Daily ArchivesDecember 10, 2021

Magento Commerce Cloud has become extremely popular the past couple of years. You may be wondering about this enterprise ecommerce platform. What benefits does it provide users? Which features have been added after being acquired by Adobe?

Let’s delve deeper into these and other Magento Commerce Cloud questions that might interest you. Keep reading to learn what Magento Cloud Commerce is, what the platform offers, and more.

What is Magento Commerce Cloud?

“Cloud” is a concept mostly used in terms of online services. Its purpose is to provide users with stable and safe online hosting services, whether you want to store documents, images, or some other types of files such as websites.

When it comes to online stores, we can distinguish two kinds of web hosting: on-premises and cloud.

With on-premise hosting, you can install the site on any server you’d prefer as well as maintain and control its overall infrastructure. This is a solution plenty of entrepreneurs choose because it’s safer. However, good quality often comes with a higher price, which can be an issue for those who have small and relatively new businesses.

On the other hand, with cloud hosting, you can install your site on a network of physical and virtual servers — and it will cost you less.

Magento discovered that more users, especially less technical users, needed full service solutions, which included cloud hosting too. This led to a new service they launched in 2016: Magento Commerce Cloud.

Magento Commerce Cloud is amongst the most used PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) solutions, widely recognized for its great advantages and capabilities. It’s a managed hosting platform for Magento Commerce that runs on Amazon Web Services servers.

Background on Magento’s Acquisition

In 2018, Adobe revealed their plans to acquire Magento Commerce. With Magento Commerce Cloud, Adobe added another excellent solution to their portfolio, enabling them to provide a global platform serving both B2C and B2B clients across the world.

This way, the Adobe Experience Cloud got some new features, including:

• Pre-built extensions where you can find logistics, shipping, tax, and payment.
• A chance to enable digital store and order orchestration for digital and physical items across various industries. This includes retail, the public sector, consumer packaged goods, and manufacturing too.
• A rather active community with approximately 300,000 developers that work for Magento.

What’s Been Going on With Magento The Past Few Years?

The past few years, Magento has constantly been trying to improve the quality of its services as well as provide its clients with the best end-user experience possible.

One major step included replacing Magento 1 with Magento 2. Magento 2 offers users better speed, increased SEO, and a more user-friendly platform. It also supports the latest PHP, which boosts the speed of the entire website.

Magento 1 was sunsetted in 2020, which means it’s still useable by clients, but it no longer has official support from Adobe or Magento. Solutions, such as Hostdedi Safe Harbor, provide security and threat protection to teams still using Magento 1.

Adobe Commerce vs. Magento

In 2019, Adobe revealed they were starting an Adobe ecommerce platform. The Adobe Commerce Cloud is a fully-managed service and a cloud-based variation built on the Magento platform.

It brings the enterprise solution of Magento Commerce to the next level by allowing users to integrate it with Adobe Experience Manager. It’s also entirely synchronized with Adobe’s tools such as Marketing Cloud, Advertising Cloud, and Analytics Cloud.

So, what can we say about Adobe Commerce vs. Magento then? Both of them operate with an identical model.

With this service, Adobe extended its platform by including some additional features such as dashboards that help keep track of ecommerce strategies. It also integrated with the Amazon marketplace.

This is great for direct-to-consumer brands and small and mid-sized companies because Magento merchants can now sync their ecommerce channels with Amazon storefronts. Magento itself doesn’t cover logistics, but collaboration helps sellers to leverage Amazon’s resources, data, and supply chain.

Open Source Edition vs. Magento Commerce vs. Magento Commerce Cloud

Once you decide to use Magento 2 as a base for your online store, you get to pick the edition that suits you the most — Magento Open Source, Adobe Commerce Cloud, or Commerce. Each option comes with specific features adjusted to different needs.

Magento 2 Open Source Edition

This platform is available for anyone to download, install, and maintain. You can adjust the configuration to the software in order to meet the specific requirements of your business.

Adobe Commerce

This version provides users with numerous out-of-the-box elements, together with unlimited customizing, and flawless third-party integrations. It provides features for customer support, corporate account management, and customized catalogs, with many other useful tools.

With this edition, you also get an excellent feature called “content staging.” It helps you create, preview, and schedule all your content updates from the Admin panel of your website.

Adobe Commerce Cloud Edition

This is a managed hosting platform that includes all Magento Commerce on-premise elements, together with improved cloud infrastructure hosting. In other words, users are able to code, test, and deploy to maximize the performance of their online businesses.

Strengths of Magento As An Ecommerce Platform

Magento is a well-known ecommerce platform widely used across the globe. Here are some benefits you get by using it.

It’s SEO-Friendly

Magento Enterprise Edition helps you easily optimize Magento and the content you have. One of its primary purposes is to boost your Magento SEO, which is why it will generate SEO-friendly URLs as well.

Coupled with this, when you develop your site using Magento, you build a store that’s going to be compatible across different browsers and devices. There’s also enough room to both customize and manage SEO for ecommerce if you have the advanced skills to do so.

Excellent Platform with Various Features

No matter how many orders or products you have in your online store, Magento is a very powerful platform that can both store and manage hundreds and hundreds of different products — and all while running smoothly.

If you’ve been on Magento ever since you first started with your online store, there’s no need for you to worry when the traffic grows. Magento is a scalable solution perfectly adjusted to improve the performance and development of your shop as it gets bigger.

Magento also provides numerous features such as product and inventory management. This way, you have a site that’s quite simple to organize and easy to maintain. You also have a chance to set up navigation and filters in the way to help you maximize your website’s performance.

Fast Loading

The speed of your website is definitely one of the greatest advantages of Magento 2. If your online store takes too long to load, people will leave. Fortunately, Magento will keep your load times low even though you may have a heavy load on your website.

You Can Fully Customize Your Website

You can customize everything with Magento, starting from the look and general vibe of your site to the way you decide to set the product categories. You also get to choose from a variety of language, payment, and shipment options. Magento also provides numerous plugins that will help you enhance the performance and functionality of your website.

Bottom Line

To sum up, Magento is an open source ecommerce platform for enterprise-grade online stores.

Magento Commerce Cloud is one of its services launched in 2016. It’s amongst the most popular and widely used PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) solutions and it runs on Amazon Web Services servers.

Adobe acquired Magento Commerce in 2018 which means they got a global platform where they serve both B2C and B2B clients across the world. In 2019, Adobe launched Adobe Commerce Cloud, which is a fully managed and cloud-based service built on the Magento platform.

Magento has been generally improving its offer over the past couple of years, which is best seen by Magento 1 to 2 migration. When on Magento 2, you get to choose the edition that meets your needs the best — Magento Open Source, Commerce Cloud, or Commerce. Each, of course, comes with its own unique features.

Consider Hosting With Hostdedi

Hostdedi and Magento have a long history — in fact, Magento was originally developed on Hostdedi servers.

Hostdedi offers a fully managed Magento hosting service for speed, security, and scale. It’s suitable for both small and large businesses, with different sized plans to suit your needs.

Hostdedi fully managed hosting means you’re in good hands — the entire technical part of your website is covered, enabling you to focus on the core of your business. Hostdedi also offers 24/7/365 customer and technical support for all your questions or issues.

Check out the fully managed hosting plans from Hostdedi to get started today.

Related Magento Resources

Statista shares that global retail ecommerce sales grew from $3.3 trillion in 2019 to $4.28 trillion in 2020. With online retail on the rise, it’s no longer what you’re selling that matters — it’s where you’re selling that counts.

From marketplaces like eBay and Amazon to social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, there’s no shortage of ecommerce channels for online retailers.

You need to choose the best ecommerce sales channels and complement them with a winning multichannel ecommerce strategy to succeed.

Curious about the marketing channels that drive ecommerce sales?

Read on to learn:

Multichannel Ecommerce 101

Best Channels to Market Ecommerce

Best Social Media Channels for Your Ecommerce Business

How To Choose the Best Ecommerce Sales Channels

Final Thoughts: How To Choose the Best Ecommerce Channels To Increase Sales

Multichannel Ecommerce 101

Multichannel ecommerce is the process of selling products and services across several digital sales channels. It enables online businesses to increase brand awareness and reach new customers across multiple ecommerce channels.

Selling across multiple ecommerce distribution channels diversifies risk. You don’t rely on one channel for online sales.

It helps you create a consistent shopping experience across all ecommerce channels. Potential customers can discover your products on Instagram and check reviews on Facebook before buying from your website.

Such a channel mix maximizes your reach and helps your customers decide quickly.

## Best Channels to Market Ecommerce

1. Online marketplaces.
2. Search engines.
3. Email marketing.
4. Content marketing.
5. Affiliate networks.
6. Social media.

Before we explore the factors that influence an ecommerce channel strategy, let’s look at the top marketing channels for ecommerce.

1. Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are excellent ecommerce marketing channels for lead generation and sales. You can list products and find customers without investing in a marketing strategy.

There are different kinds of online marketplaces, including:

• General marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.
• On-demand marketplaces like Zazzle and Redbubble.
• Niche marketplaces like Not On The High Street.

Most online marketplaces let you share product data directly from your online store and simplify product feed management. You don’t need to worry about manual feed management.

2. Search Engines

Search engines are the most versatile ecommerce acquisition channels. They let you target different search intents with digital marketing and drive organic traffic.

You can also employ ecommerce marketers to manage the online marketing for your ecommerce company. They’ll help you get the best return on investment from paid search channels like Google Ads and leverage free channels like Google Shopping.

3. Email Marketing

Email is a timeless marketing channel. It works across all buying stages and requires little investment. Email marketing can help reduce cart abandonment, retarget existing customers, and even drive traffic to other ecommerce channels.

Build a list with sign-up promos and offer targeted discounts to customers based on past purchases.

4. Content Marketing

Product content marketing is perfect for driving inbound traffic to your product pages. It can help you target customers in different stages of their buying journeys and guide them with their decisions.

You can use content marketing to build authority, drive traffic, and boost your website’s SEO. But unlike other marketing channels, content marketing takes longer to deliver results.

5. Affiliate Networks

Affiliate networks help you increase your online reach by displaying your products to relevant audiences across various online platforms, blogs, and publications.

You only need to sign up to an affiliate network like ShareASale or ClickBank and upload your product feeds. And each time the affiliate network generates a lead or a sale, you pay them a small commission for their marketing efforts.

6. Social Media

Pew Research found that seven in every ten Americans [use social media](https://www.nexcess.net/woocommerce-resource/social-media-marketing-ecommerce/) daily, making it one of the best marketing channels for ecommerce businesses.

Social networks can help you leverage user-generated content to build trust organically.

Best Social Media Channels for Your Ecommerce Business

When it comes to social commerce, it’s vital to know the platforms you should use.

Here are the best social media channels for ecommerce companies:

• Facebook.
• Instagram.
• Pinterest.
• Reddit.
• Twitter.
• Snapchat.
• LinkedIn.

Not all businesses are alike. Thus, it helps to plan your social media marketing strategy to suit your industry and audience.

For example, a B2B business can use a Facebook ad to target users in specific Facebook groups or geographical locations. In contrast, a B2C company may benefit from Instagram Reels to generate interest in their products using targeted hashtags.

How To Choose the Best Ecommerce Sales Channels

With so many ecommerce channels within your reach, how do you decide the right channel for your online business?

Here are six crucial factors you should consider when choosing different sales channels for ecommerce.

Consider Your Business Model

Your business model determines the success of the online marketing channels you choose.

A B2B business selling industrial machinery might see better results on a social media platform like LinkedIn. Conversely, a B2C company selling scented candles is more likely to attract followers organically on Instagram and Snapchat.

Conduct Competitor Analysis

Competitor analysis can help you identify what works for your industry and audience. It can save you a considerable amount of trial and error at the start.

You can take inspiration on pricing strategies, communication channels, and marketing platforms.

Define Your Target Audience

Detailed buyer personas help you identify who your target audience is and what appeals to them.

Ask yourself what motivates your ideal customer and what their pain points are. It can help you target sales channels that deliver the best return on your marketing investments.

Check Your Product/Market Fit

Analyzing your product/market fit can help you identify the ecommerce channels suitable for your brand.

For example, niche-specific businesses like auto accessories manufacturers will benefit from using social media platforms and communities for auto-enthusiasts. Similarly, brands selling daily-use products are likely to see better results on online marketplaces like Amazon.

Outline Your Long-Term Business Goals

It’s essential to consider your long-term business goals when choosing the best ecommerce sales channel.

If you want to transition from a niche B2B brand to a D2C brand, you might need a different approach than a business that’s scaling from B2C to D2C.

Review Your Cash Flow and Marketing Budget

If you own a bootstrapped business, it helps to focus on free and low-budget sales channels to use your marketing budget efficiently. Similarly, established businesses might benefit by using ecommerce channels that complement their cash flow.

For instance, upfront marketing fees or sales commissions might hurt a B2B business with net-30 payment terms.

So, make sure to prioritize positive cash flow and sustainable growth over short-term ecommerce sales.

Final Thoughts: How To Choose the Best Ecommerce Channels To Increase Sales

We hope our guide helps you select ecommerce channels that complement your business and help it grow. It’s important to remember that as your business grows, your online store also needs to scale with it.

Managed WooCommerce hosting by Hostdedi gives you access to hassle-free ecommerce infrastructure that can process as many as 10,000 orders per hour.

All plans come with free WooCommerce store migrations, and plan upgrades only need a few simple clicks. Want to learn more? Talk to our experts now.

Or, check out our fully managed WooCommerce hosting plans to get started today.

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