Today’s ecommerce ecosystem has opened up new revenue opportunities for online retailers. When you have a reliable ecommerce system in place, you can attract customers from any demographic or location, without needing to present your products in person. With the elimination of language and location barriers, the entire world becomes your storefront.
Of course, with all these opportunities come real-world logistical challenges. ecommerce businesses are forced to operate in an extremely fast-paced environment, as customers’ tolerance for waiting shrinks daily. Major online retailers like Amazon have set a new standard in customer expectation that orders will be shipped and received in a matter of days, if not sooner. Whether you fulfill orders in-house or rely on a fulfillment partner, your business must be able to fulfill orders right away. And of course, in the small world that is online sales, your customers have the final say, as they publicly share their experiences with your company in the form of online reviews or forums.
All components of your supply chain must be working flawlessly in order to ensure that you can deliver not only your fantastic products but a superior customer service experience as well.
At the crossroads of all these moving parts is your ecommerce integration software, which can streamline your sales process – or slow you down dramatically. With the right integration software, all these challenges become opportunities – to sell more, expand your product line and serve your customers better.
The ideal ecommerce integration software helps you boosts sales by…
… Introducing new revenue opportunities
The right ecommerce integration software enables to you to approach large retail chains without worrying about being able to integrate with their software.
… Enabling omni-channel integration
No matter where your customer buys your product – from mobile to desktop to a brick & mortar store – your ordering process appears seamless, easy to use and completely reliable.
… Allowing smooth integration with external fulfillment networks
Your successful ecommerce business should not be limited to selling only on your own website. If you partner with other popular ecommerce channels (ex. eBay), your ecommerce integration software must be able to handle order requests coming from a multitude of different directions, each with varying requirements.
… Showing only what is in stock and available
Your ecommerce integration software should be able to display only the items that you’re able to fulfill immediately and display dates when out-of-stock products will become available. This eliminates the customer backlash that accompanies surprise wait times that are revealed after payment has been made.
… Facilitating seamless communication with your fulfillment partners
If you’re using a third-party order fulfillment network, the right integration software will streamline your back-and-forth. All-in-one platforms consolidate information into a single place, integrating your shopping cart, ERP, and your partner’s system into a single transaction that is updated in real-time, so it’s easy to track.
… Keeping pace with integrated documents updates
Your integration software should provide you with updated documents, without requiring the need for custom coding connections as information requirements change. All-in-one platforms prioritize this since connection requirements change frequently.
… Building trust with your customers
Customers won’t tolerate gaps in communication when ordering from an online retailer. Your integration software should provide reliable two-way communication during every step of the transaction, keeping your customers informed with an accurate picture of when they will receive their order.
… Speeding your order fulfillment
By replacing manual processes with integration software, you eliminate time-consuming actions that drain man-hours from your operation. When you use an automated integration system, your product managers can focus on your organization’s bigger order sales picture, not individual transactions.
… Enabling drop shipping opportunities
A robust integration platform means you can expand your product offerings via drop shipping. When your software integrates efficiently with outside vendors and presents a seamless experience for your customers, you can offer a greater variety of products to your customers under your brand umbrella.
Don’t let your integration software get in the way of growing your sales. Gone are the days of relying on cumbersome, custom-developed integration software. Emerging platforms prioritize speed, efficiency, and flexibility – all the things that today’s ecommerce business needs to be successful.
For information on how Alluvia’s all-in-one platform can streamline your ecommerce sales process, contact us today.