GetResponse introduces Free Forever. GetResponse, an email marketing platform, is now offering a free plan, following the launch of its new website builder this year. With the free plan, businesses use a drag-and-drop creator to build emails, build and host one landing page, connect their domain or choose a free one, and receive lead-generation tools, such as newsletter templates and signup forms. Participants can also access premium features for 30 days at no cost.
HubSpot launches new payments service. HubSpot, the customer relationship management and inbound marketing platform, has announced the launch of its open beta for HubSpot Payments. Built natively as part of the HubSpot CRM platform, HubSpot Payments helps companies accept payments seamlessly in less time and with fewer tools. HubSpot Payments supports all major credit cards and ACH and features payment links, recurring payments for memberships, and native integration with HubSpot’s quotes feature in Sales Hub. To help customers get up and running, HubSpot is waiving fees on the first ,000 of ACH transactions.
Ecommerce Product Releases
CedCommerce launches Amazon integration for Shopify merchants. CedCommerce has launched “Amazon by CedCommerce” for Shopify merchants to create and synchronize listings between Shopify and Amazon. The release follows Shopify’s recent closure of its Amazon-selling app. Sellers can get the benefits of the Amazon by CedCommerce app, free of any subscription cost, through December 31, 2021.
BigCommerce announces integration with Chargify to deliver subscription management services. BigCommerce has announced a new native integration with Chargify, a billing and subscription management platform. In collaboration with developer Ebizio, the Chargify integration provides BigCommerce’s B2B and B2C merchants with the ability to manage, track, and analyze subscription activity. With a one-click install, merchants can sell their products on subscription directly through their BigCommerce store. Merchants can also quickly introduce subscription options to their customers without costly development work.
ActiveCampaign expands automations with custom objects and integrations. ActiveCampaign, an email marketing and customer-experience platform, now enables businesses to build automations using custom objects. With custom objects, companies of all sizes can trigger automations from unique data specific to their business. ActiveCampaign customers can integrate the 1:1 automation with their best-loved tools. For example, a new opportunity in Salesforce could generate a series of internal alerts or tasks, trigger an onboarding message sequence, and send a message to the contact within the opportunity. A live entertainment venue that sells tickets through Eventbrite could create an “Events” custom object through that integration, enabling it to manage types of events, tickets, attendees, dates, and more.
GhostRetail unveils live-video shopping platform. GhostRetail has emerged from stealth mode to launch a 1:1 live video shopping platform that simulates online an in-store experience. The white-label platform is for enterprise retailers and direct-to-consumer merchants looking to augment their in-store and ecommerce sales channels with personalized live video co-shopping. Multiple Fortune 500 brands — American Eagle, Authentic Brands Group, Canada Goose, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, others — now use the platform ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Chargify
Lightspeed completes the acquisition of Ecwid. Lightspeed Commerce, an ecommerce and point-of-sale provider, has completed the acquisition of Ecwid, the global ecommerce platform. Once integrated, Lightspeed and Ecwid will help merchants reach shoppers on social media and digital marketplaces. Ecwid recently announced a partnership with TikTok to help shape the future of buying on the social media platform. The partnership will also help Lightspeed’s merchants access the core functions of TikTok For Business Ads Manager.
GhostRetail
Poshmark unveils new ecommerce innovations. Poshmark, a social marketplace for new and secondhand fashion items, has launched My Shoppers, a clienteling feature that mimics an in-store retail associate, suggesting relevant products and personal styling based on what a shopper is browsing or liking. Poshmark also introduced Closet Insights, a dynamic dashboard that provides sellers with real-time inventory and sales data. Closet Insights allows sellers to understand sales performance over time to inform strategy.
Here is a list of product releases and updates for mid-October from companies that offer services to online merchants. There are updates on email marketing, digital payments, subscription tools, social commerce, Amazon integration, WooCommerce, and live video shopping.
GoDaddy’s point of sale now integrates with WooCommerce. GoDaddy launched its point of sale hardware last month. Now the POS is integrated with WooCommerce to make in-person payments quick and simple. The integration eliminates the need for multiple logins across platforms to manage a store, cuts down on training time, and helps stores launch in-person payments quickly and affordably. Businesses using WooCommerce via GoDaddy can add the POS offerings from their GoDaddy Payments Hub and start selling in-person. Developers can build WooCommerce websites with GoDaddy, and GoDaddy Payments will automatically appear in their WordPress admin dashboard.
