Why The Next Big Call In CRM’s Playbook Is Ecommerce

Ecommerce is predicted to blossom into more than a $1 trillion industry worldwide by the end of 2016, with some experts saying that it will eclipse the $2 trillion marker by the year 2018. While these predictions may seem lofty, the U.S. alone did over $350 billion in ecommerce this past year, and is expected to break $400 billion this holiday season. Needless to say, ecommerce CRM software vendors are looking to cash in on the next big market, which they have successfully tapped as this industry.

Countless Integrations

Aside from the rampant growth of ecommerce, and its obvious appeal to CRM, another ticker is omnipresent here: integration. E-retailers mostly consist of mom and pop small or medium-sized businesses. They utilize a growing number of integrations to help them run their businesses. The thing is that it can be downright confusing having to open several software programs at once. One of the benefits of newer ecommerce CRM software is that it allows these integrations to work superfluously and simultaneously with the CRM interface.

Connecting Internal Logistics & Analytics

Another area where this software is viable is with internal logistics and analytics. Since it can connect to these integrations as well as the ecommerce cart or marketplace, it can also draw analytics and logistics. Users are able to see predictive charts, seasonal trends, best-sellers and more, so they can make educated decisions on how to best run their business, manage sales campaigns and even to know what inventory will outsell others and why.

Predictive Trend Analysis

With predictive trend analysis features, newer ecommerce CRM software can really take center stage, even over the backend reporting features that are offered by most shopping carts and marketplaces. This is namely because these reporting features are rather limited in their scope. In addition, when a solitary ecommerce platform can integrate all of the analytics from every storefront that’s being manage by the retailer, it basically eradicates the usefulness of one solitary backend analytics engine, and replaces it with a more robust and usable interface.

Incorporating Social CRM

With studies showing that social commerce is growing by leaps and bounds, and is generating hundreds of millions of dollars in referral conversions each year, the advantageousness and necessary addition of social CRM to ecommerce CRM software is obvious. Where the CRM comes into play is found with mass update posting, social coupon and sharing, analytics and tracking, and even outreach to target high-value customers. The benefit is that all of this can be done at the click of a button, as opposed to manually or by using several different service providers.

Newsletters & Mailing Campaigns

The standard fit and fare of CRM functions are abundant in the best ecommerce CRM software, too, explains a TrueShip white paper. This also is inclusive of newsletter management via integrations, mailing campaigns, click-through rates, conversion rates and tracking, to name a few. The difference is that, as previously stated, this software brings all of these gears under one hood, where they can simultaneously function as turning cogs in one machine; hence the appeal of such software.

The True Scope

As technology expands, and as online retailers begin to utilize more tools to meet their daily goals, expect ecommerce CRM software to really take off. In the years to come, it will likely be as common a tool for e-tailers as a smartphone is. Until that day does arrive, though, these businesspersons will have to resort to the standard fit and fare for the time being.