Statistics indicate that there has been a steady growth in eCommerce sales in the US in the last decade. Data shows that there was a 21.3% eCommerce penetration in 2020, with consumers spending over $816.12 billion in the U.S. alone. This shows how eCommerce can be a lucrative way of conducting business.
But, you should note that it’s not that easy to run an eCommerce business. Currently, there are an estimated 7.1 million eCommerce websites in the world, with 1.8 million of these websites in the US alone. So, starting an eCommerce website puts you into competition with these businesses. That means you will require some of the best eCommerce solutions if you want to stand out from the other businesses.
ECommerce solutions can assist you to simplify and automate different tasks concerning your business. Besides, these solutions can assist you to effectively utilize your time, and improve your efficiency. From marketing to online transactions and managing inventory, these solutions can make it easier to do all your eCommerce related tasks.
With that said, let’s look at the top solutions that you need for eCommerce in 2021.
ECommerce platform
This is the first and most essential solution for a successful eCommerce business. Today, we have different platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify specifically designed for eCommerce enterprises. One interesting thing about such platforms is that they come equipped with different tools and services, which make it easier for you to manage your business. Every eCommerce platform has its included services and themes. Therefore, you should choose a solution that’s suitable for your business.
Digital payment solutions
The secret to succeeding in your eCommerce business is making it possible for customers to purchase the services or products on your website. Today, we have third-party payment solutions, which make it easier to make and manage online transactions. Stripe and PayPal are the most common online payment tools. And, these tools can be easily integrated into almost all eCommerce platforms.
Email marketing tools
To make your new and current customers aware of your products, you can implement email marketing, which is very effective in boosting your brand awareness. Mail Chimp is one of the best tools for this job. You can use this tool to increase your email list and accomplish coordinated marketing plans.
Some of today’s email marketing tools can automate most of your email marketing activities. This can assist business owners to monitor abandoned shopping carts and send follow-up messages to customers—which can help to maximize conversions.
Live chat tools
Customer service plays an essential role in businesses. How a business treats its clients determines whether it can refer other people to it. Now, eCommerce sites have certain challenges when it comes to customer service—and most of them have suffered because of this.
However, yours doesn’t have to suffer—you can use live chat tools to interact with your customers. Live chat makes it easier for eCommerce businesses to communicate with their clients 24/7. Whether your clients require technical support or assistance in finding the right product or completing a purchase, a live chat tool can help you offer the required assistance.
Advanced tracking and analytics
When your eCommerce website is finally up and running, you will need a solution to track and analyze the sales information of your business. Such solutions can assist you to have better insights into the purchasing behaviors of your clients. Irrespective of whether you want to increase the performance of your site or make more sales, advanced analytics and tracking tools can assist you to test your eCommerce site to see the changes that you should do to maximize efficiency.
Phone validation solutions
Today, phone validation solutions such as the phone validation tool by Byteplant play an essential role in eCommerce businesses. These solutions can help you save money in the long run since they ensure you target the right customers. With a phone validation tool, you will always reach the right customer on the other side of the line, thus cutting the cost of sending messages to invalid phone numbers.
Social media management (SMM) solutions
As an eCommerce business, you will need to manage and maintain your social media presence. With that said, ensuring your social media profiles remain updated is exhausting and time consuming at the same time—especially if your business has a small team.
However, integrating social media management tools for your business can ensure your customers remain engaged as you focus on other activities. With these solutions, you can organize your social media content and automate posts depending on their requirements.
CRM solution
CRM or customer relationship management solutions help to create a better customer experience. In addition to creating a good customer experience, these CRM tools allow you to track those experiences. Using customer relationship management can give your business an upper hand over other businesses that don’t have such solutions.
Bottom Line
While the competition remains high for eCommerce businesses, using the above solutions can help you to remain a step ahead of your competition. In addition, you need to be consistent in whatever you do for your business to succeed. Lastly, you should understand that customer experience is everything when it comes to eCommerce—and you should always aim to retain that.