Did you know that 88% of online shoppers say they wouldn't return to a website after a bad user experience? A smooth customer shopping experience is important for any e-commerce business.
Shortcuts:
- 5 Advanced Integration Strategies
- How to Choose the Right Integration Approach
- How to Measure the Impact of Integrations
You need to make every step of the shopping journey—from browsing to checkout—as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
In other words, remove any hurdles or frustrations that prevent a customer from purchasing. It is only possible with advanced Integration.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about advanced integration strategies that make your store run better and keep your customers happy.
Best Integrations for a Smooth Shopping Experience
Let's go through this list of the best integrations to ensure a smooth shopping experience for store and site visitors.
-
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Image Source: Sana Commerce
ERP is a system that connects everything, making sure all your departments—from accounting to inventory—work smoothly.
The above image shows how important ERP is. Your business's central command center is tracking everything from product orders and customer data to finances and stock levels.
Martin Seeley, CEO of Mattress Next Day, shares, “When these different parts of your business communicate through the ERP, you can avoid mix-ups and delays.”
For example, when a customer places an order, the ERP system instantly updates your inventory, notifies your accounting team to send an invoice, and even alerts your shipping department to prepare the package.
This coordinated effort is what keeps your e-commerce business running efficiently.
-
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
We call CRM a giant address book, but instead of just names and numbers, it stores valuable details about each customer's purchase history, preferences, and interactions with your brand.
In an interview Alison Lancaster, CEO of Pressat.co.uk shares, “When you’ve a better idea about your customers inside and out, you can offer better, personalized experiences. And when a customer feels understood, they're more likely to keep coming back. CRM also lets you send targeted emails with product recommendations, offer special discounts on their favorite items, and even address any concerns they might have.”
Plus, CRM enables the personalized experience you find in your favorite brick-and-mortar store, where the salesperson greets you by name and suggests items they know you'll love.
That personal touch keeps customers coming for more.
-
PIM (Product Information Management)
PIM is a centralized hub for all your product information. It tracks product descriptions, images, prices, and inventory levels.
“With so many moving parts to manage, PIM helps you avoid confusion and errors,” adds Idan Avitan, CEO of Growee.
When customers view a product, they expect accurate and consistent information.
Plus, PIM ensures that the description, price, and availability are consistent across all platforms—whether it's your website, social media, or a printed catalog. It builds trust with your customers and makes it easier for them to purchase.
-
Marketing automation platforms
Marketing automation platforms are like your personal marketing assistant, tirelessly working to keep your customers engaged.
They help you schedule emails, create social media campaigns, and even send personalized messages to individual customers.
But it's not just about broadcasting your message. David Salib, CEO of MINVO, says, “Marketing automation platforms also track customer behavior and reveal what's working and what's not. This data allows you to fine-tune your marketing strategies and maximize your results.”
-
Order Management Systems (OMS)
Employee Training System ensures that your team is well-equipped to use OMS.
This system provides comprehensive training modules covering everything from tracking orders to managing inventory, shipping, and handling returns.
It ensures a smooth operation from order placement to delivery at your customer's doorstep.
Soledad Galli, Founder of Train In Data, advised, “OMS helps you avoid overselling items that are out of stock, ensures orders are shipped on time, and keeps your customers updated on their package's progress. It keeps your customers happy and saves you time and money by streamlining the entire order fulfillment process.”
-
Payment gateways
“Payment gateways are the virtual cashiers. They handle the secure transfer of money from your customer's bank account to yours. They also ensure that sensitive payment information is protected from prying eyes,” explains Dan Tabaran, Head of Marketing at Influencity.
However, choosing the right payment gateway is crucial for building customer trust. It should be easy for them, offer multiple payment options (like credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets), and have robust security measures.
A reliable payment gateway makes it easier for customers to complete their purchases and safeguards their financial information, giving them peace of mind when shopping on your website. More peace means more sales.
-
Shipping and logistics platforms
Shipping and logistics platforms are like your trusted delivery drivers. They handle everything from finding the most efficient shipping routes to printing shipping labels and tracking packages.
These platforms integrate with your online store and carrier accounts, automating shipping. Robbin Schuchmann, Co-Founder of Employ Borderless, adds, "Shipping and logistics platforms can help you compare shipping rates from different carriers so you can always find the best deal. This not only saves you time and money but also ensures your packages arrive on time and in good condition, which is important for happy customers.”
For example, Sephora excels at omnichannel integration. Their mobile app syncs with their in-store experience.
Image Source: Upland Software
Customers can browse products online, save them to their "Love List," and then access that list in-store to quickly find and test those products.
Sephora also uses real-time inventory updates to ensure that products shown as available online are also in stock at the customer's preferred store, preventing disappointment and frustration.
This integration of online and offline channels creates a smooth and enjoyable shopping journey for customers — whether they prefer to browse online, try products in-store, or do a bit of both.
This omnichannel approach has contributed to Sephora's reputation as a leader in the beauty industry.
-
Social media integrations
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are more than places to share photos and updates.
Social media platforms are also sales channels for e-commerce businesses. Integrations allow you to sell your products directly through these platforms, reaching a wider audience and making it easier for customers to buy from you.
Ira Prevalova, Growth Marketing Director at Adverity, said, “With social media integrations, you can showcase your products visually appealing, run targeted ads to reach the right customers, and even let customers complete their purchase without ever leaving the platform. This shopping experience can increase your sales and brand visibility.”
5 Advanced Integration Strategies
1. API-First Approach
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the connectors that let different software applications talk to each other. By making APIs a priority from the start, you're building a flexible and ready store for anything.
Without major headaches, you can easily swap out different parts of your e-commerce system, like your payment processor or inventory management tool. You can also add new features or connect to other platforms without starting from scratch.
Mateusz Mazurek, Founder at Prehost, shares, “An API-first approach gives you the freedom to create an e-commerce platform that meets your unique needs, experiment with different tools and technologies, and easily adapt to new trends and customer demands.”
2. Headless Commerce
Headless commerce is a way to build your online store where the design (what your customers see) is separate from the technical stuff that makes it work.
“This means you can easily change the look and feel of your website or app without messing with the code that handles things like inventory and orders,” said Rasmus Adeltoft, Business Owner of Lenspricer.
It gives you a lot of flexibility. You can create unique shopping experiences across platforms like your website, mobile app, or in-store kiosks.
You can also quickly update your site for special promotions or seasonal changes without needing a developer to change the code every time.
For example, Nike uses headless commerce to deliver a seamless shopping experience across its website, mobile app, and in-store kiosks.
Image Source: SureCart
It allows them to launch new products and campaigns quickly, personalize content for different audiences, and experiment with cutting-edge technologies like augmented reality.
3. Microservices Architecture
Microservices architecture is a way of building your e-commerce platform as a collection of smaller, independent services.
Each service focuses on a specific function, such as managing your product catalog, processing orders, or handling payments.
This approach offers several advantages. First, it allows for greater flexibility. You can update or replace individual services without affecting the entire system, making changes more quickly and easily without the risk of disrupting your entire platform.
Sumeer Kaur, Founder of Indian Clothes, shares, “Microservices architecture improves resilience. If one service experiences an issue, it won't necessarily impact the others. It can help minimize downtime and ensure a smoother customer experience. Also, this approach leads to better scalability.”
4. Real-Time Data Synchronization
Real-time data synchronization ensures that everything from product listings to inventory levels is accurate across all platforms.
Let's say a customer buys a product on your website. With real-time synchronization, your inventory system immediately knows to subtract one item from your stock. Your shipping system gets the order details instantly so it can start packing.
Your marketing platform will see the purchase and send a thank-you email to the customer. All of this happens automatically, in the blink of an eye.
This coordination is essential for running a smooth and successful online store. It prevents you from selling out-of-stock items, avoids shipping delays, and keeps your customers happy with accurate and timely information.
5. AI and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can make your online store more innovative and efficient. These technologies can help you understand your customers better, personalize their shopping experience, and even make decisions for you.
AI can be used to create product recommendations tailored to each individual customer's preferences. It can analyze past purchases and browsing behavior to suggest items customers might be interested in.
Machine learning can also help you predict what products will be in demand so you can stock up before they run out. It can also help you optimize your pricing strategies and detect potential fraud.
For example, Amazon uses AI and ML to power its recommendation engine, which suggests products to customers based on their past purchases and browsing history.
Image Source: GoDataFeed
It has been a significant factor in Amazon's success, as personalized recommendations drive more sales and improve the customer experience.
How to Choose the Right Integration Approach
Let’s discuss how you can choose the right approach.
-
Identify your challenges
Start by closely examining the different parts of your e-commerce business. Look for areas where things aren't running smoothly, or you spend too much time on manual tasks.
For example, you're always running out of stock because it's hard to keep track of your inventory, or you're getting complaints about late deliveries because your order processing system is slow.
By identifying these weak spots, you'll know exactly which types of integrations can make the biggest difference for your business.
-
Set your goals
Clearly define what you hope to achieve through integration. Are you primarily focused on making your internal operations more efficient? It could mean automating tasks like inventory management or order fulfillment to save time and reduce errors.
Your priority is increasing the customer experience. Integrating systems to provide personalized product recommendations, faster shipping options, or smooth customer support across multiple channels.
Of course, you might aim for operational efficiency and an improved customer experience. Whatever your goals, make sure they're specific, measurable, and aligned with your overall business strategy.
This clarity will help you choose the right integration solutions to move your business in the right direction.
-
Know your limits
Another important thing is to understand the resources available before diving into complex integration projects.
Look closely at your budget and decide how much you can invest in integrating your different systems. And remember, costs depend on the type of integration and the complexity of your setup.
Also, consider your team's technical skills. Some integrations are straightforward and can be handled in-house, while others require specialized knowledge.
If your team isn't tech-savvy, hire an expert or use a simpler integration solution. Be honest about your limitations to choose an approach that won't hurt your team or your budget.
-
Plan for the future
Think about your business's current and future state. Choose integration solutions that can grow and adapt to it.
It will save you from starting over with new integrations every time your business expands.
-
Do your research
There are a ton of integration platforms and tools available. Take some time to compare different options and see how they stack up against your needs and budget.
Look for solutions that work well with your existing systems and have good reviews from other businesses.
If you’ve no time for this headache, POWR is your best fit. It’s affordable and helps you drive more sales.
-
Don't be afraid to ask for help
If you're feeling lost or unsure, contact an e-commerce expert or integration specialist.
They can help you determine what you need and guide you through the process of choosing and implementing the right integrations for your business.
How to Measure the Impact of Integrations
You've invested time and effort in integrating your e-commerce systems. Now, it's time to see if it's paying off.
-
Track key metrics
Start by identifying which numbers matter most to your business—whether sales, customer happiness, or operational efficiency. These are your key performance indicators (KPIs).
So, before integrating anything new, measure your current performance for each KPI. This starting point helps you see exactly how much your new integrations are helping your business grow and improve.
-
Monitor regularly
Don't measure once and forget about it. Track your KPIs regularly (weekly, monthly, quarterly) to see how they're changing over time. It will help you identify trends and spot any issues early on.
-
Analyze the data
Once you've tracked your KPIs, it's time to connect the dots. Look closely at how your chosen integrations are influencing your business.
For example, if you see a jump in sales after integrating a personalized product recommendation engine, that's a good sign the integration is working.
Similarly, if your order processing time gets faster after connecting your inventory and shipping systems, that's a positive outcome.
By carefully analyzing this data, you can see which integrations are producing positive outcomes and where adjustments might be needed.
Final Thoughts
Of course, no one likes tricky shopping steps. That’s why the best online stores always offer a smooth shopping experience.
They've figured out how to connect all the different parts of their systems, so you don't even notice.
It means your shopping cart updates automatically on all your devices, your favorite products show up right when you open the app, and getting help is easy.
It all comes down to thoughtful planning and using the right tools behind the scenes.
When online stores make this effort, they build customer trust and loyalty. So, next time you have a great shopping experience, remember—it's not magic—it's advanced integration at work.
