7 Ways IT Techs Benefit from Multi-Store eCommerce Free Up IT Time with Multi-Store eCommerce Multi-store eCommerce benefits customers, business management, and marketers. Implementing a multi-store eCommerce model makes it easier for enterprise businesses to manage multiple brands without burdening their IT departments. Multi-store eCommerce platforms integrate the administration of all stores into one dashboard to provide a variety of benefits for IT professionals as they develop, deploy and oversee the full range of a company’s online retail outlets. Reduced Workload The inheritance model used in multi-store eCommerce allows IT techs to create a small set of templates to use as the basis for all of a company’s stores. Instead of having to start from the ground up with each new shop, techs can easily apply the parameters from the template before adding any necessary customizations. The reduction in time spent on coding means that stores can be tested and launched faster. You get the best of both worlds. You get to borrow all the setup, configuration, theme, products, database, checkout, integrations, and more, yet still have access to customize and edit your own store independently. Design changes in a multi-vendor marketplace platform don’t require help from IT due to the fact that all stores are managed from one vendor dashboard. Non-technical workers can log in and adjust the appearance of storefronts, including logos, styles, and content, or companies can bring independent developers and designers on board to create a new look and feel for every store based on the framework created by IT. Seamless Integration A well-designed multi-vendor marketplace integrates with a company’s ERP, CRM, and any other applications being used to simplify business processes. All data flows between platforms in a unified stream so that IT techs don’t have to waste time transferring information from one area to another. Productivity increases as instances of error decrease, creating a more efficient working environment for everyone in the business. Easier Data Management A Multi-vendor eCommerce environment is key so that IT techs don’t have to manually sync information. A master data set ensures consistency across all stores. Similar fields generate data that can be transferred to and sorted in a centralized location for easy analysis and management. Responsibilities can be segmented among the employees of a company by creating multiple roles and permissions within the eCommerce platform (controlling both access and scope). The dashboard may have one or more administrator logins along with separate logins for supervisors and staff in different departments. This spreads out the workload of handling information while maintaining a consolidated data set that updates in real time whenever a customer interacts with a store or an administrator makes a change within the system. Better Security Using one framework for all data in a multi-store setup reduces the amount of time that information remains vulnerable. The fewer points through which data is transferred, the lower the risk of compromise or loss. Along with the ability to create multiple logins, this creates tighter security that keeps both customer and business information safer than in a setup that involves separate stores and dashboards. The IT department is less burdened with managing security risks, and customers enjoy a higher level of safety for their personal data. Reliable Inventory Tracking Inventory can be shared across all stores managed with multi-store eCommerce, so when a customer makes a purchase, information for the total inventory is automatically updated in the central database. Alerts can be set up to inform the main office when products need to be restocked. Thanks to these automated processes, IT departments are freed from the task of consolidating inventory information. Customers get the bonus of being able to check out items from multiple stores using one shopping cart, further reducing potential errors in inventory maintenance. International Support With many companies expanding into global eCommerce, having a platform that allows the creation of stores that display customers’ native languages and currencies is essential for keeping up with the competition. A multi-store setup includes translation tools that apply localized parameters to specific shops. Settings are handled by the central corporate office and are inherited throughout the framework used in every branch of the company. This speeds up the development and setup of stores targeted to customers in specific regions, allowing businesses to expand their reach into the global market with little demand on the IT department. Translation tools ensure that local idioms are properly used in product descriptions, making the shopping experience more personal for customers in various countries. integration with ERP and CRM software simplifies shipping from warehouses closest to each customer to provide the best quality of service. Since each of these aspects can be managed by its respective department, IT techs are free to handle other back-end duties without interruption. Targeted Marketing Shops within a multi-store setup can inherit data from a particular region or customer group or directly from the master data set, giving IT technicians the ability to set up generalized or niche stores that serve specific purposes for a company. Once the store is established, management is passed on to the marketing department to handle details like: Tweaking the appearances of storefronts Setting up product recommendations tailored to specific visitors Creating custom email campaigns for customers who shop at one or more stores Automating content recommendations Managing Store promotions & messaging Monitoring customer account activity The underlying frameworks and permissions set by the IT department power these tasks so that they can be implemented and updated without further assistance on the back end. Clarity Can Help Clarity eCommerce allows your business to accept a wide variety of payment methods, and in order to tremendously boost your company's global sales and brand recognition, our experts can implement international currency integrations, shipping and tax integration, and customs and duties integrations. To receive a free consultation about how to build a multi-vendor marketplace, call or click to speak with one of our eCommerce professionals today!