E-commerce is the future of the auto parts industry. With customers looking for advice via online communities, experts predict that online parts sales will see exponential growth in the coming years. Car part sellers that wish to profit from this growth should consider creating an online storefront.
However, creating an effective online store is easier said than done. Managing an online car parts website is very different from managing a brick and mortar store. There is a special set of challenges that online car parts sellers have to face. If they are not prepared, the challenges can be overwhelming, and the likelihood of running a successful online store is greatly reduced.
Fortunately, there are tools that can help with these challenges. Using different auto parts software, managing an online store can become streamlined, making it easier for car part sellers to maintain and grow their online businesses.
Automotive parts software helps sellers with numerous aspects of running an online store, such as adding fitment data, car parts databases and inventory management software. These programmes help automate many steps in managing an online store, saving car parts sellers a lot of time and effort.
For example, if there is a need to enter bulk data into the system, automotive parts software can help greatly simplify the task. If there is a need to manage multiple sales channels, the software provides a central hub for car parts sellers to do that from one place.
The advantages of using automotive parts software
The automotive parts software, especially fitment modules, is specifically designed to help car parts sellers manage their online stores. Its main role is to automate several steps in the storefront management process, thereby removing the instances of human errors. Here are some great benefits of using auto parts software.
Automated inventory count
Most car parts sellers find it tedious to count their stocks manually. Furthermore, doing a manual count always leaves room for mistakes. This could lead to serious discrepancies and misrepresentations of data, costing sellers a lot of time and effort to organise their stocks over and over again.
Auto parts inventory software can help fully automate this process. Whenever a product is sold, the system will automatically deduct it from the system, ensuring that your inventory is always updated. When new products are brought in, you can make bulk changes with ease. It allows auto parts store owners to update product information with ease. This allows sellers to handle a vast amount of fitment data as well as other relevant product information.
Since the auto parts inventory software can automatically update fitment data, the otherwise time-consuming task of manually sorting out this detail is simplified. The software automatically connects your online store to high-quality databases with fitment data, greatly improving the accuracy of information presented on your website to potential purchasers.
Easy tracking of parts across different store locations
One of the biggest challenges that online stores face is managing several warehouse locations. A lot of traditional car parts management tools can’t work across multiple locations. This means car parts owners have to manually manage their inventory, which can pose a very difficult logistical problem.
Auto parts inventory software such as PartsPal are specifically designed to help car parts owners keep track of many different stores as well as sales channels. It allows car parts store owners to sell their products from multiple online storefronts without having to worry about data misrepresentation or missing part counts.
Fewer human errors
Human errors can have a hugely detrimental effect on any business, including online car parts store owners. If you upload the wrong fitment data to the website, customers might buy parts that will not fit their vehicle. They can return the parts, of course, but it may cost them a lot of trouble, and also damage your reputation as a seller.
Furthermore, misrepresentations of the current stock will make customers order parts that you currently do not have, complicating the matter even further.
A good auto parts software will help you to prevent all of these errors by automating all these processes. The system constantly updates the data whenever there are changes. This means providing customers with accurate fitment data and updated product information at all times.
Easy tracking of warranty information
Warranty information is another important aspect of any car part that a lot of customers pay special attention to. Some platforms such as Amazon do have a very strict policy regarding warranty information. Without any functional software to manage this kind of information, it is more difficult, and in some cases not possible to use their platform.
With an auto parts software, you will be able to add and keep track of warranty information for all individual products. PartsPal, a top auto parts software, allows you to make bulk changes when it comes to warranty information, further speeding up the process.
Therefore, when customers return the parts that they bought from your store, you will be able to handle their concerns with ease, making them happy and more likely to return for further purchases.
Other useful car parts software
Other than auto parts inventory software, there are many other programs that can help you run an online car parts store more smoothly.
Auto Repair Software
If your store also provides repair services, this software is almost indispensable. It will keep track of important information such as the date of the last maintenance, repair time estimates, maintenance history, point of sale, etc.
Of course, all the maintenance has to be done manually, but since the software helps you to keep track of this information, maintenance for returning customers will be much easier to manage.
Furthermore, customers will know what car parts are starting to wear out on their vehicles. Making it easier for them to check out these parts from your store, take note of their prices, put it in their carts and buy with ease.
Vehicle information database
An auto parts database is the part of the website that handles fitment data. Fitment data is a vast database that needs to be organised in a standardised way to minimise the risk of human errors as well as to help customers find the parts they need without any difficulty. Managing an online store without a unified auto parts database can be a very difficult task because it requires constant checks, updates and verifications.
Integrating an auto parts database into your website will have a positive effect on your online store. All the relevant steps will be considerably streamlined, saving you time and effort. For customers, they can find the parts they need with relative ease now.
Car parts fitment database
A fitment database for a car parts store will greatly enhance the speed of fitment checking on your website as well as customise the customers’ experience. This step will greatly improve their satisfaction with the service received.
Furthermore, a good car parts fitment database will boost the confidence of your customers when buying parts from your site. Do keep in mind, however, that you should be looking for a fitment database that can accommodate the special needs of your car parts store, such as the required vehicle data, multi-location inventory querying and special-order tracking.
The first steps in creating an online car parts store will always be the most difficult , but it does not mean that you have to do it alone. Auto parts software such as PartsPal, along with other systems and programs, are the best tools required to smoothly run a car parts store.
