Salesforce Updates AppExchange: Things to Look Forward To

Earlier this week, Salesforce ended up launching the updated version of the AppExchange tool. The update enhances AppExchange with a range of new solutions (including collaborative options) that can be found in the enterprise marketplace.

Intelligent search results and personalized recommendations are an example of the new features we can look forward to.

AppExchange began as a simple app directory and with the recent update, it has now become a complete ecosystem of its own. According to Leyla Seka, the Executive VP of AppExchange, “around 87% of Salesforce software customers rely on the decade-old marketplace for apps. The current updates allow the marketplace to go beyond what it normally offers, especially with abilities such as personalization.”

Personalization allows users to identify Salesforce solutions that would typically be hard to find in the older versions.

The update comes on the heels of a recent IDC study which highlighted the economic impact of Salesforce. The study found that Salesforce and the ecosystem of users it has created will generate around $859 billion in business revenue and create over 3 million jobs by 2020.

Key Developments in AppExchange

The most important update to AppExchange is, as we already mentioned, is “Personalized Recommendation”. This particular feature leverages factors such as profile data, edition, site activity, install history, and customer location to recommend tools that are likely to meet the user’s specific expectations.

For instance, once a user starts browsing the marketplace for applications, he/she will see recommendations changing on the basis of the search terms used and also according to the categories or listings viewed often. The recommendations change again after an app or set of apps are installed. The change in recommendations is based on the apps installed by the user and also according to the behavior of organizations that use the same app.

Another important addition to AppExchange is “Trailhead Learning”. This is basically an accumulation of resources on topics such as skills training, best practices, and anything that comes under “typical business requirements”.

Basically, using Trailhead Learning, users can look for integrated learning material that can guide them on new skills or best practices. For instance, the “Empower Managers and Agents with the Service Cloud Platform” resource, found within the Product Collection pages can help users find apps and solutions that meet their needs.

There is specific content for each industry, collection, and listing. The content can be acquired in the form of videos, eBooks, articles, and webinars etc. Validation of the content is done through peer reviews; over 70,000 of them. In essence, there is an entire community that users can rely on for guidance.

Unique Offerings

There are also Lighting Bolts and Data Solutions, which go beyond AppExchange’s traditional offerings.

Lightning Bolts are unique solutions that come with Lightning Components, Communities and industry process flows. They are all integrated into the Salesforce architecture. With help from Salesforce partners such as Appirio, PwC, Bluewolf, Accenture, and Silverline, users can now gain access to a range of customized, industry-specific solutions.

For example, Appirio offers what is known as Retail Store Collaboration, which allows retailers to better collaborate with their stores. This improved collaboration allows retailers to collect data about consumers in real-time, improve worker engagement, and also improve the feedback process, ultimately aiding the scaling process.

The Lighting Data Solutions, on the other hand, leverage integrated third-party data sources to acquire data-drive insights via enhanced customer profiles. The data solutions can also enhance marketing and key sales processes such as scoring, targeting, prioritization, and segmentation.

For instance, Lightning Data provides sales personnel with extra data such as the recent subjects that a company has been observing or studying or the hardware/software that the company relies on. This kind of additional data can be leveraged to build better customer engagement and customer relationship management strategies.

To experience latest AppExchange, visit https://appexchange.salesforce.com/

Nidhi Raghuvanshi

Passionate Digital Marketer & Software Analyst. I recognize the importance of interactive engagement in today’s world and works towards building a steady flow of relevant, user-oriented content to obtain high-rank placement in search engine results.