One way to get ahead of the game is to encourage your customers to shop early. Nothing beats a long window of opportunity when it comes to shipping. Campaigns, incentives, and bonuses will light the fire under the feet of gift-givers eager to put shopping behind them and to ensure their selections arrive at least on time, if not early.

Obviously pricing incentives offer enticing opportunities. Discounts, two-for-ones, reduced shipping costs, and any of the traditional ways to ease pain in the wallet are a great place to start. Using the “Black Friday” tradition – which has morphed into a multi-week or even multi-month strategy – is one way to pull in customers. Processing early orders with a clearly defined shipping date range into the future instills confidence.

The upside of 2022 is its distance from the pandemic-plagued 2020 and 2021. The downside? Pricing. Expect higher shipping rates from virtually every service, for a variety of reasons including an increase in the price of fuel. Earlier this year, FedEx bumped up package and freight rates by a whopping 5.9 percent on average.

Are you the type of e-commerce retailer who can use gig drivers? If so, consider contacting Uber or Lyft and ask about competitive pricing. Especially great for last-minute or later purchases, they offer customized delivery without the red tape of larger shipping companies and, especially, the Post Office. It’s important to begin this partnership as soon as possible to reserve services as well as calculate a cost-savings assessment. Conventional mail through USPS and/or FedEx and UPS are probably a default shipping method, but for purchases that may be more suitable for these up-and-coming services. Note that the ecommerce giant Amazon increasingly relies on private carriers, with great success.

Need a few reminders and ideas for a hassle-free season? Listen up:

• Team up with brick-and-mortar retail joints, paying them a negotiated fee to utilize their curbside pickup services. Again, the key here is to set up an agreement immediately. If it’s a winner, consider a year-round pairing for particular shipments.
  
  
• Though physical goods are your bread and butter, think about playing up the gift card angle. They ship via USPS as regular mail with very few delays.
  
  
• Stock up on shipping supplies (more than you think you’ll need, for obvious reasons).
  
  
• Set up order tracking to work reliably, offering specific instructions that are easy to follow, including hyperlinked tracking numbers.
  
  
• Solidify a workable refund policy, as shipping applies to returns and exchanges after the initial purchase.

S&P Global predicted that 2022 ecommerce trends would steer toward a more comprehensive digital outreach. So far, the predictions are mostly true. Let’s take a look at some of the many ecommerce trends in furniture that have succeeded in the past year.

1. 3D and AR Product VisualizationWithout stepping foot in a brick and more store, consumers needed a better way to view furniture and home decor. Images of a sofa from multiple angles demonstrate the overall style, but it only goes so far. Consumers need help to visualize furniture – especially larger pieces – in their personal space to capture how it works in an interior setting. It offers a more accurate representation, which gives consumers more confidence to make an online order.
 
Luckily, one of the growing ecommerce trends in furniture retail is 3D and AR (augmented reality) visualization. This helpful visualization also does double-duty with product customization and tailored preferences. Seeing a furniture piece at its correct dimensions to scale within a space and in a preferred fabric or finish is a lot more useful than even visiting a showroom. You can experience it instantly and it makes shopping online a lot more fun!
 
According to some statistics, 61% or consumers prefer to shop at ecommerce furniture stores that offer AR, and 40% are willing to pay a bit more for the convenience.

2. Site Search OptimizationHaving a well-optimized website is something all businesses need to draw in customers. At Cennos, we offer search engine optimization that includes alluring romance copy and long-tail keywords for all your decor and furniture products – and that’s a great start!
 
However, additional site search-related optimization with the help of AI can help customers find precisely what they’re hunting. Automated spelling corrections and autosuggestions can assist buyers discover the right words and descriptions they may not even realize they need to hone in on the perfect piece of furniture or decor. This is why site search bars and site organization is just as important in making online sales.

3. SMS MarketingText messaging offers customers a more personable and direct notification of furniture sales and other updates. Instead of them glazing over the countless ads, customers can sign up for direct SMS to be notified of last-minute flash sales and when their order has shipped or has even arrived at their door.
 
The best part is that this ecommerce trend has been proven to work better than other social media channels and other marketing tactics. With lots of advantages, SMS might be here to stay. Customers provide their direct consent, opting in and out with the push of a button, making it much more straightforward for furniture suppliers and brands to avoid regulations that are often tricky to navigate and stay on top of.

4. Easier Payment OptionsAnother trend in ecommerce is making payments easier. From seamless checkouts to a “Buy now, Pay Later” system, consumers will hit that purchase button when it's more convenient.
 
Seamless checkouts ensure a clean and fluid experience, keeping buyers on a path to purchase, instead of hitting hiccups or getting distracted. Cart abandonment is often the result of a disorganized or unaccommodating checkout experience.
 
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) options also offer customers a way to finance furniture over time, even interest-free. Dividing payments over several weeks or months gives customers more flexibility, making their purchases more appealing and easier to manage financially. Allowing them to get approved for a BNPL program at checkout is just one way to make ecommerce payments easier.
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5. Recommerce and Sustainable OptionsWith the increase in online sales comes the increase in returns. Even with 3D and AR visualization, once an item arrives, some customers simply want something else or have a change in heart. So what happens to large returned furniture pieces? That’s the eco-conscious question on many customers' minds as they consider before purchasing these types of items.
 
Offsetting or reducing the carbon footprint of your business and offering a more eco-friendly process overall is a first step to reducing waste. And being transparent goes a long way to create loyal sustainably-focused customers. However, one of the newer growing ecommerce trends in furniture is to also resell used or previously owned furniture. Offering recommerce, or reverse commerce, means that consumers will be more willing to purchase a larger furniture item and feel guilt-free if it doesn't work out in their home. A recommerce solution is essentially a promise to customers that you won’t send their returned item to a landfill.

As a small- to mid-sized merchant, you might want to tap into the increasing number of alternative financing options available to entice purchases, also called “afterpay” services. Each has a slightly different interface and set of options, but all are predicated on the ability to soften the blow of large (and even modest) consumer purchases.
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Fixed transaction fees represent the revenue stream for these entities. To that end, it’s not altogether different from a bank installment loan. Collecting is key, but experts say the dollar amount of these purchases is unlikely to cause customer defaults. Klarna is a high-profile consumer payment portal allowing for payment-splitting, and there are others – with still others springing onto the scene. Here’s how it works:

Your customer sees a product on your site they can’t live without, but has no ability to front the cash or use a credit card. The afterpay model steps in as a third party, allowing participating merchants to process payments through them as the customer provides billing information not to you, but to them. Any guilt over adding to the spiraling debt crisis may be relieved to know that the most common option for consumers is to divide their payments over four months only, avoiding the seemingly endless cycle of drowning in interest over a period of years.
 
Like a mortgage, but in micro mode

Klarna and its doppelgangers facilitate semi-major purchases such as computers, cameras, and even riding lawnmowers. But they also devise payment plans for tennis shoes, cosmetics, and less expensive home goods. This makes for an attractive option as customers face a real need to acquire something; to buy a graduation gift, cover a window, or acquire a printer.

There is nothing new or radical about this model. Back when there were only a handful of TV channels available, home shopping networks were in full swing. In-house financing (underwritten between the merchant and its bank) greatly limited defaults. Revenues for after-pay services can be substantial as long as customers behave and do not overspend or close accounts. And payments are not usually monthly, but rather take place every two weeks. In some cases, the merchandise is not delivered until the first (second) payment is made. (In other words, at the time a customer enters into a payment arrangement, the first installment is due immediately.)

Among companies offering these tempting third-party payment services are Affirm, Sezzle, SplitIt, Zip, and GoCardless. Even cash-flush mainstream players such as Amazon and PayPal are seizing the opportunity for proprietary plans that eliminate third parties.

Check out the various options and chat with their reps to see if offering an after-payment service will escalate your business. Depending on your volume, you may discover it’s an affordable way to greatly expand sales. They include:

• Sezzle
• Affirm
• Splitit
• Zip
• GoCardless

,Amazon is accused of artificially high price-setting, which is no small problem – for them, and for vendors.
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Tempting as it seems, having products show up in a quick search on Amazon’s site appears as an unbelievable opportunity. With exposure as an ever-growing challenge, sales platforms such as Amazon have catered to online merchants and offered a venue with unprecedented visibility. Selling on Amazon seems like a dream come true, until the dark side of the Seattle-based behemoth emerges.

Now here’s that dark side. Amazon controls your pricing. Yes, that’s correct. If you want to change what you charge for your products, Amazon can punish you by reducing exposure through search functions. Worse, they can compel sellers to raise pricing on identical products if they also sell on competing sites such as Walmart.

An antitrust analyst has made a compelling case for federal review, and the Federal Trade Commission is paying attention. They have signaled an interest in investigation.

The State of Washington already obtained a legal victory that partially prohibits the non-competitive feature, but the platform is finding ways around that. It disposed of the “Sold by Amazon” program name, but in name only will not end other variations of the practice. Amazon paid a $2.25 million fine in January 2022, but in relative terms, that is a pittance.

California has also zeroed in on Amazon for its monopolistic policies, filing a federal antitrust suit in September 2022 challenging merchant agreements. The company has not publicly responded to California’s lawsuit, and it will be interesting to see if this one puts teeth into the Washington action.

The problem unfolds in a way that sellers have virtually no control. Obviously, it’s a boon to have access to the expansive reach of the largest e-commerce site in the world. But if the offset is to be locked into pricing policies or face relative invisibility, you have lost the benefits of using Amazon. The Catch-22 is a persistent issue facing both smaller and mid-sized retailers who are struggling to find market share.

Surely there is a way to find middle ground. Will high-profile platforms ease up on small sellers and institute a more fair way to accommodate them? Stay tuned. And look for independent marketing strategies in the meantime.
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A continuous stream of developments makes running an e-commerce business more and more palatable, with opportunities for fine-tuning, diving into a niche, and expanding your reach in the galaxy of online sales. One of the newest arrives courtesy of Shopify, a premier, multi-faceted platform designed to cater to mid- and low-volume sellers whose dreams are much bigger. Shopify offers integration through a subscription-based app, delivering a grand suite of tools to design a website, process payments, track inventory, and source products, among other offerings.

Along comes a nouveau offshoot called “Shopify Collabs,” and its name somewhat gives away its purpose. The ability for smaller online merchants to expand their reach by collaborating and building connections that once took several years to achieve is intriguing, and in the influencer era, it’s even more promising.

Collabs connects creators with merchants and tosses in a new way to make money for both. From the creator’s perspective, this real-time matching adds a head start with far less effort required. They may peruse brands and choose those that look appealing, ultimately striking up a promotions partnership by playing up products on social media sites. A proprietary Shopify tool records sales generated by creators, who then receive a pre-negotiated incentive reward.
The inherent benefits fall equally to both parties, as creators beef up their existing influencer statuses with a streamlined way to profit, and sellers gain a new method of essentially free, targeted marketing and advertising.

Shopify emphasizes the gem of passive discovery, meaning there is no effort required on the part of sellers. Creators/influencers drive their own search for products to pitch by using plug-ins to zero in on a worthy choice that fits their brand. It’s a time-saver for them, and an energized source of fuel for vendors whose focus is mainly on the daily business of selling.

Rather than hit-and-miss attempts to attract attention from someone who will introduce your store and products to large swaths of potential customers, Collabs allows those who are most likely to sing your praises to reach out first and initiate an agreement. Building a relationship with as much closeness as both parties desire, it could generate a surprising revenue jump.

Here are other functions and perks associated with using Shopify’s Collabs:

• Develop enticements through discount codes and referral links that will catch the eye of the already intrigued.
• Pre-design features through the app providing for the collection of pertinent details, such as niche, social media handles, and contact information.
• Auto-generate shipments of promotional gifts to creators, who have pre-specified individual choices such as size and color.
• Choose a proactive stance by searching the Collabs database for creators in your product niche.
• Skip compensation headaches: Commissions are paid automatically through PayPal.
• Track activity on a tailored dashboard.

​Shopify Collabs is not yet fully in gear, but most features are up and running, so hop on and begin testing a new version of a growing trend in selling products on the vast online market.

​Shopify takes a cut.
Yep, that’s right. Shopify works off commission. Except, you’re the one setting up the online store and advertising the products. When you spend countless hours promoting and creating an online business, you would hope to pay a one-and-done monthly payment for Shopify to help with the transactional services. But that’s not the case.
 
Shopify charges a credit card rate, which varies depending on the monthly plan you choose. If you choose Shopify, be sure to account for those commission cuts into your overall business overhead expenses.
 
Shopify’s help desk becomes less helpful.
As a new customer of Shopify, you might be met with quality support. They want to help you get your business up and running (so they reap commission and continue to see your monthly payment plan).
 
However, after some time, you’ll be met with less premium support. While they can’t help guide you through it all, it can be frustrating. Have a payment or app glitch? It’s blamed on “app incompatibility.” And instead of support staff helping you through the problem, they might direct you toward self-help articles. So just be aware: They will not hand-hold you through the entire process.
 
Shopify charges a transaction fee for 3rd-party payment gateways.
You need an encrypted payment gateway service, which Paypal offers freely with Shopify Payments. However, should you choose to go with a third-party payment provider such as PayPal, you will be charged additional transaction fees. These can range from 0.5% to 2%, depending on the Shopify plan you choose.

 
Shopify analytics cost extra.
Professional reporting and analytics will cost you extra. So if you want to know anything about your buyers, you will need to invest in a more expensive plan like the Shopify or Advanced plan. For any focused businesses, this is a crucial part of marketing. The Basic plan offers basic simple details, so acquiring the professional report is a must. And that means you will need to upgrade your plan. 
 
Shopify lacks multi-level product categories.
When creating an online shop, it must be easy for shoppers to find products. And keeping a well-organized collection of goods is one of the best ways to do so. When building a shop, it’s wise to add the product type, vendor and other tags within WordPress so items come up in a search result.
 
However, when you’re unsure what kind of decor or product you’re searching for, Shopify doesn’t offer an easy-to-follow map or other deep hierarchies within its system. Grouping items into collections and displaying them as categories is the best organization you get.
 
For example, this means you can’t do something as simple as organize specific furniture types like so:
 
Seating > Dining Chairs > Counter Height Stools
 
Instead, you’re limited to:

Seating > Dining Chairs
 
Shopify limits items to 3 variations.
One downside to Shopify is that you are limited as to how many product variations you can offer. For example, if you have a sofa that comes in more than three fabric choice options, you might have to get creative or invest and install an extra app to achieve this.
 
Shopify has an expensive full point of sale option.
If your business needs a POS system, it’s going to cost you. While many businesses can get away with solely an online shop, many brick and mortar stores and small retailers use tablets, credit card readers, and more mobile charging devices when making sales.
 
For a full point-of-sale system, you will need to invest in the Shopify POS Pro and all the hardware that goes along with it.

​When Shopify is the Wrong ChoiceShopify isn’t always the best choice to create the optimal online shopping experience. Nor is it the best choice for your business.
 
Here are a few reasons why you should skip Shopify:
 
Your site needs more customization and design.
Shopify themes are well-designed but might require lots of expensive app integrations and additional tools to get it exactly how you want. If this sounds like you, you might want to check out another platform like WordPress and hire a developer to get it just right.
 
A hosted platform locks you in.
Shopify is a hosted platform, which makes it easy to have everything all in one place. But should you ever decide to move your products to another hosted platform, carrying over the storefront design, copy and product descriptions, and more will take serious effort. You pretty much are back to square one, recreating a store from the ground up.
 
We hope this two-part guide helps you decide if Shopify is right for you. If not, check out some of these Shopify alternatives.

The Advantages of Using Shopify
​So what makes Shopify so popular? Here are some of the advantages and features that e-commerce businesses love.
 
Shopify offers secure data encryption.
As a business, protecting your customer’s personal and financial data is imperative. To do so, an online shop needs an SSL certificate and PCI encryption, ensuring a safe checkout. In addition, Shopify comes with the Stripe gateway payment for security.
 
Shopify makes creating an online shop super easy.
Shopify provides a user-friendly platform, which makes setting up online shops a breeze. This is a real advantage for those not technically inclined, who don’t have time to waste building an e-commerce business. You can create a site within the interface and hit the ground running.
 
Shopify stores are mobile responsive.
In today’s age, with everyone glued to mobile devices, it’s crucial to have an online store that is mobile responsive. Without a mobile responsive ecommerce site, a potential buyer may get frustrated trying to order and leave. Shopify offers clean and fluid stores for those mobile shoppers to buy your products from home or on the go.
 
Shopify comes with a variety of built-in tools and integration.
By showcasing sale items, presenting coupons, and offering inventory control, Shopify makes it easy to customize. A plethora of built-in tools and integration features makes online sales go through smoothly with less hassle.
 
For example, features like abandoned cart recovery remind visitors who wander away that they still have items in a cart. And these built-in tools come in handy to help boost sales.
 
Shopify offers many attractive themes and designs.
When building a webstore, you will find a variety of aesthetically-pleasing themes and designs in which to choose – all for free! It makes it a painless setup without having to hire a professional site builder. It also means that they are ready to go, allowing a store to go live in a matter of hours or days. Sadly, if you want a Premium theme, it will cost extra. Still, there are many free beautiful and stylish themes to choose from.
 
Shopify comes with solid Search Engine Optimization.
Each theme is built with fast-loading, clean code that enhances search engine optimization, pushing your site higher in the ranks of Google. This built-in backend feature, along with other tools like Google ad landing pages and PPC social ads, can really capture your audience and make more sales.
 
As you can see, Shopify offers a ton of advantages for e-commerce businesses and online stores. There’s a lot to love. However, in the next part of this series, we dive into the nitty-gritty of the downsides and why it might not be the best choice for your online shop.

Current conditions as they are, many ecommerce vendors have a slate of struggles that weren’t present when they first went into the business. The upending of reality as we knew it, kicked off in early 2020 by the presence of a global pandemic, has resonated in countless areas of the economy, of individuals’ consuming behavior, and various functions of operating as a merchant in general.
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While it has always been essential to establish and maintain a sound refund policy, it is now mired in complications brought about by residual obstacles directly related to that pandemic. The epic rise in online purchasing has its downside: consumers not accustomed to buying sight-unseen may experience more dissatisfaction and wish to send merchandise back. 

​For ecommerce sellers, returns present a unique problem. They are expensive, time-consuming, and often they create inventory imbalances. Large sellers adjust far better than small players, but even they have a burden to bear. Returns in every case are a necessary evil of selling online, as nearly 20 percent of all purchases made in 2020 were sent back for a refund. Not all merchandise may be resold, and all returned goods require inspection for suitability as an item labeled “new.”

Also at play are issues of wildly increased shipping rates —working both ways between the original sale and the decision to compensate consumers for the cost of sending items back—and it appears there is no remedy on the horizon. If you currently offer free shipping, this is not a news bulletin.

On the flip side, not offering a workable return policy will impact sales. Web Retailer reports that ecommerce vendors whose customer base is made up of at least 40 percent of repeat buyers realize about 50 percent more sales. This is an intuitive example of consumer behavior, and if buyers know they may easily return and/or exchange merchandise seamlessly, they are far more likely to become regulars.
 
By the Numbers

We’ll rip off the Band-aid with a number that may be shocking. Ecommerce returns for the holiday season of 2020, the first of the official pandemic era, reached $101 billion. That includes costs associated with processing returns. Notably this reflects a consumption pattern that was new to a good number of buyers, so it should not be interpreted as a repeating phenomenon.
Overall, returns represent 15 to 20 percent of all transactions among ecommerce operations. It may climb higher, but count on a reasonably consistent one-in-five products finding their way back to you. Clearly larger and heavier items hurt the most with respect to cost, thanks to the disproportionate hike in shipping bulky and weighty items. You should be already tracking your return rate, but breaking that down into categories of merchandise, including size and unique shipping costs, is important.

If you don’t offer free shipping on returns, your business could suffer. Experts gauge a negative attitude among potential customers who have to choose between a seller that grants free shipping and those that don’t. This is where you must do a critical evaluation of the ability to absorb the cost of liberal refund policies. Will it reduce your profitability to an unsustainable level and make doing business a moot point? Or will you explore options for shoring up the general sales strategies that can reduce returns in the first place.

Keep in mind that though presenting yourself as a hassle-free, generous seller with easy return policies may increase business, it may also trap you into a situation where shoppers overuse the benefit and take advantage. Hopefully these will be statistically insignificant. That said, taking a see-how-it-goes approach by experimenting with changing policies may paint you in a negative light among consumers who value consistency.
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You may be aware that local and state laws require merchants to refund damaged and defective merchandise, so keeping that in mind is a critical element in considering how returns factor in to your policy. For a forward-thinking primer on how to start on a sound, workable refund policy, visit BigCommerce. Being pro-active and prepared could just save your business.

Trying to decide what kind of marketing to use to capture the attention of consumers? There are tons of marketing techniques to try, but when it comes to inbound vs. outbound marketing, how do you choose? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of these two distinct marketing types.

Inbound and Outbound Marketing: What Are They? Inbound and outbound are two distinct marketing techniques used to attract consumers to a site. One marketing strategy is all about bringing consumers “in” while the other is about sending information about your brand “out.” Technically, they should both bring in consumers, but they do so in very different ways.
 
What is inbound marketing?
Content for one. By giving out free educational material, like case studies, infographics, podcasts and more, through a website and social media outlets and ads, consumers become aware of your services and goods. In turn, this generates leads, and if the consumers like what you’re offering, they will come to your website and eventually make a purchase. Simply maintaining a website with good search engine optimization (SEO) can also drive a site higher on a search engine results page where it’s more likely to be seen.
 
What is outbound marketing?
Outbound marketing often takes more time, sometimes with little results. But they’re still worth exploring. Think of outbound marketing as the traditional marketing strategies: Television and radio ads, banners (billboards, magazines or online pop-ups) and even the old-fashioned cold call by sales team members (although, now CRM software and automation go a long way to help).  

Inbound Marketing: Benefits and DrawbacksBenefits 
Benefit #1: Inbound marketing offers an easy way for brands and businesses to target and connect with their audience. After creating a solid content strategy using social media, blog content and climbing your way up the SERP through quality SEO, your brand will grab the attention of the ideal consumers (instead of having to hunt for them). Create a follower on Insta, and you can reach them immediately.
 
Benefit #2: Attracting customers doesn’t mean annoying them. Instead of being intrusive with tons of calls, emails, and in-your-face reminders, there’s a trust factor. If they love a brand – and more importantly, the knowledge, expertise and style you provide – they’ll provide contact details and follow your social handle. It’s like the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.” Create excellent content, products, and educational tidbits, and the consumer will be drawn to your brand.

Drawbacks 
Drawback #1: Inbound marketing still takes time to create. While it’s not as long as producing a TV or radio commercial, there’s still a ton of effort involved. Keeping followers engaged (and not just growing your follower count) takes more drawn-out lead generations. Again, it’s all about building that trust, which requires lots of content creation. 
 
Drawback #2: Follow-ups and follow-throughs are more difficult for inbound marketing. Since it’s all about using lead generation tools and calls to action (CTAs) throughout your content, it’s at the consumer’s will to hit “Buy” or “Sign Up.” In turn, this means that you have less control over the desired outcome. Ultimately, it’s up to you to entice them enough to become a subscriber and patron of your brand to lead to sales.

Outbound Marketing: Benefits and DrawbacksBenefits
Benefit #1: Outbound marketing reaches customers immediately! Once a customer gives over their contact info, a brand can use email marketing or even advert flyers to alert them of upcoming sales, which encourages interest to take advantage and shop. In the same vein, the right kind of outbound marketing has a broader reach, as opposed to honing in on target demographics, and grabs the attention of even more potential customers. 
 
Benefit #2: Outbound marketing is more direct. It tells consumers exactly what you’re selling and how they can buy it or achieve it. While this seems counterintuitive, it has a major advantage: A higher ROI. In other words, your brand can disregard the customers who may not be all that interested in what you’re selling, so you can turn your focus on the consumers who are, in fact, interested.

Drawbacks​
Drawback #1: One of the main benefits of outbound marketing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, a brand can be direct. On the other, that approach can turn off a lot of consumers, as they may see it as invasive and, eventually, even annoying. The leads are not as organic as inbound marketing, and customers can be easily turned off by the more direct “salesy” approach.
 
Drawback #2: Another conundrum at hand: Since outbound marketing tends to have a broader reach, tailoring content and ads to a target demographic is pretty limited. Marketing to your ideal consumer is hard to do without metrics like click-through rates (CTS), bounce rates and website traffic rate.
 
As you can see, both inbound marketing and outbound marketing have their pros and cons. Which marketing technique you choose may come down to your brand and type of business.  However, inbound marketing is a softer approach, which pleases a lot of consumers. Inbound marketing also seems to be the more modern version of a marketing strategy, especially with the help of new-age technology and the handheld devices like phones and tablets that never leave our side.

ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign offers tons of automated features you can rely on, from email automation to live chat. It’s a wonderful all-in-one lead generation tool to improve your marketing and capture customers and consumers. Use it to build a landing page that entices an email sign up or simply use it as a live chat to answer questions and help consumers to feel confident about buying your product. Perfect for both sales and marketing, ActiveCampaign is perfect for startups who want to hit the ground running and need an all-encompassing lead generation tool. Luckily, it’s user-friendly too! 

Getsitecontrol
Getsitecontrol may not have a plethora of automation tools like ActiveCampaign, but they do have a variety of widgets like forms, popups and an extensive collection of templates to get you started. Create a targeted email opt-in popup to capture emails and customers. You can even create a split test popup to determine which is more effective for your consumer base. This lead generation tool is a very easy-to-use on-page lead generation tool that can begin to capture emails that lead to loyal customers and more.

JivoChat
Connect to your customers right on site with JivoChat, a live chat-based lead generation tool. JivoChat is a pretty handy tool for businesses that want to target existing traffic. You can use it to offer a way for customers to directly connect and chat with a representative and get the live support that they need. When a customer is hesitant or has questions about a product, warranty or more, a quick chat may be all they need to gain their trust and confidence and turn them into a long-term paying customer. Non-distracting and accessible, add a JivoChat chat window into the sidebar of a website just like that!

Hubspot Sales Hub
Hubspot is a fantastic all-around CRM software tool that offers a wide range of services from marketing, sales, and customer service. The Hubspot Sales Hub, in particular, provides lead generation tools that take advantage of the data, integrating it directly within the platform. The Hubspot Sales Hub allows companies to set up automated email sequences and sales processes to hunt down leads and close more deals. Lead scoring, conversion routing and sale forecasting tools are just some of the advanced features you can expect with this handy-dandy lead generation tool. While this fancy Hubspot tool is intended for teams, it’s also offered in a free CRM tool version for individual salespeople and smaller companies looking to bootstrap their business.

Albacross
Albacross is a wonderful lead generation tool to help you analyze and hone in on your ideal buyers. This way, you can tailor marketing activities along the buyer journey, which leads to greater conversions. Albacross not only identifies potential leads in real-time and monitors their site navigation habits, but also gathers data on their demographic so you can create better messaging that attracts them. This powerful lead generation tool is fully GDPR compliant with global regulations and offers firmographic, behavioral, and technographic data points so you can target your audience to a tee.

Leadpages
If you are looking for attractive and useful landing page lead generation tools, Leadpages has tons to offer. Leadpages can help you design beautifully optimized landing pages with simple templates and a drag and drop builder. Landing pages aside, it also offers ways to integrate popups, alert bars and much, much more so that you can up the ante on your lead conversions. A/B testing helps you understand what landing page is working and an analytics dashboard guides you through the process with real-time conversion tips. 
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OptinMonster
Last but not least, OptinMonster makes a great lead generation tool. After a quick user-friendly setup using one of their  97+ customizable templates from popups to floating bars and full screen overlays, you can bring A/B testing to eliminate the guesswork and hone in on your target audience. OptinMonster offers some proprietary software such as Exit Intent® technology, which can personalize campaigns based on visitor behavior and OnSite Retargeting® and personalization that tailors an offer to a specific audience like new or returning visitors. Enterprise-level page targeting is also another feature that can come in useful to segment leads.