Ecommerce Tools To Boost Your Website Management

Running an ecommerce store by yourself can be a precarious juggling act where multiple crucial elements like the user experience (UX), inventory management, and marketing all vie for your attention. Losing focus and slacking on one front can affect your store’s performance more than you might realize.

Thankfully, certain apps, platforms, and plugins can take the burden off your shoulders and help you run your store smoothly. Find out which tools are right for your store with this quick Coalition Technologies guide.

Ecommerce Tools and Their Benefits

Find out what makes these tools worth the investment.

• Increased Reach: Ecommerce is the most accessible gateway to a wider audience if you’re a small business. Whether you’re looking to grow in your state or even targeting a global audience, the right tools can help you expand your reach and get your name out there with pinpoint precision.
  
  For example, a boutique clothing store in a small city could gain significant online exposure by showcasing its unique designs and styles through engaging content and strategic online marketing campaigns. Something as simple as an SEO plugin could help the store managers find the right keywords for these campaigns.
  
• Automation: Ecommerce tools are excellent at leveling the playing field for smaller businesses. Can’t afford to hire a full-time team to handle customer service? Website management tools can help by filling in.
  
  Consider a new Shopify apparel store running on a shoestring budget. While hiring a full-time team to handle customer queries would be ideal, they just can’t afford to do so at the moment. Instead, they could use a plugin like Gorgias to offer AI-powered customer service with a dynamic chatbot. 

• Easy Inventory Management: Ecommerce platforms provide real-time inventory updates, ensuring accurate stock levels and preventing the dreaded “out of stock” message. This means customers can confidently purchase items knowing they are actually available, avoiding disappointment and potential lost sales for the business.
  
  Tools for real-time inventory tracking also allow businesses to identify popular products and adjust their purchasing strategy, optimizing stock levels and minimizing storage costs. By eliminating the need for manual inventory tracking, ecommerce tools free up staff time and reduce the risk of human error, leading to greater efficiency and savings.
  

Content Creation

Surfer (formerly SurferSEO)

Surfer is a powerful content creation and website management tool that can do hours of work in just a few minutes. Surfer excels at analyzing keywords and competitor content to help you understand what topics and phrases your audience is searching for. It provides detailed keyword data, including search volume, competition, and related terms.

This ecommerce tool is all about optimization and ensuring your content is as performant as it can be. A handy Auto-Optimize feature can insert relevant keywords while keeping your content’s readability in mind. Similarly, you can also use this tool to automatically insert internal domain links wherever they fit. 

Yoast

Yoast has been the go-to choice for on-page optimization for years now, with over 11 million installations so far. It analyzes your content for keyword usage, title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and image optimization. You’ll also get real-time feedback and suggestions to improve your content’s SEO performance.

Surfer seems to be more accurate for data-driven tasks like competitor analysis based on top-ranking content, while Yoast excels at general readability and on-page optimization. Note that this ecommerce tool does lean pretty strongly on AI, and AI-generated content can be prone to errors and hallucinations. These can accelerate your workflow, but not replace it entirely. So be sure to still check the work before implementing on your site.

Sales and Logistics

Signifyd

Signifyd is an excellent website management tool with powerful fraud protection capabilities. This ecommerce solution helps businesses prevent fraudulent online orders, chargebacks, and losses by leveraging machine learning and analytics. 

AfterShip

AfterShip streamlines shipment tracking with a comprehensive suite of tools that allow for:

• Real-Time Tracking: By integrating seamlessly with various shipping carriers customers can easily get real-time updates on their orders.
• Automatic Notifications: Set up automatic notifications via Email or SMS for your customers. 
• Personalized Product Discovery: Use AI-powered tools to generate accurate and relevant product recommendations for shoppers based on their purchase history.
  

Avalara

70% of U.S. businesses already invest in tech-based solutions to help navigate sales tax compliance. Avalara is a cloud-based ecommerce tool that makes sales tax management a breeze with an intuitive UI and powerful features under the hood.

Avalara’s sophisticated algorithms ensure accurate sales tax calculation for every transaction, regardless of location or product type. Avalara also automates tax reporting, eliminating the need for manual calculations and filings. You can even register in multiple jurisdictions just by filling out a single form!

Marketing

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a powerful automation platform designed for SMS and email marketing. Let’s take a look at what makes Klaviyo an easy choice for most businesses today:

• Segmentation: This ecommerce tool is virtually unmatched when it comes to personalization. You can segment your lists on criteria like purchase history and browsing behavior, further tweaking them to suit your needs. Klaviyo can significantly boost conversion rates with highly personalized campaigns if used well.
  
• Automation: Create triggers that automatically send out emails at different points in your campaign. This is especially useful for welcome sequences and cart abandonment emails. Just like most website management tools, you’ll need some guidance to use this feature properly if you’re inexperienced. We recommend contacting an ecommerce expert for help if you’re just getting started with email marketing.
  
• A/B Testing: Can’t decide which subject line to use for your next email? Let the numbers decide! Klaviyo’s built-in A/B testing feature makes optimizing subject lines, CTAs, and content easier than ever.

Omnisend

As an ecommerce tool, Omnisend offers a more comprehensive multi-channel marketing solution than Klaviyo. In addition to email and SMS, Omnisend also covers web push notifications. This tool is a great choice for businesses wanting to reach customers across multiple channels. 

Analytics

Google Analytics

Google Analytics helps answer questions like:

• Where are your customers coming from?
• What are they doing on your website?
• How can you improve user engagement?

This comprehensive analytics platform integrates seamlessly with other Google tools, offering a detailed look into customer behavior and metrics like average order value. 

Google Search Console (GSC)

GSC is a free ecommerce tool that can give you a deeper look at your website’s search performance. You can use GSC to monitor search traffic, spot technical issues that might be hindering your visibility, and learn how to improve your store’s overall search engine ranking. 

Triple Whale

Triple Whale is a dedicated ecommerce analytics platform designed specifically for Shopify. This website management tool gives you access to an intuitive dashboard that summarizes crucial metrics like orders, revenue, and customer lifetime value. Additionally, Triple Whale also helps businesses understand which marketing channels are currently driving the most revenue, helping them optimize their marketing spend.

Customer Service

Gorgias

86% of customers are willing to pay more for great customer service. As mentioned above, Ecommerce tools like Gorgias can help you meet those high standards with intelligent automation. Gorgias centralizes all of your interactions from channels like:

• Email
• Social media
• Live chat
  

…into a single unified inbox. This centralized interface makes customer service much faster and ensures you won’t miss out on any important requests. You can also create and connect a knowledge base to provide fast resolutions to common customer queries.

Tawk.to

Tawk.to is a free live chat software that’s easy to use and packs a ton of powerful features. You can add tawk.to to your website in under 30 seconds with a simple JavaScript snippet. Once it’s set up, you can set up automated triggers based on customer behavior and monitor their activity in real time. 

Tawk.to’s new AI Assist feature deserves a special mention here. This ecommerce tool requires zero training on your part. Just turn it on, and it’ll respond to queries in real-time. 

Manage Your Website Like a Pro

Can’t decide which website management tool would be best for your needs? We can help. As a leading digital marketing and web development agency, we know what it takes to run a successful ecommerce store. At Coalition Technologies, we don’t just choose the right tools; we design them too. Contact us for a free consultation today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are ecommerce tools?

This umbrella term refers to ecommerce-focused solutions like plugins, platforms, and other software designed to help businesses manage and grow their online stores. These tools can vary greatly in terms of their impact on your business. Some tools can automate minor everyday tasks, while others can help streamline inventory management and other essential tasks.

Does my online store need additional tools?

In all likelihood, yes. If you’re looking to scale up your store and reach a wider audience, the right tool could make all the difference. This is especially crucial for smaller businesses, as they often have to find a way to grow despite their scarce resources. Even simple tools can significantly boost your productivity at a small cost. The trick is, of course, to find the right ones. 

How much do ecommerce tools cost?

Costs can vary based on:

• Your website management tool of choice
• Your goals and timeline (an aggressive short-term growth strategy vs. a long-term SEO-focused campaign)
• Your current audience and transaction volume (for certain ecommerce platforms)

A minor Shopify plugin to tweak your store’s appearance will generally be cheaper than a full-scale shipping and logistics solution. If you’re operating on a tight budget, keep your limitations in mind before committing to a solution. We recommend consulting a digital marketing expert to ensure you’re making the best possible decision for your business.