Many companies transition to e-commerce platforms to increase their consumer base and remain current with the developing marketplace. Many professionals employ a variety of digital tools to monitor daily operations, oversee logistics functions, and manage customer relationships. Learning more about different digital tools for online commerce can help you determine which tools might be an ideal fit for your company. In this article, we answer what e-commerce tools are, explore eight digital tools, and discuss several tips to consider when deciding on what tools to use.
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What are e-commerce tools?
E-commerce tools are digital tools that a company uses to manage its online presence, sales operations, and customer relationships. These tools can also help a company easily automate its operations, which is useful when transitioning into an e-commerce format. Some tools offer free trials, which can help you determine if the tool is right for your organization.
8 digital tools for e-commerce business
Understanding more about digital tools can help you determine which tools can benefit your organization. Review this list of eight different types of e-commerce tools to help you decide which tools to implement in your company:
1. Website tools
Website tools can help you create a visually appealing and simple-to-use website. Creating a simple user interface for potential customers can help increase customer satisfaction and improve sales. There are many platforms you can use that offer customizable themes or services, which can help you align your website with your business. Some website creation tools to consider include:
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Shopify
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WooCommerce
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Wix
2. Business tools
Business tools can help you manage daily operations and analyze the performance of your company’s online sales. Many tools also offer the ability to track financial information, including company expenses. Some business tools also enable users to generate performance reports, which can give valuable insight into a variety of business operations, including marketing, sales, and customer engagement. Some platforms that offer business tools include:
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Sourcify
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Monday
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Inventory Source
3. Marketing tools
Investing in marketing tools can help increase your brand recognition and gain the attention of customers. Using marketing tools can help you increase your online traffic, search engine results page ranking, and consumer awareness. Many of these marketing tools can also provide insight into competition marketing performance and your company’s marketing performance. Some marketing tools to evaluate for your company include:
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Omnisend
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Campaign Monitor
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MailChimp
4. Research tools
Research tools can help you understand more about your competitors. Some digital tools offer insights into the products, prices, services, content, and marketing information of competitor companies. This can help you identify improvement opportunities with your organization’s current online business strategies and marketing campaigns. Some research tools you might consider for your company include:
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JungleScout
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SEMRush
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Linkio
5. Social media management tools
In addition to marketing tools, many companies also invest in social media management tools to improve their company’s presence on social media. This can help a company foster a positive reputation and interact with its customers. Being involved with social media can also help a company identify consumer trends, which is useful if the organization adjusts its products to meet evolving consumer needs. Some social media management tools to consider include:
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Buffer
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Hootsuite
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Sprout Social
6. Logistics tools
Logistics tools can help you track inventory, create supply orders, and monitor customer shipments. This can also help you analyze the performance of your current supply chain, which can help you determine its effectiveness. Certain tools can also generate invoices, notify fulfillment personnel of customer orders, and create packing slips. Some logistics tools you might consider for your business include:
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Route
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ShipBob
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Vesta
7. Analytics tools
Analytics tools can help you quickly identify improvement opportunities with your current e-commerce strategies. These tools can report on a variety of performance metrics, including sales, consumer engagement, customer satisfaction, and logistics. This can also help you determine which strategies are effective and promote efficiency in your company’s sales approaches. Some data analytics tools you might consider include:
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Optimized Analytics
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Neatly
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VWO
8. Customer relationship management (CRM) tools
CRM tools can help you improve your customer experience and provide exceptional customer support. These tools enable you to communicate with your customers and resolve any consumer concerns. This can improve customer engagement, enhance customer loyalty, and increase overall sales. Some CRM software to consider for your company include:
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Zendesk Sell
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Insightly CRM
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Sales Creatio
Tips for choosing e-commerce tools for your organization
There are several items to consider when determining what e-commerce tools might benefit your organization. Review these tips to help you decide on which digital tool to implement on your online platform:
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Review current digital tools: Examining your current digital tools can help you identify areas that can benefit from online automation. Certain tools might also offer multiple services, such as business and logistics functions.
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Analyze e-commerce goals: Determining your e-commerce goals can help you find tools that align with your company’s goals. If you want to balance e-commerce and physical retail operations, finding a tool that can support both functions can help improve your efficiency.
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Collaborate with e-commerce consultants: Hiring a consultant who specializes in e-commerce can help you quickly determine how digital tools can benefit your organization. These professionals might also offer tool recommendations that align with your company’s goals.
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Examine competitor e-commerce tools: Analyzing your competitor’s digital tools can help you determine if those tools can also benefit your organization. This can also help you remain current in the digital marketplace and improve your company’s competitive advantage.
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Determine tool scalability: Analyzing how scalable a tool is can help you find a tool that can grow as your organization grows. This can also help prevent future additional expenditures and improve customer experiences.
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Consider the tool’s cost: Many tools offer subscription-based plans at a monthly or annual rate, so it’s important to analyze these costs when choosing your tool. Comparing multiple tools functions and expenses can help you find a tool that’s within your company’s budget.
I hope you find this article helpful.