Salesforce Commerce Cloud is one of the best e-commerce systems out there for several reasons.
For starters, this isn’t only an online store that people use to sell items on the Internet. On the contrary, it’s a multi-level cloud-based platform that offers numerous apps for customer management. From sales and commerce to integration, analytics, and many other Salesforce Commerce Cloud features, you get an all-round e-commerce system that meets all your demands.
When you log in to this platform, you can do dozens of different customer-related activities using the Salesforce Commerce Cloud interface. For instance, you can track customers’ activities on your e-store, use the previously collected data, and analyze heat maps to learn more about customers’ behavior on your store.
Further, since all its elements are kept in the cloud, you can use this platform from any single device. This means that e-store owners and their teams can implement the e-commerce solutions they come up with at the spur of the moment in the shortest time possible.
The key principles
What the Salesforce Commerce Cloud team insists on is the one-size-fits-all nature of their entire system. That’s why it’s a cloud-based platform with so many features that enhance customer tracking and seamless interaction with Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
In a nutshell, it all comes down to three basic principles that are the foundations of this platform:
- Impeccable customer experience. The fact that e-store owners can count on dozens of different e-commerce solutions in one place enables them to come up with outstanding customer experience. In other words, the Salesforce Commerce Cloud system makes it possible for shop owners to cover their customers’ shopping habits in great detail. Also, it provides them with some great analytics tools. In turn, business owners can target their customers in a pretty accurate way. When you add flexible return policies and helpful customer support, it’s clear the customer really is king in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud realm.
- One-size-fits-all, two-way interaction. We’ve already mentioned that e-store owners can use SFCC from any single device. So, they can track customers or add/remove items in their stores on the go., as well as update their social media posts. Still, this also works the other way around, meaning that customers can also buy in Salesforce Commerce Cloud-powered e-stores from different devices across online channels. They can request product returns, make complaints, or contact customer support on the go, as well.
- Data-based predictive analytics. Every single piece of information that customers leave on an e-store is a valuable bit of data for retailers. Therefore, Salesforce Commerce Cloud made an effort to go the extra mile and start using artificial intelligence for data collection and integration. With the use of Einstein – their very own AI system – it’s now capable of using customers’ data in a more advanced way and putting predictive analytics to practice. For instance, Einstein will go through a customer’s buying habits and come up with tailor-made suggestions to save their time and money.
The existing packages
While Salesforce Commerce Cloud has different rates for all the services they provide, their billing policy regarding e-commerce is somewhat different. To be more precise, they offer only two packages for e-commerce ventures. The first one is the B2C Commerce plan, which includes shopping and marketing features, AI-enhanced data collection and personalization, full-scale e-commerce management and many other features.
The second plan is the B2B Commerce plan, in which you get special pricing features, multiple payment gateways, SEO-friendly features, UX-friendly dashboards, templates for fast (re)order and much more.
For the e-commerce plans, there aren’t strict pricing rules. You simply can get the price for the package that meets your needs when you request a quote. That way the Salesforce Commerce Cloud crew can commit to each and every online retailer that asks them their help.
Magento vs. SFCC
Magento was a self-hosting platform that used to be in charge of each and every feature they provided for their clients. However, in 2016 they launched Magento Commerce Cloud (MCC), which is now relatable to SFCC.
In a nutshell, if want to place your e-commerce business onto a strong, cloud-based platform, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is the right choice for you. They’ve proven their reliability and affordability, especially if we take into consideration all the additional features you can use when you choose them as your e-store provider. What’s more, unlike Magento, where you need to possess a certain level of knowledge regarding hosting and maintenance, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is straightforward and scalable. As for scalability, you can seamlessly choose more or fewer options from the abundance of elements provided by this system.
For all these reasons, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a recommended choice for online retailers who want to focus on their core, e-commerce activities and leave the rest to the support team.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud vs. SAP Hybris
SAP Hybris is another great rival of Salesforce Commerce Cloud on the contemporary e-commerce market. While the Salesforce Commerce Cloud puts unification of all the interrelated e-commerce and connected at the center of their work Hybris concentrates on providing support for clients who want to take a more versatile and divergent approach toward e-commerce.
While they both emphasize the importance of customization and adaptability, Salesforce Commerce Cloud and the large number of additional options they offer is a better option for larger, enterprise-level businesses.
SAP Hybris, on the other hand, is a reasonable choice for clients who need a higher level of flexibility. It’s maintained by a versed customer service team that offers direct support. You can integrate the SAP Hybris e-commerce platform quite easily with other services in case their solutions don’t meet all your business requirements.
However, Salesforce Commerce Cloud beats SAP Hybris in the fields of analytics and reporting. They offer a larger number of tools and reporting options so that e-marketers can conduct more detailed analyses of their sales.
The final word
Salesforce Commerce Cloud can meet all sorts of e-commerce requirements. Still, the potential that lies in the number of core e-commerce features and other, closely related options recommend this platform to more demanding and more ambitious e-stores. The smooth scalability and adaptability to the ongoing changes make Salesforce Commerce Cloud a reasonable choice for business owners who are still trying to make their companies stable ventures on the e-commerce market. For all these reasons, this e-commerce system is a practical and smart choice for entrepreneurs who are entering the e-commerce ring.
If you have any dilemmas or questions about the SFCC features and their additional tools, feel free to contact our e-commerce team and find out everything straight from the horse’s mouth.
