Starting an e-commerce platform can be exciting, but it does come with some challenges. If you do not manage to attract the right kind of followers, you will not be able to achieve any conversions. You must, therefore, have the necessary analytics, marketing, research, and business tools to successfully run your e-commerce business. Fortunately, you have several e-commerce tools that you can take advantage of. We will look below at some of the best e-commerce tools for emerging startups.
- Website builder tools
You have several options for website builders. Such include: –
Bigcommerce is perfect for beginners and requires no technical knowledge. You get excellent customer support and can optimize your ecommerce site for mobile.
Magento powers some of the major e-commerce platforms. You get a professional-looking website that allows for scalability. The platform is free and has excellent tools that you can use for marketing, search engine optimization, catalogue management, among others.
Shopify is a popular platform that is easy to set up even for those without too much technical knowledge. You get the advantage of multiple payment gateways and a wide variety of languages. You can integrate Shopify with platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, and Facebook, among others, thus giving you access to a broader audience.
Woocommerce is excellent for anyone who operates on the WordPress platform. It is free, easy to use, and you have the option of a mobile app for managing your store while on the go.
- SSL certificate for website security
If you are operating an e-commerce platform, you need to ensure that you protect your customer’s information or data. One of the best strategies you have is to install an SSL certificate. For example, a Multi domain wildcard SSL certificate is inexpensive while giving you encryption between your browser and the server. You are, therefore, able to build trust amongst your online visitors because they have the assurance that the website is genuine. Also, the Static Site Seal is proof that you have taken the necessary steps to ensure online security.
- Research Tools
One of the most critical e-commerce tips you will ever get is the importance of knowing how the market is. You need to understand all the factors that could impact your business, and most importantly, what your competitors are doing.
SEMRush is an excellent research tool that will help you with this functionality. You also get insights on your website, type of keywords to use for your content, data for your reports, among others.
Ahrefs is excellent for marketing, keyword research, SEO and Backlinking
Jungle Scout is great for keeping watch on what is doing well in the industry. You get to identify the top products by tracking how they perform on Amazon.
- Marketing tools
It would help if you built brand and product awareness when operating on the online platform. You can use the following tools:-
MailChimp is famous for marketing automation, especially with regards to email campaigns. The templates are easy to customize as per your preference.
Yotpo will give you solutions for visual marketing, loyalty plans, and customer reviews. Collect user-generated content and use it to improve the customer experience.
AI Trillion brings the power of artificial Intelligence into marketing. You can improve sales and engage better with the customers through the use of algorithms and predictive analysis. You also benefit from other services such as push notifications, loyalty awards, product recommendations, email automation, among others.
- E-commerce business tools
For higher efficiency, you need the right e-commerce business tools for your ecommerce site. It includes: –
Asana is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool. You can schedule your tasks and track the progress. It also helps with task delegation amongst team members. You also get to manage any jobs you have outsourced, whether it is graphic design or content marketing.
Veeqo will help you with inventory management, mainly if you operate on multiple platforms.
- Analytics tools
You must measure how well your e-commerce site is performing. You can use the following means:-
Google Analytics will let you know how the website is performing. You get critical information on the people who visit your store, how you can increase conversions, how to track visitor behaviour, among others.
Metrilo allows you to measure the results of your marketing. You also get additional information such as cart abandonment rates, website conversion rates, reports on returning customers, among others.
Final Thoughts
Use our article above as a guide for some of the best tools you need for your new ecommerce site. Some of the platforms are free, while others will require that you part with some money. Look at what each ecommerce tool has to offer then make your decision.