With numerous marketing automation platforms to choose from, it can be difficult for marketers to find out which one will be the best for their business. And if you are an e-commerce business, your marketing operations may include collecting customer data, growing email list databases, sending emails, and driving your revenue growth. You will need to schedule and automate such marketing tasks to flourish your business. Moreover, the customer journey and sales cycle are different in the e-commerce business. Thus, your marketing automation platform will need a different set of features to automate such tasks.
Finding the right marketing automation platforms can help you reduce customer acquisition costs, increase the average order value of consumers, enhance conversion rates of abandoned carts with automated emails, increase conversion of short-time buyers into loyal customers, and increase the frequency of sales. Therefore, here are seven factors that you need to consider in a marketing automation platform for an e-commerce business.
User interface
The first thing you need to consider is how user-friendly or challenging the marketing automation software interface is for your e-commerce marketing and sales activities. To examine whether the interfaces will be accessible for you or not, check out the platform or ask for a demo video from the vendor. Make sure it features clear and smooth navigation so that you do not have to navigate through multiple options to find a tool and also offers contextual information.
Features and native integrations
You need to choose a marketing automation platform that can integrate with your existing marketing and sales tools. Prepare a list of tools and features you need so that you can look for a platform accordingly. Make sure that the marketing automation platform features an open API as it is essential to create custom assets and automate lead nurturing campaigns and activities.
Customer support
It is crucial to get prompt customer support whenever you need to resolve your unique issues. Thus, before investing in a new marketing automation platform, ensure that you will receive technical support whenever required.
Learning resources
When investing in a marketing automation tool, online resources can help you get most of the new platform. Some automation platforms offer how-to videos, guides, and webinars to help you find out how to use them. Thus make sure informative resources are available without any extra cost to help you get started with the platform. You should also check if the resources are updated and relevant to your business requirement.
Customer studies and reviews
Before fixing a marketing automation platform, you need to check your shortlist platforms’ reviews and ratings. Look for case studies or video testimonials to see how and what existing customers say about the product. Find out the number of people using the platform and the popularity of the system in your industry.
Pricing
Select a marketing automation platform in which the vendor is transparent about the pricing structure. When researching pricing for platforms, consider the platform’s bottom price and the number of contacts featured in the system. Since e-commerce companies have more extensive contact databases, make sure the platform supports your database’s number of contacts. Determine the value of the platform for your database and the feature set you need for your company.
Configuration and Onboarding
With the complexities of marketing technology, you will need some assistance in configuring and running the platform. Thus, check if your marketing automation tool has an onboarding setup and whether it’s available at a fee. Next, figure out if the configuration method will happen remotely or physically. you are migrating from one system to another, then you will need extra support for all contact data transfers.
Finding the perfect marketing automation tool may seem like a daunting task. But with detailed research and well-informed decisions, you can find the best fit for your e-commerce business.
Would you seek professional assistance in searching and selecting the best marketing automation vendors for your marketing and business operations? Our expert professionals can guide you if you simply drop us a message via Contact us or a “Hello” at info@marrinadecisions.com, or DM us on Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Read more: 9 Ways Marketing Automation Platform Boosts Marketing Operations & Overall Business Growth
