What Is Ecommerce Integration and Why Do You Need It?

Ecommerce integrations have become an essential aspect of online selling - but what exactly is it, you might ask? Ecommerce integration is the process of connecting an online store's front end (the place where customers view, choose, and purchase items) with various back end systems that handle crucial aspects of your ecommerce business.

Ecommerce integrations can be incredibly beneficial for content creators looking to boost the online sales on their ecommerce platform of choice by making transactions run more smoothly. Easy transactions = a positive experience for customers, which helps encourage them to come shop at your online business again. We'll walk you down the road of ecommerce integrations, including the different types, to help you make informed, beneficial decisions about your ecommerce integration choices.

Ecommerce Integration Explained

Let's get into a little more detail. We've established that ecommerce integration is the act of synchronizing different elements of an ecommerce business's online store to streamline operations and provide an efficient shopping process for customers.

An online store's front end design is what customers see when they visit an ecommerce platform or online store. Back end systems, on the other hand, are the wizards behind the curtain; the systems that manage vital aspects of an online business, such as inventory, payment gateways, database management, order processing, payments, and shipping.The significance of ecommerce integration lies in how it offers a more efficient and personalized shopping experience to customers.

A well-integrated ecommerce website reduces the workload of your customer service team, manages multiple channels of communication in a single interface, provides you with valuable customer data, and can help increase profits for your ecommerce business.

8 Types of Ecommerce Integrations

1. Inventory management  

Ecommerce integration with inventory management systems provides up to date, accurate product information. As soon as a product is purchased in your ecommerce store, the inventory management system updates the inventory, so your business does not sell products that are out of stock or otherwise unavailable. The inventory management software allows you to stay on top of what products are in demand, and also prevents customer frustration.

2. Order processing 

This one's simple: order processing integration is the synthesis of payment gateways with ecommerce sites. This integration ensures secure online payments through your choice of payment method(s) and payment gateway, and streamlines the purchasing process for your customers.

3. Stream alerts 

Stream alerts integration applies to livestreaming events, and works with any broadcast software (such as OBS) that will accept a browser source to provide you with real-time updates of events connected to your brand or business. For instance, one stream alert might indicate that someone has subscribed to you on YouTube; another that someone has become a patron on your Patreon page; and yet another might pop up an animated image or sound alert while you're livestreaming on Twitch, to notify you (and your viewers) that someone purchased a t-shirt from your merch store.

4. Rewards programs 

Rewards integration basically means loyalty programs that allow customers to earn points for making purchases or taking specific actions, such as saving "favorite" items or recommending your shop to friends. This helps your business or brand to incentivize customers and fans to continue shopping, promoting customer loyalty; it also gives them a manufactured "goal" to save up for and look forward to, again giving them another reason to make more purchases.

5. Shipping and fulfillment 

This type of ecommerce integration automates the shipping process, making sure that orders are processed and delivered efficiently and accurately from your ecommerce platform. Shipping and fulfillment software integrations involve connecting a business's online store to a shipping carrier, such as FedEx or UPS, to provide real-time tracking updates. If the product is a digital download, the shipping software integration directs the customer to the online page of your ecommerce website where they can download their purchase.

6. Customer relationship management (CRM) 

CRM integration is a great tool for small business, as it provides insights into customer behavior, enabling businesses to market and sell more effectively.You can use a a CRM system like HubSpot or SalesForce to help manage data and integrate customer relationship management systems into your ecommerce platform, providing you with tools to manage leads, sales and customer information, and customer interactions. 

7. Analytics and reporting 

Analytics and reporting integration helps businesses to identify website visitor patterns and points of sale on your ecommerce platform. This integration can provide accurate data on the performance of the business, so you can make more informed decisions on which items are selling, which aren't as popular, and what trends might be leading you toward new product ideas.

8. Email campaigns

This is another basic but effective benefit; newsletter-sending integrations allow you to automate your ecommerce business's email campaigns, enabling you to easily reach out to subscribers with regular content, updates, sales, and other targeted email content.

The Benefits Of Ecommerce Integrations

Merchandise sales

Ecommerce integration streamlines online stores, making them easier for customers to use, making products easier to find and buy, keeping track of inventory, and enhancing overall customer satisfaction, all of which can result in more sales.

Automated order processing

Ecommerce integration automates order processing and payment processing through your chosen payment gateways, eliminating manual entry. This reduces errors, smooths transactions, and leads to increased efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Enhanced community building

Ecommerce integration with CRM systems helps establish and build a community around your business's products, services, and vibe. This integration leads to strengthened customer relationships, and helps you discover ways to build hype around your content, store, and products.

Data and analytics 

Data analytics integrations (like customer relationship management) provide your business with critical, detailed data on customer behavior, which you can use to make informed decisions on everything from product choices to marketing.

Simplified affiliate marketing

Ecommerce integration provides businesses with the tools to create and manage affiliate marketing campaigns, making it easier to grow your customer base, get more fans of your products, and increase your sales.

New Challenges Of Ecommerce Integrations

Technical knowledge gap

Ecommerce integration does require technical expertise that some content creators may not yet possess. Some integrations and ecommerce software need to be customized to suit a business's needs and may require some research, studying, and technical assistance.

Cost of integrations

Integrating multiple systems can be expensive; buying licenses for back-end systems and payment processing can add up, especially for small businesses.

Managing multiple platforms

Those multiple systems can also be challenging, and managing the various components can cause confusion. As a business grows, it may become difficult to manage the integrations efficiently, and that management can become a time sink without additional help.

Lack of visibility

Integrations have to be visible for customers so that they can have a seamless shopping experience. If the integrations are not working correctly, or if your business doesn't offer the same features/integrations other similar businesses do, it might cause frustration and could lead to lower sales.

4 Tips For Successful Ecommerce Integration

1. Identify your needs

Content creators need to identify their business needs before integrating different systems into their ecommerce platform. Determine the kind of data integrations, inventory systems, and ecommerce software that would match your business needs, and identify the areas in which you feel these integrations would improve your business. This might take some observation of your current situation, to see which integrations will suit your particular content creation situation, business, or shop best.

2. Choose the right platforms

Content creators should choose ecommerce platforms that are feature-rich and work seamlessly, such as Fourthwall, which is an ecommerce platform specially designed for content creators. Fourthwall makes it easy for creators to create an online ecommerce store for selling their merchandise, and offers many other features that can make your ecommerce integration process so much easier. Not all platforms offer all features, so make sure you do your research here, as well.

3. Analyze your customers

Analyzing customer interests and needs provides insight into how to personalize and improve the shopping experience. This again comes back to observation and research; how do your current viewers and customers interact with your content, products, and online store? Integrating systems that pay attention to customer needs and data and then enhance the customer experience accordingly can boost both online sales and create buzz about your business.

4. Choose your integration strategy

Choose an integration strategy that's suitable for your business to ensure smooth operations. Some integrations require customization while others can be out of the box - you may need or want certain specific integrations or features while other online stores (or your content creation peers) may not. Follow your research and your instincts about your own business, and develop a strategy that you're confident will serve the needs of your own business and ecommerce goals.

Your Ultimate Ecommerce Integration Partner: Fourthwall!

Fourthwall really is the ultimate ecommerce platform for content creators. It offers a valuable starting point for creators to explore merchandising and potentially generate revenue alongside their content creation efforts.

Fourthwall provides a website builder and a wide range of tools for memberships, content management, tips, communications with your fans/customers, and most importantly, a built-in online store for selling your merchandise and other products. It also offers seamless integrations with payment gateways, shipping, analytics, and other crucial systems necessary for running an online store. Fourthwall works hard as the wizard behind your ecommerce store's curtain, so you can put more focus on the business of content creation!