The dream of improving business operations appears in the head of every entrepreneur. In today’s times, where technology is rapidly developing, certain processes do not have to, and even should not, be performed only by humans. Here we come to the concept of Marketing Automation, which is business automation. Many businesses forget the fact that achieving KPI (Key Performance Indicator) goals requires not only many hours of work but also the implementation of tools that improve marketing communication. This is precisely the stage where business automation comes in.
What is KPI, or Key Performance Indicator?
KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, in the context of business automation, is a measurable value that shows how effectively a company achieves key business objectives. Organizations use KPIs in different departments and at different levels to assess the effectiveness of achieving goals.
In business automation, KPIs can relate to various aspects, such as process efficiency, time savings, error reduction, customer satisfaction improvement, or an increase in the number of generated leads. Examples of KPIs in automation could be (1) order fulfillment time, (2) customer acquisition cost, (3) lead conversion rate, or (4) percentage of customer inquiries resolved automatically.
Setting the right KPI allows companies to monitor progress in implementing automation strategies, evaluate the effectiveness of implemented tools and processes, and identify areas requiring improvement or further simplification, optimization, and automation of all possible processes to alleviate human work.
Marketing automation in e-commerce.
Marketing automation involves conducting activities using special software designed to streamline advertising, sales, and content marketing processes. Using such software is integrated with other systems, including customer relationship management systems. Utilizing this solution, advertising campaigns are conducted with greater accuracy. This streamlines data collection, which goes hand in hand with targeting creations to selected recipient groups. Additionally, it generates sales leads.
For all those who think that marketing automation is a solution that, once turned on, will always bring profits without regular optimization, nothing could be further from the truth! It is an unending process of continuous changes that need to be monitored and adjusted as necessary.
You already know well that our Manager 3.0 operates in production version, but is that the end of changes? No, this is just the beginning, there will be thousands of changes. Right now, our developers are making from 30 to 50 major or minor changes every day.
Is business automation still in its infancy in Poland?
In Poland, automation is supposedly still in its infancy, yet it is seen that more and more companies realize that marketing and sales automation is the only way to maintain competitiveness in today’s e-commerce market. Companies that undertake automation will undoubtedly gain a significant advantage and a stable position in the market.
Labor productivity in Poland is quite low, considering that we are one of the most hardworking countries in Europe. Why? Precisely because we do not automate our businesses. We only use human resources, hence every business that implements automation gains a significant market advantage.
We at ECAT eCommerce are well aware of this, so we strive to simplify, modify, and automate all processes applicable in our ecosystem to ensure that the ordering, processing, packaging, and shipping of packages involve as few errors as possible. And this is just one of the many segments we need to consider to ensure our entire ecosystem, built on a solid foundation like Manager 3.0, operates well.
How to tell if a business requires automation?
An increase in the number of orders that cannot be effectively managed manually: If your company starts receiving more orders than you can efficiently handle manually, it may be a sign that you need systems that automate sales processes, order fulfillment, or customer service.
Errors in order execution: Frequent mistakes in orders, such as incorrect delivery addresses, wrong invoices, or confusion with products, may indicate the need for automatic systems that can help reduce human errors.
Low level of customer satisfaction: If you receive negative feedback from customers regarding service, order fulfillment times, or errors in orders, automation of processes can help improve the quality of services.
Too much time spent on routine tasks: If you or your employees spend a lot of time on repetitive tasks such as data entry, inventory management, or price updates, this may be a sign that it is worth considering automating these processes.
Problems with inventory management: Difficulties in maintaining optimal inventory levels or frequent situations where products are out of stock may indicate the need for better, automated inventory management.
Difficulties in scaling the business: If your company struggles with growth or scaling due to operational limitations, automation can help remove these barriers.
Increasing operational costs: If the costs of running an e-commerce business are rising faster than revenues, this may mean that you need more efficient, automated processes to control expenses.
Difficulties in data analysis: If you have access to a large amount of data but lack the tools to analyze and use them to improve the business, automating analytical processes may be the solution.
If your company experiences one or more of these problems, it may be time to consider implementing certain forms of automation in your e-commerce. Automation can significantly improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences.
What to do before implementing marketing automation (Business automation)?
Define your goals: Determine what you want to achieve with business automation. Whether it's increasing sales, better customer segmentation, more personalized messages, or saving time? Your goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound).
Understand your target group: Gather information about your current and potential customers. Understanding their needs, behaviors, and preferences will help you better tailor your communication and offers.
Conduct an audit of current tools and processes: Check which of the current marketing tools and processes are working well and which require improvement or replacement. Consider how business automation can fit into this.
Choose the right business automation platform: There are many marketing automation tools on the market. Choose one that best meets your business needs, offers the features you need, and integrates you require. Also, remember about the budget.
Plan your content strategy: Create a content plan that will support your marketing goals. It should include different types of content, such as emails, blog posts, video materials, that can be used in the framework of business automation campaigns.
Create customer segmentation: Based on the collected data, create customer segments that will allow you to customize communication and offers to specific groups.
Set up customer paths and workflow (Description of the sequence of tasks or actions): Design paths that customers will traverse, and assign appropriate marketing actions to them. Consider what actions will be triggered by specific customer behaviors (e.g., visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter).
Prepare success metrics: Determine which indicators you will use to measure the success of your marketing activities. These can be, for example, conversion rates, click-through rates, the number of generated leads, etc.
Test and optimize: Before implementing full automation, test your campaigns on a smaller group of recipients. Analyze the results and make the necessary optimizations.
Team training: Make sure your team knows the tools and strategies of marketing automation. Training and skill development can significantly contribute to the success of your actions.
Remember, introducing business automation is a process that may require time and continuous optimization. Regularly analyze results and adjust strategies to make the most of marketing automation potential.
What are the advantages of marketing automation for a company?
Increased efficiency: Automation allows for streamlining and automating repetitive marketing tasks, such as sending emails, managing social media, generating leads, and nurturing (building relationships) leads. This means that employees can focus on more strategic aspects of their work.
Personalized communication: With automation, you can segment customer databases and send them personalized messages based on their behaviors, preferences, and purchase history. This increases the effectiveness of communication and can lead to higher conversion rates.
Better tracking and data analysis: Marketing automation tools offer advanced tracking and analysis capabilities, which help measure the effectiveness of different campaigns and marketing tactics. This allows for a better understanding of what works and what doesn't, and accordingly adjust marketing strategies.
Improved lead management: Automation helps in efficient lead management, allowing for quick and effective qualification, segmentation, and nurturing (building relationships) of potential customers. This increases the chances of converting leads into customers.
Greater campaign effectiveness: With automation, it is easier to test different elements of marketing campaigns (A/B testing), which allows for optimizing messages, offers, and other components to achieve better results.
Time savings and cost reduction: Automating marketing tasks can significantly reduce the time and resources needed to perform them, which can translate into lower operational costs.
Better adjustment to customer needs: Automation allows for creating more targeted and personal campaigns that better respond to customers' needs and expectations.
Increased consistency of communication: Maintaining a uniform tone and consistency of the message across all marketing channels is easier when these tasks are automated.
Scalability: Marketing automation allows companies to scale their marketing activities without the need to proportionally increase labor inputs, which is especially beneficial for growing businesses.
Improved customer experiences: Thanks to automation and personalization, companies can offer better, more personalized shopping experiences, which can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
By implementing marketing automation, companies can not only improve the efficiency of their marketing activities but also build stronger relationships with customers and better adjust their products and services to market needs.
Utilize specialists to implement business automation in your company.
Do you know the saying? – “I don’t know what I don’t know?”. When we start our adventure to improve processes in the company through the implementation of business and marketing automation, it may turn out that we don’t really know where to start, what to focus on next, and later how to improve the process so that the time, resources, and money invested in this process bring satisfaction.
Usually, a person learns from their own mistakes, but here it’s worth applying the maxim of learning from the mistakes of others, meaning it’s beneficial to use the knowledge of those who at least understand the basics of implementing such processes. Otherwise, it might turn out that a lot of effort was made, money and resources were invested, but in the end, the ladder was set up against the wrong wall.
Summary of the article: Business automation, or what you need to have.
Marketing automation brings numerous benefits for companies, allowing for a significant increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing activities. It enables the automation of repetitive tasks, such as sending emails, managing social media, and nurturing leads (building customer relationships), which allows employees to focus on more strategic aspects of their work. Through the capabilities of segmentation and personalized communication, companies can better reach their customers with offers tailored to their needs and preferences. Moreover, advanced analytical tools available within automation systems allow for precise tracking of campaign effectiveness and optimization of marketing activities.
Implementing marketing automation also leads to time savings and cost reductions, improved lead management, and increased campaign effectiveness through the ability to perform detailed A/B tests. This enables companies to better adjust their products and services to market expectations, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Marketing automation not only streamlines internal processes but also contributes to building long-term relationships with customers, which is key to the growth and development of every company.
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