The Importance of Third-Party Integrations for Ecommerce Websites

When setting up an online store or marketplace, you must consider the complete business process system. You must determine which services your resource will use and examine third-party integration alternatives throughout the development stage.

Please see below a list of integrations to add to a B2B marketplace website or any other ecommerce resource.

Payment Integrations

An ecommerce site’s purpose is to be your primary source of income. It implies that the customer must be able to pay in a timely and secure manner. As a result, the website should provide a secure payment mechanism. To connect it, you’ll need to use third-party software. When planning a payment system, keep the following aspects in mind:

• Security of the service – Security becomes a major issue when dealing with money
• Amount of commission – It makes no sense to pay more than is required
• The ease with which the payment procedure may be completed – Don’t require the customer to make more clicks.
• The simplicity with which the system can be connected – It’s preferable if the process of integrating software and systems to set up a payment gateway is as straightforward as feasible

The payment gateway should provide the following features:

• A flexible commission structure
• The capacity to make and receive payments with confidence
• User help is available around the clock
• User interface/user experience (UI/UX) that is intuitive and simple to use
• The capacity to accept all common payment methods.

Scheme for using a payment gateway:

1. The consumer receives an invoice to pay after making an order in the web store.
2. The customer is referred to this system when the order information is passed to the specified payment service. The buyer can choose how he wants to pay here:

• • Using electronic money
  • Bank cards
  • And other payment methods

And, of course, he must fill out all the required fields.

3. The data should then be double-checked. The transaction is being carried out if everything appears to be in order. This is where the security element comes into play
4. In the event of a successful or unsuccessful transaction, the payment system directs the customer to the online store’s website and tells its server of the transaction’s outcome.

See below different 3^rd party payment integration services:

1. PayPal
2. Card Connect
3. Authorize.Net
4. Stripe
5. PayflowPro

Shipping Integrations

When discussing third-party connectivity possibilities, the shipping gateway should not be overlooked. Delivery is, without a doubt, one of the most important variables affecting customers’ decisions.

There are a lot of issues to consider, such as whether the delivery service will be free or not. When will the shipment be delivered, how it will be delivered, and so on. Everything appears to be pretty straightforward from the buyer’s perspective: a customer selects a shipping provider, makes a few clicks, and waits for order intake information.

However, if you want to put the outlined system into effect, you’ll need to work with carriers and incorporate third-party applications.

The shipping gateway must include the following features:

• The procedure of placing an order and creating an invoice is simple.
• A simple method for handling orders
• The ability to keep track of the package
• A reliable grading system
• Timeliness and speed of delivery

See below are popular 3^rd party shipping integration services:

1. FedEx
2. UPS

Live Chat Integrations

We appear to have covered virtually all the most common ecommerce settings, although the list is far from exhaustive. Live chat is another useful technique for increasing the productivity of an online business.

The reality is that people want to get the information they need fast and easily. And using an online chat to deliver such information directly is a terrific approach to do it. As a result, the consumer is more likely to take on additional activities, such as buying a service, purchasing a product, and so on.

A live chat must include the following features:

• Viewing is simple on any device.
• Work in tandem with your retail management system’s CRM and other components.
• Order a callback – if the operator is currently unavailable
• Easy-to-use user interface (UI)
• The capacity to send a file to someone else.

See below are popular 3^rd party live chat integration services:

1. LiveChat
2. Zendesk
3. HubSpot
4. ChatBot

E-mail Marketing Integrations

One of the most important ecommerce connections is email marketing. You can make more tailored offers by sending emails, which means you have a better chance of getting a consumer to buy your goods.

By the way, you may segment your subscriber lists using specific ecommerce tools so that each one receives just letters about themes that he is interested in. The e-mail marketing service must provide:

• Mailings that are personalized
• The capacity to send transactional emails
• Email communication through many channels
• Automation of Bulk Mailing Lists
• Automatically generated product suggestions for consumers
• Templates for Letters

See below are popular third-party e-mail marketing integration services:

1. Campaign Monitor
2. Constant Contact
3. Mail Chimp
4. SendinBlue

Analytics Integration

We indicated earlier in the text that certain third-party connectivity solutions (such as a marketing system or even a live chat) include analytical capabilities. This time, though, we’re discussing a strong analytic tool that allows online platform owners to monitor user behavior and, depending on the information gathered, make modifications to their products to enhance revenue. The analytics system must contain the following features:

• Building graphical statistics
• User behavior analysis
• Tracking traffic channel performance
• Product audience survey
• Smart Link to track activity
• Data storage and access without limitation

See below are popular third-party analytics integration services:

1. Google Analytics

The Key Takeaways with Third-Party Integrations

You have two alternatives for integrating third-party application programming interfaces (APIs), do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. The second option is highly recommended. This would produce greater outcomes, but it would come at a higher expense. However, since we’re talking about ecommerce, profits will almost likely follow, and the project will be completed. For more information or questions, contact our commerce experts today