10 Most Common Questions About Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Despite the pandemic drawing to an end, the digital requirement to facilitate online selling and buying experience continues to be the norm. And why?  Primarily because consumers today have changed the way they shop. Shoppers fluidly indulge in searching, comparing, and making purchases online, the technology innovation has enhanced the buyer’s journey by enabling digital touchpoints with the brands of their choice. And secondly, the retailers can expand their businesses and connect directly to their target audience, the direct-to-customer brands have disrupted the retail infrastructure with their digital-first approaches to create loyal customers.  

It is estimated that in the next five years, 81% of consumers plan to shop for direct-to-consumer brands. While another data revealed that “In 2021 over 2.14 billion people are expected to buy goods and services online, and in 2023 digital sales are projected to reach 22% of all retail sales worldwide”. Considering the eCommerce industry is poised for a major growth spurt, more and more businesses are leaning toward the services of successful eCommerce platforms like Salesforce Cloud commerce to respond to the ever-evolving requirements of the industry by helping them smoothen the process of selling their merchandise online.  

A sophisticated eCommerce platform like Salesforce Commerce makes the buying process easier for your customers, prevents system failures, and helps you resolve technical issues. Since customer-centric relationships are at the core of many businesses today, this software proves to be an optimal tool for providing the right services aligned to the customer’s requirements. This further helps free up your time to focus on improving your sales process and boosting revenue.

Also read: Pros and Cons: Shopify versus Salesforce Commerce Cloud   

Deep Dive into Salesforce Commerce Cloud   

The Salesforce Commerce Cloud (or SFCC for short!) previously called Demandware is a cloud-based multi-tenant CRM platform. It is the world’s leading commerce solution provider. It is currently delivering services to over 150,000 businesses globally. SFCC is designed to facilitate the connection between business and customers by unifying experiences across all channels. According to a Statista report, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is the fastest-growing CRM software in the category of enterprise software. It is expected to amount to 670 billion in the year 2022.  

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a robust platform that offers a host of out-of-the-box features for both B2B and B2C commerce separately. Salesforce commerce owns two independent cloud-based platforms to provide solutions for both these forms of eCommerce. In 2016, Salesforce acquired ‘Demandware’ to operate its solutions for B2C commerce, and ‘Cloudcraze’ to function for B2B commerce. Both these platforms effectively help deliver excellent performance in terms of customer service as well as effectively managing eCommerce businesses. This cloud-based commerce platform with its various features and ease-of-use tools, coupled with commerce portals aids in the growth of your online business.  

Moreover, SFCC is a part of Salesforce Digital 360, a platform that enables you to sell and engage with your audience across multiple channels. With it, you can streamline purchasing processes, create more personalized buying experiences, as well as mobile-friendly shopping experiences. 

SFCC offers the best solutions for your online businesses. Both Salesforce B2C and B2B commerce comes with a customizable interface, efficient product and order management system, payment gateways, an advanced AI technology, the Einstien A.I. which provides insights into customer behavior, personalized product recommendations, and automated search and category pages based on commerce insights.  

The platform may still appear to be a bit confusing for those who are new to Salesforce commerce cloud (SFCC). In this series of our blog articles, we have attempted to answer 10 of the most commonly asked questions about SFCC. The following information may assist you in gaining a better understanding of the Salesforce commerce cloud.     

Answers to 10 of the most common questions about Salesforce Commerce cloud  

 Question #1: What is the Salesforce Commerce Cloud? 

As already mentioned above, the Salesforce Commerce Cloud is currently the world’s leading B2C and B2B commerce solution provider. According to some numbers provided by backlinko.com, 

• Salesforce generated $21.25 billion in the 2021 fiscal year. 
• Salesforce has a 19.8% share of the CRM market. More than its 4 leading competitors combined. 
• Over 56,606 employees work in Salesforce. 
• Salesforce generates total annual revenue of $21.25 billion. Revenue has increased by 24.27% over the previous fiscal year.

The Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a powerful cloud-based CRM platform with intelligent Einstien A.I. technology. This multi-tenant platform enables eCommerce businesses to unify all buying experiences of the consumer across multiple channels like the mobile, store, social media platforms, and the web.    

Question #2: How does the Salesforce Commerce cloud work? 

The Salesforce Commerce Cloud assists brands to launch their business faster, aids in their growth, and helps to reach more customers. The platform’s technology enables businesses to leverage the benefits of the cloud, which in turn helps in creating innovative experiences for the customers that drive conversions and inspire loyalty towards the brands. Additionally, SFCC’s next-generation artificial intelligence enables 1-to-1 personalization for the consumer without always taking assistance from data scientists. Salesforce Commerce is known for its robust technology ecosystem and a team of industry experts who ensure your success all the way from planning to launch and even beyond. 

In a nutshell, the SFCC is a platform that enables businesses to manage their sales and marketing teams. It allows companies to centrally manage their sales funnel, sales data, and marketing efforts. The cloud also gives businesses the ability to scale their operations as needed. 

Question #3: Who can use Salesforce Commerce Cloud? 

Though primarily commerce executives invest in Salesforce Commerce, the platform can benefit anyone looking to grow their business through digital channels. In addition, SFCC is also popular with people responsible for managing the store and customer experiences across the brand.  

By far the most common industry to invest in the services of the Commerce Cloud platform is the retail industry, which is comprised of 60.2%. Other companies include the names of luxury fashion houses like the Acne Studios and fashion companies like Aritzia, and also, the British retailer Asda.  

The consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) industry which includes brands like L’Oreal, French Luxury Louis Vuitton, and cosmetics companies like the Urban Decay makes up 24.1%.   

Question #4: What is included in the Commerce cloud platform? 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud has the most popular configuration tools for end-to-end and integrated commerce that enterprises require. Marketing, content, merchandising, and launch campaigns are all made easier with it. The platform’s sophisticated Einstein AI engine allows for customised results based on the needs of the user. It includes a variety of features that can help shoppers have better buying experiences across various platforms. Additionally, Salesforce B2C Commerce and Salesforce B2B Commerce are two separate product lines offered by SFCC.

Question #5: What is B2C commerce in Salesforce? 

Salesforce B2C Commerce is leading the industry in providing cloud-based commerce solutions for transforming B2B shopping across all digital channels. It was recently named a leader in Forrester Report’s B2C Commerce Suites Q2 2020 report for having the highest rank in A.I. and machine learning requirements. Salesforce B2B Commerce is currently used by thousands of websites spread across 50 countries. 

The Demandware software services were transformed to Salesforce B2B Commerce to cater to B2B commerce requirements. It provides a host of capabilities, including content, marketing, promotions, merchandising,  customer service, fulfillment, and artificial intelligence. With SFCC solutions for B2B commerce, customers can learn about products and services through multiple channels and create self-service storefronts. Salesforce B2C Commerce also provides an open environment for development and a unique mobile-first structure that can be easily customized. 

Question #6: How different is Salesforce B2B commerce from B2C? 

The Salesforce B2b Commerce and salesforce B2c commerce platforms offer features and services independent of each other. While Salesforce B2C caters to business-to-consumer services, Salesforce B2B offers services to business-to-business commerce. 

The acquisition of CloudCraze in 2016 came to be known as Salesforce Cloud commerce for B2B services, while the addition of Demandware software services is optimized for B2C commerce.  These two are entirely different projects with the same name and purpose- which is to help businesses optimize their retail operations and engage customers through automation and personalization. However, their functions and services are independent of each other and so are their features. 

SFCC B2B commerce has a relatively small number of customers compared to B2C. That is because business buyers already know what products they want to invest in. With a small group of buyers from enterprises Salesforce B2B commerce takes a more personalized approach – their services include reviewing past purchase histories, saving credit cards for future purchases, etc. The Salesforce B2B commerce assists businesses in making product purchases in large amounts through digital channels. Moreover, the platform, with its quick reorder functionality, makes it easy for frequent product orderings. It also enables businesses to scale more quickly as they grow. 

SFCC assists brands in effectively responding to the complexities of the online purchasing needs of a business buyer. A report by Forrester Research also named Salesforce B2B Commerce Cloud a leader in its B2B Commerce Suites Q2 2020 report.  

Salesforce B2B simplifies the user experience for B2B customers as well as generates faster revenues for brands. The platform through its integration of CRM and commerce data allows brands a unified view of their customers.  

Question #7: How does Salesforce Commerce unify customer experience? 

Salesforce Commerce Cloud successfully merges full customer experiences spread across all digital touchpoints. This results in enabling a unified view of customer activities, products, marketing, and managing inventory. By integrating all online and offline channels, SFCC enables brands to deliver a seamless customer journey from discovery to delivery.   

Question #8: What tools does Salesforce Commerce have that help the retailers connect with their customers? 

Marketing, merchandising, content, promotions, customer care, fulfilment, and predictive analytics are just a few of the digital channels where Salesforce Commerce Clouds may be leveraged to engage and convert customers. From buy buttons to branded mobile applications, endless aisles to clienteling applications, retailers can effortlessly adapt or extend commerce anywhere.

Question #9: How does the Salesforce commerce Cloud create personalized experiences on websites? 

The Salesforce Commerce Cloud is the only commerce platform with an advanced A.I. solution. The platform’s Einstein A.I. system incorporates next-generation artificial intelligence into its structure. The Einstein A.I. helps brands deliver more personalized and improved buying experiences for consumers across various digital channels without requiring help from any data scientist. With SFCC you can recommend products to your customers at every touchpoint, generate real-time one-to-one predictions for every buyer, boost conversions based on data-driven commerce insights as well as automate merchandising. 

Question #10: How much will the services of Salesforce Commerce cost me? 

The Pricing for the services of Salesforce Commerce is based on customer needs. The platform’s sales team discusses and tailors a package that fits within the range of the client’s budget regardless of the business size and industry and also that meets the client’s requirements. 

Bottom Line 

While investing in the right platform that meets your up-and-coming business requirements continues to be a challenge. The above information might help you have a clear understanding of how Salesforce Commerce cloud is helping eCommerce businesses globally.

Salesforce Commerce continues to make its presence felt. In a market research report by psmarketresearch.com, “The global salesforce services market generated a revenue of $9,124.2 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $55,307.6 million by 2030, progressing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.9% during the forecast period (2020–2030).” The platform with its out-of-box features, A.I. generated tools, and analytics serves to streamline the buying and selling experience. The transformation provided by the platform has allowed brands to not only connect with consumers but also provide curated content and products based on preferences. 

So why wait? Get in touch with our experts at Webuters, today! where we can assist you in understanding the best possible way to leverage Salesforce commerce for your business.  

Make your brand presence felt and skyrocket your online business with Salesforce Cloud Commerce.