What Is an eCommerce Platform, and Why Does Your Business Need One?

Mar 1, 2019
  • eCommerce Explained
  • eCommerce Platform Features
  • Comprehensive Customer View
  • Smart Order Management
  • All-in-One Access
  • Expansion Opportunity
  • Benefits of Using an eCommerce Platform for Your Small Business
  • Get Your All-in-One eCommerce Solution Delivered Today

Consumer-facing platforms are vitally important to the growth and lifespan of your business. This is even true if you are a small brick-and-mortar shop focused on local customers. It is always beneficial to provide some kind of online portal to your customers, allowing them to shop for your products freely or get more information about your services in a more accessible way.

At Job Hub Group, we develop custom eCommerce solutions that can help you sell to your clients over the Internet. From small start-up shops to global service platforms, our team can create a cutting-edge solution to match your specific needs. The key features and elements of an eCommerce platform can both automate and streamline the way your customers shop with you.

eCommerce Explained

Also known as “electronic commerce,” eCommerce was established as early as 1979 as a means of doing business over the Internet. Any kind of transaction that is made online, from buying a used car on eBay to buying a new song on iTunes, is known as eCommerce.

eCommerce spans across many different industries, and pertains to almost every kind of business. This isn’t just an essential feature for B2C companies; businesses that interact solely with other businesses need to offer a streamlined transaction process as well. The universal symbol of the shopping cart is an important indicator to your potential customers that you have something to sell, and you have made it very easy for them to go and buy it.

eCommerce Platform Features

Your custom eCommerce platform will of course be customized to match the exact needs of your company. It is still important to know what to expect of an eCommerce system in general. Consider the following features:

1. Comprehensive Customer View
Get a full 360-degrees look at what your customers are doing. Not only can you witness the platform from their point of view, but on the back end you can also study typical customer behaviors and receive analytical insights on how your platform is managing. Plus, you can use your eCommerce platform as an opportunity to have cross-channel communications (asking the user to share a completed action to their social media page, for example). You will also be able to tailor your interactions to the key characteristics of the customer base.

2. Smart Order Management
While it’s always nice to keep a paper trail of your sales records, you need a system that can file your orders accurately and speedily. Excel at customer service by establishing an order management system that will raise customer expectations and boost positive experiences. Not only will this keep you in a favorable light with your client base, but you can also raise profitability with effective order management. With an eCommerce platform, you’ll have a centralized location where you can access orders, inventory, fulfillment needs, and more.

3. All-in-One Access
Again, an intelligent eCommerce platform is something that gives you one single place to perform every transaction and store every piece of information relating to your sales and distribution. No longer do you have to worry about finding a retail software platform that can easily integrate all of your separate systems in one place. You can disregard your old accounting software, POS system, inventory system, and order placement system and just utilize a single multi-use platform for maximized efficiency.

4. Expansion Opportunity
Are you expecting major growth? Do you plan on opening a new branch or launching a rebranding campaign soon? You can use your streamlined eCommerce platform to easily support this expansion. It doesn’t matter how large you predict the growth to be – an intuitive system can handle it. New business models, art assets, currencies, language integrations and channels can be deployed all from the same spot.

Benefits of Using an eCommerce Platform for Your Small Business

If you are a startup entrepreneur or a first-time investor, you may be questioning the necessity of such an advanced piece of technology. The reality of the matter is that eCommerce platforms are for everyone. In fact, they are recommended for small companies as a way to improve customer service with existing clients while making your business more accessible to potential new ones.

What you are offering to your customers is a comprehensive way to shop virtually. Your eCommerce platform isn’t just a place for customers to browse and buy, but it is also a place for them to interact with customer service representatives in real time, see live discounts, and participate in promotional events.

On the back end, your eCommerce platform will provide a one-stop shop for keeping track of inventory, handling item procurement, executing marketing campaigns, and pulling the trigger on seasonal discounts. You can also get a full range of analytics and reporting tools that give you accurate data about your customers.

What’s more, your personalized eCommerce platform is a cloud-based software program. Gone are the days where companies must fear a server crash that erases all valuable information from the computers. Instead, the cloud will safely and securely store your data in a place only accessible by you – but protected from being deleted or lost.

Get Your All-in-One eCommerce Solution Delivered Today

Let Job Hub Group assess the needs and goals of your business by analyzing your industry and understanding your target audience. From there, we can create a tailored eCommerce system that contains the whole package: shopping, order management, inventory, accounting, and much more. The only way that you can realistically meet the demands of your customers while staying afloat with the responsibilities of growing a company is with an innovative tool like an all-in-one eCommerce platform.

We develop customer-facing eCommerce solutions that will improve their experience with you from start to finish. Work more efficiently while the software automates the processes that used to be siloed as separate programs.

Propel your business into your future with custom eCommerce software. Get in touch with Job Hub Group to talk about how an online portal can increase your returns. Contact us today!