Automating the workflow of an online store is one of the main requirements for running a successful business. Increasing sales, attracting customers, working with regular customers, and accounting are just a few of the business processes that need automated management.
Automation is impossible without special services and integration solutions. We’re not going to define what automation and integration are today, as you can read a lot of articles full of all the necessary information in Wedoio’s blog. Instead, we’ll talk about the main stages of webshop automation to define all the steps you’ll need to take step by step as a webshop owner or manager.
Let’s dive right in!
Setting goals
Webshop automation must be carried out according to a clear plan. Having exact goals set in front of you, it is much easier to solve any problems. You can use one of the existing goal-setting criteria to guide you through the process, for example, you can use SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely).
You can choose the technique that is closer to you. It is important to understand that having a goal allows you to objectify the result. As a rule, the automation of a webshop inventory, sales, or the whole workflow is done to increase the company's profits.
Allocating Resources
To carry out any work, you need to decide on the resources, and more specifically:
- gather a team,
- allocate money for their salaries, or for purchasing software,
- select tools to automate your business,
- define specific deadlines.
Gathering a team
Your number one task will be to gather great specialists for your team. Here you have the following options:
- use the labour of your employees,
- hire an outsource specialist,
- conclude an outsourcing agreement with a specialized company.
The first option is to assemble a team of specialists from your company. You’ll either do it personally or task it to the recruitment department of your company.
Second option. When hiring a third-party consultant, it is necessary to discuss the terms of cooperation, outline the duties and responsibilities. For example, a consultant selects a CRM system and trains sales consultants, but the implementation and adjustment of the solution fall on the shoulders of the company itself.
With the third option, you get ready-to-go automation. There are many specialized agencies and integration and consulting companies on the market today that are ready to develop and implement a webshop automation solution just for you.
Take into account all of the details before hiring an automation specialist or integration partner. Carefully study all of the needs of your company, the overall cost you’re ready to dedicate to the solution, and the deadlines expected.
Description of business processes
Before you start automating an online store or other systems, you will have to put things in their order: arrange documents, conduct an audit of the structure, etc. If your business is in chaos, you need to deal with it first.
The primary task is to analyze business processes, schedule everything in stages and collect information. Use the following instruction as a guide:
- The first is the initiation stage. This is an honest description of the current state of the business, reflecting all its weaknesses.
- At the optimization stage, measures are taken to improve business processes with the help of company managers, buyers, partners.
- And then, you can start automating your business and get rid of the routine by connecting special solutions. Next, let's move on to automation tools.
Tool Selection
What kind of automation tools are we talking about? The ones that are suitable for your business. It is important to choose the most optimal ones in order to solve the problem of automation and increase profits without overpaying.
CRM system: The customer management system helps to save data on all customers, the history of their purchases, and interactions with the company. The CRM system monitors the work of employees, generates documents, analyzes transactions.
Email newsletter: This system was created to keep in touch with webshop customers through the newsletter and useful information in order to increase sales.
Most often the following methods are used for the automation of email newsletters:
- notifications about discounts and promotions: the system sends messages containing a promotional code or discount coupon,
- an offer to buy an additional product: if the buyer has purchased a smartphone, then he is offered a discount when buying some accessories for it (phone cover, headphones, charger, etc), and the goal is to increase the average payment of a customer,
- messages with gifts and bonuses for holidays: these actions help to increase the loyalty of the customers.
Sales scripts: This term is called sales process scripts. But today it is not just a document in Excel or Word format. Scripts are included in CRM systems for operational work and receiving final reports.
Implementation of the plan
At this stage, the direct implementation of an automation solution into your business takes place. If your company decided to do all the work on its own, then a responsible person must be appointed. This task is assigned to the head of the sales department, lead manager, finances manager, bookkeeper, or CEO.
The specialists involved in the project should not work separated from each other. They need a constant update of any information. It is even desirable to allocate a separate office for their teamwork. After launching the automation solution, most likely it will take some time to refine and optimize all processes.
Optimizing results
At the final stage of webshop automation, it’s time to optimize the system. If you, as a webshop owner, don't like the results after the automation solution is integrated into your system, then you'll still need to refine and modernize it.
Don't panic, there's nothing extraordinary about this. It is only necessary to identify and correct the flaws. So, what errors can actually occur when connecting the system:
- there's no complete control over the process,
- the project has not been prepared,
- the tasks of automating the webshop have not been defined,
- no goals are set.
Be careful and take these mistakes into account in your working process. The result of automation should be the elimination of routine operations and an increase in business profitability.
In addition, it is important to train employees to work in new conditions, and to redistribute competencies. Remember, that webshop automation usually requires time, as it is not an overnight thing to happen. But the results are always better than expected.
As always, Wedoio helps companies automate their business processes by integrating the Uniconta webshop automation solution to get better results and to increase their profits. If you’re one of them and ready for some changes in your business life, we’re here to help you! You can book a meeting with us anytime to get the whole necessary and specified information for your webshop automation.
Wedoio is a global team of entrepreneurs, developers, and designers, and we all work to change the way we integrate digital systems. Our primary location is Copenhagen, Denmark, from which our roots are.
Wedoio's solutions are mainly negotiated by Uniconta partners around the world, where Wedoio, in collaboration with local distributors and partners, develops and adapts the solutions to the different wishes and needs of the current market and customers.
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Uniconta is a modern cloud-based ERP system that keeps track of finances, inventory, projects, production, and logistics, which helps your business become more digital. It provides time savings on your daily routines, searches, document retrieval, and business management. All of your data and documents are safely stored and always accessible in the Uniconta cloud. |
Although it is a standard ERP system, it is structured flexibly so that you can customize the solution with your own fields, tables, and screens. This means that you do not have to depend on your desire for change to fit in with other companies.
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Wedoio gives any business an opportunity for easy and simple Uniconta integration and automation solution. This includes integration of all data from WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento 2, and other webshops directly to Uniconta, without losing any information during the process |
By subscribing to this easy and simple integration process, you save a lot of time managing your webshop. The most important thing here is that you focus on your business and not jump between different systems. Save time - save money, it’s a sure thing. You get stuff done automatically. |
