Hubspot for Ecommerce

[JStull8]

I am building an ecommerce website and I see a way that I could bypass integrating a third party app like shopify but would like a second opinion. 

My client is non-profit and sells experiences (ie. trips to peru, etc) and has a donate option on their site. It has been recommended to me that we should set up each 'experience' like an event registration page w/ a HS payment link to buy.

Ideally we want to keep them on CMS starter and marketing strater ( ideally just CMS but could do marketing if we have to do it for functionality purposes)

The idea is that donations would be handled by Hubspot payments too.

Does anyone have experience doing this? Are there any drawbacks?

Part 2 to this question is sorting out some of the details involved during the purchase phase and post-purchase phase. Specifically we'd like to do the following

• Have coupon functionality
• Automate purchase confirmation emails for over 15 products
• Have the use sign a waiver either pre-purchase or post-purchase
• Include custom fields on checkout (billing details, basic medical info, Additional info)

Given the setup I'm proposing I'm not sure if these would be possible.

If anyone has experience doing something similar or have thoughts on my setup please let me know your thoughts.

[JStopn]

Setting up each experience like an event registration page with a payment link sounds practical. I've done something similar before, and it worked out well, especially for handling donations directly through HubSpot payments.

As for the features you’re looking for, HubSpot does allow for coupon codes and automating confirmation emails, which can be super handy. For the waivers, you might need a bit of creativity, like sending it as a follow-up email or using a third-party tool integrated with HubSpot. Also, I’ve had good experiences with ATLOS for accepting crypto payments. It adds flexibility and keeps things simple. Just some thoughts from my side—hope they help

[GiantFocal · Accepted solution]

The first part can certainly be accomplished using HubSpot Payments. Or another option is PayPal payment links which we've implemented for a client. 

For the second part, it can be partially achieved using multiple form submissions and workflow automation. Since your project also involves sensitive data such as billing details and medical information, you should also check HubSpot Sensitive Data: https://www.hubspot.com/products/sensitive-data

Best regards,

Abraham Ernesto

[boydwason]

Hi @JStull8

We've developed a solution that deploys natively on HubSpot (available in the HubSpot Apps Marketplace) and enables you to run fully featured eCommerce functionality, shopping cart, discount codes, etc. This overcomes the issue you've encountered with having to set up separate platforms and integrate these platforms back into HubSpot.

If you're looking for a solution that augments Commerce Hub and provides eCommerce natively in HubSpot take a look at CommercePro.co.

If you want to discuss the details of how we could solve your challenge using CommercePro I'd be happy to walk you through a demo.

[Nagarjoon]

As a user exploring options for an ecommerce website, it's understandable to seek alternatives to third-party platforms like Shopify, especially for a non-profit organization. The suggestion to set up each "experience" as an event registration page with a payment link via HubSpot seems feasible. This approach keeps the website within the desired CMS and marketing starter plans, potentially reducing costs and simplifying management. However, there are considerations to address. Integrating donation handling through HubSpot payments aligns with the streamlined approach but may require thorough testing and adherence to payment processing regulations. Regarding functionality needs, such as coupon integration, automated confirmation emails, waiver signing, and custom fields during checkout, it's essential to assess the capabilities of the chosen setup. Customization options within HubSpot may vary, and some functionalities might require additional development or third-party integrations. Consulting with experts or seeking case studies of similar setups can provide valuable insights and help refine the strategy to ensure a seamless user experience and efficient management of the ecommerce platform.

[Michaelblokes]

I am curious to know how Hubspot helps in improving your e-commerce store sales. What features contribute to the promotion of sales and revenue? Tell me about the key points that boost the ranking of my site on Google SERP. Here is my site URL. 

[JackCoopersmith]

Thanks for the tag here @kvlschaefer and thanks for the post @JStull8 ! So it does indeed seem like HubSpot payments would do the trick for you folks, however we currently are restricted from approving folks in the travel industry - that's really the only concern I have here 😞 

[JStull8]

That's ok they aren't in the travel industry. They are events. They don't sell plane/train/car tickets. Its an event ticket to go on a hike basically - they just organize the event.

Think thats ok?

[danmoyle]

That's interesting @JStull8 - I would think events + payments would work, but I'm not on the HubSpot team. I'm just with you on this. 😊 

[bendonahower]

Sounds like a fine solution to me. 

About phase 2.

• Have coupon functionality. See this kb article https://knowledge.hubspot.com/payments/create-and-use-payment-discount-codes
• Automate purchase confirmation emails for over 15 products If you don't already have marketing pro you will need this but it's possible
• Have the use sign a waiver either pre-purchase or post-purchase Same, you'll need workflows but you could have the waiver sent automatically after the purchase with marketing pro
• Include custom fields on checkout (billing details, basic medical info, Additional info) Also possible.

[JStull8]

Hey there,

A hubspot rep was telling me I needed the hubspot product library to use with payment links. He said... "The library is necessary in order to build the packages and put them inside the HubSpot link, without the library the solution isn't viable."

Is this true? If so, what benefit does it add. I've looked into it and don't fully see it's use here.
It's one of the items that would require pro - and if we don't need it, I'd love to try to stick with CMS Starter till we have to switch

[bendonahower]

You can create payments links without the product libary https://knowledge.hubspot.com/payments/create-and-share-a-products-payment-link but there is limited functionality. I would try to create the payment link first and see if it accomplishes what you are trying to do and then you will see if you need the functionality of the pro edition or not. 

[JStull8]

Just set it up and saw that I could link the product library to payment links. But otherwise it works like a normal checkout right - am I missing some of the limitations?

Why not create custom line items for the different 'experiences/trips' that the non-profit sells instead of connecting it to the product library?

I feel like I'm missing the functionality/benefit of the product library because it continues to come up but I haven't heard why it is needed for the solution.

[bendonahower]

From what I gather about your business, I don't think your missing anything.

[danmoyle]

+1 with @bendonahower here. I recently had a client with a very similar business model of selling experiences like trips. You can sell those and take donations both. The key here however is that yes, you may need to upgrade them to a pro tier. But I don't know of many free or extremely low-cost solutions out there that could do what you're asking. At least not without major customization and time for maintenance. 

[kvlschaefer]

Hi @JStull8,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community, and for this detailed post!

I would like to invite our subject matter experts to this conversation.

Hi @danmoyle, @MrJustinGivens, @bendonahower, @JackCoopersmith - Do you have any advice you can share with @JStull8? Thank you! 

Best,

Kristen