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Magento has long been one of the go-to e-commerce website creation platforms. Renowned for its adaptability and SEO-friendliness, Magento can create online stores easily if used effectively with third-party integration support from Magento's many third-party extensions - many web developers use them when working with this platform. In this blog, we delve into what a Magento e-commerce platform entails, exploring its features, benefits of shipping integration in Magento stores, and much more. Keep reading to gain further insights.
Magento
What is Magento? PHP is integrated into the Magento platform to make programming eCommerce websites simpler for programmers. First created using Zend Framework and released for distribution, hundreds of thousands of companies such as Nike and Samsung use the Magento open-source platform for their online stores today - which Adobe acquired at $1.68 billion to bolster growth within the business market.
Why Make Use Of Magento?
Magento should be taken seriously by companies and individuals looking to create reliable eCommerce sites over time. Magento is one of the premier open-source platforms available for building an online store; not to mention, completely free and professional quality; even those without much technology knowledge can create impressive sites using this open source software. You only need to know some English, tech jargon, and internet usage basics in order to be productive using it.
Basic Features Of Magento
Here we have outlined the important features of magneto:
- Product Management Features: It include inventory control, favorites lists, photo gallery uploading/sharing capabilities and optional product reviews.
- Category Management: It makes finding products easy. At the same time, inventory control oversees both in-stock products and import/export transactions.
- Customer Account: Transaction History, Favorite Catalog Items, Shipping Cart Items and Account Status are provided herein for customers' benefit. Likewise, functionality can be improved through customer contact forms with detailed follow-up and email support in customer support services for improved efficiency and superior client support.
- Order Processing
- Payment Options: Its product provides payment support for external payment modules like CyberSource, ePay, eWAY, PayPal, Google Checkout and credit cards as payment methods. Plus, we feature quick, user-friendly search technology compatible with Google Sitemaps.
- Analyzing/Reporting: Generate various reports using Google Analytics service integration.
Since omnichannel retail is the way of the future, many retailers use Magento POS for their physical stores and Magento ecommerce for their websites. As a result, they can market and run their company from a centralized system.
Shipping Integration
In e-commerce, shipping integration refers to integrating your order management system (OMS) with shipping companies. This enables you to automate tracking orders and figuring out delivery costs. You may handle the e-commerce return process, produce shipping labels, and update order statuses with shipping integration.
Benefits Of Shipping Integration For Magento Store
Here we have outlined the important benefits of shipping integration for magento store:
- Cost-Efficient Solutions: Automation reduces running expenses associated with manual order processing in your company. You can compare shipping quotes from multiple carriers to determine which options offer more cost savings.
- Time Savings: Automating shipping-related operations can save both money and time, giving you more time and freedom to focus on expanding your company, developing marketing plans, and providing outstanding customer service.
- Better Customer Experience: Giving accurate shipping estimates and tracking details makes the customer experience with you better overall, leading them to make repeat purchases with you when they are aware of the whereabouts of their orders and status updates.
- Competitive Edge: Offering cost-effective delivery choices is paramount in the e-commerce space, giving your e-store an advantage against rival retailers. Shipping integration allows for convenient expedited and worldwide delivery options that provide a significant competitive edge over those lacking this feature.
- Improved Communication: Shipping integration improves communication by automatically providing clients with vital shipment details, increasing transparency and building trust with customers as soon as they receive alerts regarding the status and location of their orders.
Greatest Third-Party Integrations For Your Magento Store
Secure Payment Gateways
In recent years, payment gateways have become an indispensable element of online businesses as customers increasingly expect one secure and convenient gateway from you. Payment methods used online - like eWallets being favored by 36%, credit cards by 23% and debit cards by 12% according to Worldpay Global Payments Report - is what necessitates payment gateways being part of any successful enterprise, and clients have two integration choices when setting up payment gateways: using Payment Service Provider integration or Integrate into Payment Platform via API Integrations.
- Redirect: With redirect integration, customers are sent directly to a Payment Service Provider's (PSP)-hosted secure payment page where that PSP handles payment authorization and security. Customers maintain trusting relationships knowing their data are being securely managed; however, without much more control in this scenario than simply showing customers your logo as proof they've connected with you than merely showing it at some other page displaying the logo.
- Direct Payment Gateway (DPG): On-site payments processed directly by your Magento Store server are called a direct payment gateway. In other words, these transactions include processing and inputting information provided directly into Magento by you as customers.
Shipping Software Integration
After placing an order at a Magento store, numerous procedures take place behind-the-scenes to get it to you, including processing, selection, packing and delivering of commodities. Due to this lengthy procedure, being handled manually might prove challenging, so an extensive Shipping Software solution has been introduced as an aid for processing.
Transparency Market Research recently projected that the global shipping market would experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 9% between 2020-2030 forecast period, increasing market value to $5 billion by 2030. An automated shipping software solution like Magento Store's is instrumental to its market's recent surge. It maintains accuracy and transparency as orders come in from multiple touchpoints. An ideal example would include these features:
- Taking Care of Orders
- Comparing shipping prices automatically and printing labels, packing slips, etc.
- Inventory Control
- Monitoring, Reporting, and Analysis of Shipments
Inventory Management
Inventory management requires having adequate stock at the right place and time; otherwise, it would not work effectively. With single-channel systems, it may be possible to manage inventories manually. Still, with multichannel ones, this approach becomes impossible and infeasible.
According to the Report, multichannel systems that lack an automated inventory system suffer significantly in fulfilling orders on time - 34% of businesses shipping orders after realizing they were out-of-stock merchandise had shipped their orders as planned. Integration of inventory software increases synchronization and real-time visibility of operations, offering many benefits, including analytics, stock management, scanning/barcoding capabilities, forecasting inventory quantities, and customization.
Read More: Maximize Your Magento Store's Potential: Integrate ERP Now!
Automated Accounting System
Monitoring and controlling cash flow is one of the fundamental tenets of a successful business. Methods used include payroll accounting, budgeting, purchase sales tracking, profit loss statements and cash flow. You may use manual resources when starting up, but as your sales increase and company size expands, human errors become increasingly likely, and decisions become harder to come to due to incomplete or false facts.
These and other criteria led to Magento Store's decision to adopt accounting software solutions. A report forecasts that the accounting software market will reach $416.23 Million. Provide transaction statements and invoices customized in different currencies for easy reference. Instead of manually inputting data, machines may scan it instead. Automate the tax process according to regional laws whilst providing comprehensive reports outlining every important metric.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
As a business owner, you understand the significance of customer relationships to your success. Retaining consumers through regular engagement is equally essential to business; keeping consumers is just as vital. Customer relationship management (CRM) plays an indispensable role here by gathering client data, cultivating loyalty among existing clientele and developing plans to maximize sales and marketing efficiency. Magento Store uses CRM extensively as it enhances customer-provider ties, whereas in-person interactions have taken second place. Here are its main advantages.
- Attracting potential customers
- Accessible customer data
- Easy cross-channel tracking system
- Analytical tools to help understand customer behavior
- Automated sales
Customer Support System
Over the past decade, customer expectations regarding customer support and care have skyrocketed exponentially, leading them to expect swift responses to issues they encounter and resolution without delay. According to Microsoft research, 59% of consumers now hold higher expectations than one year ago - indicating how vital online retail experiences such as support desk and live chat features may be in meeting these customer demands. Utilizing live chat and help desk features may also prove effective in your search for solutions.
- Help Desk: The help desk uses various communication channels - phone calls, and emails are among the options - to address your issue or query. Once your issue has been filed as a ticket and reviewed for resolution by an executive member of their team, this ticket has been marked accordingly. It makes tracking future problems or queries much more straightforward as the team monitors for possible resolution deadlines and assigns task lists accordingly.
- Live Chat: Magento Store's live chat feature offers users an excellent way to send emails or phone calls without leaving the site, quickly connecting you with one of its customer service representatives who will discuss and reply quickly to any inquiries that come through.
Automated Email Marketing
Today's digital marketing market is massive. While everything else may have collapsed under its weight, digitalization has experienced an exponential upsurge - email marketing being no exception. Statistics project that email users could reach over 5 Million by 2024 (according to Statista), providing ample justification for using email software effectively for marketing purposes.
As your customer base expands, relationship management becomes essential to keeping them engaged with your brand. Manually doing it would simply not cut it - instead you can quickly collect customer info and distribute promotional emails by listing customers' emails within your system - leaving customers feeling appreciated while simultaneously strengthening connections within your community.
- Reminding them about what is in their cart
- Conversion of leads
- Informing about sales, thus boosting revenue
- Promotion of products/services
- Gathering feedback
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Conclusion
Cisin can assist with setting up and managing a centralized retail system on Magento if that's your platform of choice for eCommerce. Selling and overseeing all retail activities from one central point is possible using our eCommerce app development services. At the same time, free consultation sessions with our specialists help identify what would work best.
