Do you have an online store?
Does that store have multiple potential audiences or product types?
Do you want to increase the number of leads and eventually increase your sales and Return on Investment?
Of course, you do. The answer to all these and more is implementing a multi-store eCommerce platform for your online store.
Wondering what a multi-store eCommerce platform is? Don’t worry, in this article, we will let you in on everything you need to know about running multiple eCommerce stores and the platform itself.
Let’s start from the beginning.
What is a multi-store eCommerce platform?
As the name suggests, a multi-store eCommerce platform allows you to launch and manage multiple stores from a single platform.
Most online businesses build their eCommerce site by putting all the eggs in one basket. While this approach is usually convenient for a vendor as he has to manage only one site, this strategy does not hold strong for varied audiences visiting his site.
For example, let’s consider an example of a distributor running a B2C store that provides scrubs to many hospitals and clinics.
Now, instead of catering to all the hospitals from a single site, he has the option to create multiple stores, each for a hospital or clinic. The distributor can make changes to each of these stores in a way that is personalized to each hospital.
Not only the design, but he can also create offers that are exclusive to a particular store while the remaining stores are oblivious to it.
Well, he has the flexibility to do all this, and more by streamlining all his stores into a single platform. In this way, he can essentially target global markets, increase Return on Investment, and improve the shopping experience of his customers.
What are the business applications of multi-store?
A multi-store eCommerce platform has numerous and high-yielding business applications to it. Some of them are listed below.
Capability to run multiple sites and brands
As mentioned above in the example, enterprise-level companies can offer a unique shopping experience even while handling multiple brands and not compromising on centralized services for their unique customers.
Niche eCommerce websites
You can create niche websites that are category, event, and promotion-specific through customer segregation strategy and optimizing search and content to meet higher conversions.
Manage multiple business models
It allows to integrate multiple business models like B2B, B2C, or even B2B2C through a single eCommerce platform.
White-label websites
Manufacturers and distributors can provide a personalized experience by simplifying buying experience through white-label websites.
Multiple marketplace web stores
Set up regional eCommerce stores offering a local experience to global shoppers.
You may check this article to know in-depth information on the key business application and how to leverage the multi-store eCommerce platform.
Top reasons to implement multi-store eCommerce strategy
The benefits of integrating eCommerce with multiple storefronts are two-fold. It benefits both your customers and your business. Below are some of the top reasons why a brand chooses to go with multiple eCommerce sites.
Relevant products
Large eCommerce stores with multiple departments and verticals can do away with confusing site navigation and display products based on the audience.
Customers know exactly what they want when they visit an online store. It would be beneficial, sales-wise, if you could take them to their desired product as quickly and in fewer clicks as possible.
Targeted marketing
A multi-store eCommerce platform also allows you to target your marketing and promotions based on your audience, marketplace, and storefront.
Instead of putting out generalized promotions, it will be effective if promotions are targeted at a specific audience based on their likes, dislikes, and shopping habits.
Centralized monitoring
This is a huge benefit of implementing multi-store eCommerce as you will have access to a master portal, from which you can oversee or handle all your storefronts. You can make updates specific to a single store or publish it across all your stores.
This also ensures that you maintain a similar brand experience across all your stores by having the final word in approvals.
Cater to different customer types
If you are a vendor who deals with both B2B and B2C customers, you obviously need to develop two different storefronts for each of your audiences.
This is because the products, pricing, payment terms, and many other options differ between these two customer types.
You may also develop B2B2B or B2B2C strategies by creating numerous websites for your dealers, distributors, retailers, and other channels.
House multiple brands under one roof
With multi-store eCommerce, you also have the functionality to house many of your different brands and manage them efficiently under a single platform.
You will be able to streamline all the processes and make the most of features like eCommerce, Product Information Management, and Content Management, and more.
Leverage the platform to make more sales
By leveraging on the multi-store eCommerce platform, you will be able to build microsites and hand them over to your retailers for them to go ahead and make the sales for you.
The best part is that you will have full control over all those sites from your master portal.
Expand to new geographical territories
As mentioned in the above example, you can create multiple storefronts for different geographic regions.
This, in turn, will allow you to display products that are culturally relevant to that location, and also display content in the local language or pricing in the local currency.
And, not to forget the option to customize the shipping options based on the region. This overall shopping experience will help you in achieving better conversions on a global scale.
Are there any downsides to it?
The downside to managing multiple eCommerce sites is pretty small compared to its benefits, but are challenging, nonetheless.
Managing data
Handling data like inventory levels, catalogs, and customer databases on multiple sites can be pretty difficult.
While you have the functionality to manage all those from a single platform, it can be confusing and, in a few cases, time-consuming to handle the information for so many sites. In a bid to overcome this situation, you may end up using more time, money, and resources.
Marketing for different sites
While marketing for different sites, you need to make sure that the same tone and message are being used across all platforms.
That being said, it is completely different while setting up SEO for these sites. This holds true especially when you offer the same product on multiple sites, as you need to come up with different descriptions for the same product, so as to avoid creating duplicate content.
The solution to this, however, turns this very fact into an advantage of multi-store eCommerce. While optimizing the content and website for search engines, you need to make sure that the search engines identify the uploaded content as region-specific.
While this may be a little time-consuming, it is bound to yield great results SEO-wise.
How to efficiently manage multiple stores from a single platform?
As mentioned above, there are a few downsides to setting up an eCommerce with multiple storefronts. However, you can overcome those complexities by forming a suitable strategy.
Below are a few tips to come up with a solid multi-store strategy.
Set up a PIM system
Setting up a Product Information Management system allows you to keep a track of your content on all your stores in a hassle-free way.
In addition to this, a PIM system will help you expand to multiple markets while seamlessly providing a great product experience. The best part is that it can be easily integrated with your multi-store eCommerce platform.
Identify niches
Instead of randomly creating multiple sites, identify niches or regional markets for each store. It is a known fact that vendors who indulge in niche marketing or who target specific niches develop brand loyalty over a period of time.
A niche can be anything from a specific theme of the website, region, or showcasing products for people with specific tastes.
Optimize eCommerce content
As mentioned above in the downsides of having a multi-store approach, you need to make sure that the content optimized does not have a duplicate or make a product from one store compete with another in a different store.
Also, you need to come up with a formidable strategy to optimize the titles, header, and meta tags for all the stores.
Centralize your inventory database
You may house multiple sites and brands under a single platform, however, that does not mean that you have to segregate the way you manage your inventory.
Centralize your complete inventory to a single database, so that, the real-time inventory updates reflect in all your sites.
This is extremely beneficial if you sell the same product across multiple stores. Having a centralized inventory database will save you time and effort and will also prevent customers from placing orders for out of stock products.
Centralize your order management
Similar to how you centralize your inventory databases, it is also recommended to centralize your order management system as opposed to pushing orders individually from different websites.
This means you will have to keep your fulfillment, customer care, and shipping process consistent across all your brands and stores.
Get a flexible and intuitive multi-store eCommerce software
Lastly, but most importantly, you need a flexible and intuitive multi-store eCommerce software like SellersCommerce to intelligently tie all these threads together and prevent them from becoming a tangled mess.
We have an impressive track record for creating multi-store eCommerce platforms for many prominent brands. You may check the same from the below case study.
Case study: Crafted A Fully Customized Platform For Careismatic Brands That Could Support Over 400 Retailers
Careismatic Brands is the world’s leading health care apparel and footwear company and an innovative manufacturer/distributor of school uniforms, corporate identity uniforms, adaptive clothing, and accessories.
Originally, Careismatic Brands used a very old program to support and help their retailers go digital and develop their own eCommerce stores.
However, as the number of retailers grew, the platform became slow and outdated. So, they started looking for a robust platform that is also easy-to-use. Luckily, they found UniformMarket, our partner in providing uniform solutions. Since then, there was no looking back for their business.
You may read the complete case study on Careismatic Brands from here.