Integrated Ecommerce: The Retailers Guide

Integrated e-commerce is quickly becoming an essential part of modern business operations. It allows brick-and-mortar businesses to integrate their physical stores with an online store, reaching a wider audience and streamlining their sales process. This guide takes a look at integrated ecommerce. You will learn…

• What integrated ecommerce is.

• How integrated ecommerce works.

• Who should take advantage of integrated ecommerce.

• Tips and strategies for successful integration.

This article provides a list of the latest integrated ecommerce integration platforms to help business owners make an informed decision when implementing this technology to take an omnichannel approach. This article informs ecommerce business owners about the benefits of integrating ecommerce, providing them with what they need to make an informed decision about this technology.

Let’s get started.

What is Integrated Ecommerce?

Integrated ecommerce is a system that allows brick-and-mortar businesses to connect their physical store with an online store. This integration enables businesses to expand their reach and provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, regardless of whether they are shopping in-store or online.

Integrated ecommerce occurs in small businesses and corporations and works for single retail store locations and multiple locations. The retail store uses a point-of-sale system connected to its online store, allowing them to manage its inventory for each of its locations.

When a customer purchases in-store, the software reflects it immediately in the online store, and vice versa. Real-time changes eliminate the need for manual updates ensuring that customers have access to the most up-to-date inventory.

Restaurants are another example of a business with both a physical location and an online store. The restaurant can use an integrated ecommerce system to allow customers to place orders online and pick them up in-store. Integrated ecommerce enables customers to place orders in advance, providing a faster and more convenient experience.

While almost every brick-and-mortar business can use integrated commerce. Here are a few industries where it works especially well. 

• Grocery 

• Home goods

• Electronics

• Vitamin & Supplements

• Auto parts

Your business can benefit from expanding the reach and streamlining the sales process, leading to increased revenue and improved customer experience.

How Integrated Ecommerce Works

Integrated ecommerce involves connecting a business’s physical store with its online store through technology that integrates CRM, inventory management, POS, and website data. Implementing integrated ecommerce can vary depending on the specific platform and business needs but involves the following steps:

1. Setting up an online store: This step involves creating an online store that customers can access to make purchases. We can accomplish this through either a website or mobile application.

2. Connecting the online store to a point-of-sale system: This step involves linking the online store to the business’s point-of-sale system. The connection allows the business to manage its inventory and sales from a single location.

3. Synchronizing inventory and sales data: The two systems will automatically sync inventory and sales data once connecting the online store and point-of-sale system. Synchronizing inventory ensures that the online store always has the most up-to-date information about stock and sales.

4. Implementing a payment gateway: This step involves setting up a gateway that allows customers to make payments online. We can accomplish this through various methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, or electronic funds transfers.

5. Integrating with other systems: Depending on the business’s specific needs, we can incorporate other systems, such as customer management, marketing, or accounting software, with the ecommerce platform.

Businesses may use customer management, marketing, or accounting software to integrate with the ecommerce solution to manage customer information, online marketing, and financials.

Challenges and Solutions of Integrated Ecommerce

Implementing a fully integrated ecommerce platform can come with its challenges. However, we can overcome these challenges and centralize online and in-store data with the right solutions. Some of the common challenges businesses may face include the following.

1. Data syncing errors: One of the biggest challenges of integrated ecommerce is ensuring that data syncs correctly between the physical and online stores. Inconsistent data syncing leads to incorrect inventory levels or sales data errors. A reliable ecommerce platform with a built-in data syncing feature solves this problem. 

2. Limited technical expertise: Some businesses may need the technical knowledge to set up and maintain an integrated ecommerce system. Being a technical novice can make implementing and troubleshooting the system challenging. Businesses should use a platform that provides easy-to-use tools and support to solve this problem.

3. High costs: Integrated ecommerce systems can be costly to implement and maintain. Businesses may find it difficult to justify the expense, primarily if they still determine if they will see a return on investment. Companies should use a platform that offers affordable pricing and a pay-as-you-go model to solve this problem.

4. Integration with existing systems: Businesses may need help when trying to integrate their systems with the integrated ecommerce platform. To solve this, businesses should look for a platform that offers pre-built integrations with popular business software.

5. Security: As with any online platform, security concerns are integrated into ecommerce. Businesses should ensure that their platform is secure and protects customer data. To solve this, businesses should look for a venue with industry-standard encryption and a dedicated security team.

By identifying and addressing these challenges, businesses can ensure that their integrated ecommerce implementation is successful and that they can capitalize on the many benefits it offers.

Who is Integrated Ecommerce For?

Integrated ecommerce is a versatile technology that many businesses can use. It is particularly well-suited for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to expand their reach and streamline their sales process. Some companies that can benefit from integrated ecommerce include:

1. Retail businesses can use integrated ecommerce to connect their physical store with an online store, allowing customers to purchase items online and pick them up in-store or vice versa. Integrated ecommerce enables them to expand their reach and increase sales.

2. Restaurants can use integrated ecommerce to allow customers to place orders online and pick them up in-store. Integrated ecommerce enables customers to place orders in advance, providing a faster and more convenient experience.

3. Service-based businesses such as salons, spas, and gyms can use integrated ecommerce to allow customers to book appointments online. Integrated ecommerce helps streamline the booking process and makes it more convenient for customers.

4. Hotels can use integrated ecommerce to allow customers to book rooms online. Integrated ecommerce will enable hotels to expand their reach and make it more convenient for customers to book rooms.

5. Other industries: Integrated ecommerce can also help industries such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Businesses can use integrated ecommerce technology to streamline operations and improve customer engagement.

In specific industries such as retail, integrated ecommerce allows customers to shop online and pick up, known as BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) or click-n-ship. In-store pickup for online orders is becoming a popular trend among customers. It allows them to shop from the comfort of their home and pick up their purchase locally.

With hospitality, hotels, for instance, can benefit from integrated ecommerce by providing an online booking system that can increase their reach and make the process more convenient for customers.

Popular Integrated Ecommerce Platforms

There are many integrated ecommerce platforms available on the market, each with its own set of features and pricing plans. Some popular options include:

• Shopify: Shopify is a widely used ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create an online store and connect it to their physical store. It offers a range of features, such as inventory management, payment gateway integration, and a variety of customizable templates. 

• Squarespace: Square is a popular point-of-sale system offering integrated ecommerce capabilities. It allows businesses to connect their physical store with an online store and manage inventory and sales from a single location. 

• Wix: Wix is an ecommerce platform that allows businesses to create an online store and manage inventory and sales. It offers a range of features, such as inventory management, payment gateway integration, and customizable templates. 

When choosing an integrated ecommerce platform, it is crucial to consider the business’s specific needs. A platform like Squarespace or Wix may be a good choice for small businesses, as they offer affordable pricing plans and a wide range of features. A platform like Shopify may be a better choice for larger companies as it provides more advanced features and can handle a higher sales volume.

Final Thoughts

Integrated ecommerce is a powerful tool that can help brick-and-mortar businesses to expand their reach and streamline their sales process. By connecting their physical store with an online store, companies can provide customers with a seamless shopping experience, regardless of whether they are shopping in-store or online.

Throughout this guide, we have discussed the critical components of integrated ecommerce, including:

• point-of-sale systems, inventory management, and online store integration. Challenges businesses face when implementing integrated ecommerce and provided solutions for overcoming them.

• Different businesses can benefit from integrated ecommerce, including retail, restaurants, service-based companies, and hotels.

• Popular integrated ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, Square, and Wix and their distinct features and pricing options help business owners make informed decisions.

In conclusion, integrated ecommerce is a valuable tool for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to expand their reach and streamline their sales process. Companies considering integrated ecommerce should thoroughly research the different platforms available, evaluate their specific needs, and choose a platform that best fits their budget and industry.