A fancy site is important, a gripping landing page is non-negotiable, but it will lead to nothing if you cannot manage the operations of your business efficiently.
Let us begin with our online presence and trace the operations back. A secure website means a robust IT-System in place. You could begin with an in-house infrastructure or turn towards a cloud service provider, either way, you need a hosting server and slip-proof security checks!
A website needs to be developed either using a builder like WordPress, or it could be coded from scratch, which would require a skilled task force.
Being present on the internet is not enough, as a matter of fact, it is next to nothing! You need to be found over the net, this requires marketing efforts like Search Engine Optimization, Online PR, Social Media Marketing, and establishing a presence on as many web pages as possible in order to divert the audience to landing pages and drive sales.
Once an order is placed via the website, it is traced back to the shipment facility or small business owners managing their own inventory. This brings us to another important fact, the catalogue details and inventory stocks need to stay coordinated. You need to stay updated with information regarding out of stock materials and mark them on the website.
Managing logistics is another major operation that every E-commerce business needs to look after. Companies often prefer partnering with third-party logistics to complete their last-mile delivery operations. Some major giants prefer managing their own warehouses, Big Basket and Amazon to name a few.
It is very clear that you need at least three teams to run your online operations – A marketing vertical, operations vertical, and an IT vertical. And probably a system that allows these three to communicate with each other. On top of that, one also needs to manage the company finances and resources.
Doing all of this via a manual system can be daunting. There is just so much to do and so many communications running to and fro! It might turn into utter chaos without a proper system in place. The best way to go about it is to bring all your tasks into a single window.
Using SaaS, an E-commerce company can effortlessly manage everything, from finances to order return management! Decision making becomes a lot more efficient with well-crafted dashboards that are quick to deliver real-time information on multiple fronts.
You do not need to jump between multiple platforms either! You can integrate all your systems like ERP, CRM, POS, and so on. With a single click, you can trace marketing initiatives, inventory levels, customer satisfaction scores, blockages and complaints in the system, all of this without having to set up your own IT infrastructure.
Even the most successful corporate operations have resource constraints, and there is a way in which business software reflects an organization’s goals. Will software upgrade maintenance, server maintenance, and data security requirements take precedence, or will the focus be on what drives success? This is the decision between controlling the company’s eCommerce infrastructure and software or opting for an enterprise-level SaaS eCommerce solution. Enterprise-level eCommerce solutions allow businesses to focus on what makes them successful. Decision-makers and the IT department might concentrate on what offers a firm a competitive advantage. The power of the cloud is limitless! [/ohio_text]