One of the most frustrating experiences any customer can have is to be delivered inconsistent information from multiple touchpoints in a store. The pricing label may say one thing, the salesman another, and the checkout counter a third. Worse yet is when that inconsistent information only comes after an extended wait, multiple transfers, and dropped calls.
In the past, these irritations were simply a fact of life. Fortunately, the technology now exists to deliver your customers an exemplary experience, where such inconveniences are reduced or even eliminated: Direct Ecommerce Integration. In this post, we’ll outline five of the most significant benefits Ecommerce companies receive from direct integration. But first, we should tell you what it is.
What is Ecommerce Integration?
Ecommerce integration is the process by which the data accumulated from a multitude of sources while running an Ecommerce company can be integrated into a centralized hub, aggregated, and then shared universally across all departments. A business establishes one system to be its “single source of truth,” and data then flows into and out of it to other systems.
It enables Ecommerce companies to continuously update data sets and distribute that data to anyone in the company who requires it, dramatically reducing contradicting data points and information bottlenecks, more or less eliminating the need for manual and redundant data entries, and streamlining information gathering and sharing across all aspects of a business.
It is, in short, essential to running a modern B2B Ecommerce business. But if we haven’t made that case entirely, here are five key benefits of direct Ecommerce integration:
1. No Whoopsies: Reduce or Eliminate Errors
Before direct integration, maintaining accurate information across multiple databases was a chore. Literally. Companies would need to implement processes for the manual entry of new data into, well, as many databases as were required. Even with the most fastidious employees, the likelihood of transcription errors across customer, product, order, and shipping data is orders of magnitude higher than with the automation that comes with data integration.
2. No Surprises: Simple, Universal Access to Information
Surprises can be fun for a birthday but they are nightmares for well-run companies. Losing a sale because the left hand didn’t know the pricing the right hand implemented, selling a product you didn’t have in your inventory, or delivering a potential B2B client erroneous information that shatters your air of expertise, can have deleterious long term consequences for any Ecommerce business.
Direct integration can help your Ecommerce company avoid these pitfalls by breaking down departmental silos, keeping every part of your business aware and on the same page regarding prices, inventory, and other information a potential customer may request.
3. No Waste: Increased Opportunities for Efficiency and Optimization
Data integration can save your company money. By consolidating redundant solutions, that is solutions that exist in multiple departments with separate databases and systems, companies can save significant capital which can then be redeployed to more productive ends or saved for rainier days.
Moreover, data entry is a brutal job. It can be unfulfilling and inefficient, especially early in a company’s existence, when a firm’s few employees can be required to fill multiple roles. Reducing this burden on employees, other than reducing errors, also frees them to focus on more productive and profit-generating aspects of their jobs, leading to a happier, more engaged, and more productive workplace.
4. No Complaints: Improved Customer Experience
Before integrations, if a customer called with questions regarding a product or an order status, there was no efficient means of being certain you could deliver them accurate, up-to-the-minute information. Unhappy customers were often put on hold as customer service reps reached out across multiple departments and sometimes vendors to track down the relevant info.
With data integration, everyone in the company, as well as public facing elements such as the website, are given up to the minute information around all these concerns, improving customer experience. Additionally, many companies have the option to send automatic order updates to customers via email, and allow them to track their purchases as they travel across the country. Multiple technologies make this possible, but data integration is an essential part.
5. No Limits: Better Scalability
All of the four previous benefits lead to this one. Ecommerce companies that integrate in this way, avoiding errors, improving company morale and efficiency, and generating positive customer experiences across multiple pre- and post- sale touchpoints, are able to scale up faster and with less stress points than those that have not integrated and therefore feel more of the strain as the business grows, whether through new locations, products, models, or simply more of the original offerings.
Zoey Makes Data Readily Available for Ecommerce Integration
Zoey offers a suite of solutions related to integrating with other business solutions, including direct integrations with largely used products as Netsuite, Quickbooks Online, Salesforce, and more than a dozen other programs. We also offer APIs that allow connection with any other platform, and other data accessibility offerings such as Webhooks and a Data Mapper to move data to and from other locations.
Talk to our team about how Zoey can connect with your other business solutions and strengthen your B2B Ecommerce offerings:
Patrick Gallagher is a financial writer with nearly a decade of experience in communications with business owners and other high-net worth individuals. He was a writer for the New York Times and worked for several nonprofits. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota. He lives in Atlanta with his family and two very rambunctious dogs.
