The e-commerce marketplace is booming, both in terms of demand and, unfortunately for e-commerce business owners, with supply too. To ensure that your e-commerce store is able to compete in this busy marketplace, to gain the loyal customer base it needs to grow, it is vital that you do all you can to stay ahead. The right digital tools can give you an edge against your competition, helping you to grow and prosper in your marketplace.
1. An Analytics Tool
An analytics tool is paramount to the long-term success of any e-commerce store. The reason that an analytics tool is so valuable is due to the insights it can provide. An analytics tool can help you gain access to valuable information regarding customer demographics, customer behavior, and preferences. You can use the information you gain from your analytics tools in everything from product development to marketing.
2. Cloud Services
According to Safebit Solutions, cloud services are one of the most valuable tools available for small and medium-sized businesses, in particular. There are a few reasons why cloud services are so valuable. Firstly, they facilitate productivity and connectivity, allowing an authorized party to access the information they need from any location. Secondly, cloud services are hugely scalable, and they are able to grow with your business. This means that you are only required to pay for what you need, which helps you save money without limiting your potential. Thirdly, cloud computing solutions are much more affordable than traditional hardware, making them the perfect choice for a small e-commerce store.
3. Chatbots
Chatbots can prove invaluable to an e-commerce store, being one of the most sort-after tools in customer relations today. A chatbot can be used to answer customer queries any time of the day, seven days a week. This helps to increase customer satisfaction, as recipients can receive a reply quickly. It also helps your internal operations as staff have to spend less time answering routine questions.
4. Email Marketing Software
Email marketing is an effective method that allows you to maintain contact and build relationships with customers at a very low cost. However, for email marketing to be as effective as possible, there needs to be a level of personalization. Since between 20 to 40% of emails that are received go unanswered, you need to entice your customers into opening your emails. This is where email marketing software comes in, allowing you to effectively manage and personalize your marketing emails.
5. Social Media Management Software
Social media marketing is commonly accepted as a fundamental marketing practice, which helps e-commerce stores to grow their customer base, increase brand loyalty and expand their brand awareness. However, email marketing can be a very difficult practice to manage, especially if you are using a serval different platforms. Social media marketing software helps you stay in control of all of your social media marketing campaigns. You can track your progress and respond to customers from one platform. Having all this information in one place makes it much easier for marketers to stay on top of even the busiest social media accounts.