5 e-commerce trends for small and medium-sized enterprises 2023

In the following sections we go over 5 e-commerce trends for small and medium-sized enterprises that you need to know about. We also talk about integrating your e-commerce and ERP software and how the latter has become crucial for SMEs to improve their market effectiveness.

The e-commerce trends you need to know about

Let's get to know some e-commerce trends you can't overlook.

Artificial intelligence to boost customer service

Artificial intelligence is here to stay. And it has a lot to say in areas such as e-commerce. One of the tasks being delegated to AI systems is content generation, such as images or publications. However, it goes much further than that alone.

Chatbots are robots capable of conversing with users and providing them with the best response according to their requests. It is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between a conversation with a human or an AI tool. The impact of this technology on online shopping is enormous, as it prevents the saturation of customer service and helps resolve customers' doubts 24 hours a day.

Improve deliveries and stock control

We all like to receive an order on the date indicated. On the contrary, we hate having to wait longer than the merchant promised, or even receiving a notice that what we just bought is actually out of stock. Such situations definitely lose customers.

Fortunately, there are currently process control systems that help e-commerce merchants to provide reliable data to their customers. Tracking shipments, minimising errors, and constantly updating product availability are ways to satisfy the customer and keep them coming back to buy again and again.

Marketing campaigns based on your customers preferences

Generic marketing campaigns are a thing of the past. A trend that is slowly taking hold involves personalising the advertising experience for each customer. But how do we know what each e-commerce user needs? With data, data and more data.

CRM software is used to manage customer relationships. Best of all, most ERP (enterprise resource planning) software already includes a CRM system and another system for marketing campaigns. This allows you to cross-reference information about each customer (e.g., their purchase history) and create ads that motivate them to buy.

Omnichannel approach for more effective sales

The omnichannel approach promotes a positive user experience. This strategy is essential for customers to complete their purchase more easily. The data a customer contributes via one channel (e.g. a social network) is recorded for the future.

Thus, when said customer initiates a new interaction from another channel, such as the website, they feel that their preferences are taken into account and that there is a professional team behind the e-commerce system.

Increasing productivity with ERP Integration

ERP integration is another trend you can't afford to miss. Many manual processes have now become automated thanks to tools such as SAP Business One. We're talking about tasks of all kinds (invoicing, customer service, inventory management), which used to take a lot of time and which are now completed on their own.

Advantages of integrating ERP software into an e-commerce merchant

You may have noticed a detail: the latest trend encompasses others mentioned above. Yes, ERP implementation is a comprehensive solution that makes it easier for you to manage processes and adopt the new trends that have arrived and those that are yet to come. In fact, there are four benefits that we would like to highlight:

• Automated billing. Financial processes determine how well a company functions. But they are even more delicate if we are talking about an e-commerce merchant, a type of business where refunds sometimes have to be processed and where the user experience is vital.
• Data analytics. Another advantage of ERP software for an e-commerce merchant is the reporting, as this leads to better decision-making.
• Time saving. Reducing the time taken by certain tasks allows efforts to be devoted to other more important things. This has a positive impact on shipments and productivity in all departments.
• A single database. ERP software manages all company processes in one place. Thus, critical e-commerce data remains available to all users as needed.
  

How to integrate SAP Business One into your e-commerce system with SEIDOR

Considering the analysis above, there is no doubt that enterprise resource planning (ERP) software makes things much easier for you when managing your business online. This allows the different departments of the company to work as one, collaboratively and more productively. As you know, the higher the productivity, the higher the profitability.

Currently, the leading ERP software for e-commerce is SAP Business One. This platform, which has been chosen by thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises, includes a series of modules that are perfectly suited to your e-commerce system. This leads to full integration at all levels and significant benefits. These include reporting based on data analytics, increased efficiency and effectiveness in marketing campaigns.

SEIDOR, a SAP provider specialising in SMEs, helps you to squeeze every last drop of potential out of SAP Business One. Thanks to this powerful tool, tracking e-commerce trends for small and medium-sized enterprises is much easier.