What is an Ecommerce Store Integration and How Can it Help Your Business?

An ecommerce store integration is the way your online shop connects with different tools, software, or platforms. These connections make it easy for information to move between different systems, making your online store work better, faster, and with less effort.

Having a good plan for how your data systems work together is important for your business to grow and make money. Setting up this plan well helps things run smoothly, makes customers happy, and brings in more money. You can save time and effort by leveraging existing tools via integrations, but you need to make sure you’re adding integrations that create value and improve (not hinder) conversions.

What are the Benefits of Ecommerce Integration?

Using ecommerce store integrations can make your business and website work better and more smoothly. These integrations help with doing tasks automatically, improving user experience, working more efficiently, and giving you useful information to help your business grow and succeed. Here are some ways ecommerce store integrations can make your business better:

• Streamlined Operations: Putting together different systems and tools, like inventory management, order fulfillment, and shipping platforms, makes your operations run more smoothly. It stops you from doing things by hand, reduces mistakes, and gets rid of having to put in the same data more than once. This makes your work faster and saves time and resources, so you can focus on growing your business and making customers happy.

• Enhanced Customer Experience: Ecommerce integrations help you give customers a smooth and personalized experience. By using tools like customer relationship management (CRM), you can collect and understand customer data, follow their interactions, and send them special messages or offers. This makes customers more engaged, satisfied, and loyal to your business. Increased Efficiency and Productivity: Integrations make repetitive tasks automatic and stop you from having to move data between systems by hand. This helps your team do more work and focus on important things that make your business grow. By making fewer mistakes and simplifying work, integrations help you use your resources better and make your business work more efficiently.

• Expanded Payment Options: Integrating with different payment gateways lets you give customers more ways to pay. This helps meet different customer preferences, which means more people will buy from you and leave fewer carts abandoned. Making payments easy, secure, and smooth with integrations also builds trust and satisfaction among your customers.

• Accurate Inventory Management: Connecting your ecommerce store with inventory management systems keeps your inventory information correct and up-to-date everywhere. This helps you avoid selling too much, control your stock better, and have fewer times when you run out of products. This integration helps manage inventory well, saves money, and improves order completion.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ecommerce integrations let you use valuable information and analytics. By connecting with tools that analyze data, you can understand customer behavior, see how your website is doing, and figure out conversion rates. This data helps you make smart decisions, find areas to get better and improve your ecommerce plans for better results.

• Scalability and Growth: Integrations make it easy to move data between systems as your business gets bigger. They let you add new tools or platforms without messing up what you already have. Integrations support your business growth by giving you a flexible and ready-for-change setup that can handle different needs and the changing market.

• Competitive Advantage: Using ecommerce integrations can help you stand out in the market. By making your operations smoother, improving customer experience, and using insights from data, you can give customers a better experience than your competition. This can lead to getting more customers, keeping them loyal, and having long-term success. Ecommerce integrations bring many benefits, including working more efficiently, giving customers a better experience, improving operations, and making smart decisions with data. With these integrations, you can make your business reach its full potential, grow, and stay ahead in a highly competitive ecommerce world.

Ecommerce integrations bring many benefits, including working more efficiently, giving customers a better experience, improving operations, and making smart decisions with data. With these integrations, you can make your business reach its full potential, grow, and stay ahead in a highly competitive ecommerce world.

17 Essential Integrations for Your Ecommerce Store to Increase Efficiency & Profitability

Ecommerce stores aim to boost efficiency and profitability, and a valuable strategy for achieving this goal is by strategically integrating different tools and platforms. By seamlessly connecting various systems within your e-commerce store, you can streamline operations, improve the overall customer experience, and foster sales growth.

• Payment Processing:

  • Shopify Payments

    Shopify Payments is a tool that helps your online store handle payments smoothly. It makes it easier for customers to pay, which makes their shopping experience better. According to data from Shopify, stores that use Shopify Payments see about 1.9% more customers complete their purchases compared to those using other payment methods (source: Shopify). This means more people are likely to buy things from your store when you use Shopify Payments.

    Shopify Payments also gives you helpful reports and information about your sales and customers. You can use this data to make smart decisions about your business. Some special features of Shopify Payments include automatically calculating taxes, checking for fraud, and protecting against chargebacks.

    Shopify Payments price starts from $24/mo for the basic plan, $69/mo for the Shopify plan, and $299/mo advanced plan. Integrating Shopify Payments into your online store is easy. You can set it up with just a few clicks in your Shopify account settings, giving your customers a safe and reliable way to pay for their purchases.

    
    

  • Stripe

    Stripe is a top-notch payment processing platform that seamlessly integrates with e-commerce stores, offering many benefits to improve customer experience. By using Stripe, your online store can provide a smooth payment process, letting customers securely pay using different methods like credit cards, digital wallets, and bank transfers. This not only makes checkout easier but also makes customers happier and reduces the number of people who leave without buying anything. According to a report by Stripe, businesses using Stripe’s new checkout optimization saw 10.5% more revenue.

    Stripe securely moves payment information between your website and the customer’s bank using special encrypted channels. This makes sure that sensitive information stays safe and stops fraud. Also, Stripe is known for being easy to use, letting you customize how payments look on your website, and giving you lots of tools for developers to make it fit your online store perfectly. Stripe charges competitive rates without any extra setup fees, costing 2.9% plus 30 cents for every successful payment made with a card in the United States.

    Integrating Stripe into your e-commerce website is simple because it has clear instructions and tools for developers. Whether you’re using a big e-commerce platform like Shopify or making your website, Stripe has plugins and tools that make it easy to set up payment processing. Just follow the steps provided by Stripe, and you’ll be able to start accepting payments from customers all over the world quickly.

    
    

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing:

  • Klaviyo

    Klaviyo is a tool that helps online stores manage their relationships with customers and market to them effectively. By using Klaviyo, your online store can improve how it interacts with customers, making their experience better. For example, Klaviyo lets you send personalized emails to customers based on what they like and buy. This makes customers more likely to open and respond to your emails. According to Klaviyo’s data, businesses that use their tool have seen more people opening their emails and making purchases as a result.

    Klaviyo offers many features to help online stores communicate with customers and market to them. You can send emails, and text messages, and even automate tasks like sending thank-you emails after a purchase. Klaviyo also helps you understand your customers better by tracking their behavior and preferences. This way, you can send them messages that they’re more likely to be interested in.

    Klaviyo stands out because it’s easy to use and has tools that other platforms don’t offer. The pricing of Klaviyo starts at $0 up to $100 and more depending on how many contacts you have and what features you want. You can integrate Klaviyo into your online store by following simple instructions and installing a plugin or app. Then, you can start using Klaviyo to make your online store better for your customers.

    
    

  • LoyaltyLion

    LoyaltyLion is a tool that helps e-commerce stores keep their customers happy. With LoyaltyLion, your store can create special programs to reward customers who shop with you often. This makes customers feel good about buying from your store and encourages them to come back again. According to a study by LoyaltyLion, stores using their tool saw more customers coming back to shop again, and these customers spent more money each time they shopped.

    LoyaltyLion makes shopping more fun for customers by offering rewards and challenges. It also helps stores keep track of how well their loyalty program is working. LoyaltyLion is different because it can work with many different types of online stores.

    The cost of using LoyaltyLion depends on how many customers you have in your loyalty program but the classic plan starts from $399. To use LoyaltyLion, you just need to follow some simple instructions to set it up on your online store.

    
    

  • Rebuy

    Rebuy is a tool that helps online stores keep their customers coming back. It does this by offering personalized recommendations and loyalty programs. This makes customers feel special and encourages them to shop with the store again.

    According to Rebuy’s data, businesses using their platform have seen more customers returning and buying again. They say there’s been a 20% increase in customers sticking around and a 15% increase in how often they buy again. Rebuy stands out because it makes it easy for stores to run loyalty programs and send out personalized emails. This helps stores build stronger relationships with their customers.

    Rebuy has a 21-day free trial, pricing starts at $99 a month and goes up based on how many customers a store has and what extra features they want. To use Rebuy, a store just needs to install the Rebuy plugin on their website. Then they can set up their loyalty program and start using it to make their customers happy.

    
    

• Reviews

  • Trustpilot

    With Trustpilot’s review platform on your websites, you can gather and display real feedback from customers, which builds trust with potential buyers. Reports show that businesses using Trustpilot have seen big improvements in how happy their customers are. For example, some studies found that stores with Trustpilot reviews had up to 65% more satisfied customers and a 35% increase in repeat sales.

    Trustpilot also gives stores useful information and numbers to see what you are doing well and where you can do better. With its proven success in improving customer experiences, Trustpilot is a valuable tool for e-commerce stores that want to earn trust and keep customers coming back.

    
    

  • Yotpo

    Yotpo helps by showing real reviews, photos, and videos from people who bought your products. This makes customers trust your store more, so they’re more likely to purchase items. Yotpo also has features for loyalty programs, which can make customers come back to your store time and again. This makes the shopping experience more fun for them.

    Studies show that businesses using Yotpo see good results. They say that after using Yotpo, more people buy things from their stores. One study found that businesses using Yotpo saw up to 165% more people buying things (source: TrustRadius). Another study showed that these businesses also had more repeat customers and made more money from them.

    To use Yotpo, you can add it to your online store easily. It works with many popular store platforms like Shopify and Magento. Then, you can show reviews and photos on your store’s website to make it more exciting for your customers. Yotpo’s pricing is based on your monthly order volume which is below $79 for a 500 order volume/month for the growth plan.

    
    

• Social Proof

  • Fomo

    Fomo shows real-time notifications of recent customer purchases or actions, creating urgency and trust for potential buyers. According to a study by Fomo, stores using their platform saw a 17% increase in conversions within the first month. There’s a starter plan for $25/month with a 14-day free trial, and moving up to $75 for business depending on your needs for the pricing.

    Integrating Fomo into your e-commerce website is simple. You just need to install the Fomo plugin or add a code snippet to your website’s backend. Then, customize the notification settings to match your brand. While the pricing varies depending on the plan you choose, Fomo offers affordable options suitable for businesses of all sizes. With Fomo, you can use social proof to build trust and boost sales.

    
    

  • ProveSource

    ProveSource boosts customer experience by showing real-time notifications of recent purchases and sign-ups, building trust with potential buyers, and encouraging them to shop. Data from ProveSource’s case studies suggests that using social proof can increase sales by up to 15% for online businesses.

    ProveSource has a free plan with limited features and a starter plan at $24/mo with 2 months free, making it affordable for businesses of all sizes. To integrate ProveSource into your e-commerce website, simply sign up for an account, customize your notifications, and add the provided code snippet to your website’s HTML. With ProveSource, you can use social proof to build trust and boost sales on your e-commerce platform.

    
    

• Customer Support:

  • Gorgias

    Gorgias is a platform made to help online stores with customer support. It brings together messages from different places like email, chat, and social media. This makes it easier for support teams to respond quickly and help customers better. Gorgias works with popular online store platforms like Shopify and Magento. It gets important customer information from these platforms, so support agents can solve problems faster.

    Gorgias also uses automation to make support tasks quicker, so customers get answers faster. Gorgias reported that a store boosted conversions by 23% after using the support automation feature in two months. Another store reported a 96% faster response time which generated 35% more revenue.

    Gorgias is known for being easy to use and for working well with online stores. It can automatically sort messages and send them to the right support agent. Gorgias also gives insights into how well support is doing and helps find areas for improvement. It costs around $60/month for a basic plan and a starter plan for 50 tickets/month at $10. Setting up Gorgias on your online store is simple. You just need to install the Gorgias plugin or app and connect it to your store platform. Then, your support team can start using it to help customers better.

    
    

• Churn Management:

  • Churn Buster

    Churn Buster automates the process of recovering failed payments, ensuring that customers have a smooth subscription experience. This helps in retaining customers and minimizing revenue loss. A study conducted by Churn Buster showed that businesses using their platform experienced a 35% reduction in involuntary churn and a 25% increase in customer retention rates.

    Churn Buster helps stop or reduce churn by addressing failed payments, which are a common reason for customers leaving a subscription-based business. It works by automatically retrying failed payments, updating payment information, and sending customizable email sequences to notify customers about payment issues. By effectively managing failed payments, Churn Buster helps retain customers and reduce the churn rate.

    Churn Buster enhances the customer experience by using intelligent retry logic and personalized communication strategies to recover failed payments effectively. Its unique features include customizable email templates, smart retry schedules, and real-time monitoring of payment statuses. Pricing for Churn Buster starts with a 14-day free trial and varies based on your monthly recurring revenue (MRR), starting at $99/month for up to $25,000 monthly revenue.

    Integrating Churn Buster into your e-commerce website is straightforward, with easy setup instructions and support for popular payment gateways and e-commerce platforms. Simply sign up for a Churn Buster account, configure your settings, and start recovering failed payments to enhance customer experience and boost retention rates.

    
    

  • ReCharge

    ReCharge helps e-commerce stores keep customers coming back and feeling happy by managing subscriptions when customers sign up to receive products or services regularly. This makes customers more likely to stick around and keeps them satisfied with their shopping experience. According to a study by ReCharge, businesses using this tool saw a big 26% drop in the number of customers leaving within six months.

    What makes ReCharge unique is that it lets you customize subscriptions, choose how often customers get billed, and easily connect with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. ReCharge’s price depends on how many transactions you have, starting at $0.05 per transaction plus extra monthly fees. Integrating ReCharge into your e-commerce website is simple because it provides easy-to-follow instructions and works well with most existing platforms.

    
    

  • Paddle

    Paddle is an e-commerce platform helping online businesses. It offers tools to reduce churn and improve customer experience. Paddle helps manage subscriptions, automate billing, and recover revenue, which stops customers from leaving. According to Paddle’s report, businesses using it saw a 32% decrease in churn and a 28% increase in revenue. They use data to find out why customers leave and then make plans to keep them.

    Paddle has cool features like easy checkout, global tax management, and fraud prevention. It has clear pricing and doesn’t cost a lot. Integrating Paddle into your website is simple. You sign up, add it to your site, and you’re ready to go.

    
    

• Optimization and Analytics:

  • VWO

    Using VWO (Visual Website Optimizer), your online store can improve how customers interact with your website, which can lead to more sales and happier customers. For example, a study by VWO found that businesses using its platform saw, on average, a 49% increase in purchases after making changes to their website. This shows how powerful VWO can be in making sure customers have a good experience on your website.

    VWO stands out because it offers many useful tools for making websites better. It’s easy to use and has features like A/B testing different versions of a website and seeing which one works best. VWO also provides helpful reports so you can see how well your website is doing.

    The price of VWO depends on the size of your business and what features you need. You can integrate VWO into your website by adding a small piece of code, or by using plugins if you have a popular e-commerce platform like Shopify or WooCommerce. With VWO, you can make your online store even better and make sure your customers have a great experience when they visit your website.

    
    

  • Convert

    Convert is a tool that can help your online store by making it easier for customers to find what they need and make purchases. It does this by testing different versions of your website to see which one works best. Reports from Bluelambda using Convert show that it can increase conversions by 239% and net revenue by 378.69%. This means customers are more likely to buy things and spend more money when they use Convert.

    Convert makes shopping online better by letting stores try different things to see what customers like best. It has tools for testing and personalizing the website to fit what each customer wants. Convert is special because it gives stores useful information and tools to make sure customers have a good experience.

    The price for Convert starts basically at $349 per month with a 15-day free trial, and you can add more features if you need them. To use Convert on your store, you just need to follow the instructions and put a special code on your website. Then, you can start using Convert to make shopping easier and better for your customers.

    
    

  • Google Analytics 4

    Google Analytics 4 (GA4) helps e-commerce stores understand customers better and improve their shopping experiences. With GA4, you can see how customers use your website and marketing, making it easier to fix any problems and make things smoother for shoppers. By keeping track of what customers do, like looking at products or buying things, GA4 helps stores make changes that lead to more sales and happier customers.

    Studies show that GA4 helps e-commerce stores. According to a report from Google, stores using GA4 see a 20% increase in sales and a 25% decrease in people leaving their websites without buying anything. GA4 has special features like better ways to track what people do on different devices and platforms. It’s also good at predicting what customers might want next, so stores can offer personalized experiences.

    GA4 is mostly free to use, but some extra features come with a price. You can add GA4 to your website by putting a special code on your site or using a tool like Google Tag Manager. Then, you can start learning more about your customers and making your store better for them.

    
    

  • Elevar

    Using Elevar, your online store can learn more about what customers like and don’t like, which helps make their shopping experience better. This can lead to more people buying from your store and spending more money. According to studies done by Elevar, stores that use their tool have seen a 20% increase in the number of people who buy from them and a 15% decrease in the cost of getting new customers. Elevar helps stores by giving them information about what customers do on their website and helping them make decisions based on that information.

    Elevar works by collecting data about what customers do on your website and then organizing that data into useful information. This helps stores understand their customers better and make changes to their website to make it easier for customers to buy things.

    Elevar also has special features like tracking data from different parts of your website and making custom reports to help stores see how they’re doing. Elevar starts with a limited $0 starter plan and costs $150/month for the “Essentials” plan with a free 15-day trial for each paid plan, and you can use it by adding a special code to your website. This code tells Elevar to start collecting data about what customers do on your site so you can learn from it and make your store better.

    
    

This categorization is based on the general functionalities and purposes of each integration. Keep in mind that some platforms may offer a range of features that span across multiple categories. Always refer to the specific documentation of each integration for accurate and up-to-date information on their capabilities.

How to Make Sure that Your Integration is Adding Value

Running an online store is exciting, and picking the right tools can make a big difference. But here’s the thing: don’t just believe what integration tools say about helping your business.

A/B testing is a smart way to check if an integration is good for your customers. Instead of showing it to everyone, try it out on only half of your audience. This helps you see if the integration works well for your online store, improves customer experience, and brings in more sales.

Testing the Waters: A/B Testing and How It Helps

A/B testing is like a science experiment for online stores. It helps you understand if a new tool or feature, like a payment system or a marketing tool, is helping your business. By trying it out on only some of your customers, you can measure if it makes more people buy things, spend more money, and be happy with your store. This way, you can make smart decisions based on what works for your brand and the people who like to shop from you.

The Antidote: Learning from Real Experiences

Sometimes, e-commerce businesses think they’ve found the perfect solution to increase sales. You hear promises about how certain tools/integrations will make a big difference. But stories exist about these ideas not working out as expected. Imagine a situation where an integration was supposed to help sell more products, but after testing it out, sales went down.

This shows why it’s important to test things out before fully committing to them. You want integrations that truly make your store better, not ones that only sound good in ads. So, the trick is to use A/B testing as your secret weapon to make sure every new thing you add to your online store is a real help and not a problem. This way, every new tool added to your e-commerce business is a real benefit, not a risk.

Grow Your Business & Improve Customer Experience

The essential checklist of Integrations your ecommerce store needs to succeed highlights how carefully chosen and thoroughly tested integrations can significantly benefit online businesses.

Think of this checklist of ecommerce integrations as your guide, helping you make decisions grounded in real-world data and user experiences, rather than relying solely on promises. By selecting integrations thoughtfully and testing them diligently, ecommerce owners can empower their businesses to flourish and enhance customer satisfaction.

As you navigate the complex world of ecommerce, remember that each integration should be a purposeful choice, adding value to your brand, customer relationships, and overall success. By using this checklist, you are not only optimizing your online store but also creating a smooth and fulfilling experience for both your business and your valued customers.

Do you want to start A/B testing your ecommerce integrations but are not sure where to start and need expert advice?

You can book your free ecommerce strategy session with our ecommerce specialists at Experiment Zone, to accelerate your ecommerce integrations for improved customer experience and drive more sales.