Complete Guide To Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud

What is Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud?

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based, seamless eCommerce platform. It is made with the intention of achieving a single, shared objective: generating business value, opening doors, boosting sales, and automatically optimizing lead conversions. 

You can design a customized shopping experience for potential clients in various sectors. Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud is equipped with a dependable feature set and capabilities to provide outstanding e-commerce experiences and boost sales.

Therefore, the B2C platform’s Salesforce Einstein AI engine offers answers if you find it difficult to deliver communication that is smooth. Installing extensions gives you the ability to provide your consumers with a customized experience, which boosts sales and conversions.

Features of Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud

1. Forecasting with AI

With the help of Einstein AI in Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud, you can more effectively upsell and customize your purchasing experience. You can examine customer behavior, product categorization, and recommendation systems by harnessing the power of SFCC predictive AI.

It maximizes engagement with tailored product recommendations and focused marketing activities. Businesses may increase revenue and cultivate enduring relationships with customers by utilizing predictive AI.

2. In-Depth Data Analysis

Product descriptions, reviews, and blog entries that focus on quality improve an e-commerce site’s exposure in search engine results. This position increases conversion rates and organic traffic. Providing reliable and high-quality information aids in fostering positive relationships and winning the confidence of prospective clients.

Product Blueprint

Customers are empowered to choose product “Variations” on the same page thanks to Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud’s “Variation Model.”

SEO Meta Tags

You want to make sure social media sharing retrieves the appropriate product descriptions and pertinent images, and you want to give search engines high-quality content in an organized manner. By utilizing the “Meta Tag Rules” feature, you can win the game.

3. Optimal Visual Performance

The Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud’s Dynamic Image Service (DIS) is made to improve and simplify product photos for use in all channels. You may scale and provide high-resolution images across various devices and browsers by utilizing the DIS feature.

The most notable function of DIS is its ability to optimize SEO performance through image cropping, resizing, and format conversion.

4. Effortless Sales Discovery

It is pointless to launch new products until consumers are unable to locate them through the channels of their choice. A number of dependable features in Salesforce Commerce Cloud with power of B2C enable you to maximize your search results.

Improve search results by adding features like compound terms, synonyms, and hypernyms to help clients find what they’re looking for more quickly.

5. Promote and prosper

Promotions are effective strategies to draw in new business, increase revenue, and keep existing clients. Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud offers a variety of promotions (gifts, free shipping, coupons, discounts, and so on) to meet the needs of businesses.

6. Efficient Content Publishing

Pushing specified data or code from a source (staging) to a target instance (development and production) is possible with replication. You can manage the search, set up promotions, and produce content in the staging instance. On the other hand, you can access real client websites with development or production instances.

9 Key Steps for Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Implementation

Step 1: Creating a Storefront

In Business Manager, configure a new site and upload the cartridges required for the storefront and integrations. 

Administrator ->Sites-> Manage Sites -> New Site.

Step 2: Code Versioning and Compatibility

Make a new code version, upload the necessary cartridges, and select the proper compatibility mode. 

Administrator ->Sites-> Manage Sites -> New Administration -> Code Deployment -> Create a new code version.

Step 3: Organizing the Catalog

For smooth integration, set up product catalogs and inventory lists and assign them to the desired site.

BM -> Merchant Tools -> products and catalogs -> catalogs

Step 4: Configuring Inventory

To use the inventory list on your website, click its “edit” button. Then, go to “site assignments,” choose the website, and hit “apply.”

BM -> merchant tools -> products and catalogs -> inventory 

Step 5: Setting Up Price Books and Locales

Set up pricing books and localities to accommodate several sites and currencies.

BM -> merchant tools -> products and catalogs -> price books

Step 6: Defining Shipping Methods

Give precise instructions for shipping and tax rates so that they can be applied and calculated correctly at checkout.

BM -> merchant tools -> ordering -> shipping methods -> new shipping method

Step 7: Configuring Tax Tables

Select “new” and enter the required data.

BM -> merchant tools -> ordering -> Taxation settings -> tax jurisdiction

Step 8: Establishing Payment Methods

Set up payment processors and mechanisms to ensure safe and effective transactions.

BM -> merchant tools -> ordering -> payment methods

Step 9: Setting Up ECDN

For improved content distribution, set up zones, hostnames, aliases, and SSL certificates.

Go to Merchant Tools > SEO > Aliases > Administrator > ECDN Setting

Overcoming Top Challenges in B2C Commerce Cloud Implementation

Data Migration Issues

The process of importing current data from several sources into the Salesforce platform is referred to as data migration. This work can be quite complex, particularly if the organization has a lot of data or if the data is spread across various systems and formats.

Before converting to B2C Salesforce, a business may have to deal with the challenge of moving all of its customer data—which may include spreadsheets, old databases, and other software—while maintaining accuracy and consistency. 

For instance, there might be duplicate records, missing data, or data that doesn’t fit into Salesforce’s predefined fields.

Security Concerns

Implementing B2C Commerce Salesforce raises security and compliance issues because companies handle sensitive client data and have to abide by data protection laws.

While a banking company may need to deal with GDPR in Europe, a healthcare organization using Salesforce must adhere to HIPAA standards in the US to protect patient information.

Training and Adoption

Other important aspects of implementing B2C Salesforce are getting your team on board and ensuring adequate platform acceptance. It can be difficult to train staff members to utilize Salesforce efficiently and adapt to the new procedures, but a Salesforce B2C commerce developer can do that easily.

It is critical to take into account the variety of learning styles and skill levels present in your organization. While some workers might be tech-savvy and adjust quickly, others might need more time and assistance. 

Organizations can offer a range of training choices, including online tutorials, in-person workshops, and one-on-one coaching sessions, to solve this difficulty. Businesses may optimize the advantages of implementing Salesforce and boost user adoption by customizing the training to meet the demands of each individual.

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Functionality

Product Catalog Management

Product information must be organized and presented effectively, which requires product catalog management. It entails putting together thorough product catalogs that include pictures, descriptions, and technical details. 

Search and filtering options are improved by advanced features like product attributes and hierarchies. While maintaining product versions and alternatives satisfies a range of client needs, integrating product data with other systems guarantees consistency.

Marketing and Promotions

Promotions and marketing are essential for increasing sales. Through segmentation, this functionality enables the creation of attractive promos and discounts, targeted marketing campaigns, and customized offerings. 

The secret to maximizing marketing efforts is tracking campaign results and managing promo codes effectively.

Customer Management

Building enduring relationships with customers is the main goal of customer management. Personalized experiences are made possible by building thorough consumer profiles. Marketing efficacy is increased by segmentation and targeting capabilities. 

Customers are empowered when self-service alternatives for order tracking and account management are provided, and company choices are informed by data-driven insights.

Order Management

Salesforce Commerce Cloud Order management makes the process of fulfilling orders more efficient. It’s critical to handle order status, shipping, billing, and returns effectively. Accurate stock levels are ensured by integrating with inventory management systems. 

Customers can view the order lifecycle with real-time order tracking.

Site Management

Establishing a polished and captivating virtual showroom is the goal of site management. An effective online presence requires adopting SEO, optimizing performance, and customizing website design. 

Maintaining the website’s relevance and updates is ensured by effective content management.

Why Do You Need Professionals in Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Implementation?

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud implementation is a challenging task requiring certain expertise. Although doing it yourself might seem doable, hiring experts has various benefits. Their extensive platform knowledge guarantees the best possible use of capabilities to meet corporate objectives. 

Experts shorten time-to-market and mitigate risks by expediting implementation. Professionals excel in this area, which is critical for seamless operations: integration with other systems. Their inventiveness and customization skills enable companies to develop one-of-a-kind solutions that are suited to particular requirements. 

Long-term success requires ongoing maintenance and support, which is something that specialists handle expertly. Businesses can concentrate on their core strengths while professionals tackle the platform’s complexities by leaving the deployment process to the specialists.

Key Benefits of Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud

Increased Sales and Conversion Rates (Focus on B2C goals)

Sales and conversion rates can be increased with the help of Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud. The software considerably increases the chance of purchase by creating very customized shopping experiences based on each customer’s unique interests. 

Cart abandonment is reduced by the platform’s efficient checkout procedure, which includes guest checkout, a variety of payment alternatives, and unambiguous purchase summaries. Driving sales requires strong search functionality, aesthetically pleasing merchandising, and efficient product classification. 

Businesses may optimize search results, product placement, and overall site design with the help of this platform. The average order value is also raised by clever product recommendations like upselling and cross-selling. Strategically placed discounts and promotions draw in new clients and promote repeat business.

Improved Customer Experience

Delivering an exceptional customer experience is critical to building brand loyalty and encouraging repeat business. Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud uses a unified commerce strategy to provide consistent experiences for customers across many channels. 

The platform’s capacity to tailor offers, information, and product recommendations according to user preferences makes for a really interesting purchasing experience. Self-service alternatives empower customers and cut support costs for firms offering order management, refunds, and inquiry choices. 

In today’s digital world, a mobile experience that is both responsive and easy to use is crucial, and the platform does a great job of providing that. Effective problem solving and improved customer satisfaction are guaranteed by seamless connection with customer care systems.

Omnichannel Commerce (Selling across multiple channels)

A smooth omnichannel shopping experience is made possible by Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud, which allows companies to sell through various channels while keeping a single customer view. 

Convenient options like in-store pickup and delivery help businesses increase sales and improve customer satisfaction. Buy Online, Return In-Store (BORIS) rules streamline the returns procedure, enhance the entire purchasing experience, and promote repeat business. 

Order fulfillment is maximized, and stockouts are avoided when real-time inventory visibility is available across all channels. Errors are decreased and operations are streamlined with centralized order management. 

A thorough customer profile is created by the platform’s capacity to combine client data from several channels, enabling targeted marketing and customer support.

Scalability and Flexibility

Businesses’ commerce platforms need to change as they expand and develop. Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud provides performance without sacrificing scalability, allowing it to manage growing traffic and sales volumes. 

Thanks to customization and configuration possibilities, the platform’s versatility enables organizations to quickly adapt to shifting market conditions and business requirements. Global expansion is facilitated by support for numerous currencies, languages, and payment methods. 

Business processes are optimized due to the fact that there is smooth interaction with other systems, like marketing automation platforms, CRM, or ERP.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

All things considered, Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud reduces the total cost of ownership. Since this is a cloud-based solution, there are no installations to be done in terms of hardware and software at a customer’s location, which brings down the IT infrastructure cost.

It reduces the time to revenue and development expenses by fast-tracking the release of new features and products to the market. Automation boosts productivity by reducing errors and manual labor in several corporate activities.

The ability to scale resources up or down in line with demand eliminates the costly overprovisioning of resources. Further cost savings are provided by the reduction of custom development requirements through an exhaustive list of out-of-box capabilities.

Some Interesting Facts about Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud

By 2026, it will have risen to $8.3 trillion, with the share of B2C sales remaining quite significant.

Top brands like Amazon, L’Oréal, Guess, and ECCO have implemented Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud to deliver incredible online experiences and grow sales.

Across a broad range of industries, businesses are reporting noticeable increases in site speed, conversion rates, and customer happiness with B2C Commerce Cloud.

According to the Oberlo survey, in 2023, 80 million more suspected buyers were found than were reported in 2022—up 3.1% from the previous year.

At this rate of increase, online buyers are expected to turn up to be 2.77 billion and 2.71 billion by 2025 and 2024, respectively.

According to a GlobalData 2023 analysis, the growth rate for the B2C e-commerce market would be about 9.1 percent from 2022 to 2026 and is forecasted to reach an estimated $6.5 trillion.

In 2023, online payment services for business-to-consumer e-commerce were touted as one of the biggest contributors to overall sales in the industry. According to analysts, the segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 10 percent. It is, therefore, seen touching Rs 7,891.6 billion in market value by 2026.

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Pricing

When choosing Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud, pricing is essential for maximizing income, improving storefront experience, and optimizing customer experience. You can select the best plan that satisfies both your financial requirements and your business needs. You have three options to choose from:

B2C Commerce – Starter: It helps create an AI-driven consumer experience with templates and storefronts accordingly. It also has multiple sites and price books. It charges 1% gross merchandise value and is billed annually. 

B2C Commerce – Growth: It helps create an AI-driven consumer experience with templates and storefronts accordingly. It also has multiple sites and price books. It charges 2% gross merchandise value and is billed annually.

B2C Commerce – Plus: It offers a complete commerce experience leveraged by data and AI that is connected with your business. It charges 3% gross merchandise value and is billed annually.

Commerce Cloud B2C Premium: It offers a complete commerce experience leveraged by data and AI that is connected with your business. To find out its price, you’ll have to read our comprehensive Salesforce pricing plan guide.

Industries and Companies Using B2C Commerce Cloud

Cosmetic Industry

The well-known company L’Oreal uses B2C Commerce Cloud to provide Einstein AI suggestions. This aids companies in providing their clients with a remarkable virtual shop experience. Make sure you increase sales by 15% to 20%.

Sports Industry

In an effort to enhance storefront reference architecture, the company that maximizes organic traffic has given Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud a try. After that, mobile websites now load images in less than two seconds and roll over 69% faster than they did previously. In addition to this, their website loads faster and displays results to users in less than three seconds.

Clothing Industry 

I suppose the well-known apparel company wants to increase its web traffic. Their in-house e-commerce stores were therefore moved from 48 countries to Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud. They have seen an abrupt increase in website loading times of 72% and conversion rates of 60% as a result of this single action.

Retail Industry 

With 304000 active employees, Costco Wholesale Corporation uses SFCC to generate $226.95 billion by giving potential customers an outstanding storefront experience. You recited our actual client success story out loud.

Insurance Industry 

The US insurance company Humana Inc. leverages Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud to generate $92.87 billion in revenue. 

How Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Stimulates Business Growth?

1. Data-Driven Marketing

Businesses may use Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud to make data-driven decisions that drive expansion. Marketers can obtain important insights into consumer preferences, purchasing trends, and overall shopping experiences by utilizing customer data and behavior analytics. 

Developing targeted marketing efforts, refining product assortments, and customizing client interactions all depend on this data. Businesses are better equipped to manage marketing budgets, track campaign results, and optimize their strategies for optimal effect when they have a thorough grasp of their target demographic.

2. Improved Customer Experience

Providing outstanding client experiences is a fundamental component of business expansion. Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud makes this easier by giving users the resources they need to design unique and interesting buying experiences. 

The platform helps companies develop long-lasting relationships with their customers by offering individualized product recommendations, customized content, and promotions. Providing a smooth omnichannel experience guarantees consistent interactions between many touchpoints. 

Furthermore, the platform’s emphasis on customer support and service enables companies to quickly address problems, increasing client happiness and loyalty. Positive client experiences encourage recommendations, recurring business, and general brand advocacy.

3. Boosted Sales and Conversions

The goal of Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud is to increase revenue. Businesses may improve the customer journey and boost conversion rates by offering a platform for optimal product merchandising, search functionality, and checkout procedures. 

Increased average order values are a result of the platform’s AI-powered capabilities, which also provide intelligent product recommendations, upselling, and cross-selling opportunities. Businesses can encourage recurring business and draw in new clients with focused promotions and discounts. 

These components, along with data-driven insights, allow firms to maximize sales tactics and achieve long-term growth.

4. Improved Operational Efficiency

Operational simplification is necessary for company expansion. A variety of tools are available in Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud to improve productivity. Capabilities for inventory management minimize costs and increase customer satisfaction by optimizing stock levels and preventing stockouts. 

Order management tools expedite the fulfillment process, cutting down on mistakes and speeding up delivery. A unified view of client data is created via the platform’s integration with other systems, including ERP and CRM, which makes operations more efficient. 

Businesses can concentrate on key goals and spur growth by using Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud, which automates repetitive operations and offers real-time information.

5. Increased Agility and Innovation

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud offers a scalable and adaptable platform to support these attributes. By making adjustments to their online store, businesses may swiftly respond to shifts in the market, client preferences, and competition challenges. 

Businesses may collaborate with creative companies and take advantage of developing technology thanks to the platform’s integration possibilities. 

Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud gives companies the ability to constantly innovate and develop, which helps them stay ahead of the curve and achieve long-term success.

Why Hire a Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Implementation Partner?

1. Deep B2C Commerce Expertise

Partners are seasoned experts who are well-versed in the capabilities of the platform. Choosing SFCC implementation partners over employing a person has a significant impact. 

They have the technical know-how and make the most of their abilities to design and provide business-oriented solutions that meet your specific needs.

2. Optimize Sales Process

It’s possible that your CRM needs more apps in order to increase productivity and efficiency in your company. What therefore makes selecting a B2C & B2B SFCC implementation partner superior? 

They can assist you in streamlining your sales process by combining it with additional Salesforce applications, including Service Cloud or Sales Cloud. Throughout the sales process, this connectivity provides improved customer experiences, more cooperation, and smooth data flow.

3. Strategic Guidance

By putting B2C Commerce Cloud into practice, you may assess and pinpoint your current procedures and tactics. 

The appropriate partner can evaluate your current processes, deal with the difficulties, spot potential for mistakes, and suggest creative alternatives that support corporate goals. 

In addition, we’ll assist you in streamlining and improving your operations to boost sales and advance your company’s success.

4. Customer-Centric Approach

When working with the appropriate Salesforce consulting partner, to get guide on implementation, it’s imperative to put yourself in the customer’s position and provide them with the individualized and customized solutions they demand. 

They can collaborate closely with you to comprehend fundamental details like your target audience, requirements, preferences, and obstacles. With this knowledge, partners can create and execute solutions that satisfy your company’s needs.

5. Effortless Updates and Maintenance

Salesforce is a quickly developing technology that adds new features and upgrades to improve the operation of the platform. It can be difficult to stay up to date with the latest release. 

However, you may anticipate a smooth update procedure that reduces any possible disruptions to your operation if you deal with the proper partner.

6. Data-Driven Risk Management

Partners can help you derive insightful conclusions from your data by making state-of-the-art analytics technologies available to you.

They can spot trends, foresee dangers, and offer data-driven suggestions to reduce possible problems by examining customer behavior, sales patterns, and other indicators. This proactive strategy aids in decision-making and efficient risk reduction.

7. Faster Time to Market

You can help accelerate the pace of the B2C Commerce Cloud solution to implementation and get it running with the help of a partner.

Since they are familiar with the platform, they can speed up the process of implementation. It saves time and provides smoothness in transition, therefore enabling them to go to market faster.

How Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud Drives Business Expansion?

Leveraging its robust functionality, integrations, and AI-driven insights, Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud helps companies succeed within this dynamic environment for digital commerce, to maximize revenues and customer experiences.

Some of the other benefits of Commerce Cloud include improved consumer satisfaction, maximized conversions, and search engine optimization of storefronts. Be it a small or large business, use Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud to raise your online business to new heights. If you are B2B business then Salesforce B2B Commerce cloud is just for you.

Conclusion

By administering the popular Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud, organizations can sell in a way that benefits the customers in a 360 way. You can also contact Salesforce B2C Commerce developers to learn how to smoothen the process of order fulfillment, share bespoke online shopping experiences, and derive insightful data about their behaviors. You can also use the platform to its full potential.

FAQs