Magento’s Most Recent Platform Update

Magento’s Most Recent Platform Update

Recently, Adobe announced their last Mid-Quarter Release (MQR) for 2020 that include enhancements you need to know. Keep scrolling to check out important Magento Commerce updates and features.

NEW MAGENTO COMMERCE FEATURES AND UPDATES INCLUDED IN THIS MQR:

  • Product Recommendations Expansion: As a way to deliver more Adobe Sensei value to merchants, Magento has added Visual Similarity to their product recommendations portfolio. Visual Similarity finds products that are visually similar to what shoppers are viewing on their screen by using computer vision. This update helps drive wider catalog exposure, especially to items that have high discoverability needs in a large catalog. To further create even better recommendation experiences, make sure to check out Catalog Sync and Inclusion/Exclusion Filters.
  • Magento Business Intelligence Enhancements: Focusing on multiple areas of your business, Adobe’s Business Intelligence released four new dashboards (Business Intelligence v3.0). Executive and Customer Level dashboards provides  an overview and better understanding of your business. Then, the Order and Product Level dashboards dive deeper to give  a more definitive understanding of the health of your business. Lastly, Adobe introduced Heat Maps as a new visualization feature. Heat Maps allows you to see across multiple dimensions at once. For more information about Business Intelligence, you can check out Adobe’s Tips & Tricks video on Business Intelligence and Marketing Analysis or contact one of our team members.
  • Managed Alerts: By monitoring 200 metrics, you can proactively track your performance on the Magneto platform, take steps to resolve site performance issues and avoid downtime. In Adobe’s last launch, you may have noticed that they supported four different categories of alerts — CPU, APDEX, disk and memory. Now in this update, they have added two new categories: Redis memory and Maria DB alerts. If you would like to stay up to date with these categories, sign up for Managed Alerts notifications by logging into your New Relic dashboard.

For more information or help understanding these updates or improving your webstore, please feel free to reach out to our team at InteractOne at any time.

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UPDATED: Top 10 Magento Extensions for 2021

UPDATED: Top 10 Magento Extensions for 2021

With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to take stock of your business and identify any areas that could be improved upon. Of course, there are plenty of apps and extensions for that, but how do you know which ones are the best? 

We’ve identified our top 10 Magento third-party apps and extensions that will make your eCommerce website the strongest it can be. They’ll also make your life as a merchant that much easier. 

Read on for our list and let us know if there are any you’re missing on your website.

10. Urapidflow Product Import/Export

uRapidFlow is one of the most feature-rich and robust product and sales export and import extensions for Magento. It lives up to its name by providing lightning-speed importing and exporting of all of Magento’s product and sales data. With this extension you can import, export or update thousands of records in a matter of minutes. You can also set up multiple profiles and export or import product data and order data to and from different locations using FTP. This extension is the easiest to use when importing Magento product or order information. You can synchronize data between Magento installations and integrate with other applications using CSV, SOAP or XMLRPC interface.

uRapidFlow

9. Xtento

Xtento aims to make life easier for developers, store owners and merchants, and it achieves that as the most stable and powerful order export and shipment tracking import solution available for Magento. This extension allows merchants the flexibility to set up multiple profiles and export your orders to many different places using one extension. These exports can be done in any text-based format (Text/TXT, Tabbed, CSV/Excel, XML, JSON, SQL, ASCII/Fixed-Length Files) and can include any required field. Xtento can be used to connect your store to almost any CRM, ERP, warehouse, dropshipping or shipping system. Merchants are also empowered to set up an unlimited number of export profiles. All of this can be accomplished from within the admin interface of the extension. 

Xtento

8. Advanced Subscription Products

If you’re selling a product or service on subscription then this extension may be a great solution for you. Advanced Subscription Products for Magento 2 by Aheadworks allows you to create subscriptions with multiple products, create separate shopping carts for subscriptions and more. It helps merchants maximize profits and engage returning purchasers by giving them flexibility and control over subscriptions and the ability to update, renew or extend them with ease. It works with various payment methods including Adyen, Cash On Delivery, Authorize.net, Stripe and NMI. The extension can also handle multiple languages and stores, allowing you to localize recurring payments and subscriptions to all possible markets. This is a big win for B2B businesses. 

Advanced Subscription Products

7. SEO Suite Ultimate Extension

This all-in-one SEO extension by Mageworx is the most popular of its kind for a reason. It covers a full range of onpage SEO activities, from optimizing small page elements to building a well thought out site architecture. Its advanced templates allow you to mass-optimize any meta values, descriptions, URL keys, SEO names and so on for any of your products, categories, CMS and category filter pages. Improve your store click-through rates and boost its visibility with advanced rich snippets. The extension also comes complete with a full arsenal of SEO tools, allowing you to tackle such tasks as eliminating duplicate content, adding breadcrumbs and setting redirects. It also includes the Wave Crypto Payments extension, which enables merchants to collect crypto payments via their eCommerce store. 

SEO Suite Ultimate Extension

6. ShipStation

While we’re on the topic of shipping, ShipStation is another favorite of the InteractOne team. ShipStation is excellent for merchants who need a shipping label printing solution that can scale. Its built-in automation engine allows merchants to have a hands-off approach with a low overhead, all while providing branded and customized labels, packing slips and shipping confirmation emails. It provides a geo-tracking page featuring your brand, social media links and messaging, and a custom self-service portal for fast, hassle-free customer returns. ShipStation even tracks your inventory so you’ll never run out of stock, and provides detailed analytics. If you have multiple Magento stores, ShipStation also allows you to manage and organize them all from a single account. It also boasts integrations with ERP systems like Acumatica and Netsuite, and is fully integrated with more than 25 shipping carriers

ShipStation

5. ShipperHQ

This app is a must-have for most Magento merchants—we touched on this in our blog about Magento’s Top Shipping Rate Quote Solutions. ShipperHQ gives you control over the shipping rates and methods you show customers at checkout, while also providing you with a wealth of options such as multi-origin shipping, in-store pickup, live LTL rates and backup carriers. Set up shipping rules based on what you sell, where a customer is located and more, and automate how boxes are selected for each order for more accurate shipping rates with dimensional packing. ShipperHQ also allows for customization in their Magento extension, allowing you to make adjustments within the Magento checkout code and cover every feature you may require for powering shipping quotes.

4. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a platform that provides complex customer insights in uncomplicated ways to help you build strong relationships and deliver highly effective marketing. Its power lies in its segmentation and targeting. Its web-tracking system is top notch as it uses specific browsing behavior to segment visitors so they receive specific ad campaigns and emails based on their on-site activity. Klaviyo will help you identify the visitors to your site, who looked but didn’t buy, who is a frequent visitor, who hasn’t visited recently, who left their cart full without purchasing, and so on. With these next-level insights and fine-tuned personalization, you can implement a campaign designed around your visitors’ site-specific actions, helping to dramatically increase your ROI.

3. TaxJar

It’s always tax season for businesses, and our number-one choice to help you with your eCommerce taxes is TaxJar. Currently being utilized by more than 20,000 businesses worldwide, TaxJar is a favorite of large and small businesses alike. The app features Magento’s SmartCalcs API, which determines if, when and how much sales tax needs to be applied and collected on any purchase, foreign or domestic. It allows users to program individual products for different tax rates for different states. But the automation doesn’t stop there. TaxJar utilizes AI-driven tax categorization, a flexible API, certified integrations, and automated filing. This means it accumulates your annual taxes over the course of the year and can file your taxes directly with your home state.

2. Yotpo

Social proof is increasingly important when it comes to increasing sales in eCommerce. Yotpo curates and places that social proof right on your product pages, meaning that visitors don’t have to leave your site to go looking for it. This extension offers the most advanced solutions for customer reviews, visual marketing, loyalty, referrals and SMS marketing. Yotpo integrates with Magento to collect high-quality content that shoppers crave—including photos, videos and reviews—and dynamically display it on your website using AI. It also helps you craft on-brand customer loyalty programs and leverage intelligent UX to gain low-cost acquisition via referral programs. With Yotpo you can create high-converting mobile experiences by targeting shoppers with personalized messages, and acquire high-intent traffic by displaying user-generated content in social, paid and organic search results.

1. Klevu

We sang Klevu’s praises in a previous blog and we’re going to do it again! This AI-powered  on-site smart search remains our favorite. It’s low-maintenance, easy to implement and will provide you with unique insights over time as its machine learning develops a greater understanding of the topics your visitors are engaging with on-site. We particularly like the Autocomplete feature, which will make suggestions to your site’s visitors while they are typing in their search. It also adds contextually relevant synonyms to your catalog in metadata format, and offers advanced merchandising and actionable search insights. It’s loved by over 3,000 retailers worldwide. Overall, Klevu is a great resource for merchants and adds to the overall shopping experience for your customers.

To learn more about any of these extensions  and how to make the absolute most of your eCommerce site in 2020, contact us today.

Holiday eCommerce Trends We’re Noticing Right Now

Holiday eCommerce Trends We’re Noticing Right Now

After this most unusual year, innovation is the order of the day. We’re seeing a lot of creative responses to challenges old and new, and more modern technology being employed by brands of all sizes and industries. 

There’s a lot to keep on top of, so we’ve rounded up five top trends we’re noticing in eCommerce. Begin working with them now and you’ll keep your web store growing well into the New Year.

  

Free Shipping Is More Attractive Than Fast Shipping

Big websites such as Amazon have trained shoppers to expect shipping that is both fast and free, but that’s not a viable option for all brands and retailers. When there must be a choice made between the two, it appears that free shipping is far more attractive to shoppers than fast shipping.

According to a survey, eight out of 10 consumers would rather get free shipping than get their items faster. In fact, 73% said they would go to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase an item to avoid paying shipping fees. Buy online, pick up in-store (or BOPIS) is an increasingly popular option as in-store shopping that has been curtailed by COVID-19. Where possible, your store should aim to offer multiple options for shipping, with the knowledge that many shoppers are intent on avoiding fees.

Local Delivery Is a Growing Alternative to Avoiding Delays With Big Carriers

While many shoppers are more concerned with price than with speed, as the holidays approach, speed of delivery also becomes more of an issue for both retailers and shoppers. With the huge increase in online shopping this year, shipping is set to be even more strained this holiday season.

Savvy brands and retailers are already attempting to circumnavigate the expected delays with big carriers by forming partnerships with alternative delivery services. Some are quite unorthodox, like the beauty brands who are joining forces with Postmates, an app typically known for its restaurant delivery, which is launching a new shopping feature.

Other eCommerce websites are establishing their own local delivery services that are distinct from traditional carriers. This enables them to connect with their local audience and have more control over how they’re being delivered to. A number of businesses such as Rapidus have popped up to offer fast local delivery that aims to be both faster and more affordable than courier services. With so many shipping solutions now available, web stores are wise to consider their options.

Social Media Is Increasingly Splitting Audiences

Young and old shoppers are increasingly gravitating toward different social media platforms. 18 to 24-year-olds make up only 15% of Facebook’s users in the US, according to a survey conducted by Statista in August 2020. Meanwhile, 18 to 24-year-olds comprise 23% of Instagram’s users in the US. Instagram’s audience also skews more female than Facebook’s, overall. It’s clear that Facebook is waning with Gen Z, who are gravitating increasingly to TikTok and Instagram.

The social media channel that works for your brand will depend on the type of audience you have, or the type of audience you are hoping to attract to your web store. It also depends on the kind of content you want to share, as what works on one platform doesn’t necessarily work on another. Make sure you’re focusing on the right social media channel for your target market. If you haven’t already, define your goals and your audience, as their habits, needs and wants will affect what works for you.

Interactive Content Is a Powerful Engagement Tool

Video content is still big with both users and brands, who want to show off their products via instructional demos (often from influencers), speak directly to their audience, and get valuable user-generated content. But as users spend more time online, they want to not just be entertained, but engaged. One way to do that is with interactive content.

Quizzes and polls are a popular solution for engaging users who crave more interactive experiences with brands. Fashion brands can get their followers to choose their favorite outfit, product, pattern or color of an item with a poll or quiz on social media. These efforts could involve gamification, where rewards are given for feedback, or form part of the product development process, where users vote on a color and the most popular option gets manufactured and sold.

As in-store retail continues to be restricted, brands are increasingly embracing other forms of interactive content such as virtual reality or 360 videos of their showrooms or runway shows. This offers a more exciting, engaging alternative to a regular live stream, video or image slideshow.

Voice Search Is on the Rise

Gen Z may not like to talk on the phone, but they will happily talk to a voice-activated ordering system to order a pizza. According to Statista, 26.1% of consumers made a purchase on a smart speaker in 2019. And they’re not just buying food or everyday household items this way. Shopify reports that apparel is also bought via voice nearly as often, which suggests that consumers may start doing more voice shopping in the future. After all, 35% of all US households are now equipped with at least one smart speaker.

Get ahead of the crowd by using conversational keywords that people are likely to speak rather than type. Ideally you’ll increase your rankings in Google’s featured snippets, which are the short answers that appear first when a user searches Google with a question. This is what tends to be delivered when voice search is used. Voice search is predicted to keep growing, so with good voice search engine optimization, you’ll be sure to attract more traffic to your web store.

Conclusion

After the year we’ve had, CEOs and CFOs are going to demand more data-driven marketing than ever before. Stay up to date and incorporate these trends into your day-to-day operations and you’ll stay ahead of the curve. As always, we’re here to help. Reach out to our team to implement new solutions to power your web store into the New Year.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

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November Orange Report

November Orange Report

November 2020 ORANGE REPORT

For this month’s Orange Report, we’re sharing a few of our best and most recent blogs that speak on all things Magento, eCommerce, and Digital Marketing. Like always, we encourage everyone using Magento to make the most of its functionalities by incorporating the very best Magento extensions and news.

SIGN UP FOR THE ORANGE REPORT

Everything you need to know about eCommerce, digital marketing, and Magento.

Putco’s New Webstore, Brought to You by InteractOne

Watch how InteractOne ported their Volusion site to Magento 2, gave it a fully responsive custom design and a Year/Make/Model Search feature that truly sets the site apart. 

Is Your eCommerce Store Holiday-Ready?

Capitalize on this moment by making sure your eCommerce store is up to standard. Here’s a checklist of tips for how eCommerce websites can prepare for and make the most of the holidays.

The Uncertain Future of Progressive Web Apps

We’ve been singing the praises of Progressive Web Apps, but thanks to one decision by Apple they have an uncertain future…
top-magento-extensions-of-2020-interactone-shipperhq

The 2020 Holiday Q4Cast

ShipperHQ surveyed 1,500+ consumers about their online buying behavior, expectations and sentiments for the upcoming holiday shopping season. Armed with these stats and retailer tips, you can pivot and plan ahead accordingly.
Auto Aftermarket Merchants: Extend Your Holiday Success Throughout 2021

Auto Aftermarket Merchants: Extend Your Holiday Success Throughout 2021

By now you should be making the most of this unusual holiday season with some great promotions and marketing plans. But there’s more to get on top of than simply maintaining stock levels of popular products and ensuring tracking info is working correctly in automated emails. Proactivity over many areas is key to ensuring that any potential pitfalls are taken care of, so that you can focus on sales and engagement rather than returns and technical issues. With that in mind, here are seven tips for auto aftermarket web stores to ensure that this busy shopping period continues well into the New Year. 

Ensure Parts Are Tagged Correctly

One study found that 84% of auto parts eCommerce website visitors were ready to make a purchase but weren’t sure if the part they were looking at fit their vehicle. This kind of confusion can lead to browse abandonment, increased customer service queries and product returns if the wrong part is purchased.

You can avoid all of these issues and save your time-poor holiday shoppers the effort by including accurate parts data and having auto parts fitment search enabled on your web store. When a user’s search begins with entering their vehicle’s information—such as year, make and model—this data can then be saved for their future visits to your store. This means that their searches are personalized to their preferences, and they only see results that suit their specific vehicle.

Use Data Automation & Solid SEO

When you have thousands of individual parts that you’re selling, it’s wise to use a data automation service or plug-in. This automatically adds new products, changes product information as needed and synchronizes supplier inventory. It means that all of your product listings are kept up to date uniformly and seamlessly, without the need for you to make manual updates.

You can also ensure that any personalized naming systems you use to individualize your store, target certain audiences or improve your SEO remain consistent. Follow our SEO checklist for what to fix to drive sales through better search rankings and more traffic. One example of a data automation service is Data Here-To-There, but there are also other data automation processes and software available, depending on your store size and budget.

Utilize Your Existing Feedback

Comb through all of your communication channels—emails, voicemails, direct messages on social media, text messages, etc—and look for what questions your customers ask most often. Also look at reviews on websites, and any notes you’ve taken from customer phone calls. Analyze what your past customers have said and what they are currently saying to get to the root of their issues.

Is their problem lack of clarity (they couldn’t understand) or lack of visibility (they couldn’t find the information they were looking for)? Can you identify a theme or pattern behind their questions, complaints and feedback? What could you make clearer for them? Where could you add further information so that customers could help themselves more without needing to reach out to you?

Have a System for Handling Queries

Delegate tasks and have a clear process for keeping customer queries on your social media pages organized and answered in a timely fashion. This goes for both private messages and public comments on your posts. Assign the responsibilities of notifications and replies to a single person, in order to eliminate any confusion. That person needs to make sure that digital notifications are reaching them, either via text or email. As more and more people shop online and the bar continues to be raised, great customer service can set your store apart and be the reason you make a sale over your competitor.

Update Your Messaging & Be Upfront About Issues

New times call for new communications. Shoppers are savvy and can tell when your communications and pre-written customer service responses are out of date. This is an unusual time and shipping is likely to be even more delayed than usual these holidays. Preempt customer frustration by clearly and widely communicating this information via email marketing, your website (product page, checkout page, homepage), SMS marketing and social media. Be clear and concise and link to your FAQ and/or Q&A pages. When sending emails offering assistance, make it clear when a human will be involved to help.

Offer Multiple Payment Installment Options

After the tumultuous year that 2020 has been, it’s likely that more shoppers will be turning to payment installment options during their holiday shopping and beyond. Ensure that your web store is equipped with popular options such as Afterpay, Klarna, Affirm and Quadpay. Also enable popular alternative payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay—if you haven’t already, now is the time to get it set up. The more digital payment options you can offer, the more likely you are to make that sale.

Employ Automated Chat Tools

This year, many web stores are facing the combined challenges of increased traffic and decreased staff to manage customer service. Automated tools like chatbots can be useful for starting the conversation with your visitors and answering basic queries, allowing your human team to focus on more complex issues. Just be sure to write your chatbot responses in a way that’s human enough (like how you would speak to them in-store), but not so human that the customer thinks they’re talking to an actual human! Like with your emails, be clear about when they will be talking to one of your staff members, if necessary. For more on this, read our detailed guide to the best live chat practices for your eCommerce site.

Conclusion

It’s an unusual holiday season and if we’ve learned anything from this year it’s to expect the unexpected. InteractOne can help you navigate these common challenges and tailor solutions to your business. Contact us today and we’ll help you stay on top of any potential issues now and into the New Year.

Get in Touch

Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your eCommerce needs!

Contact Us