A Comprehensive Guide to E-commerce Marketing Automation Software

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Understanding E-commerce marketing automation software

The e-commerce marketing automation landscape has evolved drastically, with platforms now offering increasingly sophisticated capabilities to help online stores drive growth, enhance customer experiences, and maximize revenue. Today's leading solutions go beyond email marketing to deliver personalized omnichannel experiences, powered by artificial intelligence and robust customer data platforms.


The right platform can transform your marketing operations by unifying fragmented customer data, automating complex customer journeys, and delivering highly personalized experiences at scale.

Best E-commerce marketing automation tools

Key features
Customer Data Platform (CDP)
Built-in CDP
(comes with an
additional $)
Unified Customer Profiles
Custom Data Objects
Requires
workarounds
Data Collection & Management
Real-Time Data Collection
Website Activity Tracking
Data Transformation
Requires
workarounds
Workflows
requires an additional license
Segmentation & Targeting
Behavioral Segmentation
Predictive Segmentation powered by AI
Dynamic Audience Updates
Campaign Capabilities
Visual Journey Builder
End-to-end AI-powered Campaign Creation
A/B Testing
Coming soon
Marketing Channels
Email
WhatsApp Business Integration
Available only on higher plans
SMS
Push Notifications
Analytics & Reporting
Campaign Performance Analytics
Revenue Attribution
Coming soon
Customer Journey Insights
Integrations
E-commerce Platform (Shopify, Magento, Woo,etc)
CRM Integrations
API & Web SDK Access
Pricing
Starts at
$23
$45
$950
NA($60K-100K)
$15 for basic
Pay-as-you-go Option
Free Trial Availability
Key features
Built-in CDP
True Customer 360o View
Multiple Custom Objects
Website Activity Tracking
Anonymous Visitor Tracking
AI-Powered Predictive Segmentation
Email Marketing
SMS Marketing
WhatsApp Marketing
End-to-end AI-powered Campaign Creation
Visual Workflow Builder
A/B Testing
Free Trial Availability
Pay-as-you-go Option
Coming soon
(comes with an
additional $)
(Add-on)
(via integrations 
like WhatsApp 
Business API)
(Demo-only)
(Basic CRM capabilities)
(Basic page views via integrations, not deep tracking)
(Add-on)

1. ZEPIC

ZEPIC is an AI-powered marketing automation platform purpose-built for e-commerce and D2C brands. It combines a powerful built-in CDP with AI-driven personalization to help you launch smarter, data-backed campaigns across email and WhatsApp. With features like real-time customer tracking, predictive segmentation, and flexible custom objects, ZEPIC gives marketers full control over their customer journeys—without needing dev support. Seamlessly integrating with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, ZEPIC unifies customer data and enables automated workflows for enhanced engagement and conversion.

Key features

  • Built-in Customer Data Platform (CDP) with 360° customer view
  • AI-powered personalization and predictive analytics
  • Advanced segmentation with multiple custom objects
  • Real-time data collection and website activity tracking
  • Anonymous visitor tracking and conversion
  • Visual workflow automation builder
  • 50+ pre-built integrations, including Shopify, Woocommerce, Magento, and flexible APIs
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing that scales with your business

What users love

Pros

Comprehensive built-in CDP eliminates the need for a separate data platform

Advanced custom objects for complex data relationships and segmentation

Real-time behavioral targeting across all customer touchpoints

AI-driven workflow creation and customer journey optimization

Seamless integration with major e-commerce platforms

Cons

Relatively new in the market; still building traction with enterprise clients

A/B testing functionality is yet to be added

SMS marketing is not yet available

Pricing

Flexible pay-as-you-go option

Free trial available

No long-term contracts required

Best suited for
Ideal for mid-market to enterprise e-commerce businesses needing advanced data capabilities and a unified platform with built-in CDP functionality and AI-powered customer journey orchestration.

2. Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a leading marketing automation platform built for e-commerce growth. Known for its seamless Shopify integration, it enables brands to run high-impact email and SMS campaigns using real-time data and advanced segmentation. With strong analytics, pre-built flows, and powerful personalization tools, Klaviyo helps D2C businesses drive engagement and revenue—though costs can rise as your list scales.

Key features

  • Email marketing automation
  • SMS marketing (add-on)
  • A/B testing capabilities
  • Advanced segmentation and personalization
  • Campaign performance analytics
  • Seamless Shopify & e-commerce integrations

What users love

Pros

Powerful email automation with pre-built flows

Easy-to-use segmentation and personalization tools

Optimized for Shopify stores with native plug-and-play setup

Cons

The contact-based pricing model gets expensive at scale

No WhatsApp marketing capabilities

CDP functionality costs extra

Pricing

Contact-based pricing starting at $45+

No pay-as-you-go option

Free trial available

Best suited for
E-commerce businesses that need sophisticated segmentation and personalization capabilities, particularly Shopify merchants willing to invest in higher-converting email and SMS marketing.

3. Omnisend

Omnisend is a multichannel marketing automation platform that offers email, SMS, and push notifications in one place. With pre-built workflows, personalized discount features, and deep e-commerce integrations, it’s especially handy for small to mid-sized online stores. The platform focuses on ease of use and quick setup, though it may lack some of the advanced customization and reporting capabilities enterprise users might need.

Key features

  • Email marketing automation
  • SMS (add-on) and push notifications
  • Pre-built e-commerce automation workflows
  • Built-in personalized discount codes for promotions
  • Campaign performance analytics
  • Integrations with major e-commerce platforms

What users love

Pros

Seamless multichannel campaigns from one platform.

Ready-to-use e-commerce automation, great for D2C brands.

Strong ROI tracking and channel-specific reporting.

Cons

Limited third-party integrations beyond core e-commerce platforms

Reporting features are not as comprehensive as some alternatives

Lacks enterprise-grade customization

Pricing

Free forever plan with limited emails

Standard plan starts at $16

Pro plan starts at $59

Best suited for
Mid-sized e-commerce merchants seeking an all-in-one marketing solution with email, SMS, and push notifications at a more accessible price point than enterprise solutions.

4. Insider

Insider is an enterprise-grade marketing automation platform focused on delivering hyper-personalized, AI-driven experiences across channels. It supports email, SMS, push, WhatsApp, and in-app messaging, with a powerful predictive segmentation engine and a robust built-in CDP. Insider is ideal for large e-commerce brands looking to orchestrate complex customer journeys across multiple touchpoints. While its capabilities are impressive, the platform requires more technical setup and is best suited for teams with dedicated marketing and tech resources.

Key features

  • Omnichannel marketing automation (email, SMS, push, WhatsApp)
  • Predictive segmentation with AI
  • Personalization engine
  • Advanced behavioral targeting
  • In-app & web Personalization
  • E-commerce integrations

What users love

Pros

AI-powered predictive analytics for customer segmentation

Advanced personalization engine for individualized experiences

Cross-channel customer journey builder

Cons

Higher price point than most competitors

Fewer e-commerce-native plug-and-play templates

Implementation requires more technical resources

Pricing

Enterprise-level pricing

No trial version

Best suited for
Enterprise e-commerce brands requiring advanced omnichannel marketing capabilities and AI-powered personalization across multiple customer touchpoints

5. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a user-friendly marketing platform popular among small to mid-sized e-commerce businesses and startups. It offers email marketing, basic SMS, and automation features with an intuitive interface and generous free plan. Known for its ease of use and solid template library, it helps newer brands get started with customer engagement quickly. However, its e-commerce-specific features and advanced automation tools are more limited compared to specialized platforms, especially for fast-scaling D2C brands.

Key features

  • Email marketing automation
  • Basic SMS marketing capabilities
  • Customer journey builder
  • Basic A/B testing
  • Website and landing page builder
  • E-commerce integrations

What users love

Pros

User-friendly interface ideal for beginners

Generous free plan for small businesses

Solid template library with good customization

Cons

E-commerce-specific features less robust than specialized platforms

Advanced automation requires higher-tier plans

Contact-based pricing can get expensive quickly

Pricing

Free forever plan

Standard plan starts at $20/mo

Best suited for
Small to medium e-commerce businesses or startups looking for an easy-to-use platform with a shallow learning curve and broad marketing capabilities.

How E-commerce marketing automation tools work

E-commerce marketing automation tools serve as an all-in-one platform that empowers businesses to cultivate leads and connect with customers at every stage of their buying journey. By leveraging sophisticated targeting and personalization features, these tools enable you to send tailored messages to the appropriate audience at the optimal moment, resulting in increased conversion rates and enhanced customer loyalty.

Data unification

Integrate your e-commerce platform, CRM, inventory management system, and marketing channels using pre-built connectors or APIs for a unified view of your business.

Customer segmentation

Group customers based on shopping behavior, order frequency, cart abandonment trends, and predictive insights to deliver highly targeted messaging.

Workflow automation

Automate personalized campaigns with trigger-based workflows and intuitive drag-and-drop editors.

Personalization

Deliver AI-powered product recommendations, price drop alerts, and dynamic offers tailored to customers’ preferences and journeys.

Optimize & scale

Unify all your customer data into one view, and understand each customer's complete journey to create truly personalized experiences they'll respond to.

Omnichannel engagement

Reach customers across multiple touchpoints, including email, SMS, push notifications, and social media, to deliver consistent and personalized experiences throughout their journey.

How E-commerce marketing automation tools transform business operations

Saves time & improves efficiency

  • Eliminates repetitive manual tasks, freeing up time for strategy and growth.

  • Streamlines order processing, inventory management, and marketing campaigns.

Improves marketing & customer retention

  • Automated email campaigns nurture leads and retain customers.

  • AI-powered segmentation ensures targeted, relevant offers.

Seamless multi-channel selling

  • Syncs product listings, pricing, and inventory across marketplaces and platforms.

  • Ensures a consistent brand experience across all channels.

Transforms customer experience

  • Helps personalize marketing and real-time communication.

  • Faster response times with automated customer support (chatbots, AI-driven emails)

Increased revenue & conversion rates

  • AI-driven product recommendations boost upsells and cross-sells.

  • Automated cart abandonment recovery campaigns increase conversion rates.

Data-driven decision making

  • Real-time analytics and reporting for better business insights.

  • AI-powered trends and demand forecasting for smarter planning.

Saves time & improves efficiency

  • Eliminates repetitive manual tasks, freeing up time for strategy and growth.

  • Streamlines order processing, inventory management, and marketing campaigns.

Improves marketing & customer retention

  • Automated email campaigns nurture leads and retain customers.

  • AI-powered segmentation ensures targeted, relevant offers.

Seamless multi-channel selling

  • Syncs product listings, pricing, and inventory across marketplaces and platforms.

  • Ensures a consistent brand experience across all channels.

Transforms customer experience

  • Helps personalize marketing and real-time communication.

  • Faster response times with automated customer support (chatbots, AI-driven emails)

Increased revenue & conversion rates

  • AI-driven product recommendations boost upsells and cross-sells.

  • Automated cart abandonment recovery campaigns increase conversion rates.

Data-driven decision making

  • Real-time analytics and reporting for better business insights.

  • AI-powered trends and demand forecasting for smarter planning.

Learn how CYBELE a growing e-commerce brand went from 0 to 25% cart recovery rate with ZEPIC

Read Case Study

E-commerce marketing automation tool challenges: what businesses struggle with

Modern e-commerce marketing automation tools are revolutionizing customer engagement, making it easier for brands to drive conversions. Let’s uncover the must-have features that these tools bring to the table.

Complex integration

Challenge

Difficulty integrating with existing e-commerce platforms, CRMs, and marketing tools

Solution

Pre-built integrations for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, etc.

Business impact

Seamless data flow reduces manual work and improves marketing efficiency.

Advanced customer segmentation

Challenge

Steep learning curve and lack of technical expertise to set up and manage automation tools.

Solution

Intuitive dashboards, no-code/low-code automation builders, and dedicated customer support.

Business impact

Faster adoption and reduced dependency on IT teams.

Data Silos

Challenge

Customer data remains scattered across different platforms, leading to fragmented insights.

Solution

Customer Data Platform (CDP) capabilities to unify data.

Business impact

Better personalization and data-driven decision-making

Limited customization & scalability

Challenge

Rigid workflows that don't adapt to evolving business needs.

Solution

Flexible workflow builders, API access, and scalable automation capabilities.

Business impact

Supports long-term business growth without frequent tool replacements.

Inconsistent multi-channel performance

Challenge

Disjointed customer experience due to inconsistent messaging across multiple channels

Solution

Omnichannel automation capabilities with AI-powered personalization

Business impact

Cohesive brand experience and increased engagement rates.

Measuring ROI

Challenge

Difficulty tracking and proving the impact of automation on revenue, engagement, and retention.

Solution

Built-in analytics through intuitive dashboards and attribution models

Business impact

Helps optimize workflows and justify automation investment with data-driven insights.

What features to look for in modern 
E-commerce marketing automation tools

Modern e-commerce marketing automation tools are revolutionizing customer engagement, making it easier for brands to drive conversions. Let’s uncover the must-have features that these tools bring to the table.

Omnichannel campaign management

Unified campaign builder

Build once, launch everywhere—manage all your campaigns from a single dashboard.

Channel-specific performance metrics

Track how each channel performs with real-time insights and individual ROI breakdowns.

AI personalization across touchpoints

Use AI to tailor messages for each customer across every channel they engage with.

Advanced customer segmentation

Behavioral and demographic filters

Segment based on actions, location, purchase history, and more—down to the tiniest detail.

Real-time dynamic segments

Automatically update segments in real-time as customer behaviors and purchase patterns change.

Predictive segmentation

Use AI to group customers by likelihood to purchase, churn, or engage.

Real-time analytics & insights

Live campaign dashboards

Get instant visibility into opens, clicks, revenue, and more as your campaign runs.

Attribution tracking

Understand which touchpoints influence buying decisions by mapping conversions across the entire journey.

Custom report builder

Customize your reports with flexible filters, side-by-side comparisons, and easy data exports.

Seamless integrations

Pre-built integrations

Plug into Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and more without any complex coding.

Two-way data sync

Push and pull data automatically between your store, CRM, and marketing tools.

Customizable API integrations

Easily connect with other third-party tools or internal systems to unify data.

Automated workflows

Visual workflow builder

Launch campaigns faster with a user-friendly, no-code drag-and-drop workflow builder.

Journey branching

Send different messages on different platforms based on customer behavior, purchase stage, or preferences.

Trigger-based campaigns

Automatically launch campaigns based on specific customer behaviors, like signups or cart abandonment.

E-commerce marketing automation tool use cases & solutions

Different industries have unique marketing automation needs. Here's how leading platforms address specific requirements:

Personalized cross-channel onboarding campaigns

Automated welcome campaigns tailored to a customer’s purchase history or browsing behavior, guiding them through their shopping journey.

Key challenges

Low open rates & engagement

Generic messaging that doesn’t resonate with new customers

Disjointed experience across different channels

Difficulty in tracking user actions post-onboarding

Solution features

Dynamic campaign personalization (based on browsing & purchase behaviour)

Automated drip campaigns with behavioral triggers

Analytics dashboard to track engagement

Omnichannel capabilities

Customer segmentation & retargeting

Leverage advanced customer segmentation to identify distinct user groups based on engagement and buying behavior.

Key challenges

Poorly defined audience segments

High customer acquisition costs due to ineffective targeting

Difficulty integrating multiple data sources for accurate segmentation

Solution features

AI-driven segmentation based on behavior, demographics, & RFM ((Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis

Data integration from multiple sources

Cross-channel retargeting (Email & WhatsApp)

Cart abandonment recovery

Address high abandonment rates with timely, optimized follow-ups across channels to re-engage hesitant customers and recover lost revenue.

Key challenges

High cart abandonment rates due to lack of follow-ups

Customers ignoring reminder emails or messages

Difficulty in optimizing the timing & frequency of recovery attempts

Solution features

Automated multi-channel reminders
(Email, WhatsApp)

Personalized product recommendations in
recovery emails

Workflows to trigger dynamic discounts based on the cart value

Post-purchase engagement

Enhance post-purchase engagement by delivering personalized follow-up emails, product recommendations, and loyalty rewards.

Key challenges

Customers forget about the brand after purchase

Low repeat purchase rates

Generic thank-you emails that don’t encourage further engagement

Solution features

Automated review & feedback requests

Personalized cross-sell & upsell recommendations

Post-purchase nurturing sequences via email & chat

Price drop and inventory alerts

Keep customers informed with real-time, personalized alerts on price changes and stock availability, driving urgency and higher engagement.

Key challenges

Customers missing price drops due to lack
of real-time alerts

Difficulty in managing and personalizing
inventory updates

Low click-through rates on price drop
notifications

Solution features

Automated notifications (email, SMS, push) for price & stock changes

Smart segmentation to notify high-intent
buyers first

Customizable triggers for discount thresholds & stock levels

Automated order updates

Enhance customer satisfaction with real-time, multi-channel order tracking, reducing inquiries and improving post-purchase communication.

Key challenges

Customers constantly reaching out for
order tracking

Lack of real-time updates across multiple channels

Poor post-purchase communication leads to dissatisfaction

Solution features

Automated tracking updates via email,
SMS, WhatsApp.

Unified Inbox to view customer queries from multiple platforms in one place

Personalized shipping & delivery notifications

Integration with logistics & fulfillment platforms

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