In the ever-competitive world of eCommerce, effective customer support can set your brand apart — and crucially, mean you make more sales. Which is what every eCommerce business wants, right?
To help you achieve this, the right support platform will allow you to manage inquiries efficiently, create happy customers and drive repeat business. Here, we take a look at the five top platforms designed specifically to streamline and improve eCommerce support. We cover their features, benefits, and any potential drawbacks they might have, so you can make an informed decision about which is right for your specific business needs in 2025 and beyond.
1. eDesk
Why it’s great:
eDesk is an all-in-one support solution specifically designed for eCommerce businesses. It simplifies the process of managing customer queries from multiple channels like Amazon, eBay, Shopify (amongst many others) by collating all your queries in one, unified inbox.
eDesk integrates with all your eCommerce and social platforms, providing real-time updates on orders, returns, and shipping statuses. Its AI-powered features can auto-respond to common queries too, to save you time and enhance response speed.
Advantages:
- Seamless Integration: Integrates effortlessly with eCommerce platforms, marketplaces, and social channels.
- AI-Driven Automation: Automates common responses to reduce support time and enhance accuracy.
- Insights and Reporting: Provides actionable insights into support performance, empowering you to make data-driven improvements.
Disadvantages:
- Support Team Focused: Designed for more than one eCommerce support agent, so it’s less suitable for micro business. However the recent AI inclusions in the product have reduced a need for bigger support teams.
- Feature-Rich Interface: Its broad range of features may initially feel overwhelming for smaller teams.
Take a no-obligation, free trial and experience the difference for yourself.
2. Zendesk
Why it’s great:
Zendesk is a well-known, widely-used, robust support platform widely. It’s highly customizable, so businesses can adapt it to their needs, from ticketing systems to knowledge bases. The platform’s automation capabilities streamline workflows, and it offers a variety of integrations with eCommerce platforms.
Advantages:
- Highly Customizable: Can be tailored to fit various support needs across industries.
- Advanced Reporting: In-depth analytics to monitor team performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Multilingual Support: Ideal for businesses with a global customer base.
Disadvantages:
- Complexity: Setting up and learning the platform can be time-consuming.
- Cost: Premium pricing makes it less suitable for smaller businesses, startups or those with tighter budgets.
3. Freshdesk
Why it’s great:
Freshdesk is a user-friendly support solution offering multichannel support, from email and chat to social media and phone. Known for its intuitive design and ease of use, it’s a popular choice for businesses new to support software. The platform’s collaborative features also make it easy for teams to work together on support tickets.
Advantages:
- Easy to Set Up and Use: Great for teams with limited technical expertise.
- Omnichannel Support: Handles queries from email, chat, social, and phone in one place.
- Affordable Pricing: Offers scalable pricing plans suited for small to medium-sized businesses.
Disadvantages:
- Limited eCommerce Integrations: Fewer native integrations with eCommerce platforms than eDesk.
- Customization Limits: Less flexibility compared to competitors like Zendesk.
4. Gorgias
Why it’s great:
Gorgias is built exclusively for eCommerce and excels at integrating with Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce. It focuses on customer service automation, allowing teams to handle high volumes of inquiries with ease. Gorgias uses a “rules-based” approach to automate responses, so it’s effective for eCommerce stores that want top give rapid responses to frequent queries.
Advantages:
- eCommerce-Exclusive: Focused on eCommerce-specific needs.
- Automation: Rules-based automation can handle high volumes of inquiries quickly.
- Shopify Integration: A top choice for Shopify-based stores, with deep platform integration.
Disadvantages:
- Limited Platform Compatibility: Primarily designed for Shopify and may be less effective for other eCommerce platforms.
- Costly for Larger Teams: Pricing can be high for stores with large support teams.
5. Re
Why it’s great:
Re is an all-in-one support and messaging tool that includes live chat, email, social media, and SMS support. Known for its ease of use, it also offers powerful features like workflow automation and built-in customer surveys. Its multichannel messaging capabilities make it ideal for teams looking to provide a consistent experience across touchpoints.
Advantages:
- Comprehensive Messaging: Consolidates all messaging channels, including SMS and social media.
- Integrated Customer Engagement: Supports proactive engagement through automation and CRM tools.
- Affordable for Small Businesses: Reasonably priced with scalable options.
Disadvantages:
- Limited Reporting: Reporting capabilities are less advanced compared to platforms like Zendesk and eDesk.
- Focus on Messaging: Primarily a messaging tool, so it may lack advanced ticketing and automation features for larger teams.
Take the first step
Choosing the right eCommerce support platform is essential to providing fast, efficient service that meets your customers’ expectations. While platforms like Zendesk, Freshdesk, Gorgias, and Re all offer valuable features, eDesk stands out for its specialized focus on eCommerce, seamless integrations, and AI-driven automation.
Take a no-obligation, free trial of eDesk today and see how it can transform your customer support experience. With the right tools in place, you’ll be well on your way to delighting customers and driving growth.
