How to Plan a Profitable Salesforce Commerce Cloud Development

 

When it comes to investing in software, businesses everywhere need a tool that enables dynamic digital operations. Whether it’s a social media to shopping user interface (UI) or data-driven reporting, high-performing software solutions are essential. Because of this, businesses need tools that comprehensively integrate customer service, sales funnels, and databases. For over 20 years, Salesforce software has been the go-to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for this. Owing to continual development, their product suite is continually growing in line with technology developments, market trends, and user needs.
Despite this, the present business era is highly unpredictable as markets become more complex and unprecedented global events disrupt systems. At the same time, this is resulting in two somewhat conflicting situations that businesses are responding to:
Economic downturn putting pressure on all industries to maintain operations
Rapid digitization of all industries with customers expecting robust user experience (UX)/UI
The outcome of this is the challenge businesses face to improve offerings and keep up with competitors while staying afloat. Therefore businesses need tactical solutions for tangible, sustained, and cutting-edge results. This is where the Salesforce Commerce Cloud module can help businesses respond to problems and innovate strategically.

For this reason, this A3logics article explores how businesses can plan and invest in a profitable Salesforce commerce cloud development:

• Integrating the features and functionalities of Salesforce in businesses
• Understanding how Salesforce helps drive profits
• Using Salesforce to target a revenue strategy
• Ramping up e-commerce operations using Salesforce Commerce Cloud
• Explaining leading global examples of Salesforce e-commerce success

 

Not only does Salesforce Commerce Cloud enable businesses the opportunity to expand sales but also to level up offerings. Altogether, this blog will show how to approach a new business phase with profit growth across contemporary customer engagement channels.

 

A brief overview of Salesforce modules, development and features including Salesforce Commerce Cloud

To begin with, we’ll review the Salesforce software platform. Owing to its full range of module integrations, customizability in development, and technical features, the entire platform is highly robust. Regardless of if the model is business to business (B2B), business to customer (B2C), or B2B2C, Salesforce is truly impressive.

Top facts to know about the Salesforce development platform

 

• Cloud Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
• World’s number one CRM software
• Highly customizable, agile, and scalable
• Powerful systems with cutting-edge technology integrations including AI and algorithmic functionalities
• User-friendly design and personalized UX/UI
• Extensive ‘Cloud’ module integration options:
  – Service Cloud
  – Marketing Cloud
  – Sales Cloud
  – Commerce Cloud
  – Mobile Application Development
  – Analytics Cloud
  – Community Cloud
  – Secure interface for backend and data management
  – Developers can easily manage third-party integration with existing business software
  – Functions all over the world and is ideal for remote teams
  – Suitable for all industries and businesses of all sizes
  – Seamless data storage, audit trails, and automated reporting
  – Straightforward maintenance

 

As the leading platform of its kind, Salesforce is regarded by many as the key to business in 2023. Furthermore, in 2022 alone, more than a quarter of the world’s businesses used Salesforce for their marketing and customer services. Because Salesforce prioritizes innovation in their business model and how they maintain multiple innovation releases annually, development processes continually improve. Consequently, businesses can statistically rely on Salesforce in order to continue their own operational evolution. Mitch Shaw writes for Salesforce, “Customers trust our technology and infrastructure to perform, to be available, and to be secure.”

A guide to the Salesforce Commerce Cloud development platform features

 

• End-to-end unified commerce
• Deployment for wide-reaching customer reach across mobile, social, web, and online stores
• Integratable B2B Commerce and B2C Commerce product line options
• Personalized UX/UI
• AI-powered commerce
• All-in-One Commerce payment interfaces
• Logistics and order management
• Slack integration for workflow
• Fast development and deployment
• Sychronization of full range of data sources

 

How a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development is customizable

 

• Channel customization according to business needs — entirely dependent on B2B or B2C activities
• Multisite architecture for both multiple brands and multiple country sites
• Integrates business’ specific channels — both digital and physical
• Industry-specific platform options e.g. widely available for different industries including Automotive, Healthcare, and Hospitality
• Einstein AI embedded throughout the platform for personalized UX/UI
• Multisite management and localization

 

Overall, the core Salesforce Commerce Cloud functionalities of AI, data, and CRM create a profitable customer journey. Both focusing on revenue and savings effectively meshes UX in an immersive UI that wows customers using AI technology. Undeniably this is a cost-saving exercise as the robust, agile platform helps customers find value while nurturing evergreen relationships.

 

 

Understanding how Salesforce Commerce Cloud development helps drive profits

 

In particular, the all-in-one multibrand and multisite implementations are a key feature in driving profits. Accordingly, Salesforce explains that, “With cloud-based multisite management and localisation, going live with new brands or geographic sites has never been faster.” Additionally they explicate that, “With our multisite architecture, retailers can manage multiple brands or country sites all from the same environment, leveraging common code, processes, imagery, and a master catalog.”
Previously, businesses could not always rely on technology for this calibre of commerce operations. Not only does a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development integrate these features but also engineers can target key profit-centric priorities.

Eight key operational characteristics in a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development that drive profits

 

• Efficiency
• Dynamic sales points
• Interactivity
• Information density
• Personalization
• Global availability
• Universal consistency
• Instantaneous inventory insights

 

1. Efficiency

 

Primarily, any software that enhances operational and organizational business efficiency will statistically improve profits. Due to how this streamlines tasks leading to better customer care and communications, there is high-level profitability. Equally, the Commerce Cloud intelligent design helps businesses work more deftly across a range of operations while increasing dynamic offerings. Even so there is no loss to product or service quality as technological efficacy is inherent to all platform components.

2. Dynamic sales points

 

Obviously Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a platform designed for sales operations. Indeed, its key value is how it brings together sales, customer services, and data in an AI-enriched platform. Consequently, this establishes a sales environment that offers customers an unparalleled purchasing experience. Whether it’s the social extensions, mobile commerce, round-the-clock customer service, or complete order UX, customer focus is omnipotent. Altogether this means that sales conversions can happy at any time and across a range of customer-facing commerce points. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar and website-only sales, this widens the customer market without compromising on personalization.

3. Interactivity

 

Engagement is an obvious value for all businesses and this helps customers receive attentive care. Moreover customer-centric engagement through interactive functionalities keeps customers in the business ecosystem for longer. Thus this increases the likelihood of conversion in both the short-term and long-term. For example, intelligent interactivity features help customers find what they’re looking for effortlessly, offers recommendations, and automatically saves customer carts. By the same token, interactive support such as personalized generative AI likes chatbots means 24/7 services delivering humanoid care.

4. Information density

 

The Salesforce Commerce Cloud ecosystem is completely data-driven. Emphatically this is a key value proposition for driving profits and building profitable B2B and B2C businesses. Because data drives innovation, personalization, and scaling, the information density on the Commerce Cloud feeds into the backend and frontend. On the one hand, customers experience a highly customized UX/UI that is continually generative leading to satisfaction and conversion. On the other hand, the information density on the backend helps resolve problems, identify opportunities, and continually build the business. What’s more, the Einstein Commerce Insights AI helps plan next moves in logistics, marketing, and other resource allocation.

5. Personalization

 

Undoubtedly, personalization is key to retaining customers in this business era. It’s a well-known fact that customers consciously and unconsciously crave a tailored UX/UI. In summary, personalization in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud builds consistency in all channels, fortify brand identity, and enhance customer service. At this point it can facilitate the understanding of the unique value proposition for products and services. As a result, this leads to customers enjoying the brand engagement and service personnel can resolve issues swiftly. Correspondingly, resources are better allocated to specific customer problems falling outside the typical resolutions net while maintaining successful conversions.

6. Global availability

 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud enables businesses global operations across regions and sales channels. Compared to standard commerce products, the robust borderless infrastructure simplifies businesses introducing their offerings to new countries, states, or cities. Additionally, this global availability includes seamless infrastructure implementation in differing currencies, languages, and jurisdictions. Subsequently, not only does these mean businesses can bring their offerings to market but also it’s a single, unified framework. Obviously this global scaling results in both effective business while also multiplying profit points. The ease, speed, and reliability of the software development also keeps teams on the same infrastructure page irrespective of location.

7. Universal consistency

 

Following on from the global availability is the profit driver of universal consistency. Specifically this means that these platforms are consistently the same across markets. Equally important is the fact that the platform UX and UI is the same regardless of the channel. Therefore customers can transition between both countries or regions and mobile or website without diminishing UX and UI. Markedly the Salesforce Commerce Cloud’s unified framework leads to satisfied customers and staff able to confidently switch between channels.

8. Instantaneous inventory insights

 

Lastly, the in-the-moment data infrastructure helps businesses offer world-class logistics and product turnaround. Whether it’s automating ordering or personalizing product recommendations if an item is out of stock, this maintains business momentum. Furthermore, the speedy insights can minimize any lost profits such as reporting on abandoned cart data and most profitable channels. Conversely, when insights are not instantaneous businesses may lose sales to competitors or they might risk missing growth opportunities.

Using Salesforce Commerce Cloud development to target a revenue strategy

Further to analyzing the operational characteristics driving profits, let’s review ways businesses can strategically implement a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development. Presently the Salesforce product is a “Leader” in Gartner’s 2022 Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce list. For this reason, the range of e-commerce software features that “support the practice of demand generation” warrant exploring here.

Features in a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development that help a revenue strategy

 

AI capabilities

Firstly, the Einstein AI technology is core to Salesforce Commerce Cloud. When businesses opt for the platform development, they can use Einstein Commerce Insights as an analysis dashboard tool. As a result they can identify purchasing trends then use this to inform business planning including customer experiences and marketing.

360 degree customer view

Secondly, the every-angle customer analysis incorporates everything from resolutions to introducing new profit-driving channels. Accordingly, the all-in-one CRM functionalities means businesses can see all areas of both B2B and B2C operations. Subsequently they can keep different revenue streams ticking over without any negative impact on any services area.

Salesforce partner ecosystem

Thirdly, this features ties in directly to businesses investing in custom Salesforce development services. Compared to in-house development, when businesses opt to work with Salesforce partners they can better leverage their Salesforce SaaS. For example, these partners bring their expertise and experience to technically add services or products on top of the platform. When this happens with the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, businesses can then derive partner insights and strategically plan choices for profitability. Unlike managing this themselves, they can actually make more informed decisions that are overseen with official platform partners.

Module integration

 

Fourthly, the numerous Salesforce ‘Cloud’ integrations enhance the Salesforce Commerce Cloud as they can better personalize, market, and serve businesses. Consequently using the platform as a complete technology suite compounds revenue points as all Salesforce components integrate to entice customers. Once integration is in place, business growth can be targeted through ongoing scaling and continually improving the customer experience.

Data analysis

 

Likewise, the Salesforce Genie technology that integrates through the Marketing Cloud is invaluable to revenue growth. Accordingly, “[this is] a new, hyperscale real-time data platform that turns data into customer magic, delivering seamless, personalized experiences across sales, service, marketing, and commerce in real time.” Henceforth businesses can scale growth in tactical outreach this specific module integration underpins through the Genie technology. The outcome is better customer outreach and stakeholder experiences powered through AI.

Ramping up e-commerce operations using Salesforce Commerce Cloud development

 

Evidently then, the profit opportunities using Salesforce Commerce Cloud are sizeable. Besides building sales offerings across multiple channels, the platform creates more opportunities for lead generation, customer engagement, and conversions. In time, businesses deploy more sophisticated sales tactics using the cutting edge e-commerce Salesforce AI, algorithmic, and integrated technologies. So, we’ll now cover the specific strategic considerations businesses can use when they are designing their Salesforce Commerce Cloud development. Overall, these development strategies can help make agile and innovate e-commerce customer experiences in order to drive revenue. Following this, businesses can scale their operations to target longer-term growth.

Key revenue strategy components to include in a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development

 

Review value proposition for product or service

 

All businesses are offering a unique value proposition to effectively generate leads and close sales. Accordingly businesses need to consider how this can be embedded in a Salesforce e-commerce development. As a result they can be certain their development choices properly address their macro business strategy.

Evaluate existing effective revenue areas

 

As much as businesses need to leverage Salesforce Commerce Cloud for their revenue weaknesses, they must avoid undermining effective channels. For example, businesses might already have a highly engaged web customer base. Concurrently, they may not be using an e-commerce app. Subsequently, the objective should be scaling the web store while engaging customers on a new app channel.

Assess sales productivity against staffing

 

Alongside revenue areas is seeing how active and passive staff contributions are affecting this. Although e-commerce customers may already be engaging consistently, there may be some dispatch and logistics issues undermining sales. Correspondingly situations like this show how the Salesforce UI can possibly overcome these on the operational side. For instance, developers can help businesses make order data more visible to staff then map revenue output against this. As a result businesses can then evaluate the profits of each channel against staff resource allocation to design growth strategies. In time this will identify if this is a staffing issue or if the system itself is delaying order processing.

Analyze customer activity to gauge profitability of all areas

 

Notwithstanding the business data, looking at customer activity helps businesses understand how customers spend. For this reason, they can compare profitable channels and then channels where revenue is limited. After that they can assess whether these are lost opportunities in the UX/UI and choose Salesforce features from there. Another key point to consider with this is that there might be a Commerce Cloud channel that suits customer needs. Because the platform is customizable, businesses can plan new features over time as revenue growth is measurably proven.

Itemize revenue leak points

 

Match this inventory analysis to the business model, services, conversions, and channels. Afterwards the Commerce Cloud components can be assigned to targeting this. In particular, the data analytics technology in Salesforce as well as the features that eliminate abandoned cuts drive revenue momentum.

Steps for working with a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development team to plan new e-commerce offerings

 

Consultation

 

Starting with a development team should always involve a preliminary discussion meeting to prepare for in-depth consultation. Following this an in-depth analysis of all business areas with the Salesforce partner team will start determining the development.

Review strategic objectives

 

At the same time as the formal consultation with Technical Architects and Consultants, businesses will review their needs and goals. Chiefly this begins establishing the Salesforce Commerce Cloud features, module integrations, and third-party integrations required.

Consider long-term scaling goals

 

Concurrently to reviewing strategic objectives, businesses should also discuss how they might use their Salesforce development further down the line. To that end they can evaluate if they want to phase their product development as they achieve strategic goals.

Development phase

 

Once businesses complete initial consultation, Salesforce developers can apply their nous, experience and market expertise to research and ideating prototypes. During this time businesses will liaise with the developers about their needs, internal analysis, and any changes to their operations.

Testing and reviewing

 

When a prototype is ready, the developers will begin testing the beta version with businesses. Then they can make changes, revise any major components, and businesses can collaboratively establish if the platform is working correctly.

Deployment

 

The final major phase is deployment and businesses preparing for this internally as well as with their customers. Prior to successfully deploying, businesses must work with their teams and ensure they can confidently provide customer support and care.

Monitoring and maintenance

 

Once deployment is complete, businesses should stay in contact with their Salesforce development team. Both monitoring the custom Salesforce Commerce Cloud development and undertaking maintenance requires developer input. Not only does this smoothly resolve any issues, but also it identifies any opportunities for scaling or adding new features.

Scaling

 

Finally development teams will also work with businesses to scale the platform over time. Whether it’s integrating new Salesforce ‘Cloud’ modules or introducing new e-commerce channels, this is how businesses maximize development investments. Because Salesforce is engineered for scaling, this process can be efficient and fast with limited business and stakeholder impact.

 

Explaining leading global e-commerce examples of Salesforce Commerce Cloud development success

 

By and large, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a module that businesses from wide-reaching industries opt for. At this point, this includes sports and home brands through to stationery and toy companies. Accordingly, in this section we’ll review three leading global businesses choosing Salesforce Commerce Cloud for their e-commerce offerings.

Three global business leaders using Salesforce Commerce Cloud development

 

1. Fisher & Paykel

 

A leading white-goods company like Fisher & Paykel brings premium appliances to a significant global market. As a result, the heritage home technology company is working towards transforming the brand into a connective luxury customer experience. Hence the company chose Salesforce Commerce Cloud and related module integrations for exceptional customer engagements that combine browsing with branding. Consequently the all-in-one Salesforce platform components enable Fisher & Paykel to personalize, polish, and perfect all customer engagement phases. With the robust CRM features, customer experience is improved as the business maintains individualized, buyer databases for after-sale care.

2. Rituals

 

The much-loved beauty company Rituals Cosmetics turned to Salesforce when they launched their brand to global customers. Furthermore, Rituals Cosmetics directly attributes their 80% growth in a year to Salesforce products including Commerce Cloud. Overall the immersive, high-quality product offering brings customers a worldly beauty experience that references myriad elements in the UI. Equally, the company utilizes Commerce Cloud marketing and customer service features alongside e-commerce to power global operations. Since 2013 Rituals has used the platform for countless new market launches. Then Salesforce Commerce Cloud effectively funnels customer traffic to web, mobile, and social media while tracking purchases and queries.

3. Philips

 

Global electronics powerhouse Philips makes Salesforce the centre of its personalization value proposition. In a word, they believe that Salesforce is the key to them staying connected with their customers. Regardless of customer volume or location, this is helping them maintain their agility and relevance in the 21st century. Furthermore integrating the customer-centric Salesforce Commerce Cloud components with Salesforce Marketing Cloud incorporates sales, marketing, logistics, and customer care. With this kind of technical solution, Philips says their products and services keep improving at the same time. Moreover, their team reports that their connectivity feeds their innovation so their team collaboration is seamless across timezones and geographies.

Conclusion

 

Thus it’s important to remember that digital innovation is a must for business in the 2020s and beyond. Nevertheless, businesses still need to remember the baseline pillars that inform their operational and strategic DNA. Rather than defer solely to the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, businesses should continually refer to all of their stakeholder touchpoints. Due to how Salesforce positions businesses to maintain their customer relationships, it’s worth focusing on connection strategies during development. For example, the unique shopping experiences the Commerce Cloud enables can be personalized further through follow-up outreach acknowledging purchases.
Significantly nurturing custom retention and relationship building in a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development should be an ongoing priority. Irrespective of the power and scope of the customer service components, customer care should still be hands-on. In turn, businesses should design a customer care framework that ensures a feeling of connection that is omnipresent. All in all, keeping engagements human, positive, and consistent with the brand voice transforms sales into a 360-degree interaction. Inarguably, Salesforce is a business tool designed to bring service standards to an unforgettable standard in every single channel. In conclusion then, businesses approaching their profit strategy with customer experience at the centre of everything can see real returns. This will apply irrespective of if it’s a standalone e-commerce transaction or preparing email newsletters.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

How do businesses work with a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development company?

 

A Salesforce partner development company offers businesses high-level services for investing in the enterprise CRM software. Then this means that businesses receive collaborative development services for customizing the Salesforce platform modules according to their needs. In order to learn more about Salesforce Commerce Cloud solutions, meet with the A3logics Development team for a custom consultation.

What are the Salesforce Commerce Cloud development phases?

 

The development phases for the Salesforce Commerce Cloud comprise:

• Consultation
• Strategic evaluation and needs planning
• Research and ideation, prototyping, and testing
• Deployment
• Monitoring and maintenance

Because the platform is customizable and scalable, businesses can opt for deploying their custom solution then sequentially scale with developers. Consequently, Salesforce ecosystem partners can deliver end-to-end development so businesses maximize their investment.

How much should businesses invest in a Salesforce Commerce Cloud development?

 

All Salesforce products are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and businesses maintain a monthly subscription to use. Therefore investing in custom platform development that professionally integrates modules along with third-party software integration statistically ensures quality outcomes. The actual investment in the software will be based on business objectives and needs. With an experienced Salesforce developer team, businesses can get the most out of the subscription including platform features.

Why is Salesforce Commerce Cloud development the leading e-commerce SaaS?

 

Salesforce is a software company established in the global business space for over 20 years. Subsequently their products are designed according to technical knowledge, innovative technology, and market expertise. In the long run, Salesforce has continually developed and deployed new modules that are integratable creating a robust product suite. Subsequently, the Salesforce Commerce Cloud incorporates the world’s number-one CRM along with extensive technologies and Salesforce module integrations. Overall this results in a powerful e-commerce platform that is highly customizable and continually introducing new, in-demand features.