The best eCommerce store integrations

If you’re selling online, chances are your eCommerce platform is key to the success of your business. It’s your digital shop window, and the tool that handles everything from payment processing to store management.

These platforms are set to become even more critical for retailers.

Across the globe, eCommerce is surging. One study found that in 2019 alone, around 1.92 billion people purchased goods or services online. In the years since, these numbers have only continued to climb.

With eCommerce platforms so key to business success, they need to be supported with the right integrations. This means links to the other software used by your business – like bespoke shipping apps. Doing so will help to remove potential bottlenecks, automate common tasks and make your operations much more efficient.

In this article, we’ll break down some of the best integrations for your eCommerce store and explore how they can take your online sales to the next level.

Given just how big Shopify is, it’ll be no surprise that the platform also has a staggering number of integrations available. Users can integrate existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) tools and numerous other apps – including some of the best shipping apps available.

But what about other eCommerce platforms? Glad you asked. WooCommerce (which closely follows Shopify in usage), also has many integrations available.

Shipping apps: One type of integration you may want to consider

With so many possible integrations available, where do you start? Beyond the various CRM, warehouse management and analytics platforms available that you can link into your eCommerce platform, there’s one type of app that you need to consider.

By adopting a powerful shipping platform – and integrating it with your eCommerce platform – you can introduce efficiencies from the moment a customer purchases a product through to when it arrives on their doorstep.

Consider the many ways in which an eCommerce platform simplifies your online retail operations: They reduce admin and labour costs, improve customer service, allow for easy selling via mobile channels and enable targeted content delivery.

A bespoke shipping app works in much the same way. These apps integrate and automate shipping, streamlining every step of the fulfillment process. In turn, you’ll see reduced handling time, minimise human error and generally improve the customer experience.

Here are some of the most common shipping challenges – and how a shipping app can solve them.

Logging into multiple eCommerce and courier platforms

If you’re selling online, chances are you’ll need to switch between different eCommerce platforms to fetch order details. You’ll also need to switch between multiple courier systems to manage orders. Shipping apps give retailers one platform where they can manage all orders and select the best courier.

• Invalid addresses 📍– The time-consuming challenge of invalid addresses can result in expensive non-deliveries and bad customer experiences. The best shipping apps for Shopify contain features that correct invalid addresses automatically, so customers always get their orders, even if they enter incorrect details.
• Managing returns 📦 – This is a costly and time-consuming part of online shipping. Typically, businesses need to devote time to managing the returns process. Shipping apps let retailers set up dedicated returns portals, relieving staff of a significant amount of administration.
• International shipping ✈️ – It can be puzzling to work out how to exactly go about shipping to other countries. Bespoke shipping apps take the stress out of international shipping by automating a lot of repeatable administration. These apps can also automate customs documentation and other types of paperwork.
• Customer choice of courier 🚚 – Customers expect to be able to choose couriers based on their time and price preference. Starshipit lets retailers offer different options at checkout, including same day, express or international, so your customers can choose the delivery option that suits them best.

5 eCommerce store integrations you should consider

Hopefully we’ve given you an idea of just how useful integrations can be for an eCommerce platform – and the value of using a powerful shipping app.

Now, let’s look at 5 specific eCommerce store integrations in detail. We’ll explore what each of these solutions offers individually below, but you’ll see just how powerful they are when used together.

Wrap up

When it comes to setting up your eCommerce tech stack, keep interoperability in mind. Try and pick solutions that can easily integrate with each other, as what works for your business now might not necessarily work in five years' time.

We’ve talked a lot about the importance of using the best shipping apps too. If you’re interested in trying Starshipit free for 30 days, reach out to our friendly support team and they’ll be happy to talk through options with you.