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As an eCommerce platform, efficiency, reduced operations costs, and higher sales are probably at the top of your menu. Naturally, there may be quite a distance between having these goals and actually achieving them. But automation in ecommerce is changing all that.
Automation basically translates to using tech to take care of repetitive tasks and streamline operations. Some impacted tasks include managing inventory, processing orders, or personalizing marketing.
Once you've delegated these to the machines, you're free to focus on metrics that really count, like smashing sales goals. Here are a few ways automation helps you get this right:
One of the major roles of an ecommerce store owner or manager is to be on top of stock levels in warehouses and ensure they much those on the shelves. When you choose the automation path, much of the physical shelf-watching takes a backseat.
One thing automation software gives you is real-time tracking. You can automatically monitor stock levels across multiple platforms and warehouses at your own convenience. The right tech also allows you to set up automatic triggers to jolt you when inventory falls below a certain threshold.
When you know where you stand at all times, the chances of running out or overstocking run pretty low. That's happy, satisfied customers, and reduced holding costs.
However, one thing to keep in mind is that tech automation comes with its own complications. There could be integration issues with your legacy systems, maybe you'll end up with tech that isn't exactly in line with your ecommerce business, and so on. That's why, as per 7tech’s experts and others, IT outsourcing can go a long way.
When you delegate IT issues to pros who understand the nature of your business, you can rest easy knowing that they'll help you choose and set up the right ecommerce automation tools so everything works smoothly together. In case there are any hiccups, they'll also quickly jump on it and get you back to working order in no time.
What would happen if you woke up one morning and found a flood of chargebacks? Or maybe the sobering reality that your store received an unwanted visit from threat actors? The age-old adage "prevention is better than cure" rings true in this situation.
First, you need fraud detection capabilities to catch suspicious patterns before they impact your business. You could choose to manually review every order before fulfilling it to reduce these odds. But how much time and resources will that consume? Automation is the safest route to take.
Machine learning algorithms can help you flag suspicious transactions like orders coming from high-risk regions or with mismatched billing and shipping addresses. But automation alone isn't enough to solve all these potential headaches and more. Having Kenyatta's cyber experts or other professionals with experience in ecommerce solutions can go a long way.
These cybersecurity gurus will scour your system and technologies to identify any threats. If none, they'll help you set up a fool-proof system and constantly keep an eye on it so you can continue with your business without fear of attacks from threat actors.
This kind of protection can save money. But that's not all there is to it. It can also build trust with your customers since you show them that your store is serious about safety.
Here's a tale of two e-commerce stores. Store J promises to deliver a product in three days. Store K would do the same in a day. Which one do you think will attract the most customers? Most likely the one with shorter delivery timelines.
When you go for marketing automation platforms with order fulfillment automation as one of their promises, the odds of you being like store K are high. You'll get to automate order routing to the nearest or most efficient warehouse. This can translate to faster delivery times and increased customer satisfaction.
You can also automatically sync orders across marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Shopify and integrate with shipping providers for label printing, carrier selection, and tracking updates. This can translate to fewer errors and reduced labor costs.
Prices in ecommerce stores are not set in stone. You can adjust them based on demand, how sweet a deal your competitors are offering, and, of course, your inventory levels. With AI-driven tools, you are living in a world where all this is possible.
You get to implement automatic price changes based on real-time data, so your store stays competitive without you having to watch the market every minute. You can also set rules that keep your prices from dropping below a certain profit margin, so you never accidentally sell at a loss.
There are many online stores out there selling exactly what you do, targeting the exact same customer segment you are too. What can set you apart is customer communication and service that's beyond reproach.
Thing is, you don't know when the customer will come in with urgent queries. It could be in the middle of the night when everyone's asleep or any time during the day. Imagine the dismay when they have to wait hours until you respond.
If you don't want this nightmare scenario in your store, you can consider putting AI-powered chatbots to work. These tech darlings handle FAQs, returns, and basic troubleshooting 24/7. They'll respond to customer queries to the best of their abilities, leaving only the complicated parts to you.
A good practice when setting up marketing automation tools is to use natural language processing (NLP) to provide personalized recommendations. Get this right, and sooner or later, you may notice an improved customer experience, faster response times, and reduced support workload.
A business that only gets in touch with potential customers when it's time to make a sale or promote a product is one that's bound for the pits. Your customer should feel valued at all times.
One way to show your appreciation is through gestures like sending them best wishes and sweet deals on their birthdays or anniversaries. But say you have 10,000 customers in your database. How are you going to keep tabs on each of their big days?
By automating. Your customer relationship management system will keep tabs on these dates for you and delight the customer when the time comes. Apart from these social scenarios, your tool can also help to automate email workflows for request reviews, abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups, and re-engagement of your customers.
They will also help you segment customers based on behavior, preferences, and purchase history for targeted messaging. This automation process can result in higher cart email open and conversion rates, increased customer retention, and boosted average order value.
Understanding how your store is performing shouldn’t require digging through endless spreadsheets or manually compiling reports. That’s time-consuming, error-prone, and frankly, not where your focus should be.
With automation, you can easily track key performance indicators like traffic sources, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value, etc., all in real-time. Tools like Google Analytics and Tableau can pull this data together into easy-to-read dashboards that give you a clear picture of what’s working, what you need to chuck, and what needs improvement.
Your product descriptions can be the difference between your product appearing on search engines or not. At the heart of this is SEO, or search engine optimization. AI automation can help you with this.
Say your online business is selling a wireless Bluetooth speaker. This is the kind of description AI can help you come up with:
"Experience crystal-clear sound with our Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker X1, perfect for pool parties, outdoor adventures, and on-the-go listening. Featuring 12-hour battery life, seamless Bluetooth connectivity, and a rugged, dustproof design, this portable speaker delivers powerful 360° audio without the wires."
This description includes relevant keywords like "wireless Bluetooth speaker," "waterproof," "portable," and "long battery life" to help improve search engine visibility while highlighting key features that appeal to buyers.
But SEO isn't the only approach. Product data syndication across the different channels can take a while. However, you can automate this process across the different platforms, be it Google Shopping, Amazon, etc.) from a single dashboard.
To what end? Improved visibility in search results and consistent branding across platforms.
Consistency goes a long way when it comes to building a strong social media presence. But keeping up with daily posts across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and more can feel like a piece of work, especially when other parts of the business still demand your attention.
Automation tools allow you to schedule content in advance so your brand stays active and visible even when you’re busy. Beyond just scheduling, AI can also help optimize your ad campaigns by testing different creatives, audience segments, and bidding strategies in real time.
This one decision could result in higher customer interaction rates, better ROI, and a much more efficient use of your time.
Automation in eCommerce brings a world of difference to your business operations. This guide has shed light on some of the instances where this is the case.
The benefits of eCommerce automation are always up for grabs. The onus is on you to shop around for the best automation tool for your needs and budgets and take your business to the next level.
