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Hidden Gems That Give You Greater Power on Your Salesforce B2B eCommerce Platform

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lee carl
Hidden Gems That Give You Greater Power on Your Salesforce B2B eCommerce Platform

Salesforce has traditionally been a B2B ecommerce platform. As a result, it has always offered conventional B2B features to its clients.

B2B differs from B2C deliverables in a number of aspects. If we do a basic B2C and B2B ecommerce platform comparison, we will find wide differences in functions and tools.

These differences arise from the fundamental distinctions in how B2B and B2C markets operate.

For example:

  • B2B purchases are based more on logic and standardized processes, while B2C are emotionally driven.

  • B2C focuses greatly on brands and gratification, while B2B is more about long-term benefits and relationships.

  • B2B processes have a high requirement for details and in-depth analysis, while B2C customers look for a simplified process.

  • B2B’s target demographic is much more niched than B2C.

That is why, when Salesforce wanted to foray into the B2C market, it found it easier to acquire a company that worked in the B2C sector than developing their own solution from scratch.

However, over the years, Salesforce has shown a growing tendency for cross-adoption of solutions and techniques from B2C operational methodologies to its B2B offerings.

While the Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud still remains separate from the B2C Commerce Cloud, quite a few new features strongly remind us of B2C ideologies.

But a large chunk of the conservative B2B crowd is still too hesitant to use these advantageous B2B ecommerce platform features.

However, what they do not realize is that these functionalities can greatly help streamline their operations, especially once they have gotten used to the Salesforce B2B commerce platform.

Sure, they might need to refer to the Salesforce B2B Commerce help and resource centers frequently in the beginning.

But with time, they would learn to utilize these features to their full advantage.

Hidden Salesforce Features of the B2B Ecommerce Platform Worth Knowing About

Salesforce is definitely one of the top B2B ecommerce solutions in the market, with extensive documentation and resources.

However, it too has a few features that are often overlooked due to a variety of reasons, one of these often being their B2C tinge.

Here is how you can use them to make your B2B ecommerce development easier and faster.

1) SalesForce Sites

Previously, if you wanted to give the general public access to any business information about your organization,

you would have to create a website from scratch, from buying server space to creating the API integrations, to display the required information. But Salesforce sites cut down the process manifold.

2) Analytics Snapshots

Analytics Snapshots can be thought of as a technique of creating reports from historical data that is recorded based on a schedule.

It allows you to record data from a source report in tabular or summary form onto matching fields in a custom object.

These fields would then be mapped onto a target object based on a set schedule.

3) Salesforce Omnichannel

Salesforce omnichannel B2B commerce operations have slightly different connotations from the B2C, meaning those we are accustomed to.

Salesforce Omnichannel is an automation tool that streamlines the process of task delegation within your organization.

4) Auto-response Rules

One tendency of many B2B managers is to manually create responses to every action by the lead or client in an attempt to highly tailor the experience.

After all, personalized client relationships are an extremely crucial B2B ecommerce strategy for success.

5) Big Deal Alerts

This is another automation tool in Salesforce B2B Commerce solutions.

Big Deal Alerts allows you to set up email notifications for specific Opportunities to be sent to relevant users selected by you when the Opportunity reaches a certain threshold amount and probability, also set by you.

It can be difficult to keep track of each Opportunity and their state at all times.

6) Dynamic Forms

Dynamic Forms, although a Non-GA Preview feature, is still quite revolutionary and useful.

It is the next generation of page layouts, allowing criteria-based customization and configuration.

It allows you to modify blocks and fields on the Lightning record page using the App Builder itself.

When you work with record pages, it can get difficult to handle if all sections and fields, either necessary or not in the current context, are displayed.

7) In-App Guidance Builder

The In-App Guidance Builder allows you to achieve granularity in the onboarding and training process of users.

The Builder allows you to completely customize the process and engage with the user in a personalized manner based on their action or lack thereof.

You can place prompts and create sequences to hand-hold your users through the Salesforce B2B commerce implementing process.

8) Einstein Reply Recommendations

Einstein was Salesforce’s reply to AI and Einstein Reply Recommendations that harnesses the power of AI and natural language processing as much as you can expect.

It is still in the pilot stage and offered in a highly selective manner, but those who do have it should use it to their full advantage.

It aims to make the job of live chat agents easier and smoother.

9) Einstein Content Selection and Copy Insights

These two features are useful in the creation of engaging and tailored messages for clients.

The first feature helps create messages containing those assets that will appeal to the customer.

The recommendations are made based on previous behavior and actions of the client.

The latter also has a similar function, but for textual content.

10) Divisions

Large organizations with massive amounts of data can benefit from this feature the most.

Divisions is one of the most underrated and underused features of Salesforce.

Divisions are useful in classifying records, accounts, or any other data into sections using logical labels.

It makes the process of data extraction, report preparation, list view layouts, and a lot of other processes and elements far easier.

11) Content Delivery

Content deliveries provide a secure method of sharing documents with people while keeping track of their actions and controlling their access to it.

In simple words, you can create an optimized web page out of any Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, or Adobe PDF file that you want to share.

12) Quick Start Commerce Solutions

Quick Start Commerce Solutions are the newest offerings from Salesforce. All these are targeted towards businesses looking to set up their digital storefront quickly in the current scenario.

Quick Start Commerce has a number of solutions catering to different business models and scenarios. Of the four packages being provided, one is for the B2B sector.

13) Harnessing The Right Tools and Resources

It is quite surprising that, despite some of these tools being around for a long time or being highly publicized, people are thinking twice, thrice, or more before using them.

Using a new feature can be daunting, but Salesforce provides a robust and rich resource and support backup to help you learn.

And now, with Quick Start Solutions, there are fewer things to worry about.

And now, with Docmation, it has become even easier to Scale Up for Growth with Salesforce Commerce Cloud Quick-Start Solutions. You can explore the features and find out more about our packages here.

 

Source: Power on Your Salesforce B2B eCommerce Platform

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