When it comes to e-commerce, we can say that online shopping is both the present and future of contemporary business. So, it’s no wonder that many businesses either add shopping carts to their websites or launch separate web shops. Either way, you have to choose from a range of e-commerce platforms. Here at Bee IT, we build online stores on Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC), Magento, and Drupal Commerce.
Each of these platforms is a reliable and scalable e-commerce system but not in each and every case. In this article, we’ll explain the basics of Salesforce Commerce Cloud and when this solution is the best choice for your online store.
The Definition and Basic Features
Salesforce Commerce Cloud is one of the best e-commerce systems out there for several reasons.
For starters, this isn’t only an online store that people use to sell items on the Internet. On the contrary, it’s a multi-level cloud-based platform that offers numerous apps for customer management. From sales and commerce to integration, analytics, and many other Salesforce Commerce Cloud features, you get an all-round e-commerce system that meets all your demands.
When you log in to this platform, you can do dozens of different customer-related activities using the Salesforce Commerce Cloud interface. For instance, you can track customers’ activities on your e-store, use the previously collected data, and analyze heat maps to learn more about customers’ behavior on your store.
Further, since all its elements are kept in the cloud, you can use this platform from any single device. This means that e-store owners and their teams can implement the e-commerce solutions they come up with at the spur of the moment in the shortest time possible.
The Key Principles
What the Salesforce Commerce Cloud team insists on is the one-size-fits-all nature of their entire system. That’s why it’s a cloud-based platform with so many features that enhance customer tracking and seamless interaction with Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
In a nutshell, it all comes down to three basic principles that are the foundations of this platform:
- Impeccable customer experience. The fact that e-store owners can count on dozens of different e-commerce solutions in one place enables them to come up with outstanding customer experience. In other words, the Salesforce Commerce Cloud system makes it possible for shop owners to cover their customers’ shopping habits in great detail. Also, it provides them with some great analytics tools. In turn, business owners can target their customers in a pretty accurate way. When you add flexible return policies and helpful customer support, it’s clear the customer really is king in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud realm.
- One-size-fits-all, two-way interaction. We’ve already mentioned that e-store owners can use SFCC from any single device. So, they can track customers or add/remove items in their stores on the go., as well as update their social media posts. Still, this also works the other way around, meaning that customers can also buy in Salesforce Commerce Cloud-powered e-stores from different devices across online channels. They can request product returns, make complaints, or contact customer support on the go, as well.
- Data-based predictive analytics. Every single piece of information that customers leave on an e-store is a valuable bit of data for retailers. Therefore, Salesforce Commerce Cloud made an effort to go the extra mile and start using artificial intelligence for data collection and integration. With the use of Einstein – their very own AI system – it’s now capable of using customers’ data in a more advanced way and putting predictive analytics to practice. For instance, Einstein will go through a customer’s buying habits and come up with tailor-made suggestions to save their time and money.
The Existing Packages
While Salesforce Commerce Cloud has different rates for all the services they provide, their billing policy regarding e-commerce is somewhat different. To be more precise, they offer only two packages for e-commerce ventures. The first one is the B2C Commerce plan, which includes shopping and marketing features, AI-enhanced data collection and personalization, full-scale e-commerce management and many other features.
The second plan is the B2B Commerce plan, in which you get special pricing features, multiple payment gateways, SEO-friendly features, UX-friendly dashboards, templates for fast (re)order and much more.
For the e-commerce plans, there aren’t strict pricing rules. You simply can get the price for the package that meets your needs when you request a quote. That way the Salesforce Commerce Cloud crew can commit to each and every online retailer that asks them their help.
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