The sheer number of ecommerce tools available on the market can overwhelm any new business owner. Setting up your online store shouldn’t be so confusing; but, with shopping cart software, marketing automation tools, analytics, social media aggregation, task management programs, and more -- how do you know where to begin? Let’s break it down.
All ecommerce tools can generally be categorized into these five groups -- Website, Research, Business, Marketing, and Analytics. While each category serves an important function for an ecommerce business, investing in every tool wouldn’t be a financially feasible option for any successful enterprise. That’s why our most important advice is to invest in tools that serve your specific business model and workflow. Not every business needs to send out a newsletter to be successful -- but almost every business needs a good website. Here are our picks for each category that serve a broad spectrum of needs. Treat it as a buffet -- choose what looks good to you!
These are tools that help you set up your store and manage it and can affect your site’s visibility, down time, and the financial cost to you. When considering where and how to host your site, you’ll need to address the needs of your business -- like scalability, logistics, SEO, and mobile-friendliness -- while you also appraise the needs of your shoppers -- like loading speeds and an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly experience. These factors, combined with your technical ability and budget, will determine which option is best for you. Our top choices are:
Cultivating a successful ecommerce business is impossible if you’re in the dark about your competitors -- it’s all about working your advantages. That’s why research tools are important to learn about other players in your marketplace, recognize opportunities in your niche, and learn how to improve your web and marketing assets. Some tools that might help you are:
Opening an online store is the easy part -- and running it is the challenge! You have to maintain inventory, manage employees, track your budget, and tackle the day-to-day tasks -- and business tools are available to help you keep everything running smoothly. Look for tools that fit in with your organization systems and streamline your business processes.
Don’t overlook this one! To make sales, you have to help your customers find your site -- that’s where marketing comes in to let the world know that you exist, build your brand, drive traffic to your store, and convert leads into sales. There are hundreds of options out there addressing various needs, but look for one that allows you to track campaign performance, lets you segment your customer base, and minimizes the effort you have to put into tasks that waste the most of your time. Of the countless apps available, these are some of our favorites:
Last, but by no means least -- every business needs analytics to prove what’s working and point out any leaks in your sales funnels and missed opportunities. Analytics can help you understand what customers want, why they came to you for it, and how you can draw in more of them -- insights crucial to the success of your business.
Remember, when you’re first starting your ecommerce business, the worst thing you can do is overextend yourself over a plethora of tools you may not even like using -- so choose wisely based on your business model, technical knowledge, and budget. Try free options first, or take advantage of the many free trials companies have to offer. That way, you can determine which tools best fit your unique needs that can scale with you, and invest where it counts. And if you’re looking for a company that can help you do it all -- check out Asendia USA. We offer a wide range of ecommerce services to help your business flourish. Contact us today!