Ecommerce has become a way of life, offering limitless possibilities for businesses globally. However, without the right resources, you may not be tapping into the full potential of your online business.
In this article, we’ll break down some of the best ecommerce tools to enable you to outperform your competitors and make informed decisions regarding your marketing budget.
The tools are broken down into the following categories:
- Product Research and Sourcing
- Ecommerce Store Optimization
- Social Media Content and Brand Management
- Ecommerce Advertising
- Competitor Analysis
Let’s jump right in.
Selecting merchandise that appeals to your audience is one of the primary hurdles of running an online store. While the process isn’t always simple, using the right product research tools can streamline sourcing items and help you make informed decisions about your inventory. These tools can identify products (and suppliers) that meet market demands and align with your business goals.
Note: If you’re still looking for a site builder to host your ecommerce site, read our review of the best ecommerce site builders.
Shopify Finder
Shopify Finder is an app created by FindNiche to help you discover and assess top-performing Shopify and AliExpress stores, giving you a glimpse of what products are trending. But it’s more than just a trend tracker; it also reveals what’s selling, how top stores are designed, and the strategies fueling their sales.
In short, it’s like a glimpse into the world of successful e-commerce, providing valuable insights you can apply to your store.
Here’s what makes it special:
Shopify Finder stands out because it does more than just show you what’s selling; it helps you understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind successful Shopify ventures. You can explore various niches, see what’s hot in each category, and even get a sense of these successful stores’ marketing tactics.
Pros:
- Returns product trends and store analysis from 40 different countries
- Reveals competitor marketing strategies
- Refreshes data hourly
Cons:
- Limited to Shopify and AliExpress platforms
- Some products returned may not align with search terms
Pricing: A basic subscription to the Shopify Finder app is available from the App Center for $29 per month and includes Shopify data only. A Pro subscription with Shopify and AliExpress product data costs $50/month.
Spocket
Dropshipping has reshaped the ecommerce industry by offering a way to bypass inventory. If you’re considering a dropshipping business, Spocket developed an innovative dropshipping app that makes it easier. Spocket connects drop shippers with suppliers from the US and EU, offering faster shipping and potentially higher-quality products than traditional dropshipping suppliers.
Getting started: Connect your store on their website, add your products, and get up and running.
Pros:
- More localized US and EU suppliers for quicker deliveries
- Easy integration with various ecommerce platforms
- Allows for sample orders to test products before selling
Cons:
- More expensive than other options
- Fewer product choices compared to larger marketplaces
Pricing: Spocket offers a 14-day free trial. Post-trial plans range from $39.99/month for the Starter subscription to $299/month for the Unicorn option, with annual payment options providing discounts.
ImportYeti
If the pandemic taught us anything related to commerce, it’s the need for proactive product sourcing to avoid distribution delays. Enter ImportYeti, a free online tool that unveils supplier information, revealing the sourcing secrets of leading e-commerce companies.
Armed with this knowledge, you can navigate product sourcing more effectively, ensuring that your ecommerce business is always a step ahead in managing inventory.
This tool allows for filtering by supplier origin, date, and quantity of shipments and offers helpful product descriptions, all of which are exportable to a CSV.
Pros:
- Uncovers suppliers used by leading ecommerce companies
- Provides volume and frequency data, indicating competitors’ scale
- Offers direct comparison between suppliers
Cons:
- Dependent on available public records
- Coverage is limited to select countries
- Doesn’t offer supplier ratings or a direct connection with suppliers
Pricing: ImportYeti is free!
Optimizing an e-commerce store is about more than just attracting visitors; it’s about converting them into loyal customers. With the right tools, you can enhance your store’s visibility, driving more sales and conversions.
Let’s explore a few ecommerce SEO tools that will give your store that much-needed edge.
Ecommerce Keyword Analytics
Ecommerce Keyword Analytics is an app developed by Iteora that allows you to uncover the top-performing retail keywords in your industry.
This ecommerce keyword research tool steps beyond standard keyword research by focusing on keywords that convert to actual product clicks and orders on major online retailer sites like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Peaking into the leading stores’ strategies allows you to learn from their strategies.
Here’s how it works:
To start, simply add your keywords to the search bar. The tool then unveils metrics from big box stores like clicks, orders, and conversions.
You can also discover top-selling retailers for specific terms, as well as related keywords and retail comparisons.
Ultimately, Ecommerce Keywords Analytics equips you with a competitive advantage by illustrating high-converting search terms, allowing you to weave them into your SEO and PPC marketing strategy.
Pros:
- Targets keywords with high conversion potential
- Offers a comprehensive view of keyword trends across major online retailers
- Includes data on searches, product clicks, and orders from specific keywords
- Features are available across markets in 16 countries
Cons:
- Primarily beneficial for businesses with products similar to those on major online retail platforms
- Data may be limited for very specialized product terms
Pricing: Ecommerce Keywords Analytics offers a free trial, after which it runs only $19.99/month.
Ecommerce Booster
Semrush’s Ecommerce Booster is a comprehensive solution for Shopify store optimization. With this app, you can detect and address any barriers hindering your conversion rates, improving your ROI while saving you time and effort.
How does it work?
Ecommerce Booster audits your shop pages and prioritizes tasks by their potential to boost your listings. With this app, you’re not just given data; you receive step-by-step instructions on implementing changes that elevate sales.
Think of it as your task manager that simplifies optimization into a straightforward checklist.
Getting started is a breeze; simply enter your Shopify store URL into the search bar and click “Analyze” to trigger the app to crawl your store. Ecommerce Booster then presents a prioritized list of tasks you can implement to enhance your store’s performance.
To see the why and how behind the task suggestions, click the task boxes to drill down further.
Pros:
- Evaluates everything from visual content and user experience to page speed and accessibility
- Saves time with shop-wide task prioritization and organization
- Offers easy-to-understand instructions on how to correct issues
- Option to schedule audits to maintain performance
Cons:
- Tailored exclusively to the Shopify platform
- Modifications must be done in the Shopify platform itself
Pricing: There’s a limited free version available, and the paid subscription is $29.99 monthly.
The subscription allows for multiple store audits, 50+ performance checks, and AI tools are available for all of your products.
Augment
Augment offers an innovative visualization tool that brings products to life through augmented reality and 3D imaging. This technology enhances the online shopping experience, allowing customers to interact with products virtually before purchasing.
Augment is ideal for businesses looking to provide a more interactive customer experience by bridging the gap between digital shopping and product interaction.
Pros:
- Offers an immersive view of products through augmented reality and 3D imaging
- Enhances customer engagement by allowing them to see products in the intended environment
- Integrates with various ecommerce platforms
Cons:
- Technical setup for 3D modeling and AR capabilities
- Better suited for products where visualization influences purchasing decisions
Pricing: Plans include Business (starting at 9 euros or about $10/ month after a 14-day free trial), Ecommerce, and Education, both of which have custom pricing.
Social Media Content Generation and Brand Management
Social networking platforms are useful for promoting online stores and enhancing brand visibility. To help you navigate your ecommerce social profiles, here are a few tool choices to simplify the process.
These tools aren’t just about saving time; they’re about amplifying your brand’s voice and connecting with your audience more effectively.
AI Social Content Generator
Predis has come up with the AI Social Content Generator, a tool that taps into the power of AI to effortlessly craft a variety of editable content forms, like videos, carousels, images, quotes, and hashtags.
But this app does more than churn out fresh content.
The app also integrates with your product catalog, ensuring posts are relevant and targeted.
All you need to do is pick the E-comm Product Post option and set your brand requirements, and you’re good to go.
Considering the traditional labor of content production, this tool could be a major time saver. You can access this app from the App Center.
Pros:
- Automates the social media content creation process, ensuring fresh content
- Standardizes tone and style, enhancing brand identity
- Incorporates product catalog into posts
- Keeps your feed engaging with a mix of content types
Cons:
- AI-generated content should still be reviewed and edited for accuracy
- Competitor analysis only focuses on Facebook and Instagram
- Some users may need to familiarize themselves with content editing
Pricing: There’s a free 7-day trial (credit card required to start). After the trial, it’s $35/month for 200 AI-generated posts and 100 competitor analyses for two brands. Additional brands cost an extra $20 monthly.
Canva
Canva stands out as a user-friendly platform that simplifies design tasks for anyone handling online presence and brand management. With its vast library of templates and stock photos, Canva is a valuable tool for crafting promotional materials, engaging posts, and managing brand aesthetics.
Not a design specialist? One of Canva’s strengths lies in its intuitive drag-and-drop editing interface, making it particularly accessible to those without a design background.
You can use Canva as an individual or Canva for Teams, which facilitates real-time collaboration among all of your marketing teams.
You can also create content from scratch using its robust design tools.
Pros:
- Drag-and-drop editing
- Caters to diverse design needs with template varieties
- Canva for Teams enables seamless real-time collaboration
Cons:
- Advanced features may require a paid subscription
Pricing: Canva’s free plan may be suitable for small businesses. Canva Pro, at $12.99/month, offers more features, while Canva for Teams starts at $14.99 per month for collaborative functions.
Ecommerce Advertising
The right advertising tools can make a significant impact, offering innovative ways to reach your target audience and drive sales. Below are a few tools to improve how you advertise and present your products online, ensuring your campaigns are effective.
Ads Launch Assistant
The Ads Launch Assistant app leverages Semrush’s keyword expertise and AI to streamline Google Ads campaigns. This tool is great for businesses aiming to optimize and monitor their ad campaigns without the guesswork.
What makes it great?
Ads Launch Assistant will help you optimize your ads with keywords, analyze Google Ad performance, and maximize the impact of your advertising efforts.
Bonus Perk: If you spend $500 within 60 days on your first campaign, you can get a $500 credit for future ads.
Pros:
- Integrates Semrush keyword data for more impactful campaigns
- Reduces Google campaign setup time and effort
- Enhances ad relevance and reach
Cons:
- Depends on Google’s algorithms, which frequently change
- Only applicable to Google and Google Ads
Pricing: Ads Launch Assistant is free for registered Semrush users.
AdRoll
AdRoll simplifies advertising for ecommerce brands by integrating display ads, social media ads, and email marketing into one platform. Using AI, AdRoll targets your target audience, ensuring your campaigns reach the right people.
Are you sick of organizing reporting with spreadsheets?
AdRoll facilitates your marketing landscape by centralizing cross-channel reporting, making analyzing and optimizing campaign performance easier.
AdRoll is a leader in retargeting, offering the versatility to create and refine personalized ads across various platforms and devices. AdRoll will also connect to your ecommerce store, allowing you to leverage its platform to tailor your online marketing strategy accordingly.
Pros:
- Integrates multiple platforms for comprehensive marketing campaigns
- Leverages AI for data-driven decision-making and audience targeting
- Boost engagement and conversion rates through effective retargeting
Cons:
- May require a learning curve for those new to retargeting
Pricing: Adroll offers a flexible but limited pay-as-you-go model. Starter marketing and ads plans begin at $36/month, while advanced packages have custom pricing.
Semrush Product Listing Ads Research
Semrush Product Listing Ads Research (PLA Research) is a comprehensive tool for analyzing your Google Shopping competitors’ campaigns. It offers insights into their ads, strategies, and product listing keywords, which are important for refining your own PLA strategy.
The PLA Research tool offers a dashboard for a quick overview, PLA metrics from companies you’re competing with, and details on the PLA copy. You can export this information for further analysis.
To get started, simply navigate to PLA Researchand enter the desired domain. PLA Research is offered as part of the Semrush platform’s Advertising dashboard.
Pros:
- In-depth analysis of competitor ad strategies
- Insights into ad performance and bidding strategies
- Easy-to-understand interface
Cons:
- Limited to data from search engines
Pricing: Semrush offers ten searches to most subscription levels except Business users, who have unlimited access.
Leveraging ecommerce tools for competitor analysis can launch your business by providing insights into what’s working for other businesses in your niche.
Dive into pricing strategies, marketing triumphs and setbacks, and customer behaviors of your competitors to get to know your ideal customers and stay one step ahead in the market.
Below are a few ecommerce tools specifically designed for competitor analysis.
Audience Intelligence
Developed by Audiense, the Audience Intelligence app is a potent tool for understanding your competitors’ audience characteristics. This app dives deep into audience demographics, psychographics, buying habits, and online behaviors, offering abundant audience insights.
In fact, the audience attributes returned are so robust you may not need another tool of this type.
In total, there are 9 sub-reports in this tool, but for ecommerce specifically, the buying mindset information may be particularly helpful. This report provides insights into the purchase factors that impact your audience most and offers valuable information on their consumer behavior.
To get here, click on the Demographics box from your dashboard view, then “Buying Mindset.”
You can find Audience Intelligence in the Semrush App Center.
Pros:
- Provides extensive audience information
- Helps identify market trends
- Offers insights on relevant influencers that may help expand your brand’s reach
Cons:
- Limited to X (Twitter) account analysis
- The volume of data returned might be overwhelming to some users
- Not as low-cost as other options
Pricing: Demo reports are free. A custom report is $150 per month, with additional outputs available for purchase.
Koala Inspector Online ShopSpy
If Shopify competitor insight is what you’re after, Koala Inspector Online ShopSpy has you covered. Developed by Koala Apps, this app allows you to analyze your competitors’ Shopify sites and gain insights into their sales data, best-selling products, apps used, and traffic sources.
How it works:
To see a competitor’s Shopify theme and which apps they’ve installed, all you need to do is input their URL into the search bar on the app’s home page.
However, to see the competitor’s shop updates, like new or removed products, you’ll need to track the stop. You can do this by clicking “Track Shop” on either the app’s home page or the Shopify theme page.
Once you’re on the tracked shop page, the app uses different colored fonts and symbols to flag changes or outgoing links. Keep in mind that it may take a day for this data to start rolling in.
Pros:
- Easy to use with a focus on actionable data
- Offers insights into the apps and tools used by competitors
Cons:
- Limited to the Shopify platform
Pricing: Koala Inspector Online ShopSpy is $30 per month after a 7-day free trial.
Semrush .Trends
Semrush .Trends is an advanced analytics tool designed to give ecommerce and digital marketing professionals an edge in understanding market dynamics and competitor strategies.
While the suite of tools in the package is robust, here’s a general overview of
what you get with the .Trends:
- Traffic Analytics: Detailed look at any website’s traffic, user behavior, and engagement metrics in the chosen country and time duration.
- Market Explorer: Broad overview of market trends, demographics, and key players.
- EyeOn: Monitors competitor domain changes, like new content and shifts in promotions.
- One2Target: Tailored insights for audience engagement and refining marketing tactics. One2Target can also highlight potential business and advertising opportunities.
- Traffic Analytics API: Customizable access to traffic data.
Each of these components is its own multifaceted tool with robust reporting and analytical capabilities.
Pros:
- Delivers comprehensive market and competitor analysis
- Provides historical data to understand long-term trends
- Offers global data
Cons:
- Expensive
- Learning curve to apply insights
- Extensive data return can be overwhelming
Pricing: .Trends is an add-on to any paid Semrush subscription for an additional $200/month.
Empowering Your Ecommerce Success
Ultimately, embracing these tools empowers your e-commerce venture with the insights, efficiency, and strategic direction necessary to thrive online.
By effectively leveraging these tools, businesses can keep pace with market trends and consumer preferences and gain a significant edge over competitors.
