Throughout this essay, I’ll look at a variety of inputs in order to assess commercial software. These factors will eventually help you make a more confident and informed decision about the future of your cloud platform. Consider why internet businesses should constantly use online marketing solutions including direct marketing.
Why Should You Use Digital Marketing Automation?
To aid your strategy, digital marketing employs a website builder to automate marketing programs like direct marketing, email campaigns, network building, and data collection. Although this is well-known for making web designers’ lives easier (which I can attest to), it also helps your online shop expand.
Related: What is marketing automation?
At Eternus Global, we help internet businesses realize the full potential of inbound marketing. Here’s a rundown of some of the immediate benefits we’ve seen our clients receive after applying:
- Expenses for lead generation are reduced.
- The average yearly income (AOV) of clients has increased.
- Increasing the number of frequent customers who return after making a purchase
- The frequency of sales has increased.
- Automated emails resulted in higher conversion rates (i.e., abandoned cart emails)
Automated Processes To Consider In Customer Engagement Technologies
With thousands of email marketing and direct marketing choices to select from, it may be difficult to pick the right one for your company. Because of the differences in the buyer’s journey and sales cycles between commerce and other businesses, particular systems may lack the tools and capability needed to manage the deliberate decision.
Related: What is message optimization?
Start your inquiry by looking at business process automation options for internet businesses, such as:
- Klaviyo
- ActiveCampaign
- Dripping
- Ontraport
Then, to help you make the best purchase decision, use the five components listed below to guide your evaluation process.
When deciding on the best advertising machine, there are seven things to consider.
1. User Interface (GUI)
To begin, determine how simple or sophisticated a system’s interface is. Several firms, if not all, would claim to provide a certain platform, but this isn’t always the case.
Request a system demonstration to see if the product’s interface is easy to grasp for everyone. After putting each station through its paces, consider the following questions:
Is it simple to use? To check if these simple tasks are difficult, try writing an email or looking at statistics.
Is there anything more I should know? If the description is confusing or deceptive, many operating systems will show essential information beneath and anytime you linger from over-labeling.
Would you have had to jump through hoops in order to do even the most basic of tasks? If this is the case, business productivity may suffer in the long run.
There is always a time of adjustment when transitioning to a new software platform. You’ll undoubtedly have a lot of additional goals as an eCommerce firm, such as delivering online orders or launching direct marketing or even new marketing. As a result, make sure your staff can assess the product’s user experience to determine how quickly you’ll be able to catch up – and get down to business.
2. Local Implementations And Functions
Every piece of web and direct marketing software will have numerous features, so be sure you pick one that has the ones you desire. Take into consideration the technology you already have. You could already have technology in mind to incorporate into your digital platform.
Consider the following while considering technologies:
- Is the system capable of performing the functions you require? Before you begin your study, make a list of the traits you want. This will help you stay focused on picking the finest platforms.
- Is the platform capable of integrating with today’s technology? This one makes it simple to link and move data between your existing systems.
- Is the system open to the general public? This is an important issue if you want to hire a coder to create custom assets.
As an eCommerce firm, you may choose a different platform, such as Squarespace, to host your online store. If this is the case, it’s vital that your shop integrates with your new direct marketing automation system natively. It’s simple to create automated lead nurturing campaigns based on your contacts’ internet activity.
Related: What Is Lead Nurturing And What Are The Right Tactics?
3. Customer Service
When launching on a whole new platform, you’ll need the best possible guidance. Recognize that technology isn’t perfect and that things might go wrong; getting the extra help you need to solve your individual situation can be critical.
Technical support is available when purchasing new internet direct marketing software; however, the level of assistance provided may differ.
Take into account the following:
- Contact help, emails, and group chats are the most common means. Being able to speak with a real person (rather than a chatbot) may help you resolve certain issues.
- When can you expect to hear back? In rare situations, assistance is available at any time of day, but on other times, you may have to wait up to 24 hours.
- Is there anything more you can do if you can’t get in touch with customer service? It’s possible that customer service isn’t an option, that it comes at an extra cost you can’t afford, or that it’s just not available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In such cases, public debates or internet documentation may be useful in filling in the gaps.
When comparing different advertising automation systems like direct marketing, service quality is an important factor to consider, especially if you don’t have the resources or extra help to fix an issue.
4. Educational Linkages
When obtaining a new advertising automated method, having information sites available like direct marketing may assist you to acquire anything out of the new regime. Instructions, videos, and even teleconferences are included on certain platforms to assist readers in learning how to use the product.
Inbound University, for example, is a fantastic online learning resource. At the university, you’ll find a variety of courses that will teach you how to become an Inbound expert user. Consider the following factors while choosing a platform and researching their instructional materials:
What will they learn from these resources? Some may be straightforward video walkthroughs of how to get started with the system, while others may be whole study programs with credentials.
How do you get your hands on the data? Although this isn’t always the case, most of them are free and easy to obtain online.
Are all of these resources up to date? You should make sure that your assets are compatible with the management system that businesses are now using.
5. Userbase & Testimonials
Although the best platform for your eCommerce business will be determined by your company’s unique demands and objectives, you’ll want to see how other users are getting the most of it.
When investigating each platform, consider the following questions:
What is the total number of users and businesses on this platform? The number of users on a system might reflect its popularity.
Is the platform mostly utilized by B2B or B2C/Ecommerce businesses? Some venues are obviously geared for B2B businesses and may lack key eCommerce functionalities.
What are the opinions of others on the platform? Reading evaluations from a third-party source can give you a more accurate picture of the situation.
Related: Lead Generation: Can It Be Useful For Your Products?
6. Expenses
From desktop to mobile, pricing schemes differ, although many have a flat rate per contact. Consider the following when calculating the cost of various platforms:
And how much does the product cost to begin with, and how many connections can you have? Because digital commerce companies generally have larger datasets, you need to know how you may charge.
How quickly can your network of connections expand? Calculate how rapidly your information has grown using previous data. It may also provide you with an estimate of how much you will have to spend in the end.
What traits or advantages have an impact on pricing? If a company doesn’t need certain features, it may be able to negotiate a cheaper price or a fifth of the system’s cost.
In general, the more simple and transparent an industry’s pricing plan is, the more impressive it is. Getting on the phone with a sales person to assess cost depending on the size of your business databases, the functionality you want, and the goals you’ve set for your company may be a speedier option.
7. Employee Onboarding And Installation
Unless you’ve already purchased the new advertising management system, there’s a good chance you’ll need some assistance getting it up and running. Nonetheless, the degree of assistance supplied varies with each system.
Consider the following while researching a product’s setup and recruitment procedure:
Is there a set fee that must be paid, and how much does it cost? Some platforms charge a one-time setup cost that can be in the hundreds of dollars or even thousands of dollars.
Is the procedure carried out electronically, or will you be advised by someone?
If you’re transferring from one platform to another, what should you do? If this is the case, I may want further assistance to ensure that all connection information is carried across.
Finally, because online retailers frequently have larger datasets that grow quickly, make sure you choose a system that will benefit us in the future.
Conclusion
Ecommerce businesses have a wide range of direct marketing alternatives available to them. If you utilize digital and outbound marketing appropriately, you may create campaigns to help your online business acquire customers and expand more successfully.
