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Startups are an international hit. They have achieved global popularity in no time at all. According to Embroker, 5 million new businesses came into being in 2022. It also shows that starting a business in the United States takes only six days.
As startups grew, the economy began to see a drastic change. Before anyone knew it, the rise of the digital economy became imminent. When the digital economy rose, entrepreneurs reconsidered their strategies to adapt to changing times.
As a result, thousands of e-commerce startups started going sky-high in their efforts to provide relevant services and make a profit. Shortly, the demands behooved entrepreneurs to reflect on their pace of work, leading them to use e-commerce tools.
E-commerce startups are booming. According to Forbes, 2023 saw sales of $5.8 trillion. Experts estimate a drastic sales increase in retail e-commerce this year, generating $6.3 trillion.
These tools play a vital role in expanding and navigating businesses. If you have an e-commerce store, the tools will help you build a website, inventory management, process payments, advertise, and deliver customer support.
Reports suggest e-commerce will account for 20.1% of retail sales worldwide this year. There is no doubt that e-commerce tools are ready to ascend to new heights. Thus, it is worth discussing the best e-commerce tools.
Here they are:
It is not enough to create a website. You must maintain your website to keep it safe and far from harm. For that, we have some website builders and hosting platforms.
Among one of the top-rated e-commerce companies, Shopify enables you to launch your online business. Aspiring entrepreneurs use it to build their stores. The platform also aids them in controlling sales, trading with customers, and performing digital transactions.
It stands as one of the most sturdy e-commerce marketing tools in addition to a widespread shopping channel.
It is a free, open-source e-commerce plug-in for WordPress. Simply put, WooCommerce turns any WordPress website into an operational online store.
Like Shopify, it is scalable and flexible, allowing you to customize your products and improve the shopping experience for your customers. A good e-commerce personalization tool is at your fingertips.
Shopify, WooCommerce, and now BigCommerce are almost similar. However, BigCommerce is more comprehensive since it offers a whole batch of tools for carrying out search engine optimization (SEO), among other things.
The platform is a brilliant e-commerce SEO tool because it generates SEO-friendly URLs, includes rich snippets, supports automatic redirects and URL rewrites, and utilizes a content delivery network (CDN).
Nowadays, everyone wants a professional-looking website. To achieve that goal, you have Squarespace, a website builder and hosting platform granting various features.
Apart from e-commerce, it contains resources for blogging, portfolio creation, inbuilt SEO, integrated analytics, and responsive design.
Wix is a cloud-based website builder. It is long known for accommodating entrepreneurs’ website hosting and design needs. In particular, Wix is famous for giving access to a drag-and-drop editor. The editor lets you drag and drop elements such as text, images, and videos smoothly.
Furthermore, Wix draws strength from artificial intelligence (AI) and has many AI-powered tools for website creation, text creation, and logo design. Wix lines up with a plethora of powerful AI tools for e-commerce.
CodedThemes develops free and premium UI kits and admin templates built on popular frameworks like Bootstrap, Angular, React, Vue, Laravel, and CodeIgniter. With a broader selection and more advanced options than others, their admin templates are designed to meet the unique needs of users. CodedThemes is an excellent source for experts looking for feature-rich dashboard templates that cater to diverse needs and preferences, ensuring high-quality solutions for every project.
Onto payment processing tools! They are necessary to handle online transactions under lock and key. The tools assist businesses in accepting different forms of payment, including credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.
Here are the golden tools:
Developers claim Stripe is a brilliant tool due to its ease of integration. Moreover, they assert it has a robust application programming interface (API) that facilitates multiple payment methods and currencies.
Who is not aware of PayPal? It is a renowned digital payment platform that straightens out the procedure of spending and receiving money for individuals and businesses. PayPal has gained global reach, and millions of merchants use it for effortless transactions.
A payment processing platform conducive to accepting payments both online and in person. Square simplifies the cost setup for businesses.
Authorize.Net is a payment gateway service provider that entitles businesses to accept electronic check payments through their websites, mobile devices, and in-person transactions.
Adyen is a notable Dutch company that supplies comprehensive solutions to entrepreneurs, making it possible to accept payments in-app and in-store.
CRM is a traditional concept based on supervising a company’s interaction with current and potential customers. The notion has significantly transformed and depends on technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales.
Here is a list of the top CRM tools:
CRM revolves around immense data, and SalesForce gathers data from diverse sources like clockwork, giving businesses a unified view of their customers.
A SaaS-driven CRM platform that consolidates marketing, sales, and customer service applications.
Zoho CRM is a customizable platform that oversees sales, marketing, and customer service. The fundamental difference between HubSpot and Zoha is that the latter suits businesses of all sizes.
A sales-focused CRM by which businesses manage their sales pipeline and optimize leads.
Essentially an AI-powered CRM, Freshsales automates repetitive tasks and works in the frame of knowledge engineering. Freshsales is often deemed an upscale e-commerce automation tool.
The world progresses by consistent communication. An e-commerce business is incomplete without core communication means. With that in mind, business communication is achievable with special email marketing tools.
Here they are:
Mailchimp is a full-length email marketing tool. It introduces enhanced capacities to prepare email newsletters, systemize campaigns, and monitor results.
Constant Contact is a digital marketing tool devoted to seamless email marketing. The tool serves as a mechanism to maximize audience segmentation and detailed analytics.
On the map of marketing automation platforms, Brevo involves email marketing, SMS campaigns, and CRM to reinforce customer engagement.
Campaign Monitor is a ripe marketing software for signup forms and email campaigns.
Klaviyo is a heavy-duty marketing tool that operates across extensive domains. It converts leads into customers by splitting the target audience into approachable clusters.
From increased visibility and high rankings to cost-effective marketing and competitive edge, SEO and e-commerce analytics tools come in handy.
Let’s hook you up with a few of them:
It is a web analytic service that tracks and reports website traffic. By leveraging Google Analytics, entrepreneurs can keep up with user behavior, traffic sources, and conversion rates.
SEMrush is an SEO tool instrumental in keyword research and competitor analysis. People call it an e-commerce reporting tool, as SEMrush is fruitful for optimizing websites and raising organic traffic.
Ahrefs steps forward as a toolset for backlink analysis, keyword research, and site audits. Businesses have been using Ahrefs to enrich their search engine rankings.
Moz is an SEO software suite storing 100 tools to forge ahead with keyword research, link building, and rank tracking.
Previously named WordPress SEO, Yoast SEO happens to be a WordPress plugin that optimizes website content for search engines. Keyword optimization, readability analysis, and XML sitemaps are part of Yoast SEO.
We live in modern times where the internet community persists. For startups, calling social media into play is of high priority. It doubles their chances of getting noticed.
You have piles of social media tools close at hand. Let’s familiarize you with them:
A tool that greenlights businesses to schedule posts, watch social media activity, and interpret performance throughout multiple social networks.
Businesses must plan and publish content on distinct social media sites. Doing so may require Buffer, which supplies tools for team collaboration.
Engagement and strategy are paramount. Sprout Social is a tool to reach a peak of scheduling, reporting, and monitoring. In the end, businesses will engage in productive operations and strategize accordingly.
Later is a visual social media planner that mainly focuses on Instagram. With Later, businesses guarantee that their posts and visual content get published in a couple of shakes.
One of the most common e-commerce AI tools businesses employ to arrange and publish content on a broad range of networks.
An e-commerce entrepreneur is always intent on avoiding overstocking and stockouts. With proper inventory management, there will be no such occurrences. Parallel to inventory management, we have order fulfillment, something entrepreneurs should prioritize for their brand reputation.
Here are the tools:
For businesses to regulate inventory and track orders, InFlow is an ideal tool.
Ordoro streamlines shipping and inventory processes by blending collective sales channels and suppliers.
ShipStation automates shipping methods, dispenses labels, and extends multi-carrier support for e-commerce businesses.
The Skubana tool unifies order fulfillment, inventory management, and analytics for omnichannel retailers.
Fishbowl is a manufacturing and warehouse management tool tailored for QuickBooks integration.
Trust and loyalty are imperative in e-commerce. It falls to entrepreneurs to understand the risk of losing their customers’ confidence. Alongside trust and loyalty, use chatbots to remain available 24/7.
Take advantage of the following tools:
Zendesk addresses customer service, sustains tickets, and adds fuel to communication channels.
It comprises real-time chat, customer messaging, and information-sharing tools for personalized support.
As the name suggests, LiveChat passes live chat solutions for immediate customer assistance and service.
It is a cloud-based helpdesk tool for following and resolving customer queries and issues.
Drift centers on conversational marketing and sales via chatbots and advanced messaging.
Financial accuracy is hard to determine. Your whole e-commerce depends on it. The significance of cash flow is a luxury many entrepreneurs lack owing to mismanagement.
Incorporate the tools below:
QuickBooks is a classical accounting tool for financial management and bookkeeping. Level up your game by auto-tracking your business income and expenditures. QuickBooks has stop selling QuickBooks desktop Pro 2024 and QuickBooks desktop Premier 2024 after September 30 in US markets.
Xero is an online accounting software for small businesses. Benefit from the tool and cope with invoicing, bank reconciliation, and payroll.
Finely tuned accounting solution optimal for invoicing, expense tracking, and time management.
Wave is a free financial software for small businesses. It kick-starts accounting, invoicing, and receipt scanning.
Cloud-based accounting software for managing finances, automating workflows, and staying tax-compliant.
Advertising and PPC (pay-per-click) management drive targeted traffic to your e-commerce site. PPC allows you to pay when someone clicks on your ad, making it a cost-effective mode to reach potential customers. Effective PPC management increases sales, improves brand visibility, and provides measurable return on investment (ROI).
Use these tools to make it happen:
Google Ads is a tool for creating and managing pay-per-click advertising campaigns across Google’s network.
Tool for managing and optimizing ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
AdRoll activates retargeting and prospecting on online mediums for improved ad performance.
Bing Ads gives PPC advertising opportunities on the Bing search engine and partner sites.
Skai.io is a cutting-edge tool for data-driven marketing, offering campaign direction and optimization.
Affiliate marketing helps you reach other websites and influencers to market your products. Affiliates earn a commission for each sale they generate, which means you only pay for actual conversions. It expands your audience and sales without upfront advertising costs.
Sounds awesome? Help yourself to these tools:
Affiliate network connecting merchants with affiliate marketers to endorse products and services.
CJ Affiliate is a powerful affiliate marketing tool that assembles tracking, reporting, and payment solutions.
Rakuten Advertising deploys affiliate marketing, display publicity, and search marketing services. Its family organization is Rakuten, a prominent financial technology company.
Refersion is a tool for tracking sales and managing companion programs in your e-commerce realm.
Impact is a thoroughgoing partnership management solution for affiliate and influencer marketing.
Productivity and collaboration tools rationalize workflows and enhance team communication. They are essential for managing certain aspects of an e-commerce business.
Consider using these tools:
Visual project management tool using boards, lists, and cards to organize tasks and workflows.
Project management software that paves the way for team plans, tracking, and work balance.
Slack is a messaging app for team cooperation, featuring channels, direct messages, and integrations.
Work operating system for sorting out projects, workflows, and teams.
The tool Notion is an all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, databases, and collaboration.
Graphic designing is vital for creating visually attractive product images and marketing materials. Sophisticated visuals improve user experience and build brand identity.
Some tools are:
Adobe goes way back. It is a suite of professional tools for graphic design, photo editing, and digital art creation.
Canva is an intelligible design tool for creating graphics, presentations, and social media posts.
Pablo is a straightforward tool for swiftly designing persuasive social media images.
A graphic design tool that specializes in constructing marketing visuals and online graphics.
PicMonkey is a photo editing and design tool for bringing visually appealing images and graphics to light.
Video making tools such as Pollo AI enable you to create fascinating video content that could showcase your products in action, tell your brand story, and associate with customers on an emotional level. Videos increase search engine visibility and intensify engagement.
Use the tools below and witness the outcome:
A professional video hosting tool providing high-quality playback and customization options.
Revolutionize your marketing strategy with Wistia. The tool is a portal to effective analytics and engagement kits to elevate your brand’s presence.
Animoto is a video maker for making marketing and personal videos with ease. From adding music to creating video clips, Animoto is a good choice.
Lumen5 transforms text content into immersive videos using AI-powered video creation tools.
A video creation software that fosters trouble-free production of professional-quality videos.
UX and A/B testing optimize your e-commerce site. Good UX design ensures that your site is easy to browse and enjoyable to use, reducing bounce rates and increasing sales.
Experiment with a set of design elements to see what works best for your audience:
Optimizely is a tool for A/B testing and personalization. In short, it optimizes digital experiences to the utmost extent, allocating web content management and digital commerce for entrepreneurs.
Hotjar encompasses heatmaps, session recordings, and feedback tools to understand user behavior.
A visual analytics tool that provides heatmaps, scroll maps, and A/B testing to vitalize the user experience on your website.
Unbounce is a landing page builder with A/B testing prowess to improve conversion rates.
VWO is a conversion optimization tool equipped with A/B testing and multivariate testing to boost results.
Security and fraud prevention save your business and customers from cyber menace. Implementing rigorous security measures stops data breaches, fraud, and other malicious activities.
Want to defend your reputation and customer trust? Take these tools into consideration:
Website security platform proffering malware removal, firewall protection, and monitoring.
Norton is a cybersecurity suite that protects devices and data from threats, especially spyware and ransomware. On top of that, it shields you from phishing attacks.
Trustwave lends managed security services (MSS), threat detection, database security, and compliance solutions to e-commerce.
E-commerce fraud prevention tool using machine learning to scrutinize and deter fraud.
Beefs up e-commerce security by approving legitimate transactions and blocking fraud.
CMS lets you easily create, manage, and publish content on your e-commerce zone. A decent CMS updates your website with fresh content, manages product listings, and improves SEO.
Here’s a list of some CMS tools:
WordPress is a prevalent open-source CMS for creating websites and blogs with ample plugin support.
A rife e-commerce platform, Magento builds and manages online stores. Magento’s marketplace of plugins and integrations is vast. For that reason, the platform’s functionality cannot tumble.
The content’s authorization with Drupal does not make a business jump through hoops. It is convenient and safe.
Joomla is an open-source CMS that synchronizes ease of use and customization.
Concrete CMS is an open-source CMS that unfolds a hosting environment for your e-commerce. It has superior flexibility.
Efficient logistics management decreases shipping costs, improves customer satisfaction, and gives you one-upmanship in the market. The supplies and transport required for business operations are perpetually on thin ice. Hence, entrepreneurs should not underestimate their importance.
Use these tools to mount a guard on your shipping and logistics:
Shipping API and software providing discounted rates and label printing.
A global shipping platform esteemed for its rate comparison, label generation, and tracking.
Post-purchase tracking platform providing shipment visibility and notifications.
ShipBob is a fulfillment service for e-commerce businesses. It handles warehousing and shipping.
It is a shipping software from FedEx. It pulls off shipments, tracking, and label creation.
Optimizing your site for mobile commerce ensures you do not miss out on a substantial portion of the market.
Let these tools help you:
Mobile commerce platform enabling retailers to create mobile apps and websites.
Tool for building mobile apps from Google Sheets without coding.
Helps create and manage custom mobile apps for e-commerce stores.
Mobile app to manage Shopify stores, process orders, and track sales if you are busy as a bee.
It is a platform for creating mobile-friendly e-commerce stores. StoreHippo is full of ready-made solutions for B2B and B2C enterprises.
Marketplaces and multi-channel selling are helpful in terms of reaching customers on platforms like Amazon, eBay, and social media. It increases sales opportunities and provides a lot of revenue streams.
Use the tools at the bottom:
Sellbrite is a multi-channel listing software for managing inventory and orders on every side of marketplaces.
It is an e-commerce platform for automating and optimizing sales on a variety of channels.
Tool for cross-posting products on multiple marketplaces quickly and efficiently.
Inventory management software for multi-channel retailers to adjust listings and orders.
Solid Commerce is an end-to-end e-commerce solution for managing listings, inventory, and fulfillment.
We hope you found our suggestions to your liking. Make the most of the above tools and let your e-commerce startup sing your praises.
Kelvin Stiles is a tech enthusiast and works as a marketing consultant at SurveyCrest – FREE online survey software and publishing tools for academic and business use. He is also an avid blogger and a comic book fanatic.
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