding your MQL vs SQL prospects is just one way you can improve your conversion metrics. Another tactic is to optimize your sales and marketing funnel from top to bottom. 

To learn more, check out our blog on funnel optimization! 

There you’ll learn all about the stages that make up a sales funnel and learn about the different ways you can go about optimizing your funnels. 

The post MQL vs SQL: What Is The Real Difference for Brands? appeared first on Rock Content.

Such platforms usually do all the heavy lifting of configuring and maintaining your online store so that you can focus on your sales strategies. Among these platforms is one most commonly associated with blog publishing: WordPress!

Yes, you can create a WordPress ecommerce website! After all, the biggest advantage of working with WordPress on your website is being able to extend your features with the right plugins.

Those can add new features that entirely change what you can offer to your visitors. And one of these features is an online store.

You do not need programming knowledge to work with a WordPress ecommerce. By having the right strategy and a well-built site, you can count on the best plugins to turn your WordPress website into an online store.

Here is everything you will learn in this article. Check it out:

Why Choose WordPress for Ecommerce?

When creating your own ecommerce site, one of the first decisions you need to make is selecting the platform for your online store. Options like Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and others are available.

However, you might be surprised to learn that WordPress, the renowned Content Management System (CMS) primarily known for blog publishing, is also an excellent option for ecommerce. WordPress’s versatility allows it to be customized to fit your needs, including online sales.

Choosing WordPress depends on what you want from your store. Specific ecommerce platforms can lock you into their environment. In contrast, WordPress offers unparalleled versatility and allows for a truly customizable approach.

In summary, here are the main advantages of using WordPress for ecommerce:

• Self-Installation or Hosting Services: You can install WordPress yourself or use a hosting service that handles the installation automatically.
• Content-Focused Platform: WordPress is primarily a publishing platform, so you’ll need to install plugins for extra functionality.
• Extensive Plugin Library: WordPress offers a vast array of plugins to extend your store’s features, including SEO configurations, multi-language support, and automatic backup solutions.
• Customizable Templates: There is a large library of templates to change your website’s look and feel, and you can even commission custom designs through a specialist.

Using WordPress for ecommerce gives you the flexibility and customization needed to create a unique and effective online store.

When to Use WordPress for Ecommerce

Considering the unique features of WordPress for ecommerce, it’s an excellent choice if you value flexibility and customization for your online store. While it may seem daunting at first, WordPress offers unparalleled freedom to tailor your store to your specific needs.

Most ecommerce platforms offer a standardized package: for a monthly fee, you get a system that manages your store’s backend. However, this often means working within a rigid, less customizable environment. The advantage is that you typically receive robust tech support from these providers.

WordPress, on the other hand, is highly flexible and open-source. If you already have a WordPress site, many ecommerce platforms offer plugins to integrate their features seamlessly into your existing setup. This ensures continuity in the way you and your team operate.

Still unsure? Here are the key scenarios where WordPress for ecommerce is the best choice:

• If you have a branded, personalized template that only works with WordPress.
• In case you already use WordPress for your website and are familiar with its features and configurations.
• If you want to save on costs by using a free platform instead of a paid one.
• When you have quality tech support from your hosting service to assist with any WordPress-related issues.
• If you don’t need many features offered by paid ecommerce platforms and prefer to build your own setup with the right plugins.

WordPress provides the flexibility and control needed for a customized and efficient online store, making it an ideal choice for many ecommerce ventures.

What Are The 6 Best Plugins For Ecommerce?

Obtaining ecommerce functionality for your WordPress site is essential to turn it into an online store. To do that, you must download and install the right WordPress plugins.

There are multiple options to choose from, so the task might be intimidating. However, we are here to help with that.

Below, you can check out the 6 best WordPress ecommerce plugins you should consider using. Enjoy!

1. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is one of the most famous WordPress plugins for ecommerce. While it is an online store platform you can use externally, you can also add it to your WordPress site as a plugin.

For starters, WooCommerce is completely free. Its main selling point is simplicity, since it allows people with vastly different knowledge levels to sell products on their websites running WordPress.

This is done through an easy-to-use interface and a modular configuration scheme, where you add only what you need.

With it, you can also easily add multiple payment options to your site, such as credit and debit cards, digital wallets, and others. WooCommerce handles all the back-end so that you do not have to worry about programming and configuring everything.

WooCommerce can also integrate with external services such as social networks, Google Ads, HubSpot, and others. 

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an external ecommerce platform with a plugin to bring its features to WordPress sites.

It promises scalability and does most of the heavy lifting itself, so your website’s performance does not take a hit in speed and uptime. BigCommerce has strong global support in terms of payments, as it works with over 250 payment methods worldwide.

Through its API calling back-end, BigCommerce can keep your inventory up-to-date by syncing with ERPs, PIMs, and other management systems you might have integrated with WordPress. Lastly, it works well with most WordPress themes.

Working with BigCommerce on your WordPress site will set you back $29.95 per month through its standard subscription.

3. Shopify

Shopify is another option people think of when choosing an ecommerce platform but it is also available as a WordPress plugin. With it, you can leave the job of managing an online store to the platform and focus on what really matters: your sales strategies.

Unlike other ecommerce plugin choices, Shopify works externally from WordPress. This means that it starts working off its servers when your user clicks on the “Buy” button. That way, all back-end features such as payment processing and cart experience are handled by Shopify.

Just like WordPress itself, Shopify’s features can be extended through add-ons. You can look through the Shopify apps to add functionalities you need in your online store.

Shopify has a 14-day free trial for you to try out its features. After that period, you have to sign up for the paid plans that start at $199 per year.

4. Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart

Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart is different from the others since it is not exclusively a WordPress ecommerce plugin, as it can work with other CMS platforms such as Wix, Weebly, and even social network sites like Facebook and Instagram.

Because of this, working with Ecwid on your WordPress site is a great first step into having the ability to sell simultaneously on multiple channels. This is a valuable trend in ecommerce that offers a lot of convenience to the buyer.

As with most WordPress ecommerce plugins, Ecwid has an easy-to-configure interface and allows a quick way to organize your products and categories. It can also work well with most WordPress templates.

Ecwid has a forever-free version, but it can be upgraded for $21 per month for extra functionalities.

5. Ultimate WordPress Auction

Not only can you create your own WordPress ecommerce but you can also make it into an auction site. Just install a plugin such as Ultimate WordPress Auction.

With Ultimate WordPress Auction, you can display products and allow users to bid on them. Whenever there is an update to these bids, the people involved receive notifications. Everything is powered by Ajax, so it is fast and does not require too many reloads.

It supports most payment options available, such as PayPal. You can also set a reserve price for your product and bid incremental values. A countdown timer can also be added to the interface.

Ultimate WordPress Auction has a free plan and can be upgraded for $79 a year for extra features.

6. Easy Digital Downloads

What if you want to sell digital products instead of physical ones? Then, you might want to choose a WordPress ecommerce plugin such as Easy Digital Downloads.

From e-books to other kinds of digital goods, you can create product pages and have them behave like a proper ecommerce process. The user can add purchases to a cart and even save its contents for later.

Purchasing can be done either through registration or guest checkout, which offers a lot of convenience for users. Easy Digital Downloads also supports discount codes, data reporting, and individual records for customers.

The personal plan costs $89.55 per year.

How to Get Started with WordPress for Ecommerce

Are you interested in using WordPress for your ecommerce store? First, you need to get familiar with the platform itself.

WordPress is a free CMS that can be downloaded from the official website. You will need a hosting service where you can install these files. Fortunately, many hosting services offer automated WordPress installations, simplifying this process for you through specialized and reliable WordPress hosting like Stage.

When you first open your WordPress admin panel, it might seem overwhelming. Focus on what you want to achieve, especially if you plan to use WordPress for ecommerce. Start by installing one of the recommended ecommerce plugins.

You can do this through the Plugins section. Simply search for the plugin you want to install — for example, “WooCommerce” — and click Install. Then, select Activate to enable it.

Each WordPress ecommerce plugin works differently, so follow the onscreen instructions or seek help from the plugin’s support team.

What are the Best Practices for WordPress Ecommerce?

Now that you know how to set up WordPress for ecommerce, it’s time to consider best practices to enhance your chances of success. The ecommerce market is competitive, and implementing these strategies can help you stand out.

Facilitate Registration and Purchasing

Ensure that using your WordPress ecommerce site is straightforward. People want quick and easy results. Simplify user registration and the purchasing process. Some WordPress ecommerce plugins even allow purchases without requiring registration, increasing your chances of success.

Create SEO-Friendly Content

Optimize your product pages for search engines. SEO isn’t just for blog posts; it’s crucial for product pages too. Use plugins like Yoast SEO to automate this process, ensuring your product pages rank well on Google and identifying any issues that need fixing.

Keep Your Structure Updated

Regularly update WordPress and your plugins to fix bugs and patch vulnerabilities that could compromise your site’s security. Neglecting updates can leave your store vulnerable to attacks. You can see if updates are available by checking the left sidebar for notifications next to Plugins and the Updates option under Dashboard.

Be Transparent

Trust is vital for online shopping. While WordPress ecommerce plugins handle the technical aspects, you must ensure your store appears trustworthy. Display your contact information clearly and provide detailed policies on returns and issue resolution.

Final Thoughts

WordPress ecommerce offers immense value for your sales goals.

By following these tips, you can start making sales and leveraging WordPress’s flexibility to suit your specific needs.

Want to learn more about using WordPress for different types of websites? Download our free guide on WordPress for corporate blogs and discover how to use this platform to achieve your goals.

The post WordPress Ecommerce: When to Use It, Best Plugins, and Tips to Get Started appeared first on Rock Content.

If your business has tried an eCommerce website and failed, the problem might not be your brand or products. It might be the tools you used to build and maintain the virtual store. Today’s consumers are looking for more than just some nice product pictures and a blurb about the company.

They want to buy from websites that are easy to use and navigate. They look for key features such as search engines, chat customer service, options, and state-of-the-art security. According to Tech Jury, mobile buyers make up 67.2% of all online purchases, so they want responsiveness, too.

Setting up and managing a successful eCommerce website is a big hill to climb, but it is necessary. Brands must meet customers where they spend their time, and that is online. Ecommerce websites generated 856.8 billion dollars in revenue in 2022.

This article will discuss eCommerce platforms, their use, and why you need one.

A practical place to start is with a basic definition.

What Is An eCommerce platform?

An eCommerce platform is a system designed to make it easier for businesses to sell products to customers online. Unlike a traditional website, eCommerce platforms offer features like product listings, digital shopping carts, discount options, and more to create a comprehensive and engaging shopping experience. Put simply:

According to Tobias Lütke, co-founder and CEO of Shopify, “e-commerce is not an industry; e-commerce is a tactic.” So, the best eCommerce platforms allow owners to incorporate both marketing and sales to boost revenues and strengthen their bottom line.

What Does An eCommerce Platform Do?

It is responsible for coordinating the consumer’s relationship with the online seller.

If that all sounds vague, it’s because different eCommerce platforms offer additional features. At the basic level, this software will:

• Allow site users to search for products
• Provide a digital shopping cart
• Handle the payment process

Many platforms do much more than that, though. They might offer data analytics, for example. When shopping for an eCommerce platform, you need to find one that fits the company’s budget.

At the same time, it must offer the features necessary to allow your customers to order products and services seamlessly.

The Role of eCommerce Platforms in Your Business

Whether you’re running an online-only business or managing a brick-and-mortar operation, eCommerce platforms can enhance your company and make it easier to generate leads and sales.

One of the main advantages of using an eCommerce platform is that it incorporates everything necessary to sell products. Typically, these platforms allow you to:

• Manage and Update Product Inventory – Rather than having to count individual items manually, the platform will update inventory counts automatically with each sale. You can also update the system as you add more inventory or unique items.
• Handle Payments – One of the main advantages of using an eCommerce platform is that you can sell to anyone around the world. These platforms also enable you to use multiple payment options like PayPal, Stripe, credit cards, and more. Since these platforms are encrypted, you don’t have to worry as much about hackers.
• Order Fulfillment – Some eCommerce platforms enable you to take advantage of dropshipping, so you don’t have to manage inventory yourself. However, even if you make and ship each product, these platforms streamline the process by giving you everything from shipping labels to order tracking.
• Content Marketing – The best eCommerce platforms integrate with your marketing strategy for a seamless user experience. For example, a user clicks on a social media ad and lands on a product listing page. From there, they can order and pay for the product immediately, hassle-free.

Overall, eCommerce platforms enable you to scale your business online with minimal friction. Without these platforms, you would have to manage multiple third-party apps and programs to get the same results.

Key Features to Look for in an eCommerce Platform

Choosing the right eCommerce platform can be a challenge. Finding a platform that fits your business needs will allow you to:

• Control costs – This includes the set-up fees and any maintenance costs.
• Allow growth – Once the websites are up and running, the next step is to allow them to grow. Some platforms make that difficult or expensive.
• Enhance customer engagement – Many brands make this a primary focus because engagement can bring a customer back repeatedly.
• Prioritize customer service – Providing customer support means better conversions and enhanced loyalty.

What are some key features to look for on an eCommerce platform?

Hosting and platform type

There are two types of platforms: self-hosted and cloud-based. With a self-hosted or on-premise platform, you do much of the legwork. For example, you would need to find a host for the website, manage the installation, and do the administration.

That will give you more control but requires more time and technical knowledge. One person would be responsible for things like source coding and software updates.

A cloud-hosted platform means you work via the cloud. Cloud-based platforms can be further broken down as SaaS or PaaS. A SaaS platform such as Shopify is all-inclusive.

You simply pay for a website, provide the content, and choose a look for the site. You have access to additional apps, themes, and data analytics.

A PaaS cloud-based platform adds a hardware element. It falls between shared hosting and SaaS. The platform manages the operating system and software. You provide content, some code, and databases. A PaaS platform separates the business from the server administration.

The significant difference between the two is the coding. With SaaS, you don’t provide custom source code. It is more of a WYSIWYG option. PaaS gives you more control over the coding aspect.

Pricing

Pricing is an obvious consideration. You can expect most platforms to have a monthly fee. The exception to this might be open-source.

The cost varies from platform to platform and may differ based on the features you choose and how much bandwidth and storage you require.

Integrations

Businesses must think ahead when choosing a platform. What systems might you want to integrate with the eCommerce platform initially and in the future? Some options would include:

• Accounting
• Email marketing
• Shipping
• Payment
• Marketing
• Customer loyalty programs

Not all platforms allow for integrations.

Extensibility

A typical eCommerce platform provides the basis necessary to launch a website. They often come with ready-made integrations. You might need a more advanced PaaS platform if you want more than that.

Scalability

The other side of that coin is scalability. You want to be able to grow your website or scale it down during slower seasons.

Administration

How easy is it to add or delete products or establish inventory counts? What about changing prices? How do you upload images? You need to know how much effort it takes to make changes to your website.

Websites and eCommerce Platforms: What Sets Them Apart?

Ecommerce platforms and websites are terms sometimes used interchangeably, but they are quite different.

About an eCommerce platform

An eCommerce platform is a software-based platform that lets businesses sell products and services online. There are three main styles:

• Open-source – gives you complete access to the source codes and more control over how shopping is done through the site. Some examples of open-source platforms include Square Online, WooCommerce, and Joomla.
• SaaS is a cloud–based platform that is an all-in-one service. The platform handles everything; the business chooses a theme and provides the information. Examples of SaaS platforms include Shopify Plus and Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
• Headless – A headless platform separates the back end from the front end of customer-facing operations. You create the website using programs like WordPress or Drupal. The eCommerce platform provides cart and payment services. Examples of headless platforms include Spryker and BigCommerce.

That is different from an eCommerce website.

About an eCommerce website

An eCommerce website is any site with eCommerce features. In other words, any website where you can purchase something off it.

Many brands allow you to create an eCommerce website without the versatility of an eCommerce platform. They may offer a plug-in that serves as a payment gateway to allow for purchasing.

Having a basic website lacks the capabilities of an eCommerce platform, though. It won’t be scalable, for instance, or customizable. It will likely have very few features to choose from. The theme will be set in stone with no room for changes.

A simple website may be enough for small businesses with little online sales. For many companies, though, it will be too limiting.

Choosing the Right eCommerce Platform: Step by Step

With so many platforms available, it can be hard to determine which one is best for your business. Here are some critical points to consider before making a final decision.

Step One: Determine Your Product Lineup

Do you sell consumer packaged goods or clothing? Toys or accessories? Some platforms work well for certain industries, while others don’t. Ideally, you can pick a platform tailor-made for the types of products you’re selling. For example, if you sell items that can often be bundled with other products, you want a platform that makes bundling and accessorizing easier.

Another point to consider is whether you’ll work with drop shippers or handle inventory yourself. Drop-shipping can be useful, but you must work with high-quality vendors. Otherwise, customers may have to wait a long time for their orders, leading to lower satisfaction rates and reduced sales.

Step Two: Custom Building vs. Done-For-You (DFY)

If you have the time, you may want to build your eCommerce site from scratch, handling everything from product descriptions to page layouts. Alternatively, you can work with a platform that does everything for you. In the latter case, you just populate your pages with specific products, and the platform handles the rest.

If you’re a smaller operation, you may want to use a DFY platform and customize your pages over time. This way, you can get your site up and running sooner but still curate a unique value proposition as you go.

Step Three: Verify Security Practices

Since you’ll be handling online payments, you want a platform with excellent cybersecurity tools. Ideally, you won’t collect any customer data directly, so there’s no chance of its being hacked. Or, you can work with third-party payment providers like PayPal to add another layer of protection for yourself and your customers.

Step Four: Consider Scalability

When scaling your eCommerce platform, you must consider site traffic and product listings. Will you expand into new product lines in the future? If so, how easy is it to add more pages to your site? Similarly, if you’re increasing web traffic to your product listings, can the platform handle it? You don’t want your website to go down because too many people are shopping at once.

Step Five: Check Customer Support

Realistically, you’ll encounter problems or questions as you build your website. So, only work with an eCommerce platform that can help you with any issue, large or small. Ideally, the platform will have multiple customer support options, including email, live chat, and phone support. This way, you can resolve these issues immediately instead of waiting days for a response.

Top eCommerce Platforms in 2024: What Makes Them Stand Out?

For small and medium-sized businesses, the best eCommerce site is likely Shopify. Shopify is scalable and provides features that come in handy, although you might have to pay more for them.

Get to know more details about this platform and other 7 big players.

For instance, Shopify Fulfillment offers faster and more affordable shipping but comes at an added cost. Shopify has a number of these ala carte features. That allows businesses to pick and choose what they need instead of paying for something they won’t use.

1. Shopify

Unsurprisingly, the top tool on our list is Shopify.

This platform is a real one-stop-shop — excuse the pun! — for all things eCommerce. 

Whether you are an eCommerce novice or know your way around eCommerce, Shopify is for you.

Super-easy to set up and configure, it allows you to both start a new eCommerce site from scratch as well as manage and maintain a well-established one.

Through Shopify, you can sell products from anywhere, including social media accounts, in-person sales, and third-party marketplaces.

How Much?

To begin with, you can try out Shopify for free for 14 days. 

Then, if you are happy, you can choose one of its four plans: Basic Shopify ($14 per month), Shopify ($39 per month), Advanced Shopify ($299 per month), and Plus ($2,300).

What We Like Best

In this day and age, a huge — and ever-growing — amount of online sales are happening on mobile devices. 

And guess what? Every Shopify theme is mobile-friendly. Not only that, but the platform also features tools like BuildFire which allow you to actually build separate Shopify mobile apps. 

Pretty awesome, right?

2. Wix

You have probably heard of Wix as one of the most popular website builders. 

And while this is, of course, true, this platform is also one of the best eCommerce tools out there.

With over 500 templates to choose from and no coding knowledge or experience required, you can build an amazing eCommerce site in literally a few clicks. 

Wix makes it a cinch to create your own customizable digital storefront and shopping cart, as well as to add features including product galleries, mini-carts, and wishlists.

How Much?

A basic plan with Wix will cost you $17 a month, but you need to make sure that the specific subscription that you chose actually supports online sales. 

If you want an intermediate eCommerce plan with Wix, then you are looking at prices that range from $29 to $36 per month. 

A more advanced Wix plan is $159 per month.

What We Like Best

Wix is a really great choice for those who are just starting out in eCommerce, not only thanks to its ease of use and super-intuitive navigation but also because it supports dropshipping. 

This means that it can allow you to browse through a huge catalog of products for sale, at no added cost.

3. Squarespace

Just like Wix, Squarespace is another very popular, very easy website builder. 

But unlike Wix, every single one of its available business plans does come with in-built eCommerce capabilities.

The platform allows you to browse through an ever-expanding array of stunning templates that are particularly suited to businesses in creative industries. 

But besides allowing you to showcase your amazing creative work, Squarespace also lets you sell it online.

How Much?

The Squarespace Personal plan costs $16 per month but doesn’t include any online selling capabilities. 

At just a few more bucks — $23 per month, to be more precise — you’ll be able to have a fully integrated eCommerce site and sell as many products as you like, though still with some limitations.

If you are serious about selling on Squarespace, then your best bet is to pick either the Basic Commerce ($28 per month) or the Advanced Commerce ($52 per month) plan.

What We Like Best

Squarespace is truly one of the best eCommerce site builders in terms of aesthetics. 

If you are aiming to display your products in a way that is eye-catching, professional, and enticing, then Squarespace is the way to go. 

Plus, the platform is also integrated with other online selling tools, including PayPal, USPS, FedEx, Apple Pay, and Stripe.

4. WooCommerce

Here’s something a bit different from what we have seen so far: WooCommerce is not an actual eCommerce solution, it’s a plugin that you can add to your WordPress website. 

Essentially, with WooCommerce you can add eCommerce capabilities to any WordPress site.

How Much?

More good news: this plugin is totally free to install. 

However, you can also add some more extensions — some are free, while others have prices that go up to $5,000.

What We Like Best

The customization that this tool offers is truly fantastic. 

Plus, WooCommerce also integrates with other online selling platforms like PayPal, Stripe, and Amazon Pay, making payments a real walk in the park.

5. BigCommerce

Another great eCommerce solution used by companies of all shapes and sizes in over 120 countries around the world, BigCommerce has pretty much everything you need to sell products online.

Established back in 2009, BigCommerce features unmatched eCommerce performance, including page loading speed, security, and uptime.

How Much?

BigCommerce offers four plans: Standard ($29 per month), Plus ($79 per month), Pro ($299 per month), and Enterprise (custom quotes for each user).

What We Like Best

BigCommerce is one of the few eCommerce tools that can support both individual online sales and B2B wholesales, thanks to its enterprise-ready eCommerce capabilities. 

The platform also features amazing tools for SEO, conversions, inventory management, and 24/7 customer support.

6. Shift4Shop

If you thought that BigCommerce was one of the oldest eCommerce platforms out there, then think again: Shift4Shop beats it, as it was established in 1997.

While not suitable for beginner eCommerce marketers, Shift4Shop works well for more advanced eCommerce users. 

This is because, unlike other solutions on our list, Shift4Shop is not as intuitive to use as other options in the market, but requires some coding and development knowledge.

How Much?

This platform offers five different payment plans. The cheapest costs only $29 per month, while the most expensive goes up to $229 per month for Standard plans (Enterprise can cost $2,000+). 

Every plan offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case you are not satisfied with your purchase. 

Want to test the solution for free? 3DCart lets you play around with it for 15 days, at no cost.

What We Like Best

If you are comfortable with coding and development, then this is a great tool for you. 

Once you have installed it, you’ll have access to over 200 eCommerce features, 50 free themes, and more than 100 payment providers. 

You can also integrate 3DCart with third-party platforms such as Stripe, PayPal, Amazon, MailChimp, QuickBooks, and more.

7. OpenCart

This free, open-source tool brings eCommerce capabilities to already existing websites. 

What this means, essentially, is that with the OpenCart plugin you can transform your standard site into an online store.

How Much?

OpenCart is free both to download and install, but if you require any extensions or more customized support, you will have to pay extra.

What We Like Best

We love OpenCart for its absolutely massive selection of themes and modules — 13,000, and counting — and the fact that you can integrate it with an equally huge list of payment and shipping providers.

8. BigCartel

While eCommerce platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce are great for physical products, what about artwork and graphic design? Big Cartel is perfect for artists or designers who want to sell their work without a complicated dashboard or backend system. This platform allows you to showcase fewer listings and focuses on highlighting your designs in real-world settings.

How Much?

Big Cartel has three pricing options:

• Gold – Free
• Platinum – $15/mo
• Diamond – $30/mo

You can start with a Gold plan and scale up as you add more listings and generate more leads. One of the primary advantages of upgrading is that you can get a custom domain name for your website (if necessary).

What We Like Best

Selling artwork or creative designs online can be challenging, especially if you use sites like Gumroad or RedBubble. Big Cartel gives you more creative control, so you can make your mark as an independent creator.

9. Adobe Commerce

Adobe is probably the largest creative design software company in the world, so if you use Adobe Commerce, you can tap into high-quality tools and materials that won’t be available anywhere else.

However, because it’s Adobe, you can also expect to pay more for the platform. We only recommend this option if you’re an established business with a decent marketing or operations budget. If you’re still new to the world of eCommerce, you may want to start with a more affordable platform and migrate to Adobe later.

How Much?

Adobe doesn’t list its pricing plans online, which often means they’re pretty expensive. Instead, you have to reach out to Adobe’s sales team to discuss options. There are two tiers: Commerce Pro and Managed Services. The latter is designed for enterprise-level businesses, so smaller companies need not apply.

What We Like Best

If you want the ultimate creative suite for building a unique eCommerce store, Adobe has everything you need. Building a website has never been easier, and Adobe’s generative AI software enables you to incorporate more elements than ever.

10. Sellfy

Digital products and print-on-demand are becoming far more popular. Traditional eCommerce platforms aren’t really suited to these product types, so you have to search elsewhere. Sellfy is fantastic because it caters to both POD and digital products, so you don’t have to use separate tools for each product type.

How Much?

Sellfy is a bit pricey if you pay monthly, but you can also take advantage of a free two-week trial to make sure it’ll work for your business. The pricing options are:

• Starter – $29/mo
• Business – $79/mo
• Premium – $159/mo

What We Like Best

Sellfy is very user-friendly, so even new entrepreneurs can get their eCommerce site up and running immediately. Also, because it’s designed for print-on-demand and digital products, it has tools to help you maximize your sales for these types of products.

11. Ecwid

Ecwid is the perfect solution for you when you already have a site without eCommerce capabilities and want to add them. Ecwid allows you to build an eCommerce platform on your existing website, so you don’t have to migrate everything to a different hosting service. Overall, this option is ideal for blogs or smaller, established companies that are just getting into the eCommerce space.

How Much?

You can start using Ecwid for free to see how well it integrates with your current website. From there, you can choose from three paid plans, including:

• Venture – $25/mo
• Business – $45/mo
• Unlimited – $105/mo

What We Like Best

It’s so easy to launch an eCommerce business from scratch with this platform. While it doesn’t have as many advanced tools and features, it’s perfect for smaller companies looking to branch out into new revenue streams.

A Final Advice

In the dynamic realm of e-commerce platforms, where every click counts, content creation emerges as the linchpin for success.

Engaging, informative content not only attracts customers but also fosters brand loyalty and drives conversions. As you embark on your journey into the digital marketplace, remember that quality content is the cornerstone of your online presence.

Elevate your e-commerce strategy with WriterAccess, where expert writers await to transform your ideas into captivating content.

Sign up for a free two-week trial today and witness firsthand the power of compelling storytelling in shaping your e-commerce success story.

The post Ecommerce Platforms: 11 Top Options To Explore And Elevate Your Online Business in 2024 appeared first on Rock Content.

It represents the fine line between having a one-time customer and having a repeat customer who is happy to spread the news of your brand’s products and services. 

Customer service bridges the gap between a purchase and a return customer by providing help, answering questions, and handling complaints or issues. 

Unfortunately, departments often prioritize other marketing or sales activities, leaving them understaffed and unhappy. 

Thankfully, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is changing the name of the game regarding customer service. 

AI makes new tools, platforms, and techniques for managing customer requests possible. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how AI is changing customer service, how it benefits customer service teams, and how to use AI in customer service applications today.

How AI is Changing the Face of Customer Service

For generations, the quality of customer service behind a brand has been determined by employee headcount and bandwidth. 

Customer service representatives struggled to manage workloads with the influx of questions and calls from customers. 

AI has completely changed the way customer service runs in a business setting. 

With extra time, customer service representatives have time to do more and improve the customer experience. 

When customers feel like they have more connections to your brand and that their concerns are quickly and efficiently addressed, they are more likely to return. 

Encouraging repeat customers is the most effective method to manage marketing expenses, garner favorable brand feedback, and boost sales.

What are the Top Benefits of Knowing How to Use AI in Customer Service?

Understanding how to use AI in customer service can help your brand grow and keep your customers delighted. 

AI offers numerous benefits to customer service teams by assisting them in tasks they may not have the time or ability to manage independently. This fosters a better work culture and ensures that efforts are on important tasks.

Personalization

Personalization is a common buzzword in marketing. 

In short, personalization refers to the practice of tailoring messaging, offers, content and experiences for audience segments based on key identifying factors. 

It ahelps to increase customer satisfaction and deliver what each customer is looking for, rather than treating every person the same. 

AI helps in personalization efforts by taking data and generating buyer personas which it can then connect products and services with, making each customer’s experience unique. 

A common example of this is a recommended viewing list from a streaming service or a related products list email from a retailer.

Rich Productivity

Employee productivity and efficiency are key elements of any successful business. 

Not only does it ensure that everyone is doing their job, it means that employees feel satisfied in their positions. 

AI automates the daily recurring or repetitive tasks that take up much of our productive time. 

When certain tasks can be taken off the plates of customer service teams, they have more time to focus their productivity on more important tasks that grow the business.

Speedy and Always-Available Response

Is there anything worse than calling a customer service line and spending hours on hold? 

Or typing in a live chat box to speak with a salesperson and being left waiting for a response? 

Customers expect speedy responses at any time of the day. 

AI helps to improve the customer experience with always-available bots that have immediate answers. 

While these are obviously more limited than a real personal conversation, they still provide a wide array of possibilities to answer questions and let customers know they are being heard.

Multichannel Support

People want to reach your brand on their favored platforms. 

Just having a Facebook bot or a website plug-in isn’t enough to satisfy today’s customers. 

Thankfully, many chatbots and customer support AI platforms have built-in multichannel capabilities, meaning you don’t have to recreate your experience across different platforms. 

After setting up your bot, the same program will be implemented across your network.

Reduction in Churn Rate

“Churn” refers to the number of customers that leave your brand to go to a competitor.

While there are many reasons for churn, like a better product or price, there is a significant amount of churn as a result of a bad customer experience. 

AI can improve the overall quality of experience your customers have while on your website or social platforms, which in turn reduces the churn rate in your company.

Examples of AI Tools to Improve the Customer Experience

Today, you have access to several AI tools which can help improve the customer experience, including the five discussed below.

1. Zowie

You can easily get started answering users’ most frequently asked questions by automating the process with the aid of Zowie, the AI-powered software and chatbot provider.

Zowie allows you to easily scan your current FAQ page, creating a knowledge base that the chatbot will use for your customers.

As an additional bonus, the AI software can analyze your questions and apply the resulting answers to differently worded variations.

The chatbot will provide answers quickly to customers and can do so in over forty languages. It is easy to set up and can be integrated with various software, including Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and Shopify.

2. Aisera AI

The Aisera AI chatbot integrates with the various systems you may already have in place to deliver top-notch customer service. You can use it to help effectively cut down on wait times with its automatic interaction with customers.

Aisera AI integrates with various case management, ticketing, or CRM systems, including Salesforce and Zendesk, to escalate a customer to a live agent. This, in turn, can empower your support agents, allowing them to focus on the more unique issues that require direct interaction.

3. Yuma AI

A variety of AI tools are available today to help speed up response times, including self-service chatbots and voicebots, agent-assist solutions, conversational analytics, and AI-driven coaching.

One tool, in particular, that is beneficial for those on Shopify is Yuma, which provides an AI Ticket Assistant to help speed up procedures for responding to customers.

This software can reply in writing to customers’ inquiries, adjust writing styles when perceived to be necessary, automatically translate into 15 different languages, and also connect with your help-desk software.

4. Freshdesk

If you are searching for a tool to help you manage your customer service process across different channels, including any combination of live chat, emails, mobile apps, and social platforms, Freshdesk can be advantageous and time-saving.

With it, you can better automate your customer service workflow and provide your agents with a 360-degree view of each customer to better facilitate resolutions. It can also route tasks to where they can best be supported more efficiently, helping reduce call wait times for your customers.

5. Eddy AI

To streamline your customer support process, Eddy AI Assistant may be all you need. Its AI-powered chatbot can be integrated seamlessly with your different channels, including websites, social media pages, messaging apps, and mobile applications.

The Eddy AI Assistant meets customers at the initial point of contact, answering already established FAQs. For those questions not on that list, Eddy AI transfers the customer to a live customer service agent.

This platform also gathers detailed analytics on customer engagement and more, providing you with clues as to how to improve your customer service, marketing, and sales efforts.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an AI Solution for Customer Service

When deciding on an AI customer service solution, it’s crucial to weigh various factors to ensure you make the best choice for your business.

Compatibility

Firstly, compatibility with your existing systems is paramount. Look for a solution that seamlessly integrates with your current software and infrastructure to avoid disruptions and maximize efficiency.

Scalability

Scalability is another essential consideration. Your chosen solution should have the capacity to grow alongside your business, accommodating increasing volumes of customer interactions without sacrificing performance or reliability.

Ease of implementation

Ease of implementation and configuration is key to getting up and running quickly. Pick a solution that offers straightforward setup processes and intuitive user interfaces, minimizing the time and resources required for deployment.

Customization options

Customization options are also important. Your AI customer service solution should be flexible enough to adapt to your unique business requirements and workflows.

Look for features that allow you to tailor the solution to meet your specific needs, whether it’s customizing chatbot responses or configuring automated workflows.

Pricing

When evaluating pricing, consider the overall value proposition. While cost is certainly a factor, it’s essential to weigh it against the features, functionality, and benefits offered by the solution.

Look for transparent pricing structures and consider the long-term return on investment.

Customer support

Finally, robust customer support is crucial. Pick a vendor that provides excellent customer service and support resources, including responsive technical support, comprehensive documentation, and user training.

Having reliable support ensures that any issues or concerns can be addressed promptly, minimizing disruptions to your customer service operations.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select an AI customer service solution that aligns with your business goals and delivers tangible benefits in efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Here’s a table that summarizes the main factors to consider:

5 Ways to Use AI in Customer Service Experiences

Now that you understand the benefits of knowing how to use AI in customer service experiences, let’s take a deep dive into some of the ways your business can utilize machine learning. 

Outsiders to AI might think that it requires dedicated teams of developers and engineers, but the opposite is true. 

AI can be woven into your marketing strategies in many ways with simple tools you might already have access to with your software.

1. Solving Users’ Most Frequent Questions

Customers will often have similar or even the same questions regarding your brand, your products, and services, or your policies. 

While creating a FAQ page on your brand’s website is always a best practice, sometimes customers want to get that information in other ways. 

Chatbots and AI communication tools can connect customers to the answers they are looking for in a friendly, interactive, and engaging format. 

Many customers prefer the experience of a conversation, even if it’s with a bot.

When your customer service teams aren’t fielding the same questions every day, it frees up a lot of time in the day to focus on other, high-level tasks. 

Both customers and your customer service team will benefit from bots.

2. Learning Customer Behavior Patterns

While your marketing and sales efforts are taking in a large amount of data, parsing through all that data and gaining actionable insights isn’t as easy. 

AI can go through massive data sets and pull out information related to customer behavior patterns. 

When you understand the patterns exhibited by your customers, you can better predict the solutions or alternatives that will appeal to your audiences, as well as be able to predict important events and trends.

One way to accomplish this is with the use of an AI-powered solution called Ion.

While this platform provides you with the ability to easily create interactive content for your potential and existing customers, it can also do more.

Ion is an AI-powered solution for learning, measuring, and generating insights into your customers’ behavior patterns. With it, you can learn how your customers are engaging with your interactive customer service content by way of the platform’s clear and accurate reporting abilities.

It also easily integrates with your CRM or automation tool, and you can export the data for review and use by your sales and marketing teams.

3. Speeding Up Response Times

In today’s fast-paced world, customers don’t want to wait for answers. 

When a customer sends a message through a chatbot or a customer service form, they want an immediate response to their concern. 

If you can’t respond promptly to customer needs, they may quickly become frustrated with the experience and either switch to a competitor or lose faith in your team’s customer service capabilities.

Responding quickly is key to increasing customer satisfaction and AI can help with that.

Whether it’s a chatbot that talks to the customer in place of a representative or an automated response that directs customers to an after-service line, there are many ways AI helps speed up response times.

4. Measuring Customer Wait Times

Companies can use AI not just for shortening the gap between responses in chatbots — it can also use AI to measure wait times for customers online, on the phone, or even in person. 

AI can measure how long your customers wait for responses in live chats, calculate hold times, and determine the time it takes for a customer to be seen after checking in for an in-person appointment.

When you understand how long customers are waiting, you can start to strategize on how to improve and expedite to make the experience better for your audience.

5. Capturing Large Amounts of Data

While forms or purchase histories can provide some data, AI can dive much deeper and capture large amounts of data. 

AI tools can mine complex data that most team members wouldn’t know how to interpret or even collect. 

Even more so than capturing data, AI can comprehend and organize the data into actionable steps and clear insights. 

AI finds patterns that people won’t notice and transforms complicated data sets into easy reports.

Challenges of Using AI In Customer Service

Before getting started on incorporating AI into your customer service process, it will also be beneficial to gain a sense of the various existing challenges. The most common ones are listed below.

Identifying where to insert AI

Before adding AI solutions into your customer service process, you must first fully understand your customers and determine where to insert AI most effectively.

You’ll need to determine these first, finding where to introduce AI solutions to help both you and them without going overboard.

Anticipating escalation of customer needs

Over the last few years, customers have become increasingly comfortable with self-service options on digital channels. Automated first points of contact are increasingly being accepted as the norm.

However, when it comes to additional or more complex customer needs, customers prefer human interaction, whether through a call center or assisted chats online.

Where the challenge comes in is that companies today must anticipate where the escalation of customer needs occurs and how to transition. This adds a degree of complexity, as the mix of AI and human solutions must intertwine at some point.

Handling increasing customer expectations

As with shopping online or using the self-checkout at the local grocery store, consumers today are becoming more comfortable and reliant on quick, straightforward, self-service options and fast response times.

The downside to all of this is that it can result in rising expectations of other self-service options or faster responses from human agents within your company.

If you don’t continue to progress in how your AI-powered or assisted solutions function, you will be unable to meet those increasing customer expectations and suffer the consequences.

It’s the double-edged sword of providing too much vs. providing too little, with the potential for failing to meet your customers’ needs and expectations either way.

Meeting the expenses of implementation

For implementing AI-powered or AI-assisted solutions, costs can be high and, for some, even prohibitive.

Every company will need to consider this, measuring potential costs against the expected benefits.

Another factor that will contribute to the cost of implementing and using AI in customer service is the need for the required infrastructure. Since AI solutions require high volumes of data to be efficient, your business must have the infrastructure to facilitate this.

Maintaining a trained workforce for AI-assisted customer service

While AI may be the wave of the future, it is not at a point where companies can dismiss human oversight. You will need to ensure you maintain enough customer service employees to keep everything in check and keep the service efficient and acceptable.

Yet, with such bold changes in the workplace, you now face the dilemma of potentially lacking enough experienced customer service employees. These essential workers will need to continue to monitor customer service outcomes while also supporting the AI programs and tools you are using.

Today, the labor market is tight when it comes to finding workers for these roles. For those you hire, you’ll likely need to train them to understand how your customer service process integrates AI and human solutions. This training will naturally incur costs and can be highly time-consuming, especially if you experience a high turnover rate.

Wrap-Up: AI is Changing the World of Customer Service 

And it’s also making things easier and more efficient for customer representatives and teams. 

With new tools, techniques, and applications for AI and machine learning, marketing teams are changing the ways in which they operate and moving forward with digital transformations.

If you are wondering how AI can help improve your marketing efforts and the overall customer service experience, start with a look at what Ion can offer. Request a demo today!

The post Learn How to Use AI in Customer Service appeared first on Rock Content.

If a business prices a product lower than it should be, its revenue and profit are out of date. The problem also happens when something is sold at a fair price.

Certainly, it will sell little, and it won’t make any sense for the consumer to pay what is being charged. Did you see how important it is to have balance in this relationship?

This post will show you how to achieve this, pointing out which factors need to be considered when putting a sales price on something. Continue reading!

What is the selling price of a product?

The selling price of a product is how much the company wants to receive for it. In other words, a product that costs a lot is not exactly good, much less the best on the market. The same logic applies to items that cost less.

The price only determines, from a commercial point of view, how much it is interesting for the company to charge, thinking about costs and revenue. Every company that aims to make a profit needs to have a return for what it offers as merchandise. Therefore, the concept of price exists.

Within this number that is linked to a product, there are some factors included, the main ones being:

• Cost of production or acquisition of the product (in the case of a retail reseller);
• Added value of the product;
• Company maintenance costs;
• Average market value;
• The intended profit margin for each unit sold.

Most of the time, inadequate pricing happens when a company is unable to identify everything that makes up the price. In these cases, the only factor considered is the market average.

However, even though it is a good basis for comparison, it does not mean that the price will be the best. The reason? Each company has its costs, and strategic objectives, among other particularities.

How important is it to calculate it correctly?

Knowing how to prepare the sales price makes a difference in helping a company achieve goals and objectives. Good results are linked to planning that considers many issues, mainly those linked to the company’s survival.

There are also some other good reasons to calculate the sales price correctly. We explain!

Product valuation

Have you ever thought that selling a good product for a price well below the market is a way of devaluing it? After all, if something is worth much more, why won’t your company do what is currently being charged? Acting this way is almost shooting yourself in the foot, which no one wants. But sometimes, a mistake can lead to this situation.

All a business needs is to show its consumers that everything it sells is the best possible product. So, prices that vary a bit and follow the market average show that the item is valuable. But of course, small variations will happen. The important thing is to know clearly how much you can increase or increase this price.

Fair competitiveness

Market competitiveness exists, and a company always wants to relentlessly beat its competitors. This is completely acceptable and fair. However, it is different from a lack of ethics.

The consumer will never buy from your business if another company is selling the same product at an extremely lower price. This is why keeping to the average is ideal.

There must be this difference between prices so that each company can find its space within the market. However, very high disparities will generate discomfort among competitors and can leave the market unequal and unfair. From an economic point of view, it is very difficult for you to be able to lower the price that much and still make a profit on your trade.

Business sustainability

Companies have costs and expenses that are essential for their operation. It is necessary to pay employees, pay taxes, invest in advertising, and continue producing or purchasing products from suppliers.

This all costs you money, and what will cover all that amount is the return on your sales. Therefore, the price must take into account each of these points.

A sustainable company, that is, capable of maintaining itself in the long term, has a solid basis in product pricing. After all, it is from revenue that the money comes from to keep the business running continuously.

Therefore, when knowing how to prepare the sales price, you cannot fail to consider the costs that keep the company financially healthy.

How to calculate the selling price of a product?

In this topic, we will show you what factors you need to evaluate to define the ideal selling price for your products. Discover!

Calculate expenses

Time to put everything on the tip of a pencil! Your company has well-defined costs, and you can know what they are. Therefore, list all your monthly financial obligations and evaluate how much you spend on each of them.

Therefore, you will know what percentage, per product, you need to withdraw to direct each of these expenses that make the business work. To help you identify and calculate your expenses, here are some examples:

• payroll;
• raw material costs;
• costs of purchasing products from suppliers;
• expenses for water, electricity, internet, and other fixed providers;
• the monthly cost of renting offices and stores;
• fixed taxes that need to be collected monthly and annually;
• product taxes.

Evaluate competitors’ prices

Always keep an eye on the prices charged by competitors. Understand not only how much these other companies are charging, but the variation in these numbers.

It is important to know whether the product in question is on the rise or in decline. This will also be of great help in having a revenue perspective, something that will make your planning more solid.

It is worth evaluating what company this is and what target audience it covers. You won’t always be looking at a direct competitor, meaning your price won’t be the same.

Still, it’s a great observation to make so you understand who you’re competing with. This study must be carried out continuously to guarantee a qualified analysis.

Do market research

Market research should be aimed at understanding your consumer’s behavior. For example, it is important to maintain an attractive price for a product that is in high demand and always has high sales rates. Having this perception, through numbers, will always allow your business to have a good revenue margin within the appropriate price.

Another point to be observed in these surveys is seasonality. Some products tend to vary in price according to the time of year or even the week within the month.

These changes are used to ensure that an item is not left stranded, or to take advantage of a period when demand is greater and, in this case, sell it more expensively to have a greater profit margin.

Understand your competitive differentiators

Do you not only believe but know that your product has quality and is highly competitive with other companies? Therefore, this must be reflected in the price charged for it.

This means recognizing the value and ensuring that the price is fair, according to the differences that it is capable of bringing to the market. If you don’t do this, you risk devaluing what you sell.

Every product conveys a clear message in its price. If it is much cheaper than the same item, but from another brand, this means that its value is not that high. In other words, its quality is not competitive.

Therefore, always know how to analyze these differences that make your product worth more. This way, you won’t price lower than you should!

Set the profit margin

Your company certainly knows precisely how much profit it wants to make per month. However, this profit is obtained for the value of thousands of sales, not just for one product.

Therefore, the profit calculation must be applied to each item. In other words, the price charged must cover all costs and, in addition, the profit margin per item.

It turns out that there is no rule for this profit amount. Everything will depend on your commercial strategy and your company’s need to generate profit.

For example, some businesses achieve high-profit margins on a single product. In this case, they are not concerned with selling a lot, but with selling well. It is important to know your place in the market and, therefore, define your strategy and profit margin.

What are the advantages of following these tips on how to prepare the sales price?

Recommendations on how to prepare the sales price can put your company in a prominent place. Among the main advantages you will enjoy are:

• secure strategic growth;
• gaining customers in the medium term;
• market competitiveness;
• strategic profit margins;
• financial security;
• business sustainability.

Knowing how to prepare the sales price does not need to be a challenge if the company understands exactly what should make up these numbers. Thus, strategically and with a focus on sustainability and business development, it is possible to know how much to charge for what you sell.

How about, now, understanding in more depth the difference between the price and value of a product? Clear your doubts about these two concepts!

The post How to calculate and prepare the sales price of a product? appeared first on Rock Content.

It is very common to have questions at this point, which you can solve by evaluating the name of the online store that best fits your profile.

To do this, you must assess how it sounds, the target audience, and what your domain will look like, among other factors. A crucial choice that needs to be well-thought-out to find the most appropriate name.

In this article, we provide some tips on how to choose the most commercial name for your business. Check it out below.

How to choose a name for your online store?

First, don’t choose a name for your online store that restricts the expansion of your product mix, or that determines your business geographically.

This could harm the company’s expansion. Therefore, invest in words that allow you to grow. See other important guidelines.

Check the competition

Do some research into competitors’ names, how they are structured, and how they impact customers. Avoid similar names, as they can bring back memories of other brands and become a problem when registering the brand.

This research is relevant for you to understand what has worked to attract the customers’ attention and why.

Think about your target audience

Knowing who your ideal client is is essential to finding a name that reaches the people who matter to your business. One that aligns with their interests, knowledge, and buying habits.

For example, if it is a pet supplies store, the name needs to be involved with the world of pets so that it touches the hearts of its owners.

Find a name that is short and direct

Another essential requirement is to find a short name so that it can be easily pronounced and remembered — and to make it easier to register a website domain for your company.

There are rules on the number of letters, but common sense must be exercised — as it is not ideal to change it afterward.

Be careful with the use of foreign words. They have to be very well known within your target audience and easy to pronounce. But it can also be a differentiating factor.

Talking about different, try to avoid very unusual names, or using characters that can’t be in your domain’s URL, such as accents, #, @, etc.

Check its online availability

With a preliminary list of the possible words you want to use, check if they are available as web domains by googling them or using websites like name.com.

Here, it’s nice to do some combination and rearranging testing to see if similar options have already been registered. Also, take the opportunity to analyze social networks before creating your pages.

Use a relevant keyword

Try to include a relevant keyword in the name of your business, or use it in a slogan. For example, using the word “pet” for a pet shop. This will help position the site when someone searches for this specific topic.

Associate the name with e-commerce jargon

Another advice is to use known prefixes to quickly identify that you are an online store, such as e-, shop, virtual, or web.

For our example, one possibility would be to adopt e-pet. It has been a strategy widely used in successful companies.

Do a brainstorming

Write down all the words that have to do with your market, use nouns and adjectives, etc. Then, separate those that are used by competitors and those that are limiting.

With what’s left, make combinations until you find the ones that best represent your business and have the potential to be a stand-out.

Avoid typos and double entendre

If you choose to use a name in another language, check the spelling, grammar, and what it means. Don’t do this through free translators, but look for professionals who speak the language and can clarify correctly.

Even if it is in English, check the correct spelling and that there is no double entendre: a double meaning that can stigmatize your brand from the start.

Be original

The name you choose needs to be original for your store to stand out. So play with words a little bit and look for inspiration even in other countries.

Remember to study your audience well to achieve their interest in purchasing products in your online store.

What to take into account when choosing a name for an online store?

To get to know your consumers, you can benchmark the competition and research your ideal customer’s traits. Another important point is to define your niche, even if your store has a mix of different products.

This segmentation can be a driver for boosting your sales. Additionally, check other requirements.

Go for a timeless name

Look for timeless names and avoid fads, so that they can resist the test of time. Things about brands that lasted for a long time: Coca-Cola, Nike, Antarctica, Louis Vuitton, among others. None of them has dated words or expressions.

Answer the right questions

Ask yourself important questions about points that will guide your choice:

• What is your target audience? (stating: demographic profile, where they live, age, gender, marital status, education, profession, etc.)
• What is your buyer persona’s psychological profile? (tastes, values, how you have fun, idols, causes you defend, etc.)
• What are your products, services, and solutions?
• What place do you want to occupy in the hearts and minds of this audience?
• What do you offer your audience that is different? What can lead to them choosing your brand when purchasing a product or service?
• What is your mission, vision, and values?

What are the steps to register the company name?

In the United States, it is obligatory to have a legal name that can be registered along with the business. Fortunately, it is an easy process to follow. See the overall steps you have to take:

• Check the availability of the name in the state you are opening the online store
• Form the business following your state’s procedures and type of company (like LLC)
• If you want to use different names for registration and branding, you can register for a DBA (Doing Business As), a legal nickname that you can legally use in the market.

When you register your business name, you are the only company that can use it for commercial purposes in that area. So it is a step to take only when you are certain that you found the right option to thrive in the market.

What are 21 examples of names for online stores?

To inspire your initial brainstorming, check out 21 names for your online store in different segments: women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, accessories, perfumes, crafts, and varieties.

Note that they take into account the market niche and target audience:

1. Bella Fit Fashion
2. Vestiti
3. The Fashion Lab
4. L’Uomo Fashion
5. Tiger Men’s Wear
6. Mr. Handsome
7. Kings Fashion
8. Rock for Men
9. Watercolor Store
10. Enchanted World
11. Little Fashion
12. Meeny Miny Mo Kids Wear
13. Glow up Accessories
14. Presence Bijou
15. Mademoiselle Accessories and Handbags
16. Chic & Cheap Accessories
17. Brotherhood Perfumery
18. Fine Flower Cosmetics
19. Roots Atelier
20. Stitch to Stitch Handcraft
21. Handmade Gifts

In this guide, you discovered several tips, so you don’t make mistakes when creating the name for your online store.

Follow all the tips you learned today so that your e-commerce starts with a differentiated and valuable brand to attract target consumers. Also, don’t forget to register your business so you don’t have any future problems.

Want to use your new business name to start strong in the market? Take a look at our guide on the Social SEO Revolution!

The post How to choose a name for your online store? See 21 examples for inspiration! appeared first on Rock Content.