Finding the best multi-channel ecommerce platform for your specific business isn't easy. A great amount of all online sales result from marketplaces such as Amazon or Ebay. This makes high-traffic platforms an important sales channel. They not only increase the reach and the visibility of your products, but also generate sales and growth - provided that you start using a professional Multichannel ecommerce software as early as possible.
1. Structure and efficiency – from day one
Professional tools often have comprehensive entry-level solutions and a range of useful functions that make daily doing enormously easier. They design your product data as well as your channel management simply and clearly. In addition, they automatically control your product ranges according to your specifications on the marketplaces, which will boost your visibility and growth. Professional multichannel eCommerce tools create structure and overview to your multi-channel trade. So use it as early as possible. Best case- since the beginning.
2. Scalability – grow fast, but smoothly
With increasing growth, good tools are easily and smoothly scalable - from an increasing number of orders to an increasing number of marketplaces and sales platforms. Even if you only want to serve one or two marketplaces in the beginning, other sales channels will quickly gain importance. When selecting the tool, check whether the future marketplaces of your choice are available in the provider's interface portfolio. If not, clarify whether and when the marketplace will be included or implemented in the interface planning. Professional tools regularly integrate new marketplaces into their multichannel landscape, so that nothing stands in the way of your growth.
3. Product data maintenance – central and channel-specific
Each marketplace has its own requirements for product data. Amazon needs different product data than your shop, Otto needs other than Amazon, etc. You have to meet these requirements, otherwise you will not be (optimally) listed on marketplaces. So make sure that your multichannel eCommerce tool contains a module to optimize your product data for all sales channels. With this module you import, create, edit and manage your data - master data such as prices, currencies or article numbers as well as marketing texts, technical product data, images and videos - according to the specifications of the channels. In addition, features such as virtual warehouse management or - depending on the range - the handling of multiple variants as a supplement to common ERP functionalities are useful.
4. Channel management – rule-based and automated
In channel and order management, the wheat is separated from the chaff. Not every multichannel software is able to intelligently automate your channel management. In order to structure your growth in a structured and sustainable way, multichannel software with a high degree of automation in the range control is of fundamental importance. Make sure that you can define your own rules for your range control. A virtual inventory management is also recommended to optimally control the offer of your articles across all sales channels. With good, growth-oriented tools you are able to control marketplaces as well as your online shop(s) centrally. Even if marketplace sales is on your agenda in the first step, it probably makes sense in the long term to serve all online sales channels from a central system, including your Shopware Shop. This functionality is not yet available on the market for Shopware 6. However, multichannel providers who offer this function for Shopware 5 and are already working with Shopware 6 will probably already have it on their agenda. Check if you want to and can include your shop in your channel management at a later date.
5. Order management – automated and selective
Your multichannel eCommerce tool should not only transfer product data to the sales channels, but also be able to bring orders back to your system. Attention! Not every multichannel eCommerce tool is able to do this. However, an intelligent order management is necessary so that orders arrive in a structured manner. It must be clear which channel an order comes from and, if applicable, which ERP client and / or which shop the order has to be handed over to. If you have several ERP clients or online shops, a selection has to be made. Only a few multichannel eCommerce tools can handle order splitting.
6. Stock updates – cross channel and virtual
In order to avoid overselling in multichannel trading, the update of stocks should take effect automatically across all connected sales channels. Otherwise you run the risk of selling more than you have in stock. Both your customers and channels such as Amazon are sensitive when orders cannot be delivered. Smart features such as the virtual inventory management per channel, mentioned previously, guarantee optimal control of your offers and prevent over-sales.
7. Billing model
The various providers are sometimes difficult to compare at cost level, since the depth of function and scope of the software have to be compared. Cost savings usually result in a smaller range of functions and reduction in functional depth. You should consider what makes sense in the long term. With regard to your monthly fixed costs, think about which billing model makes sense for you. For example, look at whether you want to use a tool with or without revenue sharing. With the transaction-based variant with revenue sharing, your costs increase linearly with growth e.g. with increasing shopping cart value. In terms of shopping cart value, billing models that settle up based on orders received are often better. These billing models without revenue sharing usually have fixed cost parameters. It is worth making sure that the monthly fees are not linked to the number of usable sales channels / marketplaces. So you can use different marketplaces and expand your sales radius without long-term costs.
Conclusion
A professional multichannel eCommerce tool guarantees you an overview and efficiency in trading on marketplaces and in your Shopware shops. It forms the basis for continuous and sustainable eCommerce growth. Below is an overview of your advantages and our recommendation for Shopware 5 & 6:
Centralized control of sales on online marketplaces and in shopware shops
- No multiple creation of products
- No multiple creation of products
- Elimination of sources of error
Channel-specific preparation of product data
- Optimal presentation of your products on the marketplaces / sales channels
Automated range control
- Inventory-based range control in the channels including virtual inventory management for guaranteed availability
- Demand-oriented control of products / product groups in the channels
- Efficient way of working
- Sustainable growth
Order and inventory updates
- Cross-channel inventory management
- Avoiding short sales
From beginner to professional
- Complete entry-level solution
- From the first marketplace to full eCommerce control
- Smooth scalability
About brickfox
Whether as a multichannel tool for managing your sales on Amazon, eBay, Shopware & Co. or as a software solution for launching your own marketplace projects - the brickfox the brickfox software connects manufacturers, distributors, retailers & digital sales platforms.
