The Commerce Cloud acts as a one-stop, out-of-the-box solution. From automation to emails to marketing, Commerce Cloud has a product as a solution for every requirement of businesses and individuals. But all these specifications and features will remain useless if Salesforce Commerce Cloud isn’t integrated with third-party applications as operations like processing of payments and cards or order fulfillments management isn’t something that is in the hands of Commerce Cloud.

It is shocking, right! Yes, even though the Salesforce Commerce Cloud is quite equipped with many innovations, many things, like payments and tax calculations, cannot be performed directly on the Salesforce Commerce Cloud. The Cloud needs to be integrated with certain applications for providing those services to the customers.

SFCC’s features get enhanced via these integrations, but few businesses have skilled developers who can work on these integrations. This gap in integrating payment processors with SFCC is managed using Salesforce Link Cartridge.

Role of Link Cartridges in B2C Commerce Cloud

You must be thinking, what are these cartridges now; are they something like the ones which we have in our printers. We can say that Salesforce Link Cartridges are the bridge between commerce cloud and integrations for a simpler explanation. Technically, link cartridges are containers or collections of configurations and codes and certain documentation required to implement the proposed Salesforce-certified third-party integration. They are used for packaging and deploying program code and data, structured into folders and subordinate folders for efficiency. 

The third-party integrations required in the B2C Commerce Cloud usage, like tax calculation systems, payment processors, product information systems, and other integrations, are established effectively over the Commerce Cloud with these Salesforce Link Cartridges.

A regular Salesforce B2C Commerce storefront needs at least one link cartridge, but they generally implemented more than one. Implementing these Link Cartridges isn’t as easy as implementing other cartridges that generally function in product cycles or Commerce Cloud. Link Cartridge implementation requires Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Developer and Commerce Cloud System Integration. There is a rigid set of standards for Link Cartridges set by Salesforce, which must be followed to be trusted on its functioning and can be implemented with no hiccups or back thoughts in mind.

What is Link Marketplace?

Well, Salesforce Link Cartridges is not having the only benefit of integrating the third-party apps and enhancing the Salesforce Commerce Cloud. An added benefit of owning a certified Salesforce Link Cartridge is having it listed in Link Marketplace. Don’t panic; here;s what Link Marketplace is.

Link Marketplace is the official catalog of all certified Salesforce LINK Cartridges. It is the primary resort for discovering various third-party integrations. We can say that Link Marketplace is the App Exchange of LINK Cartridges. When a certified Salesforce Link Cartridge is developed, it gets self-listed by Salesforce on the LINK Marketplace, emphasizing its authenticity. LINK Marketplace is not just for finding Salesforce Link Cartridges; rather, it is an influencing place between Salesforce Commerce Cloud consumers, developers, and practitioners. Businesses can connect to various new and potential customers and enhance their integration experiences by assembling at LINK Marketplace.

How To Get your Salesforce Link Cartridge Published on Link Marketplace?

After reading about the Salesforce Link Cartridge and how it enhances the power of Salesforce Commerce Cloud, one would get excited to get a Salesforce Link Cartridge of theirs over the LINK Marketplace. Getting a Salesforce Link Cartridge published in Link Marketplace isn’t just a one-step process, but it’s not that tough. Let’s get to how we can get our Salesforce Link Cartridge published in Link Marketplace.

These features make SFCC a great platform for business users who largely prefer to manage this data in a friendly user interface.

While SFCC may seem like a superhero sent to save ecommerce, it is much like Batman in that they are both very good at their core functionalities but have some natural limitations. SFCC is very good at what it does, which is hosting and managing ecommerce storefronts. But, just as Batman doesn’t have superpowers, SFCC doesn’t do everything. It doesn’t natively communicate with any third parties, which means it does not include the ability to process credit cards or any other payments. Nor does it manage order fulfillment, which means that it must be notified as orders flow through the order management processes. To maximize SFCC’s potential, it must have a utility belt. Whereas Batman’s consists of batarangs, grappling hooks, and shark-repellent bat spray, SFCC’s consists of integrations with third parties, like payment processors, product information systems, and tax calculation services.

Integrating with a third party is extremely valuable, because it means that SFCC does not need to be extended to include all desired functionality; instead it gets augmented. Developing an integration with a third party is not a menial task. It requires a profound understanding of the SFCC architecture and close collaboration with the third party. Many merchants don’t have the resources in-house to implement such technical solutions, and most service providers don’t have the capacity to support each client’s custom implementation. SFCC accounts for this technical and resourcing gap through the use of LINK cartridges.

Conclusion

After reading everything about Salesforce Link Cartridge and how it powers up the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, businesses are taking steps to get their Link Cartridges developed and published, and this is where Nlineaxis IT Solutions Private Limited comes to the rescue by assisting and enhancing your Link Cartridge ideas and visions to getting it developed by our skilled and certified Salesforce B2C developers; we have it all for you.

Scared about launching your cartridge after developing well, worry not because, being a Salesforce B2C Consulting Partner, Nlineaxis (Salesforce Consulting Agency) provides Link Cartridge Compliance services to help you review your cartridge and get it published in the marketplace.