To
become an Ecommerce pro, you need to be
extremely hands on to make sure that your
online
store
runs smoothly. But with so much to do, there are
certain processes that can cause headaches and take up a lot of time.
So
we've put together a list of 10 software tools that can help automate
those painful processes, in order to save your time and boost
efficiency....
1.
Customer Support Software
Communicating
with your customers is important, so by implementing a help desk on
your site, you'll be able to streamline this process. Whether
customers are reaching out with questions, you need to inform them
that you've run out of stock, or your customers want to find answers
for themselves, a help desk makes it so easy to provide exceptional
customer service. Many platforms also include live chat, so your
customers can ask you a question quickly, and you can provide better
communication all-round.
Platforms
we recommend:
2. Task Management Software
Do
you often find yourself starting a task, and then something else will
urgently need your attention and you'll completely forget about what
you were previously doing? Unfortunately a written task list doesn’t
help, so what you need is a tool that helps you manage tasks
effectively. Most task management tools will let you collaborate on
tasks with other employees, integrate with your calendar, set
reminders and stay organized.
Platforms
we recommend:
3. Bug Tracking Software
From
time to time, bugs and errors can occur and you need to be prepared
to fix the issue promptly. Problem is, if you nobody tells you
there's an error then you may end up losing customers without even
realizing why. That's where bug tracking software comes in. You'll be
alerted to any bugs and errors in your system so the problem can be
fixed without wasting any time.
Platforms
we recommend:
4. Email Marketing Automation
With
66%
of consumers having made a purchase after receiving a promotional
email, there's no denying that email marketing is one of the best
tools you can have. When putting together your campaigns, you need to
make sure that your emails are well designed to match your brand,
plus they need to be responsive across every device.
The
great thing about an email platform is that they will help you create
templates without having to use code, test the email to make sure
it's responsive, send the email out to your database, and provide
metrics on how well your campaigns are performing.
Platforms
we recommend:
5. Finance Management
It
can be quite time consuming to manage your accounts, billing and
invoicing all together. But it's so important to the success of your
store, because if you're not doing it right, then you won't get paid.
Not only do you need to manage the billing side for your customers,
but you'll also need to make sure you are staying on top of supplier
invoicing, and your business accounts on a whole.
There's
plenty of tools out there to help you manage and automate this
process, with tracking, billing and invoicing templates, so you can
track, dispatch and manage orders effectively.
Platforms
we recommend:
6. Website Analytics
Keeping
track of metrics is at the heart of any Ecommerce store. You need to
measure performance in order to succeed and where necessary, make
improvements. A decent analytics tool will give you a detailed
insight into your store, with everything from traffic and conversion
insights, to which keywords you should be using and how well your
campaigns are performing.
Platforms
we recommend:
7. CRM Software
A
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is another great way to
improve your relationship with your current customers, it will help
streamline workflows and it can also help turn prospectives into
lifelong
customers. Using CRM you'll be able to collect data about your
customers, so that you can provide each customer with a personalized
experience when shopping at your online store. You'll also be able to
make suggestions based on their shopping history, so that you can
up-sell and increase your turnover.
Platforms
we recommend:
8. Inventory Management
It
can be quite a task to manage inventory, especially if you sell a lot
of various different products. Problem is, if you don't keep track of
your stock, and effectively communicate with suppliers, then you
could end up running out and ultimately lose out on sales. Inventory
management involves overseeing the constant flow of units in and out
of your business, meaning it takes up a lot of time.
Luckily
there's inventory management software out there to help you automate
this lengthy process. A good platform will help you improve the
supply chain management and purchasing capabilities, give you
insights into your key suppliers, and let you collaborate with those
suppliers throughout the entire process.
Platforms
we recommend:
9. Marketing Automation
Marketing
is a big part of running an online store. You need bring leads to
you, nurture them and turn them into sales – and that's what
marketing is all about. A decent marketing automation tool will give
you the data needed, to effectively focus your campaigns to the right
audience, and automate a lot of tasks that you may not have time for.
For example, on Amazon when you purchase items, you'll notice the
next time you log in the store will recommend similar items based on
your history. That's all thanks to marketing automation!
Platforms
we recommend:
10. Social Media Management
With
so many platforms out there, social media can be a painful process to
many Ecommerce owners. The good news is
that there are plenty of tools available that help you automate this
process. A social media management tool will let view all of your
social platforms in one place, so you can update your status across
all sites at once. And a good tool will also provide you with
analytics so you can learn how to effectively engage with your
audience.
You
should also look out for a platform that lets you set up various
streams of content, so you can quickly find content that is related
to your target audience, and share it on your social channels.
Platforms
we recommend:
Build
your online store with us!
If
you're still planning to set up your online store, or you're not
happy with your current Ecommerce model, then why not take a look at
our Ecommerce solution? We've got so many
ecommerce features
included in our platform to make sure that you are fully-equipped to
become an Ecommerce pro.