E-Commerce
E-commerce, a growing extension of marketing automation and sales automation, drives sales by closing the deal through automated payments via e-commerce platforms. Here, find the latest news and strategies for deploying e-commerce business.
Top Stories
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News
25 Sep 2023
Shopify adds Audiences integrations for more segmentation
The e-commerce vendor builds on its customer segmentation capabilities by adding platform integrations with Snapchat, Criteo and TikTok for creating lists of target contacts. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Sep 2023
Social media marketing strategies: Cut cliches, add opinions
Effective online engagement with customers starts with conversations that use feelings and opinions, rather than cliches and facts, to build lasting relationships. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Jul 2023
11 social commerce statistics for 2023
As consumers spend an increasing amount of time on social media, it's important for brands to meet them where they are and integrate social commerce into marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jun 2023
8 SMS marketing software to know in 2023
SMS marketing is the best way to reach customers where they are. These platforms can help organizations send automated replies, add personalization and integrate with other tools. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2023
LinkedIn unveils generative AI-based tools for B2B marketers
The professional network's new products let marketers create ad copy, message other company Pages, and post different types of ads to attract buyers throughout the buying process. Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2023
SAP's new CX tools for retailers include generative AI assistant
The vendor's new tools include Digital Assistant for better personalization, accelerators to use customer data to improve CX, and a platform to sell excess products on the market. Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2023
Google adds Adobe's image generator, Firefly, to Bard
The AI-backed chatbot will have artmaking abilities with Firefly, an image generator that was trained on hundreds of stock images to avoid copyright infringement. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2023
Top 10 SMS marketing best practices
Customers may be willing to opt into receiving texts from a brand, but marketers should follow various best practices to ensure they don't overload or overstep with customers. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2023
Coveo brings AI to SAP Commerce Cloud search
The Coveo Search and Recommendations platform can now be integrated into SAP Commerce Cloud, echoing a trend in e-commerce and bolstering the enterprise vendor's embrace of AI. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2023
Microsoft releases Teams Payments app for small businesses
The tech giant brings transaction capabilities to its Teams platform, expanding digital commerce options for small businesses that offer online services through Teams. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Salesforce integrates Einstein GPT and Data Cloud into Flow
The CRM giant updated Flow, its automation toolkit, with generative AI and Data Cloud capabilities to trigger automatic responses using natural language prompts and real-time data. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Apr 2023
FTX scam explained: Everything you need to know
Cryptocurrency values rose in 2021 but started to decline in 2022, causing some exchange platforms to fold. FTX appeared to stay strong -- until news broke of an elaborate scam. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Canva steps up design game with new AI-powered design tools
The platform provides accessible tools for small businesses that need design help. Canva is also escalating its technology to compete against bigger design platforms such as Adobe. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Adobe Firefly brings generative AI image marketing tool
The CX giant's Firefly is an image creator trained on millions of visuals from Adobe stock content to understand written commands and make images for better marketing. Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2023
CX personalization drives strategy for customer data mining
Users are more likely to engage with custom-made, exclusive digital experiences, which ease the flow of zero- and first-party data back to the vendor for improved CX strategies. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2023
Microsoft's new Dynamics 365 Copilot uses generative AI
Copilot accelerates routine tasks for marketing and sales teams like creating email responses and collecting customer insight data, intensifying the AI race in CRM software. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Feb 2023
Cryptocurrency and taxes explained: What you need to know
Cryptocurrency is not treated the same as other currency when it comes to taxes. Since the government classifies cryptocurrency as an asset, there are some important guidelines. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
Salesforce upheaval likely as Elliott Management moves in
As the CRM and CX giant's financial fortunes have sagged in recent years, activist investor funds have targeted the vendor for cuts that could slow technology R&D and investment. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Microsoft and Salesforce step up smart store retail tech
The tech giants are quickly evolving their technologies aimed at the brick and mortar commerce market, with new software for smart store analytics, CX and retail associates. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2023
How is cryptocurrency valued?
Because cryptocurrency is not regulated, several factors affect its value, including demand, utility, competition and mining. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Jan 2023
6 e-commerce email marketing strategies to heed
Building a database, nurturing existing customers and using an email service provider are some e-commerce email marketing strategies to help businesses increase revenue. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2023
Top 10 PIM software products in 2023
PIM systems can come as standalone products, but many fit within larger digital experience platforms. Top PIM products include Acquia PIM, Precisely EnterWorks and Sales Layer. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Telus completes WillowTree acquisition in $1.2B CX deal
Telus acquired the developer of customer experience products, including mobile apps and unified web interfaces, and strengthened its position in the custom CX and UI market. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jan 2023
Salesforce 2023 layoff plans follow recent executive exodus
Changes continue to shake up Salesforce, with a 10% workforce reduction and office space closures this year following recent departures of top executives. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Dec 2022
Top 8 e-commerce marketing platforms to consider
An e-commerce marketing strategy is no longer optional. Organizations need a marketing platform that meets their e-commerce teams' needs, can customize websites and is affordable. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Dec 2022
3 benefits of product information management systems
PIM systems help retailers manage product information across channels. Key PIM system benefits include improved employee experience and reduced data entry errors. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Dec 2022
10 e-commerce marketing strategies for your business
Marketers have myriad tools in their belts -- from SEO to influencers to technology and tools. These strategies can improve anyone's e-commerce marketing plan. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Dec 2022
How to choose the right PIM system for your business
PIM systems ensure sales channels display accurate product information. To find the right system, e-commerce leaders must first identify business goals and required features. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Dec 2022
PIM vs. DAM: What's the difference?
PIM and DAM systems help retailers manage information, but they focus on different information types. PIM systems aggregate product details, whereas DAM systems store multimedia. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Nov 2022
5 Black Friday statistics for 2022
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are some of the biggest online shopping events of the year. Industry studies show this holiday season will see a smaller sales increase than in 2021. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
07 Nov 2022
Top e-commerce challenges for 2023 and how to overcome them
2023 will bring many e-commerce challenges that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, like international trade and rising customer expectations. Here's how to overcome them. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Oct 2022
B2B vs. B2C e-commerce: What's the difference?
B2B e-commerce websites offer many ways to reach agents, whereas B2C sites prioritize self-service. E-commerce leaders must build their websites to meet their customers' needs. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Oct 2022
Why is social media important for e-commerce?
To increase transparency, organizations can integrate social media with their e-commerce platform and enable users to post reviews and rate their products. Continue Reading
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Answer
13 Oct 2022
How does e-commerce search work?
Effective e-commerce search relies on detailed product descriptions and metadata. Also, features like autofill and search filters can help organizations offer accurate results. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Sep 2022
6 product information management best practices
PIM systems maintain accurate product data across channels. For a successful implementation, business leaders should identify their needs and compare software products. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Sep 2022
How to create an e-commerce content strategy to improve sales
A content strategy that includes headless CMS, useful product information and visuals can draw the customer's focus to your product and improve your sales. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Aug 2022
Challenges of integrating e-commerce and content management
E-commerce and CMS systems have different purposes, so integration can bring challenges. Organizations must plan for implementation and bridge sales and marketing activities. Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2022
Cloud e-commerce revives product information management tech
E-commerce managers have dusted off a tech oldie: the PIM system, 1990s tech that predates the internet's mass adoption. The new tools, of course, are way cooler. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Aug 2022
Top 10 e-commerce software companies
E-commerce platforms can help organizations design and operate engaging online shops. Companies like SAP have offerings for large enterprises, whereas GoDaddy and Wix target SMBs. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Aug 2022
Key steps for an e-commerce planning process
E-commerce can help organizations grow their business online, but the venture brings the most success if planned properly. These steps can start organizations on the right path. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2022
Salesforce adds headless commerce capabilities
Salesforce enables 'composable commerce' -- headless e-commerce, where users bring their own interface designs -- for large brick-and-mortar retailers and online-only sellers. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2022
SAP green CX tech aids sustainable retail, B2B sales
SAP users can tackle sustainable e-commerce -- and be accountable to customers wary of 'greenwashing' -- with a bundle of Qualtrics, CDP, e-commerce and other tech tools. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2022
Salesforce users get more low-code automation, including RPA
Salesforce integrates MuleSoft RPA and Composer with Salesforce Flow, which avails low-code process automation and bot creation to line-of-business users. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Jun 2022
How do you know when you've outgrown your e-commerce platform?
When an e-commerce system's native content management capabilities no longer meet business needs, companies should consider integrating it with a content management system. Continue Reading
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Answer
08 Jun 2022
What IT skills are required for e-commerce?
While e-commerce involves a lot of marketing and sales, it also requires IT expertise to keep platforms running. Explore seven technical skills needed for e-commerce platforms. Continue Reading
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News
08 Jun 2022
Salesforce moves forward with controversial NFT Cloud pilot
Salesforce integrates with TikTok and adds marketing and e-commerce features to its platform -- including NFT Cloud, which sparked controversy earlier this year. Continue Reading
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News
06 May 2022
Square exec discusses metaverse, electronic payment trends
Millions of physical and online merchants use Square's payment processing services. We discuss retail tech trends with Roshan Jhunja, Square head of retail. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2022
Metaverse shopping 101, from Forever 21's Roblox store creator
The founder of the agency behind Forever 21's Shop City explains what it is -- and what it isn't -- and what retailing in the metaverse will eventually look like. Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2022
AI virtual assistant grooms skier experience at Snowbird
Using an AI-powered chatbot designed with the friendly likenesses of avalanche dogs, the famed Utah ski resort is able to quickly respond to customers' questions. Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2022
Retailer: Informed humans still the hottest e-commerce trend
Sweetwater, the largest online audio gear and musical instrument retailer, uses AI to augment -- not replace -- its agents. Mike Clem, chief growth officer, explains why. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2022
New Google Cloud retail tool targets search abandonment
The new tool is aimed at providing better results for online shoppers. It understands user intent and context, provides results for broad inquiries, and includes semantic search. Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2022
It's coming: The wild world of metaverse shopping
Gap and PacSun lead the way in NFT experiments, as retailers and analysts ponder the revenue potential of selling virtual products in the metaverse. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2022
Instacart, McDonald's, Target share digital marketing strategies
Customer experience leaders discuss strategies to accommodate customers who want contactless shopping, those who want in-person sales, and everything in between. Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
Technology drives holiday shopping for retail, e-commerce
Black Friday e-commerce sales maintained 2020 gains. Retail traffic is up but hasn't rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Technology, supply chain, COVID-19 variants all factors. Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2021
Real Madrid teams up with Adobe to enhance global fan experience
Real Madrid is using Adobe’s Experience Cloud software to better connect with its fans in Spain and worldwide Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2021
Acquia adds CDP, digital experience platform features
Analyst: Latest features added to Acquia's marketing, commerce and customer data platform offerings show the company is serious about adding enterprise users. Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2021
Shopify opens e-commerce platform to enterprise ERP vendors
Shopify's new Global ERP Program takes steps to attract larger enterprises, but the transition won't be easy, as large ERP systems are far more complex than those of Shopify's SMB base. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2021
Infosys releases headless commerce services bundle
Infosys breaks down Skava, an e-commerce startup it acquired in 2015, into e-commerce, marketing and merchandising microservices, and renames it Equinox. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2021
Adobe, Salesforce expand health clouds
Adobe releases Experience Manager for Healthcare and plugs its CDP into marketing and clinical data; Salesforce releases healthcare features. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jul 2021
Brands opt for headless e-commerce vs. traditional commerce
For large enterprises, headless commerce breaks down websites into user-friendly modules marketers can update. SMBs can also use it, paired with WordPress and other simple tools. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jun 2021
E-commerce giant Shopify upgrades Liquid, dev tools
Buoyed by the pandemic e-commerce boom, Shopify rolls out upgrades for no-code, low-code and pro-code offerings for its web platform -- and rewrites APIs to make stores faster. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jun 2021
SAP Spartacus, headless and Commerce Cloud take center stage
In the wake of the pandemic, SAP users focus on e-commerce, and SAP puts new emphasis on headless configurations as well as its Upscale Commerce package. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2021
Salesforce plugs CDP, WhatsApp into marketing, e-commerce
Salesforce connects its CDP to its platform's customer loyalty tech; Marketing Cloud integrates WhatsApp, SnapChat ads and Datorama advanced analytics reports. Continue Reading
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News
02 Jun 2021
SAP Upscale Commerce gets reboot
SAP relaunches its Upscale Commerce, first released three years ago to little fanfare, to a broader midmarket base to compete with Shopify's top-end offerings. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2021
Amazon hit with antitrust lawsuit
Amazon is facing an antitrust lawsuit for fixing retail product prices. Experts said the argument likely won't hold up and Amazon will fight it 'tooth and nail.' Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Apr 2021
How post-pandemic B2B e-commerce tech stacks will look
What will B2B e-commerce look like in the post-pandemic world? Experts and tech leaders share how COVID-19 fueled big changes and what's next. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
03 Mar 2021
Break down platforms via a service decomposition strategy
There's more than one way to break down a platform into microservices. This excerpt from 'Developing Microservice APIs with Python' explains one: decomposition by subdomains. Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2021
Amazon bolsters e-commerce for small business with Selz buy
Australian e-commerce platform Selz may have caught Amazon's attention because it employs Liquid, Shopify's template language, which will simplify migrations. Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2021
Adobe releases headless commerce developer tools
At its developer conference, Adobe debuts Experience Manager features to enable faster headless e-commerce deployments and GraphQL functionality for content personalization. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2021
Google launches a suite of retail AI products
Google released AI products for online retailers as the tech giant increases its focus on industry verticals. The new products are designed for small and large retailers. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2021
Capitol riots spark e-commerce terms of service enforcement
Shopify, Salesforce and Google take action in wake of Capitol riots, as adware and customer experience platforms play an uncomfortable role in political events and discourse. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jan 2021
SAP Commerce Cloud dresses up digital storefronts
SAP Commerce Cloud is designed to help companies launch digital commerce sites, which may be useful for large enterprises and digital commerce sites with complex processes. Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2020
Efforts to break up big tech expected to continue under Biden
Antitrust forces expect the Biden administration to pursue federal antitrust litigation and lawmaking. But Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have strong ties to big tech. Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2020
Holiday e-commerce set to surge
Adobe looks at e-commerce trends to predict holiday buying, while Salesforce surveys thousands of B2B buyers and consumers about what motivates their buying choices. Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2020
Government action on big tech monopoly power moving quickly
Government antitrust actions are building against tech giants Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. They could lead to tighter regulation or even a breakup. Continue Reading
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News
08 Sep 2020
Salesforce e-commerce capabilities to expand with Mobify
Salesforce beefs up its headless e-commerce platform capabilities for enterprise retail customers with the acquisition of Mobify, a Canadian headless commerce hosting vendor. Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2020
E-commerce business growth slows, but still a boom period
As the world partially reopens businesses shuttered due to the pandemic, new e-commerce tech investments may make gains from earlier this year permanent. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2020
Salesforce beefs up e-commerce order management features
Salesforce adds B2C-friendly order-management features to support internationalization of e-commerce, as well as pre-built integrations to channels such as Google and Instagram. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jun 2020
As stores reopen, e-commerce is king in luxury retail
Brick-and-mortar stores are reopening, but that doesn't mean retailers should lessen focus on online experiences. Olivela, a luxury retail company, strategizes for beyond COVID-19. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jun 2020
NLP, chatbot development reignite conversational commerce AI
The world of e-commerce has been focused on the adoption of conversational commerce for years to boost online sales. COVID-19 might just be the catalyst for widespread use. Continue Reading
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News
17 Jun 2020
Magento e-commerce content tools get Adobe AI boost
Adobe connects its Product Recommendations engine to Magento Page Builder to give users a no-code AI tool that offers different products to different customer segments. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jun 2020
Pandemic e-commerce trends point to massive growth
The pandemic caused consumers and businesses to form new online buying habits; now e-commerce is booming. That trend will hold for a year, or maybe forever, experts said. Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2020
Facebook Shops, Salesforce deliver quick e-commerce tools
During pandemic stay-at-home orders, Salesforce, Facebook and Instagram capitalize on the digital sales boom that resembles a three-month holiday surge that hasn't let up. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 May 2020
6 key benefits of headless commerce
Traditional e-commerce changed how businesses could sell products, but with headless commerce, organizations can better personalize the customer experience. Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Salesforce Lightning App Builder adds low-code forms features
Salesforce Lighting App Builder will include oft-requested low-code features for building complex forms that previously required developer coding to create and update. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 May 2020
How IT leaders in retail can tap into blockchain's potential
By creating a solid data foundation based on standards, data quality checks and collaboration, blockchain for retail use cases could eventually usher in the user experience that customers want. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 May 2020
Email, social media marketing strategies adjust amid COVID-19
Businesses lean on email, social media marketing and softer brand messaging to keep customers engaged while the coronavirus keeps the world quarantined at home. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2020
3 tips for adding e-commerce to an existing website
While many businesses realize the necessity for e-commerce functions on their websites, they should be sure to focus on the customer journey and maintaining consistent experiences. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Mar 2020
Top 3 ways to increase engagement in e-commerce
Engagement is a key component of relationships between customers and businesses, and it is essential for fostering an exceptional customer experience. Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Ex-SAP exec steers Episerver CMS toward digital experience market
Alex Atzberger discusses leaving the helm of SAP's CX platform to become Episerver CEO. Now, Episerver looks to reinvent itself as a digital experience platform provider. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle launch retail customer experience tools
Retailers get new tools from leading customer experience platform vendors to better compete with online-only rivals. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2020
Elastic Path acquires Moltin for headless commerce, microservices
Elastic Path's headless approach to e-commerce takes a step in the SaaS direction as it acquires Moltin, which specializes in microservices to enable online sales. Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
How Amazon customer experience became e-commerce standard
Amazon made personalization, one-click shopping, quick shipping and easy returns de facto standards for all B2C and now, B2B businesses. Read about how the company did it, and what's next. Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Episerver expands B2B e-commerce footprint with Insite acquisition
Episerver's latest purchase expands its DX platform. It follows a trend of web CMS companies moving into territory dominated by Oracle, Salesforce, Adobe, Microsoft and SAP. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Dec 2019
Amazon stores struggle to move from the cloud to solid ground
Looking for new kingdoms to conquer, Amazon is aggressively moving into physical retail locations. This time the e-commerce giant may face tougher competition. Continue Reading
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News
23 Oct 2019
Rent the Runway CEO discusses IT challenges, CX strategy
Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman shares the company's CX strategy, describes its customer data collection and use, and addresses recent IT upgrade challenges. Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2019
Adobe updates Magento Commerce, adds Amazon and Azure hooks
Adobe continues to support Magento Open Source but adds Azure support and AI tools only to the commercial version of the vendor's e-commerce platform. Continue Reading
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News
10 Oct 2019
Salesforce Lightning Order Management boosts e-commerce
Salesforce extends Customer 360 capabilities with a bundle of APIs to help users manage and track e-commerce orders and provide more detail to the customer as orders are picked, packed and shipped. Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2019
SAP Product Content Hub underpins CX initiatives in C/4HANA
SAP SaaS tool integrates AI, APIs for pushing updated product content to e-commerce sites. It also gives sales, marketing and service teams using C/4HANA access to the content. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Aug 2019
7 ways to improve your retail sales
Retailers, especially traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, need to throw caution to the wind and follow these seven tips to spur sales and provide remarkable retail. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jun 2019
Target glitch pits e-commerce vs. POS customer experience
Big-box retailer Target's checkout outage showed how e-commerce systems can fill in when POS systems fail. They're not quite ready to supplant POS -- but they're getting there. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jun 2019
Adobe debuts Qualtrics plugin, Magento-Amazon D2C features
Adobe moves forward with an SAP Qualtrics plugin to measure voice of the customer on Experience Platform and strengthens Magento customers' Amazon presence with new features. Continue Reading