Top 7 Salesforce Commerce Cloud Features Every eCommerce Brand Should Use in 2025

eCommerce is no longer just about having an online store.

It's about creating experiences that make customers want to come back. And in 2025, that means using the right technology stack.

Salesforce Commerce Cloud has become one of the most powerful platforms for brands that want to grow. 

According to BuiltWith, over 1,5000 live websites currently use Salesforce Commerce Cloud, with many Fortune 500 companies relying on it for their digital storefronts. 

The platform handles billions in transactions annually and continues to add capabilities that make online selling smarter and faster.

But here's the thing: having access to a platform is different from using it well.

Many brands barely scratch the surface of what Commerce Cloud can do. They set up basic product pages and checkout flows, then wonder why their conversion rates stay flat. Meanwhile, their competitors are using advanced features to personalize every touchpoint, automate tedious tasks, and create shopping experiences that feel almost magical.

If you're running an eCommerce brand—or planning to launch one—you need to know which features matter most. Not the ones that sound impressive in demos, but the ones that actually move the needle on revenue and customer satisfaction.

This article breaks down the seven Commerce Cloud features that separate thriving online stores from struggling ones. Whether you're managing the platform yourself or planning to Hire Salesforce Commerce Cloud developers to build out your store, understanding these capabilities will help you make smarter decisions about your tech investment.

Let's get into it.

What You'll Learn

Here's what this guide covers:

  • Einstein AI features that predict what customers want before they know it themselves

  • Headless commerce architecture and why it matters for mobile-first brands

  • Page Designer tools that let your team update content without developer help

  • Order Management capabilities that keep fulfillment running smoothly across channels

  • B2B Commerce features that turn complex wholesale operations into simple workflows

  • Mobile-first design considerations that make shopping on phones actually enjoyable

  • Marketing automation that sends the right message at exactly the right moment

Each section explains not just what the feature does, but why it matters and how to implement it effectively.

  • Einstein AI and Predictive Intelligence

Why AI-Powered Personalization Works

Think about the last time you shopped on Amazon or Netflix.

They showed you products or shows that felt oddly relevant. That's predictive intelligence at work. It's not magic—it's math combined with massive amounts of customer behavior data.

Einstein AI brings this same capability to your Commerce Cloud store. The system learns from how people browse, what they click, what they abandon, and what they buy. Then it uses those patterns to predict what each visitor wants to see next.

Does this actually work?

The data says yes. Brands using Einstein Product Recommendations see an average 10% increase in revenue per visitor. That's not from spending more on ads or slashing prices. It's from showing people things they actually want to buy.

How Einstein Product Recommendations Work

Einstein analyzes three types of behavior patterns.

First, it looks at what individual shoppers do on your site. If someone spends five minutes looking at running shoes, Einstein notes that interest. Second, it finds similar customers and sees what they purchased. Third, it tracks broader trends across your entire customer base.

The algorithm then combines these signals to generate recommendations that feel personal.

You don't need a data science team to set this up. Commerce Cloud handles the heavy lifting. Your job is deciding where to display recommendations: on product pages, in cart, via email, or all three.

Einstein Search That Understands Intent

Here's a common problem: customers type "blue dress" into your search bar.

Your old search system returns 500 results sorted by... who knows what. The customer scrolls through three pages, gets frustrated, and leaves.

Einstein Search works differently.

It understands that "blue dress" might mean "navy cocktail dress under $100" for one customer and "light blue casual maxi dress" for another. The AI looks at each customer's browsing history, purchase patterns, and even the device they're using to refine results.

It also learns from what doesn't work. When customers search but don't click, Einstein adjusts. When they search, click, then immediately bounce, it learns that match wasn't right.

Over time, your search gets smarter without anyone touching it.

Predictive Sort for Product Listings

Standard product sorting gives you basic options: price high to low, newest first, best sellers.

Einstein Predictive Sort goes deeper.

It rearranges your entire product catalog for each individual visitor based on what they're most likely to buy. Someone who always filters by organic materials? They see those products first. Someone who only buys during sales? Sale items move to the top.

This matters because most customers don't dig past the first page of results. If the first 12 products don't interest them, they leave. Predictive Sort ensures those first 12 products are the most relevant possible.

Setting Up Einstein Effectively

Implementation starts with data quality.

Einstein needs clean, complete product data to make good predictions. That means proper categorization, detailed attributes, and high-quality images. If your product catalog is messy, fix that first.

Next, give Einstein time to learn. The algorithms need at least 30 days of traffic data before they can generate reliable predictions. During this learning period, you'll see baseline performance. After that, recommendations improve continuously.

Finally, test placement locations. Try recommendations on product detail pages, cart pages, and checkout confirmation screens. Track which placements drive the most revenue per session.

  • Headless Commerce Architecture

What Headless Actually Means

Traditional eCommerce platforms bundle everything together.

Your storefront, your backend, your content management, your checkout—they're all interconnected. Change one thing and you risk breaking another. Want to redesign your mobile app? You might need to rebuild your entire frontend.

Headless architecture separates the frontend (what customers see) from the backend (where data lives).

Commerce Cloud manages all your product data, inventory, pricing, and order processing. But your frontend can be anything: a React app, a native iOS application, a smartwatch interface, or even a voice assistant.

Why does this matter?

Because customer touchpoints keep multiplying. In 2025, people shop through Instagram, TikTok, mobile apps, smart speakers, and websites. Building a separate eCommerce system for each channel is impossible. Headless lets you connect one backend to unlimited frontends.

API-First Commerce Strategy

Headless works through APIs—basically digital pipelines that move data between systems.

Commerce Cloud provides robust APIs that handle everything from product catalogs to checkout flows. Your development team can call these APIs from any frontend they build.

This approach gives you flexibility. Want to test a new shopping experience on TikTok? Build a simple frontend that pulls product data through Commerce Cloud APIs. It launches in weeks instead of months.

Want to add a virtual try-on feature using augmented reality? Connect it to your existing product catalog without touching your main website.

Mobile-First Development Benefits

Most eCommerce traffic now comes from mobile devices.

But many brands still design for desktop first, then try to squeeze everything onto smaller screens. The result? Clunky mobile experiences with tiny buttons, slow load times, and frustrated customers.

Headless architecture flips this approach.

You can build a lightning-fast mobile app specifically designed for touch interfaces. It pulls product data from Commerce Cloud but presents it in ways that work for thumbs, not mouse cursors.

Your mobile app can also use device features that websites can't: push notifications, biometric authentication, native payment systems, and offline browsing.

Getting Started with Headless

Start small. You don't need to rebuild everything at once.

Pick one channel where a custom frontend would make the biggest impact. Maybe it's a mobile app for loyalty members. Maybe it's a simplified checkout flow for wholesale buyers.

Build that first. Learn from it. Then expand to other channels.

You'll need developers who understand both frontend frameworks and Commerce Cloud APIs. But once the system is in place, launching new shopping experiences becomes much faster.

  • Page Designer and Content Management

Why Content Velocity Matters

Your marketing team has an idea for a new promotion.

In traditional setups, they write a brief, send it to IT, wait for developers to code it, wait for QA testing, then finally launch—three weeks later. By then, the moment has passed.

Page Designer changes this workflow completely.

It's a drag-and-drop interface that lets marketers and merchandisers build and modify pages without writing code. Need to swap hero images? Done in two minutes. Want to test a new product layout? Live in five minutes.

Building Landing Pages Without Developers

Page Designer comes with pre-built components: image banners, product grids, text blocks, videos, and more.

Your team arranges these components like building blocks. They drag a hero image to the top, add a product carousel below it, drop in some marketing copy, and publish.

The system automatically ensures everything is responsive. Your page looks good on desktop, tablet, and mobile without extra work.

Want to create a Valentine's Day landing page? Build it, preview it, schedule it to go live at midnight, then schedule it to come down on February 15th. All without touching a developer.

Component-Based Design System

Smart brands don't just use default components.

They work with developers to create custom components that match their brand guidelines perfectly. Once built, these components live in a shared library.

Marketers can use them repeatedly without worrying about design consistency. The components already follow brand colors, spacing rules, and style guidelines.

This approach speeds up content creation while maintaining quality. Your Black Friday landing page looks cohesive with your homepage because they use the same design system.

A/B Testing Content Variations

Page Designer integrates with testing tools.

Want to know if a large hero image or a product grid converts better? Create both versions in Page Designer, set up an A/B test, and let it run.

Commerce Cloud automatically splits traffic between versions and measures which one generates more revenue. When you have a winner, make it permanent with one click.

This testing capability means your site keeps improving based on data, not opinions.

Scheduling and Workflow Management

Holiday shopping creates content chaos.

You need different homepages for Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas. Each needs to go live at specific times.

Page Designer handles this through scheduling. Build all your holiday pages in advance, set their launch dates and times, and forget about them. The system publishes and unpublishes automatically.

It also supports approval workflows. Junior team members can build pages that senior leaders review before publishing. This prevents mistakes while maintaining content velocity.

  • Order Management System

Unified Commerce Approach

Customers don't think in channels.

They see a product on Instagram, check reviews on your website, buy it through your mobile app, and pick it up in your store. To them, it's all one shopping experience.

Your backend systems need to match that reality.

Commerce Cloud's Order Management System (OMS) gives you a single view of inventory, orders, and fulfillment across all channels. When someone buys something online, the system can fulfill it from your warehouse, nearest store, or even a vendor who drop-ships.

Inventory Visibility Across Locations

Nothing kills conversion faster than "out of stock" messages.

But here's the problem: you might have the product in stock—just in a different location than where your website checks first.

OMS solves this with distributed order management. It sees inventory across all your locations in real-time. If your main warehouse is out of something, the system automatically checks stores. Found it in Denver? Great, ship it from Denver.

This capability dramatically reduces lost sales from phantom stockouts.

Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS)

BOPIS has become table stakes for retail brands.

Customers want the convenience of online browsing with the instant gratification of in-store pickup. Plus, they avoid shipping fees.

Commerce Cloud OMS makes this work smoothly. When a customer places a BOPIS order, the system:

  • Routes the order to the nearest store with inventory

  • Notifies store staff to prepare the order

  • Sends the customer a "ready for pickup" message

  • Processes in-store pickup confirmation

The whole flow happens automatically. Store staff just pull items and hand them to customers.

Returns Management Anywhere

Returns shouldn't be complicated.

With OMS, customers can buy online and return to any store location. Or buy in-store and ship returns back. The system tracks everything in one place.

This flexibility matters because easy returns build customer confidence. People buy more when they know returning won't be a hassle.

How to Implement OMS Effectively

Start by getting your inventory data synchronized.

OMS needs accurate, real-time counts from every location. That means integrating your point-of-sale systems, warehouse management systems, and any third-party logistics providers.

Next, define your fulfillment rules. Which location ships first? When do you split orders across multiple locations? What's your BOPIS radius? These business rules guide how OMS routes orders.

Finally, train store staff on the new workflows. They need to understand how to handle BOPIS orders and in-store returns for online purchases.

  • B2B Commerce Capabilities

Why B2B eCommerce Is Different

Selling to businesses isn't like selling to consumers.

Your wholesale buyers want to see contract pricing, not catalog prices. They need to order 500 units, not one. They want to reorder last month's purchase with two clicks. And they expect net-30 payment terms, not credit card checkouts.

Commerce Cloud B2B handles all these requirements.

Account-Based Pricing and Catalogs

Each B2B customer gets their own view of your store.

A hospital purchasing department sees medical supply pricing based on their negotiated contract. A restaurant chain sees food service pricing. A boutique retailer sees wholesale fashion pricing.

The system maintains multiple price books and automatically shows customers the right one based on their account. No manual work needed.

You can also restrict product visibility. Some customers see your full catalog. Others only see products they're approved to buy based on licensing or territory restrictions.

Quick Order Forms and Reordering

B2B buyers know what they want.

They don't need to browse. They need to add 50 products to cart and checkout fast.

Commerce Cloud provides quick order forms where buyers can paste in product SKUs and quantities. The system validates them, adds them to cart, and they're done.

It also saves order history. Buyers can pull up last month's order and reorder everything with one click. This speeds up repeat purchases dramatically.

Quote Management and Approval Workflows

Large B2B orders often need quotes before purchase.

Buyers can request quotes directly through Commerce Cloud. Your sales team reviews them, adjusts pricing if needed, and sends back approved quotes. Buyers then convert quotes to orders with one click.

The system also supports multi-level approval workflows. If an order exceeds a certain amount, it automatically routes to a manager for approval before processing.

Bulk Actions and List Management

B2B buyers work with lists.

They maintain lists of frequently ordered items, seasonal items, or location-specific items. Commerce Cloud lets them create, save, and share these lists.

Need to order everything on your "Restaurant Opening" list? Click it, add all items to cart, and checkout. Done in seconds.

Setting Up B2B Commerce

Implementation starts with defining your customer segments.

Who are your wholesale buyers? What pricing tiers do they get? What payment terms? Map this out before you start configuring the system.

Next, migrate your existing customer accounts and pricing data. This often requires working with Salesforce Commerce Cloud developers who understand data migration best practices.

Finally, train your sales team and customer service reps. They need to understand how B2B features work so they can help customers who have questions.

  • Mobile-First Design and Progressive Web Apps

Why Mobile Performance Matters

Over 70% of eCommerce traffic comes from mobile devices in 2025.

But here's the problem: many sites still load slowly on phones. Images take forever to appear. Buttons are too small to tap. Checkout requires filling out 15 form fields on a tiny keyboard.

Customers don't tolerate this anymore. If your mobile site is slow or clunky, they go to competitors.

Progressive Web App Advantages

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) combine the best of websites and native apps.

They load instantly, work offline, and can be added to a customer's home screen. But unlike native apps, customers don't need to download them from an app store.

Commerce Cloud supports PWA architecture. Your store can load in under two seconds, even on slower 4G connections. It caches product images and data locally, so browsing stays fast even if connection drops temporarily.

PWAs also support push notifications. You can send customers alerts about abandoned carts, back-in-stock items, or special promotions—just like a native app.

Touch-Optimized Shopping Experience

Mobile shopping requires different design patterns than desktop.

Buttons need to be large enough for thumbs. Navigation should use hamburger menus and sticky headers. Product images should support pinch-to-zoom. Checkout forms should minimize typing.

Commerce Cloud's mobile templates handle these details automatically. But customization takes them further. Consider:

  • One-tap checkout using digital wallets

  • Vertical scrolling instead of pagination

  • Swipeable product galleries

  • Floating "Add to Cart" buttons that stay accessible

App Shell Architecture

PWAs use an architecture called "app shell."

The basic structure of your site—header, navigation, footer—loads immediately from cache. Then dynamic content (products, prices, inventory status) fills in from the server.

This approach creates the perception of instant loading. Customers see something on screen right away, even if product data takes another second to arrive.

Implementing Mobile-First Commerce

Start by auditing your current mobile performance.

Use Google's PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to identify bottlenecks. Common issues include:

  • Oversized images that slow down loading

  • Too many third-party scripts

  • Render-blocking CSS and JavaScript

  • Lack of caching

Fix these issues first. Then consider implementing PWA capabilities for even better performance.

Test on real devices, not just desktop browsers in mobile emulation mode. Borrow phones from team members and test on actual 4G networks, not your office WiFi.

  • Marketing Cloud Integration

Connected Customer Journey

Most brands use separate tools for eCommerce and marketing.

Your Commerce Cloud store handles transactions. Your email platform sends campaigns. Your social media scheduler posts content. Your analytics tool tracks everything.

The problem? These systems don't talk to each other.

Marketing Cloud integration solves this by connecting your commerce data directly to your marketing automation. Now your marketing campaigns can use real purchase behavior, not just email opens and clicks.

Personalized Email Campaigns

Generic email blasts don't work anymore.

Customers expect messages that relate to their specific interests and behaviors. Marketing Cloud makes this possible at scale.

Send different emails based on:

  • Products customers browsed but didn't buy

  • Categories they purchase from most often

  • How much they typically spend per order

  • How long since their last purchase

Each email can dynamically pull in product recommendations from Commerce Cloud. The system automatically includes items the customer is most likely to buy based on Einstein AI predictions.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Shopping cart abandonment averages 70% across eCommerce.

That's a lot of revenue left on the table. Marketing Cloud's abandoned cart workflows automatically reach out to customers who started checkout but didn't finish.

These emails can include:

  • Images of the exact products they left behind

  • Dynamic pricing (in case there's now a sale)

  • Limited-time incentives to complete purchase

  • Alternative product suggestions

The system sends these emails at optimal times based on when each customer is most likely to engage.

Customer Segmentation That Works

Marketing Cloud lets you build sophisticated customer segments based on commerce data.

Create segments like:

  • High-value customers who haven't purchased in 60 days

  • First-time buyers from the last 30 days

  • Customers who always buy during sales

  • Mobile-only shoppers

  • B2B buyers from specific industries

Each segment gets different messages, offers, and content. This targeted approach drives much higher engagement than broadcasting the same message to everyone.

Cross-Channel Campaign Orchestration

Customers interact with brands across multiple channels.

Marketing Cloud orchestrates campaigns that follow customers wherever they go. Someone visits your site but doesn't buy? Show them a retargeting ad on Facebook. They click the ad? Send a personalized email. They still don't convert? Send an SMS with a limited-time offer.

These multi-touch campaigns are managed from one interface. You see the entire customer journey and can optimize based on what works.

Getting Integration Right

Marketing Cloud integration requires mapping your customer data correctly.

Work with developers to ensure Commerce Cloud customer profiles sync to Marketing Cloud contacts. Set up data extensions that store purchase history, browsing behavior, and product preferences.

Then build your automations. Start with basics like welcome emails and abandoned cart recovery. Once those work well, expand to more advanced campaigns like win-back sequences and loyalty rewards.

Conclusion

Salesforce Commerce Cloud is powerful. But only if you use it well.

The seven features we covered—Einstein AI, headless architecture, Page Designer, Order Management, B2B Commerce, mobile-first design, and Marketing Cloud integration—separate successful stores from struggling ones.

You don't need to implement everything at once. Start with the features that solve your biggest pain points. Maybe that's mobile performance. Maybe it's B2B ordering. Maybe it's getting marketing and eCommerce on the same page.

Pick one. Implement it well. Measure results. Then move to the next.

The brands winning in 2025 aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets. They're the ones using technology strategically to create better customer experiences. Commerce Cloud gives you the tools. Your job is putting them to work.

What will you build?

 

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