Distributors and wholesalers today are aware of the need to offer ecommerce solutions to their clients. There are immense benefits to shifting online and it also has long-term viability for the business. Shifting online often begins with choosing a platform or solution. And in line with this, the next step is to ensure that your website is ready for integration. So, what are the necessary steps to ensure that your website is ready for ecommerce?
Developing project requirements
A successful project implementation begins with identifying goals, especially the target market. Is the b2b platform of a wholesale business intended only for existing customers? Does the business plan to scale up and accommodate a new market? One tip that experts recommend is to learn from competitors and industry leaders. Through this, you can identify specific best practices you want to adopt. The next thing you need to do is to create a structured catalogue, which also identifies specific best-selling products. Before moving on to implementing an ecommerce platform, it’s also essential to account for regulatory requirements, such as taxes.
Identify potential roadblocks
Any change will be met with challenges. It’s normal for issues to come up when implementing a new business model. Remember that ecommerce solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. But to ensure a smoother transition, you can prepare and anticipate potential problems. For example, your clients may experience issues with shipping costs. Another would be when clients are creating their accounts where customer review processes may prevent them from completing the purchase. Knowing what problems are likely to occur will allow you to put in place a process for resolving them while also ensuring excellent customer support.
Develop goals specific to ecommerce
Shifting to ecommerce needs to have a definite purpose. How will the change make your business better? Apart from target sales and revenue, you also need to consider how this will benefit your organisation. The goals set should also be measurable and in line with other targets you have for your business.
Build a team that will manage ecommerce
Before launching your ecommerce site, you need to organise a team of people with the right skill set to manage this new resource. Having experienced individuals in your team will give you peace of mind and confidence. It’s possible that you already have people in your company that can fill the role. But, in the absence of skilled in-house employees, another option is to outsource the service to an agency.
Outsourcing does have many benefits and it will allow you to move forward with the launch with little effort. But companies that prefer greater control over the process may prefer to handle the task in-house. At the very least, you’ll need a manager, marketing experts, developers, and customer support specialists.
Final thoughts
Apart from these best practices in developing an ecommerce website, a significant consideration is also required in choosing a platform or solution. You’ll need time to navigate options and choose one that’s the right fit for your business. Factors such as cost, hosting, features, and maintenance are only a few of the things you need to look into when comparing providers.
