Retail eCommerce sales are projected to hit $8 trillion by 2027. That’s an absolutely colossal sum, which proves the massive potential of the sector. But it’s not the only area facing immense growth, the marketing automation industry is expected to hit revenues of $6.62 billion by the end of 2024, a huge uptick of 38.2% from 2021.
With all that potential money on the table, you’d have to be silly not to jump on the opportunity of automation present in eCommerce. They can help streamline operations, enhance customer experiences and ultimately drive sales. These tools can manage everything from inventory and orders to marketing campaigns, saving you a lot of hassle. That’s why we’ve made this article to introduce you to some of the ways you can use eCommerce automation.
Automated Inventory Management
If you run an eCommerce store long enough, you’ll know how stressful it can be to ensure you’ve got the perfect amount of stock. It’s often a Goldilocks situation, where you end up having too little or too much. This is where inventory automation can step in and help you out.
This can save you a lot of time and money, as these automated inventory systems provide you with real-time updates on stock levels, ensuring you always have an accurate picture of what’s available. This helps prevent overselling and stockouts, which can lead to frustrated customers and lost sales. It also reduces the demand for manual labor, which frees up your team to focus on other tasks, such as improving customer service or growing your business.
Tools and Platforms for Inventory Automation
- Inventory Management Software: Platforms like Ordoro or Zoho Inventory are good picks for inventory management. These tools integrate with your eCommerce platform, automatically updating stock levels as orders are placed and fulfilled. While these are well-suited in a B2C context, businesses focusing on B2B transactions might benefit from specialized B2B eCommerce software like Shopware, designed to handle the unique elements of bulk orders and complex pricing agreements.
- Warehouse Management Systems (WMS): For larger operations, a WMS might be just what you need. These systems optimize processes, including shipping and receiving goods. They also provide real-time inventory visibility, ensuring accuracy across your supply chain.
- Barcode Scanning: Implementing barcode technology can streamline the whole process. By scanning products as they enter and leave your warehouse, you can automatically update stock levels, reducing the risk of errors and saving time.
Automated Order Processing and Fulfillment
Getting an order processed and on its way quickly can greatly increase customer satisfaction, and in the fast-paced world of eCommerce, that little difference could lead to a lot more recurring shoppers. Fortunately, for businesses, this is another area where automation can help.
Automated order processing simplifies everything, from the moment customers place their orders to the point where it’s ready for shipping. By integrating your eCommerce platform with management software, you can automatically route orders to the appropriate fulfillment center. This ensures that your shoppers get their goods in a quick and meaningful manner.
Once an order is processed, the next step is fulfillment. With the advanced algorithms of eCommerce automation, you can easily optimize picking routes, reducing the time and effort it takes to locate and receive products.
All this can result in much happier customers, who receive their packages much quicker. It also minimizes the risk of human error, such as incorrect product selection or simple shipping address mistakes.
Automated Customer Service and Support
The benefits of automation don’t end in the warehouse; they can also help you deal with many other facets of your operations, including customer service inquiries, especially those that are experienced often or have relatively simple solutions.
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
One of the most effective ways to automate customer service is through the use of chatbots or virtual assistants. These ‘bots’ can handle a wide range of common inquiries, such as order status, product information and returns. By providing instant responses to these FAQs, you can ensure customer satisfaction and give your support team more time to deal with the more complex issues that come their way. Additionally, these chatbots are available 24/7, which means that customers can get help whenever they need it outside of regular business hours.
Automated Email Responses
If you’ve ever placed an order online and immediately received a confirmation email, you’ve experienced the convenience of automated responses. This immediate communication reassures customers that their purchase was successful and provides an estimated delivery date. As the order progresses, the customer is kept in the loop with additional emails updating them about their delivery, contributing to overall service quality. When shoppers feel valued and supported, they are more likely to return and recommend your services to others.
Automated Marketing
Using email to deal with customer inquiries can help save your service team a lot of bother, but this isn’t the only way automated emails can be useful, as they can also be used to amplify your marketing staff’s efforts.
One way you can use automation to further your reach is by abandoned cart recovery, which is when an automated email is sent to a potential customer who added items to their cart but failed to complete the purchase. This gives them a gentle nudge to finish their transaction, which can help you get a sale you might not have gotten otherwise.
Post-purchase follow-up emails are also effective. These can be sent automatically after a customer receives their order, asking for feedback or providing suggestions for products they might like based on their purchases. By showing customers you value their response, you encourage repeat business.
There’s also retargeting and remarketing, which take personalization to the next level by delivering target ads to customers based on their behavior. For example, if a customer visits your website and views a specific product but doesn’t make a purchase or add it to a cart, you can automatically serve them ads for that item on other websites they visit. Ensuring your goods and brand are kept in mind.
Conclusion
There’s truly no reason not to join the eCommerce automation bandwagon. From streamlining inventory to personalizing marketing, it offers a huge wealth of benefits for online businesses to enjoy. Signing up for automation now ensures you’re not left behind in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
