Ecommerce Product Releases: May 16, 2017

Here is a list of product releases and updates for May from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on automated marketing, shipping, Instagram promotions, mobile shopping, and more

Got an ecommerce product release? Email releases@practicalecommerce.com.

Ecommerce Product Releases

MailChimp announces free automations for everyone. MailChimp has made its marketing automation features free for all MailChimp users, including Pay As You Go and Forever Free. Send personalized automations at no extra cost. Use MailChimp’s collection of preset automations to choose the right workflow for your business, and start sending in just a few clicks. Greet your new subscribers with a welcome message, educate readers about a specific topic, follow up after a purchase, increase brand awareness, and more.

MailChimp Blog.

Salesforce launches AppExchange partner program. Salesforce, the customer-relationship-management platform, has launched the Salesforce AppExchange Partner Program. The new program, coupled with artificial intelligence from Salesforce Einstein and the Salesforce Trailhead guided learning platform, accelerates the ability of any developer, startup, or software vendor to build, market, and sell intelligent apps for the Salesforce economy. Developers, startups, and software vendors can now use a new pricing structure that provides enablement and support based on the partner’s AppExchange Trailblazer Score, a point-based system that supports partners for their growth and activities.

UPS Express Critical service launches in Europe. UPS Express Critical service has launched in Europe for urgent, time-critical shipments that require special handling, such as aircraft parts and surgical tools. A UPS team assesses the shipping request through a round-the-clock contact center, identifies transportation alternatives, and implements a delivery solution that meets time and cost requirements. UPS Express Critical options include air, charter, surface, and a personal courier who can carry the shipment by hand from origin to destination on a commercial flight. Contact for pricing.

Optimizely enhances platform with PCI compliance. Optimizely, the experimentation and testing platform, has announced that Optimizely X now meets PCI standards for online payment processing. Customers can now experiment with Optimizely X everywhere in the purchase funnel on their PCI compliant-website — from the initial landing page through the credit card checkout flow. “With PCI compliance, Optimizely customers can now confidently run experiments across every aspect of the online shopping experience including the critical step of checking out with a credit card,” said David Schwarzbach, C.O.O. at Optimizely. Contact for pricing.

Optimizely.

Easypromos launches Instagram sweepstakes tool. Easypromos has launched a Instagram sweepstakes app to give ease, security, and transparency in the management of a sweepstakes promotion on Instagram. Create a sweepstakes among the users who comment on a post on your Instagram profile. Require that they follow your brand and then filter the finalists based on number of friends tagged. Includes a tool to pick winners randomly, automatically, and transparently. Price: $29 per month.

eBay Motors introduces new tire installation service and improved site experience. Expanding its “motors” marketplace and platform, eBay has announced the addition of new features and services to deliver a more personalized and innovative experience to automotive buyers. eBay Motors is adding tire installation services to its offerings, beginning in Germany this month and in the U.S. this summer. Additionally, an improved site experience will include enhanced shopping features, such as a partnership with TrueCar in the U.S., to offer buyers helpful tools when shopping for new vehicles.

Shopgate enters Australian market to provide merchants with mobile experiences. Shopgate, a SaaS shopping app platform, has announced that it is entering the Australian market, providing the country’s merchants with a mobile shopping platform that allows them to quickly launch and maintain native iOS and Android apps.

Shopgate.

Oracle Content and Experience Cloud empowers digital experiences. Oracle has announced Oracle Content and Experience Cloud, a digital experience platform that enables organizations to manage and deliver content to any digital channel. The cloud-based hub allows organizations to create and distribute content to improve brand engagement and customer growth and retention. The platform integrates with the Oracle Customer Experience Cloud Suite, an integrated suite of cloud applications that empower organizations with their customer-experience-management and business-transformation initiatives. Contact for pricing.

Zendesk launches first-ever certification program and training resources. Zendesk, a provider of software for customer relationships, has announced the launch of Zendesk Support Administrator, a certification program. Those who receive the certification will have demonstrated foundational knowledge of Zendesk Support, Zendesk’s system for tracking, prioritizing, and solving customer support tickets, and validated their ability to maximize product use for delivering exceptional customer service. Zendesk is also launching a new educational program called Zendesk Training. In addition to free training resources, the program offers tools for support agents and administrators, including online classes that can be customized according to company needs and information on live education sessions.

Zendesk.

MassGenie launches crowd shopping, a new way to shop. MassGenie has launched a online marketplace site that combines crowdsourcing and ecommerce to create crowd shopping, wherein both buyers and seller can initiate a deal. Buyers can use crowd shopping to drive prices down by creating or joining Power Deals, which are short-time, volume-based, discounted offers on everyday items. Sellers get the chance to move large quantities of their inventory and have the opportunity to directly market items to buyers. To sell on MassGenie, basic plan is free. Premium plans start at $49.99 per month.

SPS Commerce unveils enhanced sourcing. SPS Commerce, a provider of retail cloud services, has unveiled an SPS sourcing solution that takes advantage of the SPS retail network of more than 70,000 customers. The solution helps retailers identify and evaluate high-quality suppliers and brands. The new solution enables retailers to expand and curate their online and store product assortments. Retailers gain immediate access to the status of their program, with a digital snapshot of categories, items, item attributes, and other relevant product information. Contact for pricing.

SPS Commerce.