We know eCommerce is rapidly evolving. As a marketer or business owner in the eCommerce industry, it is mandatory for you to stay ahead of the competition. Increasing online businesses worldwide, capturing and retaining customers has been and will be more challenging.
Reportedly, according to Forbes, it is said that in 2023, 20.8% of retail purchase is expected to take place online and also expected to grow by 24% by 2026. In this phase, it is crucial to consider your marketing strategy to nurture, retain, and capture new customers. But how?
You may have so many challenging factors to take into account. Nevertheless, you will find a way. one such way or help you can get this solved is by tying your business with marketing automation tools. Yes! These tools offer a wide range of functionalities to help you streamline your eCommerce business growth and make your marketing efforts more effective.
Since marketing automation is a broader term to make it easy, let me break it into granular streams and focus more on email marketing and SMS marketing in this blog and five marketing automation tools that can increase your business revenue.
Marketing Automation is Important for E-commerce Growth: Why?
The known fact is that the eCommerce industry is constantly surging because, in today’s times, online shopping is the main way consumers buy a brand from the market compared to before. It means online shopping is not an add-on to your marketing strategy anymore, but it is the end goal to be focused on.
Without a doubt, we all know eCommerce is king! Interestingly global retail industry hit $4.9 trillion in 2021 and is expected to grow in the next four years. The rapid growth of the eCommerce industry has made marketers and business owners reevaluate their marketing strategy, marketing automation tools, and tactics
Let me tell you why.
- First, eCommerce marketers send thousands of emails, from welcome emails to transaction emails and more, to their customers on a daily basis. But, doing this manually is a time-consuming process that can be avoided by integrating automation tools for email and SMS. This way, you can send personalized emails to thousands of customers, ensuring each customer receives relevant and timely information.
- Second, building a customer relationship is crucial for eCommerce growth. That way, marketing automation tools can cut half your work by automating lead-nurturing email and SMS campaigns. This personalized approach helps increase conversion rates and ultimately leads to higher revenue.
- Last, sending a generic or blasting email and SMS will not feed your business. Instead, tweaking your approach to pitching your audience can increase your conversion rate. This can be made possible by analyzing customer data (their behavior and preferences).
Benefits of Using Marketing Automation Tools
We all know that marketing automation tools give us numerous benefits for your business, especially for e-commerce businesses. Let me break it down for you.
- Integrating marketing automation software into your business can save time and resources by setting up automated workflows for communication with customers via email or SMS.
- Marketing automation tools allow businesses to send personalized messages to customers by segmenting their audience based on preferences and behaviors.
- Marketing automation tools streamline marketing efforts with a centralized platform that integrates various functionalities, eliminating the need for multiple tools.
This simplifies the marketing process and ensures consistency across different marketing channels.
5 Marketing Automation Tools for Your E-commerce Businesses
Though several tools are available in the market, you should look into certain features when choosing the right marketing automation tool for your e-commerce business. Here are the top five marketing automation tools that can help streamline your e-commerce growth:
1. TargetBay
TargetBay’s BayEngage is a comprehensive marketing automation platform that seamlessly integrates with popular eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Woocommerce, and Bigcommerce. Its user-friendly interface offers a range of features, including in-built email and SMS templates, A/B testing, analytics, segmentation, and a drag-and-drop editor.
Unlike other marketing tools, TargetBay’s BayEngage ensures >99% email deliverability by prioritizing customer inbox placement over sending bulk emails.
- EngageBay
The EngageBay email marketing platform offers marketing automation features, including personalized campaigns, customer journey automation, and campaign performance tracking. It is an affordable and user-friendly option for small businesses.
With their single software, the tool helps you easily streamline your business marketing, sales, and support process.
3. MailerLite
Mailerlite is a robust marketing automation platform that helps you automate all your Email marketing workflow from welcome email to purchase. This marketing automation tool caters to businesses of all sizes.
It offers features like A/B testing, multi-triggered email, integration, analytics, and more. Mailerlite also integrates with popular e-commerce platforms, making it suitable for businesses looking to scale their marketing efforts.
4. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one marketing automation platform that combines email marketing, CRM, and sales automation. It provides a user-friendly interface and advanced features like behavior tracking, dynamic content, and split testing.
ActiveCampaign is ideal for businesses seeking a comprehensive solution to automate their marketing and sales processes.
5. Mailmunch
Mailmunch is an email marketing automation platform that helps to send stunning emails to engage with your audience, which can generate interactive subject lines with AI assistance. The tool also offers coupons, landing pages, forms, and pop-ups to generate leads and nurture them for your business growth.
Comparison of Marketing Automation Platforms
When choosing an email and SMS marketing automation platform for your e-commerce business, it’s important to consider your specific needs and requirements. Here is a comparison of the top marketing automation platforms to help you make an informed decision:
| Platform | Key Features | Integration | Pricing |
| TargetBay | Email marketing, SMS marketing, lead nurturing, Automation, In-built template, A/B testing, user split, Advanced analytics, landing pages, forms | Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Salesforce | Starts at $10/month (For above 250 email subscribers) & SMS starts at $49/month |
| EngageBay | Email marketing, automation workflows | Shopify, WooCommerce | Starts at $12.74/month |
| Mailerlite | Email marketing, automation, landing page, forms | Shopify, WooCommerce | Starts at $9/month |
| ActiveCampaign | Email marketing, CRM, sales automation, forms, landing pages | Shopify, WooCommerce | Starts at $ 49/month |
| Mailmunch | Email marketing, automation, forms & pop-ups, | Shopify | Starts at $19.99/month |
Features to Consider When Choosing Marketing Automation Software
When selecting email and, SMS marketing automation software for your e-commerce business, it’s essential to consider the following features:
1. Integration
Though there is number of SaaS products in market, when it comes to eCommerce email & SMS marketing automation business owners, and marketers should ensure that the tool they opt for integrates seamlessly with your existing e-commerce platform. This will help streamline your marketing efforts and avoid any compatibility issues.
2. Ease of Use
It is important to look for a marketing automation tool that offers a user-friendly interface and intuitive workflows. This will make it easier for you and your team to set up and manage campaigns without requiring extensive technical knowledge.
3. Personalization Capabilities
Personalization is an important factor to be added to all your email and SMS marketing campaigns. So, it is necessary that the tool you select should allow you to deliver personalized experiences to your customers. Look for features such as dynamic content, segmentation, and behavioral tracking that enable you to tailor your marketing messages based on customer preferences.
4. Analytics and Reporting
Another important feature to look for is analytics and reporting of your email and SMS campaigns. Opt for a marketing automation tool that provides robust analytics and reporting capabilities. This will help you track the performance of your campaigns, measure ROI, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your marketing efforts.
5. Scalability
This is also one important factor to consider, As your company grows, your audience lists grow – you get into the term of enterprise email marketing, so obviously, your email and SMS marketing tools should have growth plans. Because the audience’s data is an asset of your company, though many tools offer free migration and assistance, you still have to invest some time again to learn the new tool and process. So, it is better to ensure the platform can scale with your business and accommodate your evolving needs.
Conclusion: The Future of Email & SMS Marketing Automation for E-commerce Businesses
As e-commerce continues to grow, email and SMS marketing automation tools will play an increasingly important role in streamlining business growth. By automating repetitive tasks, personalizing customer experiences, and providing valuable insights, these tools enable e-commerce businesses to scale their marketing efforts and improve their bottom line.
When choosing a marketing automation tool for your e-commerce business, consider your specific needs, integration requirements, and scalability. Evaluate the features and capabilities of different platforms to find the one that best aligns with your goals and objectives.
Remember, implementing marketing automation is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Continuously monitor and optimize your automated campaigns to ensure maximum effectiveness and drive continuous growth with 99.9% email deliverability.
Author: Stalia.S
Stalia.S is a content marketer at TargetBay, an eCommerce marketing cloud used by thousands of online stores worldwide. She enjoys researching and writing about email marketing, product reviews, and more. In her free time, she loves exploring new places and tasting delicious cuisines.
