- Posted on
- • November 16, 2018
When it comes to buying and selling auto parts online, one size never fits all. With seemingly countless makes and models to consider—not to mention tens of thousands of parts and variations—online auto parts catalogs are among the most extensive in the eCommerce space.
To manage these massive catalogs and speed up the buying process, online auto parts sellers need to provide a site that is optimized for their extensive inventory with special search, display, and inventory features. In this highly competitive space, an auto parts website that is designed to get customers through the process in record time is most likely to beat out the competition.
Standing Out in Automotive eCommerce
Auto parts buyers come in the form of dealerships, independent hobbyists, racing teams, and repair shops. To stand out from the countless online auto parts vendors out there, you’ll need to capture their attention quickly and hold onto it throughout the shopping experience. The following are a few site features you can use to keep your automotive eCommerce store ahead of the pack:
- Faceted Search: One of the key features of modern eCommerce websites, this makes it easy to find specific items by Year, Make, and Model. No more making your customers click through pages and pages of listings to find the exact fuel filter they need.
- Product Visualizers: With a product visualizer, customers get an interactive and in-depth look at the products you offer. This auto parts website design feature is great for both educating and engaging customers.
- Customer Profiles: Give customers the option to save their vehicle info in your site to make it easier to remember what they have purchased and save their preferences. Encourage them to post photos, share blogs, and publish tips for other shoppers on their profile. This personalization encourages customers to return and helps turn them into brand ambassadors for your business.
- Onsite Product Reviews: Giving your customers the opportunity to share their positive experiences can influence future sales of products on your site.
- B2B Purchasing Features: In addition to special pricing, shipping, and invoicing options, business buyers like mechanics and fleet managers will often look for sites that offer volume discounts and automatic reordering features. Offering these buyer-friendly features can set you apart from the competition.
A feature-rich and buyer-friendly automotive website design can speed up and improve the purchasing process for both consumers and business buyers. By including relevant features and specialized tools that your shoppers will appreciate, you can create loyal customers that look forward to engaging with your site.
While the auto parts eCommerce market is highly competitive, there is a lot merchants can do to win and retain online customers. Auto parts eCommerce retailers that fail to provide a site that stands out and offers something different risk losing customers to the many competing sellers out there. Focusing on shopper experience and site usability goes a long way toward creating a site that can outlast competitors and keep customers coming back.
For more tips on building a successful online auto parts store, check out The Ultimate Automotive eCommerce Guide.
