These days, there’s an app, platform, tool or technology for just about everything. From monitoring website traffic to organising easy returns, the number of eCommerce tools is overwhelming. To keep track of which tool helps with what, here are 10 eCommerce tools every eCommerce store should be using.
Instasize
No matter how big your business or social following is, creating a consistent brand and aesthetic is crucial. Because branding extends way beyond logos and taglines, eCommerce businesses of all sizes and niches need to invest in visual content. Instasize is an all-in-one mobile app packed with photo and video editing tools, filters, borders, collages and customised text styles. Great for Instagram, the basic version is free to download on iOS and Android.
SEMRush
If you’re an eCommerce business looking to gain a competitive edge through insights – you’ll find them using SEMRush. This research tool gives marketers insight into their top keywords, competitor analysis, page performance and in-depth research into your campaign performance. Prices range, depending on the depth of reports and insights you’re after, but even at a basic level, this tool gives you everything you need to find SEO opportunities and track your performance.
Ahrefs
Slightly similar to SEMRush, Ahrefs is a powerhouse of insights. Ideal for understanding eCommerce marketing opportunities, Ahrefs gives you visibility over your competitor’s digital marketing strategies and campaigns. While the reporting isn’t as comprehensive as SEMRush, it’s a great all-in-one tool.
Hotjar
Getting visitors to your site is one thing; understanding why they’re not converting is another story altogether. Hotjar is an all-in-one analytics tool which uses heat mapping technology to show how your website traffic is interacting with your website. Using session recordings, you can see how they click and where they move their mouse, as well as pick up any patterns or issues with your site’s performance. Ideal as a form of user testing, Hotjar lets you monitor how users are behaving on your website and provides feedback on where your visitor is leaving.
Exit Bee
Using behavioural psychology, this smart popup captures customers at the right moment. Exit Bee assists eCommerce stores to increase conversion and email subscription rates, decrease cart abandonment, and provide site visitors with targeted messaging. Pricing varies with the number of campaigns you’re looking to run.
MailChimp
When it comes to digital marketing, email is often-overlooked and under-utilised. With so much potential to re-engage customers, email marketing is a powerful way to grow your business and drive conversions. But, before you can start sending emails, you need to build a list – and that’s where MailChimp comes in. Packed with easy-to-use templates, MailChimp helps you automate, grow and segment your email marketing. With a free entry-level plan and packages to suit databases of all sizes, MailChimp is a universally-loved and widely used weapon.
Smile.io
In a highly competitive market, eCommerce retailers need to find smart ways to build loyalty. Smile.io is an incentive app which offers points and rewards and encourages referrals from your customers. If your business or product is consumable or seasonal, like fashion or retail, then Smile.io is worth checking out.
Unbxd
In an age where online consumers are demanding personalisation, retailers who remain generic are fast losing relevance. Unbxd offers a seamless search experience to your shoppers and uses smart technology to accurately predict what your web traffic could be looking for. By optimising your online site search and giving customers a more personalised experience, Unbxd helps shoppers find the products they want, faster.
Compressor
When it comes to usability and SEO, page speeds are incredibly important. With eCommerce sites generally very product-driven, large image files can slow a site down and send conversions south. This free tool compresses any image into a smaller file without affecting its quality. With smaller files leading to faster page load times, it’s worth checking your page speed and shrinking your images down in size, not quality.
Shippit
The reality is, over 60% of online shoppers will abandon their carts due to high shipping costs or slow delivery times. With more choice than ever, online consumers want it now, and they want it for free. While this is excellent news for the consumer, keeping up as an online retailer can be costly and logistically tiring. This is where a cloud-based platform like Shippit comes in. Developed on a simple-to-connect API, Shippit integrates directly into your app or eCommerce platform. This takes the manual grunt work out of shipping by choosing the best shipping method – every time, for every order.
With instant access to a host of leading carriers, Shippit gives you the flexibility to try a new carrier with the flick of a switch. Because there’s always more than one carrier, one Shippit account gives you access to multiple carriers so you won’t need to set up complex shipping rules or manage various logins.
Click here to find out how Shippit can help you simplify shipping.
