Because of their size and impact, enterprise eCommerce businesses have different needs than small and medium-sized eCommerce businesses. As a result, the tools and services that enterprise eCommerce businesses rely on to run their day-to-day operations are those that were created specifically for this business type.
Enterprise eCommerce businesses require powerful strategies and solutions that can be implemented on a massive scale. Search engine optimization (SEO), for instance, is a must-have for enterprise eCommerce websites. With the growing number of eCommerce sites, your products must rank higher than your competitors and be displayed correctly so that potential customers can find the products they require in the SERPs and choose your website.
When done correctly, eCommerce optimization strategies can help you rank high and provide the best solutions to a user's search intent. However, SEO isn’t the only important aspect of your eCommerce website. You have to consider features that cater to the unique nature of your enterprise.
Most eCommerce enterprises deal with high order volumes, multiple currencies, and numerous languages. That's why your eCommerce platform must be capable of rendering product catalogs, organizing orders, and connecting to third-party systems. The key to selecting the best eCommerce platform is understanding what to prioritize among these things.
If your company has expanded significantly since its inception, it may be time to upgrade your eCommerce solution. What used to work for your company when it was smaller may no longer work as it grows, so it is critical to understand the various types of eCommerce software solutions, what each one provides, and how each one can benefit your business.
Using eCommerce software designed specifically for the enterprise space means that the software's design is based on an understanding of how enterprise businesses operate and what it takes to power the needs of a global company. eCommerce software offers significant advantages such as increased sales engagement, multi-site capabilities, improved brand awareness, streamlining, and efficiency.
Once your company is established and earning seven to eight figures per year, it is already considered an enterprise. If your business doesn't primarily focus on eCommerce, its massive growth may force you to do so. As an eCommerce enterprise, you must look for the following features that are absolutely necessary for your type of business:
Security must be one of your top priorities when it comes to choosing an enterprise eCommerce platform. If you become a victim of a data breach, you will take a huge financial hit. You'd have to pay IT to locate and repair the security flaw that caused the breach. Furthermore, you may be required to pay for the legal ramifications of the breach as well as damage control on your reputation.
Even if your company does not receive a lot of orders from mobile sales, your eCommerce website must work well on a mobile device. It may not be a priority if the majority of your customers visit your website via computer, but since mobile internet traffic surpassed desktop internet traffic years ago, creating a consistent experience across devices is critical.
Although some eCommerce platforms have SEO features, most of them overlook the importance of SEO, even at the enterprise level. That's why it's important to get professional SEO services that are made specifically for large-scale businesses. It is not enough to rely solely on the built-in SEO features of an eCommerce platform if you want to maximize your digital footprint.
When it comes to choosing the best eCommerce platform for your company, you will have to make some concessions. The option with the most features will most likely be more expensive, and the solution with the simplest interface may not have all the features your business requires. Prioritize your objectives and select an eCommerce platform that will help you achieve them.
Enterprise eCommerce platforms have various features that cater to different business models. Here's a primer on the most commonly used business models and how they differ:
There are numerous brands on the market that provide enterprise eCommerce solutions, but the platforms all vary. It is preferable for enterprises to use cloud-based eCommerce software rather than on-site solutions.
Cloud-based enterprise eCommerce software allows you to store as much data as possible on your eCommerce site while maintaining security. There are various types of cloud-based software, each with unique features that are useful for enterprise eCommerce businesses.
In the process of choosing an enterprise eCommerce platform, considering the Total Cost of Ownership or TCO is extremely important. Unfortunately, many businesses fail to predict the full costs. Many expenses, such as consulting fees, development costs, and many other costs, must be factored in for the platform's implementation.
Regardless of which enterprise eCommerce software you choose, you will have many recurring costs such as licensing, hosting, support retainers, and maintenance after the implementation. Enterprise eCommerce software can be prohibitively expensive, and additional features will incur additional costs. However, a well-thought-out solution will pay for itself in the long run.
We've established that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all enterprise eCommerce solution. That's why enterprise eCommerce businesses should choose software based on financial and technical requirements and capabilities.
In order to help you make the right decision, we've compiled a list of the most popular enterprise eCommerce platforms and what they can do for you:
Individuals and small businesses looking to sell online can benefit greatly from the core Shopify service. However, if you are a large corporation with millions of dollars in sales, you may prefer a more customizable experience. Shopify Plus includes access to new features, integrations, your store's underlying code, dedicated support options, and more.
In comparison to Magento Community, Magento Enterprise Edition provides increased security, improved performance, and increased scalability. This enterprise eCommerce platform combines rich, out-of-the-box functionality, massive performance and scale, and powerful business tools to help you stay ahead of increasingly complex commerce operations and rising customer expectations.
Salesforce, a leading CRM platform provider, developed Salesforce Commerce Cloud for enterprise-level online commerce. This all-in-one enterprise eCommerce platform provides numerous benefits to businesses, including customer behavior analytics and content personalization.
There are numerous touchpoints within the system, and you can manage globally distributed websites and locations as well as add many useful integrations for a comprehensive eCommerce ecosystem.
The features and services provided by BigCommerce Enterprise are of the highest caliber that BigCommerce offers their customers; because it is designed for high-volume businesses, the features can withstand a massive influx of traffic while also managing a high conversion rate.
Merchants who use Enterprise can take advantage of a variety of useful features, including filtered search, built-in integrations, and lightning-fast checkout processes.
Server and software control is one of the biggest advantages when it comes to enterprise eCommerce platforms. That said, these platforms usually have higher initial costs and require a lot of responsibility to manage and integrate successfully.
There are lots of eCommerce platform examples in today’s day and age. Shopify, BigCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace are just some examples of popular eCommerce platforms.
The most important function of any enterprise application is its ability to integrate all the other systems and applications that a business uses. A great enterprise platform will also allow employees and supervisors to interact with one another seamlessly.
Simply put, most eCommerce business failures are attributed to a lack of online marketing and poor visibility on search engines. This points to the importance of both digital marketing and search engine optimization for eCommerce businesses of all sizes.
The technical components of eCommerce are technologies that allow the sales and purchase funnel to operate smoothly. These components include electronic fund transfers, supply chain management, online payment processors, inventory systems, and data collection systems.
Choosing the best enterprise eCommerce software out of so many products on the market can be difficult with so many factors to consider and so much at stake. The platform's long-term viability is the most important factor to consider. It's one thing to build or migrate your site to a solid platform, but keeping your eCommerce site running is critical to your company's long-term success.
Communicating with your stakeholders, surveying potential vendors, and staying current on eCommerce trends can help you determine not only which enterprise eCommerce software is best for your business, but also which functionalities and promotion services you need to maintain in order to ensure your company's success now and in the future.
