Discover the E-commerce Tools That Can Power Your Global Sales

Gone are the days when businesses were limited by geographical borders and had to rely solely on local customers. Digital commerce has now unlocked a whole world of opportunities for businesses, making it possible to reach new markets and connect with shoppers globally. Businesses can now set up an online store, list products, manage inventory, process payments, and handle shipping and delivery with just a few clicks!

Our previous digital commerce article series covered the compelling reasons why small businesses like yours should consider expanding into international markets. Next, we debunked seven common myths about international e-commerce sales that discouraged sellers. Now, in the third article of the series, it's time to delve into the world of e-commerce tools that can help you make selling globally a reality for your business.

We'll examine several key tools that can help streamline your sales process, enhance your customer experience, and provide valuable insights into your international market. So, whether you're just starting or looking to take your business sales to the next level, keep reading for an overview of the e-commerce tools that can help you succeed.

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What are E-commerce Tools?

E-commerce tools are software and technology solutions designed to support businesses in managing and expanding their online sales activities. The goal of e-commerce tools is to make it easier for businesses to sell their products online, enhance the customer experience, and streamline various sales and operational processes.

Utilising these tools also helps you reach a wider audience, as it eliminates geographical barriers and makes your products easily accessible to customers globally. Furthermore, these tools also provide you with data analytics and marketing tools to help you better understand your customers and target your marketing efforts effectively.

Several e-commerce tools can help you sell globally, some of these include:

• Marketing automation
• Language translation
• Payment gateway integration
• Multi-currency support
• Customer service and support
• International taxes and regulations
• Global shipping and fulfilment
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How do I choose E-commerce Tools?

Picking the right e-commerce tools that can help you sell globally can be a challenging task. With a wide range of options available, it can be difficult to determine which tools will best suit your business needs. Since every company is different, the specific tools will depend on your marketing strategies, target audience, and the products you sell.

Also, each tool may have its own set of features, benefits, and limitations, making it important to carefully consider the specific requirements of your business before making a decision. Moreover, factors such as cost, availability as a cloud application, compatibility with your existing systems, and ease of use should also be considered.

While it would be impossible to cover every e-commerce tool in a single blog article, the focus of this article will be on the customer service and support tools that serve as the foundation of any digital commerce strategy, especially when operating in a global market. An effective customer service and support system can help to build customer trust and loyalty, and resolve any issues that may arise during the customer journey.

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What are customer service and support tools?

A customer service and support tool is a software application or platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions and resolve customer issues. These tools are designed to improve the overall customer experience by providing quick and efficient support to customers. These include live chat software, email support systems, self-service portals, knowledge management systems, and more.

These tools aim to provide customers with a seamless and positive experience, whether they are seeking assistance with a product or service or need to resolve a problem. By using customer service and support tools, you can streamline your support operations, increase efficiency, and differentiate your brand from competitors by providing a WOW customer experience!

One tool that can help you with international sales, marketing and customer support is CINNOX. As an all-in-one platform, it offers unified communication channels that enable you to handle customer enquiries via live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, and more. Plus, it enhances the employee experience as well by using tools and workflows that encourage collaboration and help agents work towards a first-time resolution.

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How can CINNOX help you sell globally?

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1. Unified communications

Aside from conventional e-commerce sites and marketplaces, social media plays a significant role in global sales. Future forecasts are suggesting that the value of social commerce sales would reach about $2.9 trillion by 2026! Social messaging apps are popular in specific countries and have great market reach, such as WeChat in China, Line in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, and WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger worldwide.

What this means is that you need a way to handle different social media channels for customer interactions. Customers might also switch between different channels such as email and live chat! CINNOX can help by bringing all the channels together and keeping track of all conversations in one place. This way, agents can keep their work organised and easily view the history of conversations within a single chat window.
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2. Relationship building

International customers can form stronger connections with the agents who previously served them. This bond is created by shared language, cultural understanding, and communication norms. The sticky routing feature in CINNOX directs customer inquiries to the same agent as before, and web links allow customers to directly start a chat session with a specific agent. This helps builds the agent-customer relationship further.
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3. Cloud communications

Cloud communications describe communication services that are provided and managed over the Internet, rather than on physical hardware. This includes services such as VoIP, unified messaging and video conferencing offered by CINNOX. By using cloud technology, you can enjoy increased flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This allows you to concentrate on your core business and customers, instead of worrying about the maintenance of expensive hardware and the hiring of IT staff.
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4. Remote team friendly

Working together is critical for the success of remote teams, who may be geographically distributed and unable to work together in person. By using a collaboration platform from CINNOX, remote teams can communicate, share information, and work together effectively. These cloud communication tools can include instant messaging, enquiry transferring, audio and video conferencing, and screen and file-sharing functions.
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5. Multi-lingual aware

Smart routing technology in CINNOX can help direct customer enquiries to the best agent based on language routing rules. Before answering an enquiry, agents can anticipate the question from a website visitor by identifying their location and language. Both of these features work together to personalise the experience, surprising and delighting international customers by greeting them in their preferred language!
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6. Real-time data

With CINNOX's real-time web dashboard, you can easily keep track of customer and agent interactions at a glance. The dashboard lets you see which channels are most commonly used and ensures that customer enquiries are handled quickly. If you need an even more detailed look into customer interactions, you can monitor chats and even jump in to help maintain a positive experience for international customers.

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Choose your e-commerce tools wisely

E-commerce tools are essential for businesses looking to succeed in today's global marketplace. They offer a range of features, from website building and inventory management to marketing and customer support. Whether you're a startup just starting or a small business looking to expand beyond your borders, CINNOX can provide you with the tools you need to succeed and grow in the international digital age.