E-commerce is a rapidly growing industry. While the convenience of online shopping has attracted more and more revenue in recent years, independent eCommerce store owners need help to keep up with eCommerce giants like Amazon. These giants dictate the game with their deep pockets, which allows them to provide 24*7 customer support, a highly personalized experience, and post-purchase care. So can your eCommerce business compete with these giants? 

The right eCommerce tools and platforms: 

Types of Ecommerce Tools to Improve Customer Experience

Ecommerce Tools for Marketing

eCommerce marketing plays an essential role in the eCommerce industry. As the eCommerce store scales, it becomes crucial to employ the right software to automate your promotional tactics to drive traffic to your eCommerce store and retain those customers through post-purchase campaigns.

Ecommerce Customer Service Tools

Customer service is the backbone of eCommerce growth. Your customer service should aim to unburden your team while helping you streamline customer service.  Learn More on Ecommerce Customer Service

Ecommerce OMS, Loyalty, Review & Subscription Management Tools

Social currency is significant in establishing legitimacy in a sea of options online. Your review management software should help you leverage customer feedback to attract more customers. With loyalty and subscription programs, you can ensure customer loyalty. 

Related Read: Ways to Improve Ecommerce Customer Experience

Best eCommerce Store Development Platforms

Here are some of the most reliable and popular eCommerce platforms for building your eCommerce store:

1. Shopify

Shopify is a popular platform that does not rely on WordPress to create an eCommerce store. It is the easiest to adapt to, and you do not need to worry about web hosting and software. However, Shopify does not offer the same flexibility that Woocommerce or Magento can. Here are some of its features:

• Useful integrations for dropshipping.
• Abandoned Cart Reminders
• Easy Drag and Drop options for an eCommerce website builder
• Inventory management tools
• Mobile-friendly solution. Learn More on Feature Comparison: Shopify vs Shopify Plus

Related Read:

• ‍Best Shopify Apps to Integrate with Ecommerce Store
• Best Shopify Helpdesk to Integrate with Store
• Best Shopify Live Chat Apps
• Best Shopify CRM to Integrate with Store

2. Woocommerce

Woocommerce is based on WordPress. It is open-source and one of the most flexible eCommerce platforms available. It is a straightforward shop system with these features: 

• Promotions Management
• Returns Management
• Shipping Management
• integration with Social Media platforms

Related Read:

1. Woocommerce CRM to Integrate with Online Store
2. Best Woocommerce Support Ticket System
3. Best Live Chat for Woocommerce

3. Magento

Magento is the preferred choice for scaling eCommerce businesses. Magento is one of the most robust platforms and will not face performance issues even when there are 500k+ products on your eCommerce website.

Although Magento is open source and has a sizeable community, there are fewer Magento developers; hence, managing and maintaining the site may be challenging compared to other eCommerce platforms. Here are some Magento features that are unique to the platform- 

• Multiple store views
• Multi-language and multi-currency support
• Powerful SEO tools and features 
• One-page checkout 
• Shipping to multiple addresses in one order.

Read Also: Best Magento Helpdesk Extension

Key Features to Consider While Choosing a Development Platform

1. Community

Since many eCommerce platforms are open source, you can quickly source customizations and solutions for your online store from the community. This will save you time and money spent on development. Pick a platform that has a sizeable community, making it easier to adapt and adjust to it. 

2. Costs Incurred

Shopify takes care of hosting and other backend expenses when you create an online store using their platform. The same is not valid for Magento or Woocommerce, owing to their purpose of flexibility. 

3. Scalability

Your chosen platform should provide a seamless experience even as your online store grows. Whether it is an increase in the number of products, visitors, or even orders- your eCommerce platform should be able to keep up with it. You can pick and choose from a wide range of options and refine your eCommerce website according to your needs. You can choose a reliable Forex VPS hosting and provide the best web hosting experience.

4. Buildability

The most significant benefit of using an eCommerce platform as opposed to building a custom eCommerce website is the convenience that comes along with it. Every forum has several plugins that allow you to add different features to your website. You can pick and choose from a wide range of options and refine your eCommerce website according to your needs.  

Best eCommerce Tools for Marketing:

4. Klaviyo

Klaviyo helps create a personalized experience for your customers across all marketing channels like SMS, in-app notifications, and the web. It helps create actionable marketing strategies based on data like customer journeys, automates customer communications, all handles all your email marketing strategy processes from start to finish.

Key Features:

• Forms: eCommerce in-built sign-up and pop up forms to collect customer information.
• Unified Customer Profile: provides all customer information in a single view  
• Segmentation: Updates customer segments automatically.
• Predictive analytics tools to maximize efficiency.

Pros:

• In-built email templates 
• Responsive customer support team

Cons: 

• Template builder isn't intuitive
• Steeper learning curve compared to other apps

‍Related Read: Customer Service Sample Email Templates to Copy

5. Omnisend:

Omnisend is one of the eCommerce tools for marketing that allows eCommerce store owners to create marketing strategies for eCommerce shopping platforms. Using Omnisend, online sellers can create marketing campaigns using multiple channels to connect with their customers. They can also leverage Omnisend for precise targeting through personalized texts and emails.

Key Features:

• Analytics tools and dashboards allow you to monitor your campaign's performance in real-time. 
• Pre-Built Automations: automate email sequences for a better pre and post-purchase experience 
• Segmentation: In-built features to create audience segments for more target marketing campaigns. 
• Pre-send Testing: this allows you to test your email campaigns. 

Pros:

• Push and SMS notifications

Cons:

• Lacks email scheduling features
• Limited customizations

6. Campaign Monitor:

Campaign Monitor is one of the most popular eCommerce tools that acts as a marketing campaign manager that allows you to collect real-time data on your eCommerce website visitors to form email lists. 

Key Features: 

• Send mass mailouts for marketing campaigns.
• Autoresponders: allows you to send automated emails that are triggered by specific user actions, such as joining a mailing list or buying a product)
• Analytics tools and dashboard: Analyse the results of email marketing campaigns.

Pros: 

• Easy to add video messages
• User-friendly dashboard

Cons: 

• Limited Customization Options
• Poor Integration with Outlook
• Poor Integration with Canva

Key Features to Consider While Choosing eCommerce Tools for Marketing:

1. Email Marketing

You can use these marketing tools to build subscriber lists, segment your subscribers and set automated emails. The most popular tools also allow your eCommerce store to export email marketing analytics, provide real-time data on their key metrics and monitor the success of their campaigns. 

2. Website Analytics

Website analytics tools are crucial to understanding your customer's behavior and how they interact with your eCommerce website and product pages. These insights can help you personalize your customer communication. 

3. Lead Generation

E-commerce marketing tools that have features that help you create popups, surveys, and other forms are incredibly beneficial as they help make lists of targeted leads. Many e-commerce tools offer third-party Integration so that you can feed your lead lists into your CRM for better customer context. 

4. Customer Service

Customer service matters for E-commerce businesses because this determines how likely buyers are to return. You can find top-tier e-commerce marketing tools to help enhance your customer service through automation and real-time data. You can also find software providing AI suggestions to ramp up your customer support efforts. 

5. SEO

SEO provides an online store with increased visibility and drives organic traffic to e-commerce stores. Loads of free and paid e-commerce marketing tools help you ace the SEO game. 

Best Ecommerce Tools for Customer Service:

7. Richpanel:

Richpanel is a customer support software that aims to use intelligent automation and self-service flow to reduce redundancy in customer support tickets. It helps resolve up to 50% of customer support issues without involving an agent for every single process. By cutting down the overall customer support costs, Richpanel positively impacts retention and bottom-line revenue, letting you scale up your eCommerce business. 

• Self-Service Software gives customers the power to take order actions or resolve their queries without contacting a support agent. Read more on Customer Self Service

• Help Desk & Ticket Management: Customer channels, actions, and eCommerce data under a single dashboard. Learn More on Ecommerce Helpdesk
• Omnichannel Messaging: Manage Whatsapp, live chat, Instagram, Facebook, etc., from one window. Discover More on Omni Channel Customer Service
• Live Chat and Messaging allow you to personalize interactions and collect crucial data accordingly. Discover More on Ecommerce Live Chat

Checkout how leading E-Commerce brands are redefining customer service with Richpanel -

• Brute Force Training Achieved 69% Automated Resolutions
• How BumpBoxx resolves tickets in 5 Seconds!
• Pawz resolved 70% of tickets through self-service

8. Zendesk:

Zendesk is one of the most popular eCommerce tools. Many businesses use Zendesk because it is highly customizable and can be configured to suit different companies. It improves customer service experience through these Zendesk Features- 

• It allows your support agents to send email updates to your customers. Zendesk enables multi-channel support by letting you manage customer conversations across email, phone, and social channels.
• Zendesk has a robust ticketing system that can filter tracks by multiple parameters.
•  A customizable reporting system will help you measure your support team's performance.
• Zendesk supports integrations with many applications like Jira, Salesforce, Slack, Survey Monkey, etc. Learn more on Zendesk Alternatives

Pros:

• Highly customizable

Cons:

• Expensive
• Steep learning curve

Checkout Why Leading Ecommerce Brands Migrated from Zendesk to Richpanel

• Atlas Bars chose Richpanel over Zendesk. Here's why.
• How Bicycle Warehouse Improved CX with a Lean Team after Moving from Zendesk

9. Gorgias:

Gorgias is one of the eCommerce tools used to manage tickets and answer customer inquiries efficiently. Their centralized customer communication platform reduces turnaround time, and they have tight Integration with Shopify. Gorgias claims to achieve a quick turnaround time, improving the customer experience and increasing the business's profitability. Here are the key features that help it fulfill this promise- 

• It has a centralized ticketing system that integrates all your support channels in one window. It also displays customer data in the same window.
• Gorgias allows you to automate responses to reduce response time. 
• The revenue tracking feature allows you to see the sales bought in by customer support. 
• It will enable you to edit, cancel orders or initiate a refund without leaving the window if your store is set up on Shopify. Discover more on Gorgias vs Zendesk

Pros:

• In-built VoIP
• Robust Routing 

Cons:

• Unreliable chatbot automation - Limitations and Drawbacks of Chatbots in Customer Service

Learn More: Gorgias Alternatives for Customer Service

10. Aircall:

Aircall is a cloud-based call center software that Integrates and connects with all the popular CRM and helpdesk tools. It allows you to add numbers from 100+ countries, draw insightful conclusions from real-time analytics and improve overall customer support functions.

Key Features:

• Virtual Call Center: Get all the numbers and user information from a single window.
• Interactive Voice Response: Set up an intelligent directory that will automatically guide callers to their corresponding team on the first try.
• Extensions: Provide a personalized 3-digit extension to every team member for better management.
• Routing: Route your calls to teams who handle specific locations, languages, or traits as and when the situation demands.
• One-click Set Up: Activate integrations via the admin dashboard in a single click

Pros

• Numerous third-party integrations 
• Ease of Use

Cons

• No text messaging provisions
• Limited features for mobile application

Key Features to Consider While Choosing eCommerce Tools for Customer Service:

Here are some features to look for in eCommerce tools for customer service:

1. Automation Flows:

Automation is a critical feature that allows you to increase the efficiency of your customer support team. Whether routing a conversation to the right person, triggering a canned response, or performing an order action based on the customer's message, automation can help reduce redundancy in chores so CS leaders can concentrate on customer experience. 

2. Customer Self-Service Portal:

Self-service is emerging as one of the leading customer service channels. It is the most efficient and cost-effective channel and enables customers to take control of their situation and find solutions to their problems without contacting a customer service agent. 

You can use canned responses, a knowledge base with tutorials, educational content, and FAQs that improve the pre and post-purchase experience. 

3. CSAT and Reporting

Customer service is a revenue channel that often gets undermined because of a lack of insight. Your eCommerce customer service tool should be able to track the revenue each support conversation generates. It helps you identify good performers on your CS team. 

4. Unified Customer Timeline: 

Customer support software should have CRM capabilities and aim to empower agents with information and functionality. A unified customer profile will provide full customer context, including CLV, recent purchases, and past interactions- all in one window. 

Your agents can use this information to better address customer concerns without having to use another CRM or switch between your eCommerce platform and helpdesk software. 

Related Read: Best CRM Ecommerce Software to Integrate

5. Platform Integration

Your team's efficiency is based on the Integration between your helpdesk and the eCommerce platform. Your helpdesk should be able to pull customer data from your eCommerce platform and provide agents with sufficient insights. 

6. Integration with your DTC stack

All popular eCommerce platforms have a great app selection that allows you to employ different tools for your eCommerce business. These can help you add additional functionalities to your website. Your helpdesk tool should have deep integrations with your DTC stack. 

Ecommerce OMS, Loyalty, Review & Subscription Management Tools

OMS, reviews, and subscription management make up an essential part of your eCommerce tools stack

11. Netsuite:

NetSuite is a unified online store and order management suite that provides ERP solutions, CRM, Human Capital Management, accounting solutions, etc. NetSuite is best suited for small and mid-size businesses and aids them in optimizing operations and reducing IT costs.

Key Features: 

Financial Management: Make quick and intelligent decisions using financial management combined with built-in business intelligence.

• Order Management: Speed up the order-to-cash procedures by connecting sales and finance to pricing, return management, etc.
• Supply Chain Management: Structure and execute supply chain management plans through a single platform.
• Procurement: Optimize the procure-to-pay processes for cost certainty.
• Customer Portal: Deliver customized and interactive services to your customers through this portal.
• Website Search Engine Optimization: Create search-engine-friendly pages to get high rankings.

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Customizable dashboard

Cons:

• Mediocre customer service
• Steep learning curve

Read More: Ecommerce Order Management System (OMS): Best Practices

12. Yotpo

Amp up the growth of your online store supported by Yotpo, an excellent eCommerce marketing platform. Yotpo provides tools to help you manage customer reviews, visual marketing, loyalty, referral, and SMS marketing. Monitor, control, and place customer content at crucial conversion points with the AI-powered solutions of Yotpo.

Key Features:

• Reviews and Ratings: It helps you collect and leverage reviews and ratings with the help of in-mail technology.
• SMS marketing: advanced automated workflows to create highly personalized SMS and MMS campaigns.
• Loyalty and Referrals: Powerful pre-built campaigns and customization options for rewards and referral programs.
• Visual UGC: Display photos, videos, and reviews of customers across your site to establish legitimacy.
• Integrations: Yopto has deep integrations with leading eCommerce helpdesk software. 

Pros:

• Intuitive dashboard
• Excellent support

Cons:

• Expensive

13. Smile.io

Smile.io helps create and manage loyalty programs for your eCommerce store. It helps engage your loyal customers while encouraging one-time visitors to shop more often. Here are some key features:

Key Features:

Intuitive Admin Dashboard: Change your Loyalty Programs without coding skills

Customizations: Customize your loyalty program to 

Pros: 

• Comprehensive knowledge base is available
• Intuitive and easy-to-use UI

Cons:

• Expensive 

14. Recharge 

Recharge is a leading subscription management platform aiming to convert one-time shoppers into loyal customers. It allows your customers to manage their subscriptions directly from your website entirely. Here are some features:

• Theme Engine: An intuitive and highly customizable customer portal that will enable customers to manage their subscriptions.
• Enhanced Analytics: Detailed analysis of the key performance indicators.
• Workflow: helps manage discounted first orders, free trials, and sample products to attract shoppers.

Pros:

• Insightful analytics reporting
• Seamless Integration with eCommerce platforms

Cons:

• No phone support system
• Complex learning curve

Key Features to Consider while Choosing an OMS, Reviews, and Subscription Management Tool:

Order Management System: 

1. Multi-channel Inventory Management

It can be not easy to keep track of the volume, velocity, and fulfillment of omnichannel orders, and an OMS should help you stay on top of your inventory,

Understand which SKUs sell best through each channel, restock accordingly, and segregate bestselling products by region or channel.

2. Automate the Order Fulfillment Process

Your OMS should allow you to automate their internal processes from the order through to fulfillment and efficiently push orders through the processing, picking, and shipping process.

3. Handle Reverse Logistics

Many brands dismiss the reverse logistics process, burning a hole in their pocket. Your OMS should help you manage the items posted back to your warehouse and process a refund, exchange, or credit note. 

Review Management: 

1. Analytics and Insights:

Your review management tool should help you understand your strengths and weaknesses by analyzing your customer's feedback across various channels. 

2. Multichannel Review Generation:

Your review management software should also act as a social listening tool and help you address all the feedback and reviews from different channels, such as social media.

Related Read: Best Shopify Review Apps to Integrate with Store

Subscription Management: 

1. Customizable and Centralised subscription management:

The financial health of your firm depends on subscriber data. Any app you choose must have a comprehensive set of recurring income and forecasting reports to understand your company's revenue growth better.

Manage subscription income and deferrals:

Revenue recognition and deferrals are two of subscription management's trickiest elements. To save your team time maintaining these manually, it is crucial to invest in software that can automate these operations across all contracts.

Conclusion:

The best thing about eCommerce platforms is the buildability that allows merchants to compete with eCommerce marketplaces like Amazon. The right eCommerce tool stack helps drive their revenue through direct sales and can impact the daily function and bottom line revenue of growing eCommerce companies.

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