The world of ecommerce is fast-paced, and staying ahead of the competition is increasingly more and more difficult. Many ecommerce companies stay on the leading edge in their industry through their use of automation. Automation removes the burden of manual processes and can create transparency throughout the entire ecommerce process (including integrations with customers).
One unique, and often underutilized automation tool are webhooks. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the specifics of working with BigCommerce webhooks, exploring their benefits and common use cases, and why hiring a skilled BigCommerce developer can be critical to enhancing your business operations.
What is a webhook?
Simply put, a Webhook is an automated message sent from one software system to another when a pre-determined event occurs. Webhooks are common in the world of ecommerce, and when used well, they create automation that can help your business run smoothly. They aren’t set up automatically, so these need to be created within your software systems.
Setting up Webhooks is a great way to customize your software to meet your business and customer needs. Webhooks can be quick to set up but are limited in their capabilities compared to full-scale APIs. APIs offer more control over the types of information sent between software systems, whereas webhooks are designed for simple and specific use cases.
Setting up webhooks is a common part of BigCommerce Implementations. This is because many ecommerce merchants use software outside of BigCommerce. Establishing webhooks with external software will lead to automation. This is important because automation leads to scalability.
Hire BigCommerce Developer for Your Webhook Needs
BigCommerce webhooks are simple to set up for someone with training and experience. Working with a BigCommerce Developer will ensure you’re working with someone who can get the job done right!
Common Webhook Examples
Listed below are three common webhooks found on BigCommerce websites.
Customer Creation & Mailing List
- This webhook is triggered when a new customer account is created and can be very useful for adding customers to a CRM or Mailing list.
Order Creation
- This webhook is triggered when a new order is placed on your website. It can be used to notify an external order management system. This is particularly helpful if a product needs to be manufactured once the order is placed.
Product Updates
- This webhook is triggered when an existing product is updated (e.g. price change, description update, etc.) This will help maintain consistency across multiple sales channels.
BigCommerce Webhook Documentation
BigCommerce has a lot of great resources for learning more about Webhooks. Listed below are three helpful resources if you’re in the middle of setting up a webhook.
BigCommerce Workflows: Key Takeaways
Webhooks help automate processes, maintain data consistency, and provide real-time updates across various integrated systems and services.
To sum it up, webhooks are a powerful tool for your business to use if you want to streamline operations and enhance responsiveness to your internal team or customers. By automating processes, webhooks eliminate the need for manual intervention, saving time and reducing the risk of human error. They ensure data consistency across different platforms, making sure that every system involved has the most up-to-date information. They also provide real-time updates, which means that businesses can react instantly to important events, from new customer orders to changes in inventory levels. Simply put,
levering webhooks can lead to a more efficient, agile, and integrated business environment,
ultimately contributing to better service and higher customer satisfaction.
Call Anchor Group today!
Do you want to talk to an expert about your ecommerce needs? Reach out to Anchor Group today! Anchor Group’s team of US-based developers is ready to answer your questions and help you on the road toward success!
BigCommerce Certified Partner, Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner
As both a BigCommerce Certified Partner and an Oracle NetSuite Alliance Partner, Anchor Group is ready to handle BigCommerce and NetSuite projects alike! Whether you already have one platform and are looking to integrate the other, are considering a full-scale implementation of both platforms or simply need support with ongoing customizations, our team is ready to help answer any questions you might have! Get in touch!
