SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service. It is a model in which the software is hosted on the cloud. The user receives a license to use the software on a subscription fee format, meaning that they don’t have to purchase the software and install it on their system. You can access the software through any web browser or an app. The pricing varies based on the level of service opted for, the number of users, etc., and can be paid monthly or annually.

Some of the most common SaaS apps that we use daily are the email programs that we access through a browser, such as Gmail and Office 365 (Outlook).

Advantages of SaaS

Traditionally software companies have all sold their software as products. Customers used to purchase the software for a one-time fee and load it onto their systems. The responsibility to meet and maintain the hardware requirements rested on the customer. In instances where hardware had to be upgraded, customers had to purchase a newer version of the software that pairs with the new hardware. All this has changed with SaaS. Below we list a few advantages and disadvantages of the SaaS model.

Flexibility: The fact that you can access the software from any device connected to the internet makes it fully flexible compared to the traditional model. You don’t have any location restrictions in SaaS. You can access the software from anywhere in the world and continue to do your work without any hiccups. 

Scalability: SaaS models are highly scalable. At each stage of your business, you can access just the required, right amount of features and go all out when you decide to scale up. You do not have to worry about purchasing new hardware, servers and upgrading networks, etc. All you have to do is opt for the next tier of features and services depending on the number of users who require access to the software.

No upgrades required: With SaaS, upgrades to the software are automatically available to the customers. It means that you are continuously working on the latest version of the software. The cost and effort associated with this kind of service are much lower than the traditional model, where you have to buy new versions whenever there is a software upgrade happening. 

Less time required to get started: In SaaS, the software does not have to be installed and configured and is immediately ready to use. It is a much faster and low-cost entry option for businesses compared to the time and effort required to develop your software, maintain and upgrade it. 

Cost savings: Most of the SaaS companies provide tiered packages depending on your business requirements. Moreover, the application is hosted on a shared multi-tenant space. This reduces the license cost, making it more affordable compared to the traditional model. Security and safety of data: SaaS service providers follow strict security protocols and undergo thorough security audits to ensure that the customers data is safe and secure at all times. They usually invest more in security, maintenance and back-up technology compared to small businesses.

Disadvantages of SaaS

Reduced control: You have better control when the software and programs are hosted on-premise rather than on the cloud. Moreover, since SaaS solutions are delivered through the web, you need to ensure 24×7 access to the internet. Otherwise, you may lose access to your software or data, which can be detrimental and costly.

Slower speed: SaaS solutions may run at slower speeds than on-premise applications, which might affect the performance of your online store for example.  Concerns about data security: When you opt for a SaaS model, you are giving a third-party service provider access to sensitive data. You should check on identity and access management clauses before you sign up with the service provider.

SaaS Platforms in eCommerce

If you are looking to expand your brick-and-mortar retail store and establish a presence online, then the first question that you will encounter is which eCommerce platform to adopt. The software you choose will determine the scalability of your business, the features it has, and how well you manage your online store – its marketing, sales, and other operations. When it comes to eCommerce platforms, there are two routes available for merchants. One is Open Source and the other is SaaS platforms. 

Open-Source eCommerce platforms are highly flexible – you can modify almost all aspects of the code. They are most suited for large enterprises that have unique requirements and a large IT team who can design and maintain their store. Within open-source, you have cloud solutions and on-premise solutions. With on-premise solutions, the platform updates and patches require manual implementation. You will also be fully responsible for the security of your store and will have to spend on additional applications and integrations to make your store fully functional. 

SaaS eCommerce platforms are cloud-hosted and remove the complexities associated with open-source platforms. Hosting, technology updates, security, etc., are taken care of by the service provider. They are easy to use and reduce your time-to-market considerably. BigCommerce, Shopify, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Magento Commerce are all SaaS platforms.

If you are looking to develop an eCommerce site on a SaaS platform, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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Both platforms are rich in features, and many online merchants have had to make the tough decision of choosing one over the other. When Magento 1 was phased out, many of them decided to stay loyal and chose Magento 2, also because of the flexibility it offers. Being an open-source platform, Magento allows you to do unlimited customizations and is most suited for merchants with unique requirements.

Differences between Magento and BigCommerce

Hosting

Magento is an open-source, self-hosted platform. It means that it can be hosted on-premise or by a third party. Meanwhile, BigCommerce is a SaaS eCommerce platform with cloud hosting and maintenance services which you can use with a subscription fee.

Ease of use

Setting up a Magento store is not easy. You will need to rely on a developer or an outside agency to code and build the store for you. BigCommerce comes with a drag-and-drop page builder feature which means that merchants can set up their shop themselves. However, if the store is complex, you have access to BigCommerce partner agencies who will help you set up your store for a fee.

Go-to-market time

Being a cloud-based platform, BigCommerce has a much faster launch time. The built-in templates and functionalities make it much easier to design and launch a store on BigCommerce. In Magento you have to take care of website design, hosting, maintenance, etc. and it can be a very time-consuming process.

The cost of setting up a store on Magento will depend on the complexity and functionalities required for the store. While the software is available for free in the Magento Open Source version, merchants need to spend on store development, hosting and integration of various third-party apps and solutions. BigCommerce is a SaaS platform that takes care of the software, infrastructure, and technical support costs within the subscription fee. Merchants will still need to spend on store development and third-party integrations.

Reasons why store owners might migrate from Magento to BigCommerce

1. Automatic upgrades and patches: One reason merchants decide to re-platform to BigCommerce is the access to the latest upgrades and patches. It means that your store is automatically upgraded with all the features and is running on the latest version with no downtime.
2. Apps and Extensions: BigCommerce comes built-in with a whole host of features that help improve store performance. The BigCommerce marketplace has a wide range of Apps, both from BigCommerce and third-party solution providers, performing various functions from Marketing to Analytics and Reporting.
3. Integrated marketing features: eCommerce merchants have understood that it is just not enough to sell on one’s site. You have to be present in various social channels and marketplaces and provide customers the option to buy from there. By default, BigCommerce links all stores to different social channels. In Magento, merchants have to opt for a multi-channel selling tool to integrate with other marketplaces.
4. High Security: For eCommerce merchants, security is always a topic of concern. Being a fully hosted platform, BigCommerce takes care of the complete security of your site and automatically applies all security patches regularly.
5. The lower total cost of ownership: Being a hosted solution, BigCommerce covers expenses for hosting and maintenance improvements within the subscription fee. It can help limit expenses, especially for new businesses who are just setting up their store.
6. 24/7 support: BigCommerce offers 24/7 support through phone, live chat, email, and a dedicated help centre. BigCommerce provides access to highly trained support staff and this can be a boon for small entrepreneurs and business owners who don’t have in-house technical resources to turn to every time they face issues.

Points to consider while contemplating migration from Magento to BigCommerce

• Audit your existing site for its functionalities and performance. Scan through all possible reports and do detailed data analysis to identify gaps and areas to be improved. 
• List out all the features that you want to include in the new site.
• Explore BigCommerce functionalities and identify the third-party software and integrations you will need for the new store. 
• Back up all your data – customer details, orders, product information, website content, etc., before you make any changes.
• While migrating, try and retain your domain name because changing the domain name can severely impact your already established search engine rankings.
• Put a date plan for the new store launch after considering the time required to develop the new site and transfer all the data.
• Carry out final checks and thoroughly test before you publicly launch the new store.

If you are looking to migrate your eCommerce store, contact us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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Based in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sorcible will help you set up your own dedicated offshore team that will become an integral part of your company without being on your payroll with all related hassles. With over 12 years of experience in delivering tailored software solutions, we specialize in providing exceptional quality for our clients around the world.

Bulgaria is regarded by many as the Silicon Valley of Europe, a spot on the flourishing ecosystem of global IT companies. We at Sorcible will take care of all employee management and admin hassles while you focus on your core business.

Clutch recently ranked us as one of the top staff augmentation services in Sofia. Clutch is highly respected within the B2B space for connecting small, mid-market, and enterprise businesses with service providers that fit their needs.

Receiving such an award motivates our team to strive more for excellence. In the words of our Managing Director,

“It is a testament to the tremendous dedication and hard work of our team to receive this recognition from Clutch. It makes us evermore motivated to share our expertise and help our clients accelerate their business through Bulgaria’s amazing dev force!”

Lyubomir Damyanov, Managing Director at Sorcible

We are also thankful for our ever-supportive clients that spent their precious time providing optimistic feedback in our Clutch profile.

“Overall they do great work and we have never had any issues with them.”

Head of Marketing, CastleRock REO

100% project success rate – we always deliver as agreed and beyond. Tell us about your project!

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• Building organic traffic
• Customer Service
• Customer Engagement
• Social media tools
• Analytics

Building Organic Traffic

Starting an online store has become so easy that we see new players entering this space every day. The competition is going up and identifying and attracting new customers has become critical. Relying on paid traffic can be a drain on your resources. It makes business sense to invest in developing organic traffic. While this process might take months and sometimes years to see results, the earlier you start, the better.

So if you are looking to develop relevant content that will help you push your site up in Google rankings, then the eCommerce tool to invest in is SEM Rush.

Semrush is one of the best SEO tools available оn the market today. With Semrush, you can do a site audit to understand your site performance and take corrective actions.

The SEO Ideas tool analyzes each page on your site and gives you actionable SEO advice – new keywords, page improvements, backlink opportunities, etc. You can also identify all the keywords bringing traffic to your site, track competitor sites, identify keywords they are ranking for and find new keywords that you can target. This tool provides you all the data that is required to come up with a winning content strategy.

While we are discussing building organic traffic, we also need to talk about the various email marketing tools available today. Email marketing, if utilized well, can help you connect with your leads, nurture them, and eventually convert them into customers. Some of the most popular email marketing tools available are Klaviyo, MailChimp, SmartrMail, etc. To learn more, see our blog on how email marketing can help you drive sales and traffic to your store.

Customer Service

The average conversion rate in eCommerce is 1-2%. Live chat tools can help increase conversion rates and improve customer service. The live chat facility is similar to the traditional store assistant in a brick-and-mortar shop who will help you with your queries and identify the product you are looking for. The live chat facility has been automated to a large extent now and comes populated with the answers to frequently asked questions.

Livechat ranks among the top live chat tools for eCommerce. It can be integrated with all the leading eCommerce platforms and offers a 30-day free trial. It allows two-way file sharing between agents and customers, canned messages and comes with advanced analytics.

Other popular live chat tools are Olark, LiveAgent, ZenDesk Chat, etc.

Customer Engagement

Only the engaged customer can in time become a loyal customer. So how do you engage with your customers? From personalized content to social media contests – any activity conceived to drive excitement and create a smooth shopping experience falls under customer engagement. This topic is vast. In this blog, we will discuss only tools that will enhance customer conversations.

Omnisend is more than just an email marketing platform that you need to check out for customer engagement. It enables you to create email campaigns and automation workflows in a few easy clicks. A few features of Omnisend that are worth mentioning are:  post-purchase follow-up emails, landing pages for your paid ads or promotional emails, SMS facilities, auto-generated discount codes, data capture forms and pop-ups and advanced sales reporting.

Searchspring is yet another tool that makes upselling and cross-selling easy to existing customers. This powerful search tool allows you to present the right product to the right person at the right time. It analyzes all the products on your site, categorizes them correctly, and provides the shopper with the most accurate results when they search.

All these tools can help you provide a personalized shopping experience to your customers.

Social media scheduling tools

There are 1.47 billion daily active users on Facebook every day and 60% of Instagram users say they come across new brands and products on Instagram. It means that eCommerce businesses should look at social media presence seriously. But setting up an account here is just the starting point. To be successful, you need to publish relevant content consistently. Yes, consistency is the name of the game. Often, businesses lose interest because they do not have a dedicated resource to maintain their social channels.

Hootsuite is one tool that will help you have a consistent and engaging social media presence. With Hootsuite, you can schedule posts or updates, interact with customers, watch what people are saying about your brand or products and have access to powerful analytics and insights that will help you further improve your marketing efforts.

Analytics

Analytics tools provide you with rich data which is insightful and can help you assess your business performance. The visitor metrics can tell you the number of visitors to your site, their interactions with your site, their movement, etc. Corrective actions and future marketing strategies all depend on the data that analytics throws up. So, which are the popular tools available in the market today?

Google Analytics: This one is a must have. It is free, easy to use and comes with powerful metrics that enable eCommerce owners to track traffic through the entire sales cycle. If you dig deep, it gives you insights on customer movement, pages where they spent maximum time, the page from which they exited your website and the effectiveness of your check-out process. Google Analytics also provides you data on the devices where your traffic is coming from, which products are in demand, etc. All these are valuable data that can help streamline and improve your business operations.

Glew.io is another versatile tool catering to both small and large eCommerce businesses. It allows you to review your product performance, identify ones selling well and mark out those with poor revenues. If you have a presence on multiple platforms, you can integrate Glew.io with all and track sales from all the channels on one dashboard. It allows you to segment customers and do deep research on customer types, what they buy and how they buy. It also gives you information on your marketing spends by pulling data from the various advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

A few other names to check out are Kissmetrics, Hotjar, Crazy Egg, etc.

If you are looking to develop an eCommerce site, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

The post A few ‘Must Have’ eCommerce tools to increase site traffic and earnings appeared first on Sorcible.

How do you develop a mailing list?

The best and most effective way is to start capturing email addresses on your website. If you want your prospects to share their email addresses with you, then there should be a compelling offer for them to do so. A discount for their first order, notifications and special offers on new products are some of the baits eCommerce stores use to get customers to sign up.

If you have a physical store you can collect email addresses at the store. Today most point of sale (POS) systems allow you to collect email addresses at checkout. A discount on next purchase or a loyalty program often encourage a customer to share their mailing address.

The next step is to get your active followers on social media to sign up and be a part of the mailing list. For example, if you are looking to get Instagram users to connect with you, an attractive bio on Instagram with a link to your website is the most obvious step forward. You can also create an email sign-up landing page on your website and promote it on Instagram with the ‘Swipe Up’ feature. Social media contests that require people to enter email to participate are yet another way to build your mailing list.

What works best in email marketing?

Email marketing programs help build customer relationships that will lead to sales over the next few months or years. Here are a few tips on what works best in email marketing.

1. Once a customer signs up, the most obvious thing to do is send out a welcome email. Try combining this with a discount and you have a very good chance they will visit your site for a repeat purchase.
2. Identify relevant occasions to shoot out emails that resonate with your customers. A birthday wish with an exclusive offer is very effective, or if the holiday season is around the corner you can send an email with gift ideas for various age groups. Customers are more likely to respond to emails that offer some value – it need not be a price off at all times. You can even put together some relevant information that your customers will find interesting and helpful.
3. The subject line in the email can increase the open rates, so make sure to spend some time crafting lines that are catchy and offer some value.
4. Simple designs with concise text and high quality, relevant images work best.
5. Every email should have a strong call to action. It could be to visit the website for more details, download a report or connect with the sales team for more information.

How can emails be used to drive traffic to the website?

Cross-promotions – Emails can be an effective tool to cross-promote products in your store. Most stores send out product recommendations based on a customer’s past purchases. Information on new product launches and pre-bookings all fall under this category of emails.

Cart abandonment emails – Studies show that the average cart abandonment rate across all industries is ~70% percent. eCommerce store owners are struggling to get these customers to return and complete their purchases. Reminder emails help to gently nudge the customers to visit the site and complete the purchase. eCommerce store owners can automate these emails and send them out within an hour of cart abandonment to maximize response rate.

Stock replenishment emails – This is often used in consumer perishable goods where there is a repeat purchase often. Emails are sent out to customers reminding them to replenish their stocks depending on the shelf life of the product. For example, Amazon has the popular “Subscribe and Save” model. Once a customer signs up for this facility he/she does not have to reorder the product. The product is shipped automatically to the customer based on the timeline they chose.

Emails designed to collect feedback – These emails help build a relationship with the customer. They are used to get the customers to leave a positive review of your product on your website or social media platforms. These emails are also an opportunity to address the complaints and grievances of customers if they have had a bad experience with your product or the purchase experience.

If conceptualized and executed well, these emails can improve customer experience and help boost your conversion rates.

Popular email marketing platforms for eCommerce

Here are some of the popular email marketing providers platform providers.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a platform dedicated to email marketing and SMS. It’s a must-have tool for eCommerce stores looking to grow their business. Klaviyo comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop email builder. This feature makes it easy-to-use even for a first-time user. It also comes built-in with a provision to A/B test your emails with different content, subject lines, offers and timings. Today over 50,000+ businesses rely on Klaviyo for their email marketing efforts.

MailChimp

MailChimp is one of the very first names in the email marketing space – over 14 million customers are using MailChimp for their email marketing efforts. It is very popular with small and medium-sized businesses and boasts well-designed email templates and opt-in forms. It also integrates well with eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, etc.

SmartrMail

SmartrMail is an App designed exclusively for eCommerce businesses. The email composer is remarkably easy to use and enables you to develop and shoot out emails quickly. Welcome emails, Winback emails, Abandoned Cart emails – SmartrMail has templates for all these and much more, making it easy for you to shoot out emails automatically. It also comes with a host of tools and features that will help you drive sales and traffic to your website – integration with Facebook custom audiences and A/B testing are some of them.

Some other popular players are HubSpot, Constant Contact, and Active Campaign.

If you are looking to develop an eCommerce site, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

The post How to use email marketing to drive sales and traffic to your store appeared first on Sorcible.

1. Request for Quote

Price negotiations are a common practice in B2B business transactions. Customers often buy in bulk and expect a discount based on order quantity. The request for quote functionality replicates the offline price negotiation between customers and sellers in the online space. Customers can select the products they want to buy, mention the quantities, add them to the cart, and request a quote. The seller can then respond with the best pricing that will help them convert visitors into potential buyers. While this may not fully mirror the offline buyer-seller negotiation process, this feature allows sellers to respond to quote requests easily and facilitate an efficient negotiation process.

2. Quick order option

In B2B purchases, customers often buy multiple SKUs at a time. They are clear about what they want to buy, and very often, it’s a repeat purchase. In such cases, the Quick Order functionality allows the customers to instantly add multiple products into their cart by entering the SKU numbers in one place and proceed to checkout. You don’t have to search for products, shortlist them and add them to the cart independently. It helps save time and makes the ordering process very easy.

Quick Order Form for OroCommerce, Quick Order Pad from 3dCart and Magento2 Quick Order from MagePlaza are a few examples.

3. Minimum Order Quantity and Value

In B2B business, customers have to order a minimum quantity to qualify for discounts or wholesale pricing. B2B sites should also offer this feature so that sellers can set minimum order quantity for each product on their catalog. Some businesses extend this to the order value also. They insist on a minimum total order value to fulfill a purchase. It helps sell low-cost items in bulk as it’s not feasible to sell them individually or in small quantities.

4. Customer-Specific Catalog and Pricing

Customized catalogs are a common practice in B2B businesses. The ‘One Price for all’ strategy followed by B2C players doesn’t work well in the B2B scenario. Sellers have to work out customized pricing based on customers, the products they buy, their order value and how often they purchase from you. It means that the site should have a customer login and each customer gets directed to a customized page that serves the customer-specific catalog and pricing worked out for him. B2B platforms provide the feature to form customer groups and assign different catalogs and pricing to each customer group.

5. Search Tools

B2B sites very often have product SKUs running into hundreds of thousands. Searching for the product you need from this exhaustive list can be time-consuming and tedious. So, it is essential to provide search functionality on the site that will enable customers to search for products with minimum effort. Most of the eCommerce platforms have search and filter options that enhance the search functionality. For example, assume that you are selling musical instruments on your site. In the filter options you can set the first filter based on the category, say, string instruments. You can then further narrow down the search with other filters like Type of instrument – Guitar, Cello, etc. and then Brand, Size, Model, etc. It allows the customer to zero in on the available products in a few seconds without browsing all the pages.

There are also third-party integrations that allow for infinite filters. They also come equipped with advanced search functionalities. For example, they can suggest products as soon as you start entering your query in the search bar. These search or filtering apps are available in the marketplace of each eCommerce platform.

6. Access Restriction Options

In B2B commerce sellers often have to respond to tenders floated by companies and compete with other players to get the order. In such a case, it is critical not to divulge your pricing to competitors. There are also instances where the seller uses the same site to sell to B2B and B2C customers. Here the pricing for the customer groups will be different, with the B2B customer being offered special discounts for bulk orders. In such scenarios access restriction option becomes critical. This feature allows you to display different information to different customers. You can keep the information confidential from unauthorized visitors by building functionality that requires customers to register before accessing the various product and pricing details. You can also set different pathways for your B2B and B2C customers, so that correct information is served based on customer groups.

7. Self-service account management tools

A customized page and dashboard that displays all information that may be of interest to a customer are vital for the success of a B2B site. Information regarding the products they usually purchase, the availability, change in price, lead time for delivery, new products added, previous order details, order status, delivery details, etc. all need to be available upfront to facilitate quick decisions. The Self-service account management tools address this need to a large extent. Customers can create an account, log in and have access to all the information in one place. It will ensure transparency and the visibility a customer demands in business transactions.

8. Sales Rep tools

While B2B businesses have understood the importance of online sales and are setting up shops, they still rely heavily on their sales representatives interacting with customers, closing sales, and getting orders. The Sales Rep tools are plug-ins developed especially for B2B sites for this purpose. They help the sales team to serve customers more effectively. This empowers the sales representatives to manage sales, identify and push the products customers are interested in and place orders on their behalf through the B2B eCommerce site. It also streamlines order processing, reinforces customer relationships and makes the sales force more efficient.

If you are looking to develop a B2B eCommerce site, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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When a business uses an eCommerce platform to sell to another business, this is B2B eCommerce. Globally the B2B eCommerce market size was valued at USD 5.7 trillion in 2019. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.5% from 2020 to 2027. Businesses have realized that there is immense growth opportunity in the online space. In this blog we will explore B2B eCommerce in greater detail, the various B2B models, how it is different from B2C eCommerce, and a few features that are a must in B2B eCommerce platforms.

Why is the B2B sector witnessing such rapid growth?

Today a large percentage of employees in the B2B sector are millennials. They have grown up with technology and are very comfortable making purchases online for all their needs. They expect the same convenience and options when it comes to purchases done professionally. When they need a product, they start the search online, similar to the process they would follow if they were buying shoes or a watch for themselves. They identify different brands, compare product specifications, price and then decide to purchase. In short, the B2B buying process now largely mirrors a B2C eCommerce buying process. It is amply clear that to stay competitive and relevant, businesses need to have a presence online.

Sales Models within B2B eCommerce

• Manufacturers set up eCommerce sites to sell directly to other businesses. A good example is the auto part manufacturers that manufacture various vehicle parts, which they sell to the original equipment manufacturers. Their customers are automotive companies who manufacture vehicles and sell to end consumers.
• Wholesalers and Distributors who source products in bulk and sell to small retailers and end consumers. In this B2B eCommerce model, instead of selling your products individually to consumers, the business sells them in bulk and at a discount to other businesses. These are the intermediaries between manufacturers and retailers.

Advantages of B2B eCommerce

Increased reach: The established B2B eCommerce portals enable businesses to expand their reach and target potential customers effortlessly. Large product catalogs, low prices and fast shipping are a few reasons why B2B buyers are flocking to these marketplaces.  

Manage suppliers more efficiently: Manufacturing firms often have to deal with multiple suppliers. Keeping track of orders, maintaining the inventory, reordering products, etc. can be time-consuming and a drain on the resources. Managing suppliers becomes easy with B2B eCommerce platforms. A lot of the supplier interactions can be automated, helping you save time and costs.

Accelerate order fulfilment: Order fulfilment is critical for the success of an eCommerce business. You can automate the entire order fulfilment process and do away with errors that creep in during manual data entry of orders, customers and shipping details.

Better customer engagement: Having an eCommerce portal can increase the efficiency of sales representatives. They can have access to customer details at their fingertips. Client’s order history, the price quoted previously and order delivery status are all readily available, enabling reps to engage with customers more effectively.

How is B2B eCommerce different from B2C eCommerce

Target Audience: In B2C eCommerce the target audience is individual consumers who buy products for their personal use. Also, the market for B2C eCommerce is much larger – B2B eCommerce caters to a niche audience and the customers are not individuals but businesses of all sizes and shapes.

Buying decision: In B2C eCommerce, the decision to buy rests with one person, which is not the case in B2B purchases. Studies show that in B2B the average number of stakeholders involved in a purchase decision is 5.4. It is a collective decision-making process based on price, specifications, etc.

Purchase is not impulsive: The shopping behavior in B2C is very different from B2B. B2C is known for impulse purchases, while in B2B the decision to purchase comes after a lot of deliberation. Brands are shortlisted, prices and technical specifications compared, price negotiations happen and delivery modalities finalized before the purchase decision is taken.

Fixed Pricing vs Customized: In B2C eCommerce, the products have a fixed price. There is no scope for negotiations. Even discounts offered are prefixed by the seller and apply to all customers who visit the site. It’s not the case in B2B where pricing is customized based on the order quantity, relationship with the customers, payment terms, etc.

Lifetime value of customers: The average purchase value of products in B2B is much higher compared to B2C products. Also, B2B purchases are often made in bulk and appropriate shipping and insurance arrangements have to be made. Once a business finds a reliable supplier, they tend to stick with them and make repeat purchases. In short, the lifetime value of B2B customers is higher than B2C, so it makes sense to invest in personalized services and marketing and develop a good relationship with them.

Must-have features in B2B eCommerce platforms

B2B eCommerce platforms are a little different from B2C eCommerce because they need to cater to the complex selling process of B2B businesses. We have listed a few of the features that are a must in B2B eCommerce platforms that will enable companies to sell effectively in the online space.

• Request for Quote
• Access Restriction Options
• Customer Specific Catalog and Pricing
• Volume purchase and bulk discounts
• Quick order option
• Content delivery
• Self-service account management tools

In the next blog we will be discussing in detail each of these features, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, if you are looking to develop a B2B eCommerce site, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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What is A/B Testing

Every page in an eCommerce site has a built-in action. We say that the page is a success when customers take that desired action. These actions are not always about the purchase. For example, on a landing page, the desired action would be to click on the ‘Request a Demo’ button. In other pages, it might be seeing the embedded video, signing up for a newsletter, or even more straightforward – just proceed to the logical next page and action. Merchants resort to A/B testing to increase the conversion rate of these actions. It is about optimizing the page to get the most out of the existing traffic. So how do you do A/B testing?

You identify a variable that you want to test. You modify this variable and create a variation of the same page. It is then presented to half of your site visitors to test the effectiveness of the modification. 

The variable you are testing could be the content, design, or even functionality. For example, you can test two different headlines to see which one generates more interest and hence clicks. You can test two different design layouts for a product page and check which one engages the customers more. You can even try out different colors for the action buttons to see what is working, etc.

It is an iterative process and needs to be done continuously for best results.

Benefits of A/B Testing

A/B testing is based on data and not on gut feel or intuition. It allows you to make small, incremental improvements to your site without going in for a major rehaul. By opting for this method, you reduce your risk significantly.

Even a minor improvement in your webpage can push up your conversion rates. It could be something as simple as changing the fonts to make the page more readable or repositioning your call-to-action button to the top of the page. These minor improvements that you discover through this process will help reduce bounce rates, increase conversion rates, improve user engagement and ultimately customer satisfaction.

Few examples of A/B Testing

You can test any asset. However, we have listed below some of the most common areas where people adopt A/B testing.

• Content Phrasing: The content you use on your site convinces your customer about your products and prompts him/her to take action. Right from the headline, the product description, the testimonials that you add, etc., all can be tested to arrive at the most effective content that will increase sales.
• Page layouts: Do you have one static header image, or do you use carousels with multiple messages? How does the product information flow? Should all the information be showcased in the top half of the page? Where do you place the ‘Free Shipping’ information so that it is displayed prominently? How much space do you allocate to ‘Special Offers’. You can play around with different page layouts to address these questions and test each one of them to figure out what works best for you.
• Imagery: In eCommerce, images are heroes. High-quality product images make people want to buy your product. Some of the customers even prefer to see the photographs of actual customers using your product. It can be more relatable and convincing. So what kind of images work well in your category can be figured out using A/B Testing.
• Navigation: Should you design your menu to run across your page on top, or should it be a dropdown? Which option provides better navigation? What will take the customer faster to the checkout page? These questions can also get answered through A/B Testing.

What we have given above is not an exhaustive list. With A/B Testing, you can test anything related to site design. From Calls-to-action – what content to use, the colors that will make it stand out, to the placement of buttons, you can test anything. eCommerce merchants test promotional offers, the best time to air the promotions, the price of products, etc., based on the test results.                

How to run an A/B Test

• Take the existing web page and identify the elements that can be improved and will positively impact your traffic and conversion rates. 
• Make a second version of the webpage with the improvement that you want to bring about. It could be something as simple as changing the headline, repositioning the promotional offer, or even a complete redesign of the page layout.
• The next step is to serve the original version to half of your site visitors and the modified version to the other half. 
• You can now start measuring visitor engagement, collecting relevant data, and analyzing the results. It will help identify the version that is performing better.
• The ideal period to run the test is at least two weeks.
• You need to keep in mind that you need a steady stream of traffic to generate enough data to make meaningful conclusions.

Magento and A/B Testing

There are multiple third-party extensions available in Magento Marketplace that enable A/B testing. Some of the popular extensions are listed below.

A/B Testing by Amasty: Amasty allows you to run multiple A/B tests simultaneously for different product parameters. You also receive real-time information about page visits, conversions, and conversion rate changes that help you make quick decisions and actions.

Optimizely, GoTop – A/B Test, and Blue Acorn Convert Experiments are few other popular extensions on Magento.

Other popular A/B testing tools include Google Analytics, Unbounce, etc.

In Magento, you can even do advanced A/B testing that requires dynamic changes to the store configuration. For example, pricing and shipping charges are sensitive points that impact conversion rates. The Best Worlds extension allows you to test different pricing and shipping offers for each visitor to understand the perfect combination that will drive maximum sales. It also leverages Magento’s multi-website architecture and advanced configuration structure to make A/B Testing possible only on particular stores or extensions.

If you want to know more about A/B Testing for your Magento eCommerce store, connect with us at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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AI and Chatbots to facilitate personalized shopping

Technology giants such as Google and Microsoft are investing heavily in AI. Businesses across industries are using AI for various reasons – from acquiring new customers to upping customer satisfaction levels. It is predicted that in a few years more than 85% of customer interactions will be managed without humans, using AI and Chatbots.

eCommerce businesses are already using AI to understand consumer behavior by studying how they browse products, the purchasing tendency and buying intent, etc. With these insights they can deliver a personalized shopping experience. The data gathered is then used to make product recommendations and personalized offers to customers.

For example, Starbucks has recently launched ‘My Starbucks Barista’. This service allows customers to place orders with voice commands and messaging. It utilizes AI to gather data like customer preferences, purchase history, third-party data and contextual information. This data is then used to interact with and service the customers successfully.

AI is also enabling eCommerce businesses to engage in conversational commerce. The chatbot is one tool being used by online retailers to drive a conversation with their customers. It is a great tool to deliver better service and enhance customer satisfaction. Chatbots also reduce the cost of having customer care executives answer queries round the clock.

Magento is using AI in a big way to boost the platform’s functionality – for example in context-based search which focuses on the context of the search rather than on the specific keywords the customer types into the search bar and hence is more relevant. Magento is also using chatbots to provide 24*7 Customer support solutions that are cost-effective.

Another area where Magento is using AI is to develop virtual purchase assistants. Once a customer shows interest in a product, the purchase assistant adds the product to the cart and performs the check-out process on the customer’s behalf. The purchase assistants can also contribute to the customer support process. Using a set of predefined scripts, the platform can understand a customer’s complaint and respond to it faster. This increases customer satisfaction significantly.

Push notifications to increase conversion rates

eCommerce companies are using push notifications extensively to increase conversions. It is mainly used to reduce cart abandonment by notifying site visitors that products have been added to the cart and are ready for check-out. You can also send personalized notifications based on buying patterns and purchase intent that will help boost sales. Magento comes with push notification features that facilitate communication with site visitors even after they have left the site. To take this one step further, Magento will soon be coming up with personalized product pages depending on the customer’s profile.

Increasing organic searches

A key challenge for new merchants is to get visibility and drive organic traffic to their site. Magento fares well on all SEO features required to drive traffic. The SEO Suite in Magento helps manage SEO settings for all pages and categories and delivers enhanced navigation. It also helps optimize the content which is critical for a site’s success. Magento also comes with the best search features in the market, such as Searchanise. When a customer starts typing Searchanise shows relevant products, collections, and pages along with search suggestions, images, and actual prices feature. This is a perfect upselling tool to boost conversions.

Mobile friendliness

Consumer shopping habits are changing, and mobile is becoming the most preferred shopping channel. To stay relevant, eCommerce sites need to be mobile-friendly. The Magento platform facilitates the creation of mobile-friendly websites. Here are a few tools and services available in the Magento marketplace that will integrate mobile-friendly features into your store:

• Mobify enhances and manages customer engagement effectively;
• ShopGate comes integrated with compelling features such as Push Messages, Store Locator, Order Tracking, Mobile SEO, Daily Deals, etc. 
• TenFoot comes with Design-as-a-Service model that converts the existing Magento site into a fully-fledged mobile-ready online store without any major investments. TenFoot is well known for its SEO, social marketing, deep linking and analytics features.

Efficient Micro interactions

Micro-interactions are subtle nuances that help site visitors confirm their interactions with a site. Micro-interactions can enhance the site experience, provide feedback, and make the navigation easier and more natural. Magento takes care of micro-interactions by enabling the sites to provide a smooth user onboarding experience.

Material Design for clean layouts

Material Design is a design philosophy developed by Google to enhance the user experience. The various themes and layouts are based on grid design patterns to give the site a clean and sleek look. Magento themes and templates follow the Material Design philosophy. The choice of colors, edge-to-edge visuals, the use of white space, etc. allow you to enhance the visual appeal of your Magento site and attract more customers.

If you are looking to set up or upgrade your online store, please drop us a line at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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What are self-hosted platforms?

Self-hosted platforms are open source applications that need to get hosted independently. It means that you design and develop your store on one of the open-source platforms and then choose a hosting service that best fits your requirements. It is almost like finding a good location and buying space there to set up your eCommerce site. You not only own the space but also have the freedom to create whatever you want and maintain it the way you want. Though it sounds liberating, this option has its disadvantages. Before we get into that, let us look at some examples of self-hosted platforms.

You can do self-hosting on-premise or on the cloud. In the on-premise option, your eCommerce store gets hosted on servers within the organization’s premises or where its data is stored. The other option is to host it on the cloud by signing up with a web hosting provider that supports eCommerce, like A2 Hosting, Cloudways, Dreamhost and FastComet. Most of them have preferences when it comes to eCommerce platforms. For example, A2 Hosting is an OpenCart and Magento hosting solution, while Cloudways supports various eCommerce platforms, including Magento, WooCommerce, OpenCart, and Prestashop. So the choice of hosting provider will depend on your eCommerce platform. Regarding the pricing, these web hosting providers charge a monthly fee or bill you on the server usage.

Now that we know more about self-hosting, let us look closer at some of the leading self-hosted platforms.

Examples of Self-hosted platforms

Here are just a few examples of Self Hosted Platforms:

• Magento 2
• WooCommerce
• OpenCart
• PrestaShop

What are SaaS eCommerce platforms?

With SaaS platforms your eCommerce store runs on a SaaS provider’s hosted server. It is not available on-premise, and you do not maintain it yourself. You access your eCommerce store in your browser and pay a monthly fee based on the plan or service you have opted for. The platform provider is fully responsible for the security, performance, and maintenance of your eCommerce store. These platforms come built-in with all features required to run your store successfully.

Examples of SaaS eCommerce platforms

Here are just some of the leading SaaS eCommerce platforms:

• BigCommerce
• Shopify,
• Salesforce Commerce Cloud
• 3dcart

Magento has also recently launched Adobe Commerce Cloud. This latest version is 100% cloud-based and comes integrated with the Adobe tools such as Adobe Experience Manager, Analytics Cloud, Marketing Cloud, etc.

A comparison of Hosted and Self-Hosted Platforms

Setting up your eCommerce store

Setting up your eCommerce store on self-hosted sites can be expensive and time-consuming. If you do not have the required technical knowledge, you will need to hire a skilled developer well-versed with your platform to set it up for you. A SaaS eCommerce platform is the best option for those who do not have the time or workforce to set up and manage their store.

Customization and functionalities

Open source platforms are highly flexible and customizable as per your requirements. You have better control over your store and can change anything you want about the design and features at any time. But the reason why people prefer hosted over self-hosted platforms is that they come with powerful built-in functionalities and features. You also have access to thousands of pre-approved themes and plugins on hosted platforms. However, there are limitations to customizing these features to suit your requirements which can limit your creativity to some extent.

Scalability

Scalability is crucial in an eCommerce business. As you grow, you should be able to scale your eCommerce store to take on more customers, process more orders, etc. SaaS eCommerce platforms are more scalable compared to self-hosted platforms. They can automatically handle peak periods and sudden surges in traffic. With self-hosted systems, you will need to undertake site improvements and manage the site continuously to accommodate the growing traffic and ensure no outages. It might also require significant investments at regular intervals.

Technical Support

A disadvantage of the self-hosted platforms is that you do not have access to centralized support systems when your store runs into a problem. You will need to turn to the developer community, resources, and documentation available on the various forums and find a solution. When it comes to technical support, hosted services have a clear advantage over their self-hosted counterparts. You will have access to a support team 24/7 who will take care of any issues for you.

Data Security

Security remains the biggest concern for all eCommerce merchants. Your shop should be adept at handling highly-sensitive customer data and payment information. Data breaches are common in the eCommerce industry and can seriously damage your brand. PCI Compliance is one way to ensure that your site is safe.
All businesses that transact online and accept payment from customers need to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). There are various levels of PCI compliance depending on the size of your business. One of the advantages of SaaS platforms is that they fully manage your site’s security for you. All the big SaaS eCommerce platforms are Level 1 PCI DSS compliant which means that you do not have to invest extra time and money into making your site secure. The solution provider will keep track of all the rules and regulations, do regular on-site compliance assessments, and ensure your site stays secure.
In self-hosted platforms, your site’s security becomes your responsibility. You will need to keep a watch for the latest security updates and patches, and you will need to deploy them yourself.

Conclusion

The choice of hosted or self-hosted will influence the future of your retail business as it grows. While it is possible to migrate between the two, this can be expensive and challenging.

If you are looking to set up your eCommerce store on a cloud-based or self-hosted platform, let us know at info@sorcible.com or call +359 898 707 570 / +1 877 787 2248

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