Useful Virtual Integrations for eCommerce Companies

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Today, there is a major paradigm shift in the business world as more businesses are moving to digital marketing. Although most business owners are still apprehensive about going online, it is one of the most incredible ways to leverage the customer base. In the battle between contemporary business and eCommerce business, eCommerce is gaining more popularity since most business owners perceive it as a major profit generator. With more buyers making more online purchases, businesses must be fully prepared in order to meet the market demand. To achieve this, online businesses need to combine forces and extend their eCommerce presence to enhance the efficiency of business processes. This can be achieved by utilizing eCommerce integrations. Virtual integration applies technology to coordinate a distributed network of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. Below are some useful virtual integrations for eCommerce companies:

1. Point of Sale System

One of the fundamental tasks in the eCommerce business is incorporating POS as it brings together the point of sale system to your online business. With a POS, you can store customers’ details which can be beneficial in the future. For instance, you are able to analyze customers’ buying trends and determine your loyal customers. You can also interact with your online customers even if they are not buying anything. Depending on customers’ shopping trends and preferences, you can send emails or SMS notifying them of available offers or probably new stock availability. Secondly, POS helps you control stock across all channels, thus helping minimize unnecessary tasks. With a POS cloud system, you are able to curb challenges emanating from the loss of inventory tracking.

2. CRM and ERP Integration

Customer relationship management (CRM) is an approach, tool and technology applied by businesses for advancing, maintaining and bringing more customers on board. Although CRM may offer numerous products and features, its utilization usually determines its productivity. Consolidating several systems can create a wider customer base, offers an exceptional customer experience, improve productivity, help give reliable and consistent information and others. This will lead to an increased conversion rate, thus a surge in sales revenue.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a vital support for enterprise management systems. Integrating an ERP system with eCommerce is crucial for large and small-scale businesses. Consolidating ERP and eCommerce help to monitor updates, offers error-free inventory levels to clients, automates inventory coordination and instantly notifies customers when their products are shipped.

3. Social Media Proof APIs

Social proof APIs use social media to prove a company’s reputation and exhibit how well a product is known. If incorporated into an eCommerce, it will enhance the brand’s visibility as customers will have access to product or service reviews, photostream feeds and recommendations. Coordinating a social proof API into an eCommerce site help to exhibit the trending items on the social media platforms. Ultimately, customers tend to perceive how items are moving faster, creating urgency and eventually helping to develop more leads. The conversion rate may increase drastically by demonstrating how potential clients need your products and services.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Using Artificial Intelligence applications enables eCommerce businesses to offer a customized experience to their audience through enhanced engagement and relationship advancement. For instance, some B2C companies such as Amazon can hold virtual meetings or other kinds of conversations with customers while recommendation engines offer personalized suggestions to improve their conversion. Artificial Intelligence can offer predictive information of how a certain product or service is performing in the market, enabling companies to know where to focus.

5. Site Search API

An eCommerce site, especially one with huge categories of products, must have a sophisticated site search API. This is because it offers an exceptional user experience and prevents customers from going through unnecessary content while looking for a specific product. Also, a site search API will help promote a product that a customer would not have located when searching through the eCommerce site.

Be More Intentional with Technological Choices

As eCommerce is becoming more competitive, businesses must incorporate the right technology. Appropriate business technologies not only enhance business functionality but also promote operational excellence. Therefore, choose and develop a robust eCommerce platform that can fit the present level of operation and also be able to accommodate additional eCommerce extensions in the future.