Back to resources

20 Key Considerations for Multi-Store eCommerce (Part 4 of 4)

Components to Look for in a Multi-Store eCommerce Platform

Things to consider when selecting your multi-store eCommerce solution


This is part four in a four-part series. Don't forget to check out part one, part two, and part three to learn more!

Multi-store eCommerce allows you to run multiple eCommerce stores from one site and platform. You can create as many stores as you want that all share the same code and product database. This enables you to segment and target your customers more thoroughly. While creating multiple eCommerce stores would usually be a large expense because of development costs, multi-store eCommerce doesn’t come with that large expense because all of the stores share the same code base. Below are five features to consider when choosing a multi-store eCommerce platform.


Sales Tax and Reporting integration 

Your business’s multi-vendor eCommerce platform needs to be able to integrate with advanced sales tax calculation as well as reporting systems. Having your shopping carts integrated with sales tax calculation helps easily determine how much sales tax needs to be charged to each customer based on their location. The reporting sales tax integration features help you keep track of how much sales tax you have collected from all stores and what you need to pay.

Having these tools integrated helps keep your business compliant while saving you the hassle of having to deal with it manually. Whether you need simple state-based business-to-business sales tax calculations or integration with an Avalara Sales Tax solution to get absolute correct tax collection, make sure the solution has the ability to do both.


Multi-Currency and Multilingual Support

Many businesses choose to have separate stores for each region that they sell in, which is why it is vital to select a multi-vendor marketplace platform that has both multi-currency and multilingual eCommerce support. Multi-stores are all about segmenting customers and trying to provide personalized experiences. It would be really difficult to provide a personalized experience to foreign customers if the site isn’t in their language and doesn’t accept their currency. Ensure that the solution you pick can handle multiple multi-lingual scenarios.

Take Clarity eCommerce for example. It can do a simple Google API integration which is cheap and quick and does an okay job of translating content. It also has a tokenized language model, that allows you to translate your own products or services, which can then over-write the default language provided. You can also have "child" portals, which are a copy of the parent, which can then be controlled by each country, allowing them complete control over the translated content.


Multi-Location Inventory System Integration

If you are running multiple stores you need to have an inventory system in place and integrated with your multi-vendor marketplace stores to make sure that whatever you are selling is actually in stock. A multi-location inventory system helps you keep track of your entire inventory, even if one is at a distributing warehouse in Iowa while the rest is at a warehouse in Texas. Integrating a multi-location inventory system with your eCommerce can help inform you and your customers when an item is out of stock or running low.


Easily Configurable to Suit Your Business Needs

When deciding on any eCommerce platform, you need to choose one that can satisfy your business needs. Your multi-store eCommerce platform should be customizable and flexible enough to handle any general or specific needs that your business faces when running multiple stores. From integrating with custom software to managing multiple price levels, your eCommerce platform needs to be able to handle your needs.


Multi-Store Shopping Cart

Sometimes there are customers who want to buy products that are from a few of your stores. For example, many clothing companies have more than one store under their name (i.e. Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic). Each sells clothing in different price ranges but their customer segments often overlap, which means some customers want to buy from all three stores. Instead of making customers check out multiple times, you, as a multi-store eCommerce, would be able to have your shopping cart go across all stores to enable one single checkout process for your customers.


Clarity Can Help

Employing a multi-store eCommerce site—even one that can go international with a multilingual eCommerce Solution—can increase revenue while cutting costs, if done correctly. Wondering how to build a multi-vendor marketplace? Our team at Clarity has over 350 years of combined experience helping clients find solutions to help their businesses succeed.

Clarity’s eCommerce platform, Clarity eCommerce, is a highly scalable and flexible multi-store eCommerce solution. Our team of expert developers can easily customize and configure it to work for your business’s needs. To find out more about Clarity eCommerce or to speak with a developer about implementing a multi-store solution, call or click to contact us today!

 

 

Find out more

Click here to review options to gather more info.
From resource guides to complimentary expert review... we're here to help!