Using Marketo for E-Commerce Applications

Updated: Dec 1, 2021

Is this off-label use?

By Kimberly Prescott, CEO, Automate 2 Inspire

Marketing ops professionals the world over know Adobe Marketo Engage is the premier choice for B2B marketing automation and is usually used to facilitate lead management strategies with a CRM like Salesforce. But what about the possibility of using Marketo to support the e-commerce lifecycle in a whole different manner?

As we know, Adobe has a great suite of potential options like Magento and Adobe Campaign, but it is possible and Automate 2 Inspire has implemented this approach many times using Marketo Engage. And, we are not the only ones helping companies use Marketo to drive E-commerce conversion. A majority of stores using Marketo are using Magento, Shopify and WooCommerce (see breakdown below from https://storeleads.app/reports/technology/Marketo#installs).

Marketo Customers Using E-Commerce Engines Breakdown

The E-Commerce Customer Lifecycle

While B2B and E-commerce have some similarities in approach, their configuration and orchestration of Marketo are quite different. First, the idea of a lead management process is secondary to cart conversion and retail sales. Next, immediate connection with cart and site functions is critical whereas with B2B the focus is really on high value pages and social media. Next, understanding the nuances of the persona coming to the site is equally fascinating in both cases, but in E-Commerce it can make the difference between actual revenue in that moment or lost sales. Another key differentiator is the customer timeline for purchase. In the typical B2B environment it can be 90-360 days or more, whereas in E-Commerce it can be minutes or hours.

That said, it is important still to map the customer lifecycle. Below is an example of how Automate 2 Inspire thinks about the customer lifecycle. This approach makes sure that no potential cart conversion gets left behind. What’s more, you can easily see connection points and opportunities for best practice programs.

Marketo Set-up and Configuration Considerations

Many marketing ops professionals would cringe at the idea of not doing traditional best practice lead scoring or not creating typical nurture strategies. However, in the case of E-commerce it is important to seize the moment and focus on shorter time horizons which can alter the typical B2B implementation approach. A few things to consider when doing an E-commerce setup and configuration include:

· Integrations with potential 3rd parties such as Digital Agencies

· Integrations with Google, Bing, etc

· Integrations with Cart provider

· Integrations with billing systems if needed

· Lead scoring for high AOV leads that need to be touched by Customer Support

· Triggered programs needed for Abandoned cart, Win Back and Loyalty programs

· Creating influencers with a solid strategy

· Using advocacy, affiliates, and marketplaces to drive revenue

Of course, understanding the data model, the necessary integration points and ensuring proper discovery is completed are all precursors to doing anything in Marketo Engage for e-commerce customers to ensure conversion and customer user experience is optimized.

To take this a step further, look at the top five stores using Marketo Engage to help the e-commerce user experience and conversion work: (see breakdown below from https://storeleads.app/reports/technology/Marketo#installs).

Long story short, building out an e-commerce connection using Marketo has many moving parts and should not be taken lightly. Experience and complete discovery are no exception to the rule. Ensuring business keeps running and systems keep driving revenue is a delicate process that must be managed by consultants who have been there. Make sure and ask your consultancy how many e-commerce installs they have done and really get into the weeds to ensure they understand the complexities of the entire project.

PS. If you need to talk with a team that has been there done that, we are happy to have a conversation. Just email us for a complimentary consult.