The online parts market is booming, and dealers selling with RevolutionParts took advantage of rising sales opportunities in 2023. This annual Parts eCommerce Year in Review report looks at the 2023 trends of over 1,900 new car dealers selling parts and accessories online across North America. 

Download this free infographic to learn: 

• Revenue trends generated from parts eCommerce
• Highest performing brands of 2023
• Top-selling parts and accessories
• Insights into crucial consumer behaviors

Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2022 smashed new records and brought massive parts and accessories sales to dealers using the RevolutionParts platform.

In this report, we took a look at last year’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday numbers to bring you our RevolutionParts Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2023 Predictions. Parts sellers should use these insights to develop their sales event strategies to maximize revenue.

The online automotive retail market is booming, and there has never been a better time to sell parts online. By 2030, the market is projected to reach $35 billion in online parts sales. Yet, not all parts retailers are up to scratch, and modern-day consumers are doing their research.

If your parts department is new to the online game or looking to enhance its online presence, download our free guide where we will break down:

• The current state of the online parts market and its projected growth.
• The power of implementing a robust parts website and maintaining control over your branding.
• The significance of crafting a comprehensive online strategy that encompasses Direct-to-Consumer and Wholesale Business Models

As a dealership, getting as close as you can to 100% absorption through the Fixed Ops department is what you aim for. The higher your absorption rate, the less likely you’ll have to rely solely on new vehicle sales to boost the bottom line. Where should your dealership start when determining how to boost its absorption rate? 

It’s important to focus on streamlining processes between the parts department and service lane to help increase sales, diversify revenue streams, and improve customer service.

Profit & Service Labor Rates

Charging customers the right cost for labor is one of the most important elements allowing a dealership to cover fixed expenses. When it comes to maximizing the profit in your service department, determining labor costs based on the market average is a good place to start.

The National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) advises that your customer-paid labor should account for 60% of your total labor sales, with warranty and internal contributing 40%. On top of that, the service department should strive for 72% or higher gross retention in every category.

If you can’t hit the market average, look at your local competitors’ average service labor rates to better understand what you can realistically offer. You don’t want to lose out on potential profit just because you’re not confident about the current labor rates. NADA suggests surveying the market every six months or so and bumping the rates up by a few dollars if you haven’t in a while.

Streamline Parts Requests in the Service Lane

Where do most parts sales come from at the dealership? The service lane. The service lane is the number one source of parts orders and requests for the parts department. However, it can also be one of the biggest contributors to over-ordering and obsolescence. 

When the service lane puts in a parts order request, the time spent on sourcing that part can often lead to a few different outcomes. One, the customer becomes frustrated by the wait time and/or price and finds a faster or cheaper alternative. Two, the customer is scheduled for a repair at the service lane but never shows. Three, the service lane puts in an immediate parts order request even if that part is already on the shelves, resulting in multiples of that part. 

In all of these cases, the parts department is left with parts that clutter the shelves, and the service lane makes little to no revenue. Streamlining parts requests and ordering processes can help reduce the number of back-order parts, ensure that parts get used at the service lane, and generate revenue between both departments. 

What approaches can help tackle these issues?

• Have an enforced appointment policy. When appointments are scheduled at the service lane, ensure that those customers fulfill those appointments. Whether through a down payment on the appointment or a non-refundable cancellation fee, this will help you avoid losing money due to appointment issues. 
• Reduce over-ordering by the service lane. Always make sure to check your parts inventory before submitting a parts request. If the service lane puts in an immediate parts order request, make sure not to order before you take stock of what you currently have. 
• Limit special order parts returns. A strong returns policy for special order parts can greatly help combat obsolescence. High obsolescence leads to a low absorption rate; these types of parts returns are the biggest contributors. Set strict policies on returns to help alleviate this problem. 

Expand Your Auto Parts Customer Base 

Even with the best processes in place to keep both the service lane and the parts department running smoothly, the best strategy is to diversify your revenue streams to help increase the absorption rate. One way to do this is to expand your customer base by selling online. 

The online retail market is the largest in the world. With access to a national customer base, dealerships can effectively increase and diversify their revenue streams. What options should dealerships consider when focusing on online car parts sales? 

They also offer a variety of additional services to help businesses sell online easily, like:

• Shipping carrier and fulfillment services
• Discounted seller account fees
• Customer communication service tools

Through online marketplaces, dealerships can expand their parts business beyond their local market and get built-in support to help facilitate the transition onto these platforms. 

A custom-branded web store for the parts department gives you a few distinct advantages: 

• Gives you brand control
• Provides easy navigation for customers
• Makes it easier to find your dealership online

Selling through a custom-branded web store can help you generate a brand identity that fits within your customer’s expectations and help improve customer retention rates. 

Some common selling channels included in an omnichannel strategy include:

• Online marketplaces
• Designated online store
• Mobile apps

Selling through all available selling channels at the parts department can help you expand your customer base, get ahead of the competition, and establish a strong online presence that helps foster customer loyalty. A strong eCommerce strategy can help you increase parts sales and move inventory faster. 

Tackle Your Absorption Rate Today 

Having an effective fixed ops strategy in place can help you improve your absorption rate, create more revenue streams, and streamline processes between departments. With the right strategies in place, you can help both departments effectively grow their business. 

Looking for more ways to help boost the absorption rate at the dealership? Here are five strategies to implement to help you do just that!

Online returns are inevitable. It doesn’t matter what your business is, product returns cannot be avoided. For parts sellers (especially dealerships), having the right return/refund process is vital to improving customer satisfaction, reducing obsolescence, and maintaining steady operational processes day-to-day. When dealing with auto parts, how should you handle online returns? 

Here are some expert tips to help you determine the best return policy for your parts eCommerce strategy and how to reduce overall returns.

Providing Product Info

Providing enough accurate information about the auto parts you sell is a great way to reduce returns. Customers need to know upfront what they’re buying and be able to check that the parts you have listed match their needs.

• Does your catalog provide all the important details? This includes the car model, year, part number, and one or more detailed diagrams or photos of the part. A major reason customers return parts is that they ordered an incompatible auto part for their vehicle. Including detailed product info is a good way to prevent customers from ordering the wrong part. The more details, the better.

• Is there anything else they need to know? Specific details, like if the part fits the left or right side, are something customers need to know. Also, let them know if the part comes alone or in a pair when appropriate.

By the way, RevolutionParts has detailed diagrams for most parts and also enables dealers to easily bulk upload their own photos of the parts.

Quality Shipping

Customers shopping online expect businesses to have a strong shipping strategy in place. A quick delivery timeframe and consistent order status updates are vital to maintaining customer satisfaction, but what else do your shipping processes need to have?

• Get your packaging right. Consider the visual impact of your product when the customer receives it—is the product well-packaged and undamaged? How about the box? A customer is more likely to return a purchase they see as old, damaged, or unclean. Make sure everything is packaged appropriately (especially fragile parts) so it doesn’t get damaged in transit. For high-value parts, it may even be worth your time to get shipping insurance.

• How long does shipping take? Having fast, hassle-free shipping will go a long way to deter customers from wanting to return their purchases. If they need the part right away, but the part takes too long to arrive, they might end up shopping at a brick-and-mortar location instead. Today, Amazon has set the standard with 2-day shipping, so give your customers fast shipping options.

• Do a final check of each order. Check an order’s details before shipping to avoid mistakes—especially for very large or expensive parts. If you package the wrong part, then, of course, the customer is going to return it.

If you’re dealing with a high volume of sales and struggling to stay organized, then it’s time you invest in shipping management software. By keeping all your information in one place, a shipping manager can speed up the shipment process for you by automating the details.

Creating the Return Policy

Handling your returns poorly could deter a customer from shopping with you again, while the opposite could gain you a loyal customer and help you sell more auto parts online in the future. Here’s how you can set the best return policy for your parts business:

• Set clear criteria in an easy-to-access location. Use bullet points to make the policy easier to read and understand. Don’t use legal jargon, and don’t try to intimidate your customer with extra strict policies. Chances are, all you’re doing is turning away future sales. Remember that kindness and understanding will convert shoppers into future loyal customers. Be sure to provide your return policy in a designated area on your website and make it easy for your customers to find.

• Weigh the future retention against current costs. Is it worth it to go through with the return, or even pay free shipping, if it helps you retain customers who may come back to purchase again?

What should you include in your return policy to make it clear?

• Condition for return. Will you accept used or installed parts? Is it okay if the package was opened, but the part was never used? Determining what parts and accessories you are willing to accept for returns will make it easier for you to work with customers when they initiate the return process.

• Timeline for return. Many retail stores offer a 14-day return policy. But because of shipping and processing, this is not a realistic timeline for auto parts eCommerce, especially when it comes to handling oversized parts.

• Who is paying shipping? Hidden fees are the worst and will likely discourage your customers from purchasing with you again. Tell them upfront in your policy who is responsible for paying return shipping. Sometimes it’s a good idea to pay for shipping under a certain threshold since it’ll improve the customer’s experience.

• Will you offer free shipping? Free shipping is a great way to assure your customers that they can purchase from you with confidence, but you also need to keep your margin in mind. Do the possible future sales from this customer outweigh the cost of free shipping? Also, keep in mind that 82% of customers are more likely to complete a sale if free return shipping is offered.

• How will the refund be processed? Will you refund your customer the full price or allow them to exchange for a different part? This should be very clearly stated in your policy.

Having a return policy is more important now than ever— Invesp shows that 67% of eCommerce shoppers view a retailer’s return policy before making purchases, further indicating the importance of returns in driving purchasing decisions. 

With the right shipping processes in place, you can reduce the number of parts returns, decrease parts obsolescence, improve customer satisfaction, and lower the impact of sales loss. Hassle-free returns can be a chance for your parts department to gain loyal customers that keep coming back to buy from you. 

Want to learn how you can maximize your profits online? Download our free guide “How to Reduce Chargebacks” to get expert tips on how you can identify fraudulent orders and reduce the chances of losing potential parts sales. Once you can master these, your parts department will be running like a well-oiled machine. 

To run a thriving online parts business and maximize revenue potential, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of the average online parts buyer. You need to know who they are and their shopping behaviors. With this knowledge, you can optimize your digital sales strategy to attract and convert customers.

This report offers valuable insights into buyer behavior that will help you meet your customers’ needs, drive more traffic to your Web Store, and boost your parts revenue.

Download the 2023 RevolutionParts eCommerce Shopper Behavior Report for insights into the average parts shopper. 

This report contains:

• Data on return vs. new parts buyers
• How customers are making their purchases
• Average order value broken down by segments

The online parts market is booming, and there has never been a better time to sell parts online. By the end of 2030, the market is expected to reach $35 billion in online parts sales, yet most dealerships focus on eCommerce for their sales department. 

If your parts department is new to the online game, download our free guide where we will break down:

• Parts eCommerce and the online market.
• Top three ways to sell parts online.
• 3 must-use marketing tactics for your online parts business.

RevolutionParts surveyed over 100 dealers to gain insights into their thoughts on OEM programs throughout the dealership, where they are most used, and how effective they are. 

With this data, automotive manufacturers can learn more about what their dealers need to be successful so they can better serve their customers. This will help them meet their dealer’s needs and increase the adoption of OEM programs throughout the dealership while establishing stronger brand loyalty with their customer base. 

In this free report, you will discover: 

• What dealers want from their OEM programs
• The impact OEMs have on dealers when recommending vendors
• How satisfied dealers are with their programs

Every year, the number of customers who want to shop online increases. After all, it’s easy, convenient, and often less expensive than in-store purchases. Dealership shoppers are no exception! Are you considering an online sales channel for auto parts and accessories?

If you’re not, you’re leaving money on the table!

Selling auto parts online is the trend of the future and a market opportunity that’s expanding at a ridiculous rate.

Experts say that the future of automotive eCommerce is bright, and thousands of customers are now buying auto parts digitally. With such an insane potential to increase your dealership’s profits, maybe you’ve considered expanding to reach the online community.

Exciting Statistics About Selling Auto Parts Online:

• More than $174 billion in auto parts and accessories sales will be influenced by digital in 2022.
• Auto parts and accessories sales, influenced by digital retail strategies, are projected to grow to $198 billion by 2025.
• Online sales of new auto parts will exceed $19.8 billion in 2022.
• The automotive eCommerce market projects up to $13.8 billion in mobile purchases in 2022.

Which eCommerce platform is best to sell auto parts online?

There are a TON of eCommerce solution providers available. You could sift through eCommerce providers ALL DAY trying to find the right one.

And guess what? They probably all claim to be the best.

Spork Marketing put together a complete list of auto parts eCommerce options, along with tips for choosing a platform. Check it out!

The catch? How many are experts in selling auto parts?

Selling auto parts online really can’t compare to selling clothes, books, or jewelry. The online automotive industry has very specific needs, so it makes sense that you need a specific automotive-focused eCommerce solution, too.

Generic platforms just won’t cut it. They can’t offer you a reliable OEM catalog, for one, and that’s an absolute must when it comes to running a parts website.

Each year, the parts eCommerce market grows bigger, and you need to dominate the market while it’s still young. To help you figure out which system is best for you and your dealership’s success, we’ve come up with this practical guide on how to find the right eCommerce solution to sell auto parts online.

1. What are your goals for selling parts online?

Once you’ve decided that selling auto parts online is a good fit for your dealership, take a moment to set some goals. This will help you choose a solution that can support your plans.

• ,Exactly how fast do you want your parts business to grow?
• Would you be happy with a few extra parts sales a month or do you need to grow sales aggressively?
• Do you want to sell across multiple platforms?

Local vs National vs Both

How you run and operate your online parts business changes depending on whether you want to sell parts on a local or national level.

The national level may have a higher payout, but it’s also much more competitive. This can also mean more time and effort to invest in staying at the top (but also a larger opportunity to make it big).

You also have the option of selling parts locally, with the help of an online storefront. If you’re still unsure about all this online business, you might be better off targeting customers in your local area who already visit your website, and then expanding nationally once you get the hang of it.

Finally, other selling channels like eBay and Amazon have some great benefits, too. No matter what you decide to do, find an eCommerce solution that can tailor its service to what you want. They should be able to meet your current goals and scale to meet your future goals, too.

Questions to consider:

• Do you want to sell on a national level, a local level, or both?
• Do you want to grow rapidly and aggressively or ease into selling online?
• Do you want to sell on your own domain or on a separate site?
• Do you want to sell on additional marketplaces like eBay or Amazon?

2. Is the parts website reliable?

If your website is down, you can’t sell parts. Simple as that.

Website downtime will cut into your profits AND make your company seem unreliable and unprofessional. You need to have an auto parts website that customers can trust.

The best parts eCommerce platforms will be completely transparent about your site uptime. In the rare case that something goes wrong, they should let you know when it happened, how long your site was down, and what caused the outage.

It’s essential that the parts eCommerce solution you choose has a history of reliable service and a reputation for quick fixes on the rare occasion that your website does run into problems.

Questions to consider:

• If your website goes down, what is your plan of action? Who can you contact?
• Does the eCommerce platform have reliable uptime?
• Does the eCommerce platform respond quickly and efficiently?
• Is the eCommerce platform open and honest with you about when and why downtime occurred?

3. Are you getting enough support?

If you run into problems while setting up or running your online storefront, you’ll need someone to go to for personalized and effective support—whether it’s tech support, advice, or just a quick question.

An eCommerce solution with a strong support team can move things along quickly and efficiently compared to one that takes weeks to respond to a simple question.

Every vendor will claim they have first-rate support, but not all will deliver on the promise.

When you’re looking at a platform, call other dealerships currently using the service and ask them what the support is really like. Or try calling the support line yourself just to see if they pick up!

Questions to consider:

• What kind of support does the provider offer?
• Is support included, or does it cost extra?
• How responsive is the support team? How helpful? How effective?
• How can you reach them? Phone, email, chat?

4. What is the customer experience like to buy parts?

If the customer has a poor experience on your website, they probably won’t come back.

While browsing your options, ask the potential eCommerce solution platform for a demo. You can also look at other dealer pages powered by that solution to see their work firsthand.

Customer Experience is Key

Customer experience is incredibly important and often the bottom line when it comes to building up your business and selling more parts online. Keep a happy customer in mind while choosing your eCommerce solution.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes as you click through a sample website and “make a purchase.” Remember that the more steps it takes for a customer to find and purchase the part, the more likely they’ll give up on the sale.

Is the website frustratingly slow? Is it clear and easy to confirm that you’ve found the part you need?

Think Mobile-Friendly

In recent months, parts stores have seen a HUGE increase in mobile purchases. Make sure the parts eCommerce provider can provide a great experience to all your buyers, whether they’re on a smartphone, desktop, or tablet. As an added bonus, responsive designs can also boost your online visibility!

Not to mention Google’s mobile-first indexing. With a higher priority in high-quality mobile-friendly websites, your parts business could fall behind if you work with the wrong parts eCommerce solution. (RevolutionParts customers don’t have to worry! We build responsive websites that look great on all devices.)

⭐ RELATED: 10 Things the Best Mobile-Friendly Parts Websites Have in Common

You can check if your website is mobile-friendly using Google’s Mobile-Friendly test.

Questions to consider:

• Is the site easy to navigate?
• Do your listings have images or diagrams?
• How many steps does it take to purchase an item?
• Is it easy to add an item to the cart and checkout?
• Is the site mobile-friendly or responsive?

5. Can you make the parts website YOURS?

Since the design and layout of the web page is the first thing a customer will notice, it’s important to take this part into consideration. Customers should associate the site’s appearance with your brand and the type of service you can provide them.

So you need to make a good impression.

A clean, modern, user-friendly, and professional design will make your website the preferred choice over others. Familiarize yourself with what the best auto part website designs have in common.

At the same time, a lot of solution providers use the same template over and over for all the parts sites they power, without even bothering to change the colors or personalize it for you. You don’t want your website to look like a carbon copy of someone else’s, because that’s just awkward.

The freedom to make adjustments by yourself can be a powerful thing, too. Some eCommerce providers make you manually request each change, and then you have to wait days or weeks for the adjustment to go through. It’s much faster and easier if you can simply make the tweaks yourself.

Questions to consider:

• What level of branding and customization do you need?
• How much control do you have over customization?
• Are the provided designs professional? 
• Do the offered themes fit your company’s image?
• Do personalized designs cost extra?

6. Can you set custom prices for the auto parts you sell?

Some items need to be marked up more or less than others—that’s just common sense. When you sell auto parts online, you have a few options for setting prices on your online store. You can base it on an added percentage over the cost, or price it a little bit under.

Unfortunately, most eCommerce platforms force you to pick one pricing system over the other. A lack of pricing customization can cost you sales as some pricing methods make more sense than others for certain categories of parts or accessories. If your eCommerce platform forces you to price every part using the same method, it can result in some serious losses.

Creating the right pricing table (pricing matrix) is an extremely powerful way to make sure your prices are balanced. Otherwise, expensive parts skyrocket out of control, and cheaper parts sell too low to be profitable.

Here’s what a pricing matrix might look like:

Questions to consider:

• Do you know the best way to price each auto part?
• Can you create custom pricing matrices?
• Can you set your prices based on cost, list, or a combination of the two?
• Can you create unique pricing tables for parts versus accessories?

7. What tools are built into the software?

If the eCommerce provider you’re looking at only provides the basics and nothing else, you’ll be hard-pressed to sell car parts online.

Even though the market is still fairly new and not many parts departments are online yet, it can still be a competitive world. Having a few nifty tools and techniques in your back pocket can be incredibly helpful when it comes to beating out the competition.

This can mean built-in marketing tools like XML sitemaps or drift marketing campaigns, or time-saving tools like email templates and label printers.

These may seem like the “bells and whistles” of selling parts online, but they can give your parts website the edge it needs to stand out.

Questions to consider:

• Are there any built-in marketing tools (abandoned cart emails, Google product feeds, landing pages, custom promo codes/discounts, customer testimonials)?
• Are there any built-in tools for improving your SEO (custom pages, XML sitemaps)?
• Are there any built-in tools to save you time (label printer, automated email notifications, email templates)?
• Are the tools easy to learn, set up, and understand?
• Does the provider offer any marketing services and at what cost?

8. Does the software easily integrate with tools you already use?

If you’re currently using some online tools to reach your customers, picking an eCommerce solution that integrates well with what you already have is definitely a bonus. Some service providers may charge more if you want to integrate those tools, so watch out for added costs.

There are tools out there that can make selling auto parts online a million times faster, easier, and more successful. This can include shipping management software which can automate most of the shipping process, like order fulfillment and customer notifications.

You might also want to use a free emailing service like MailChimp in order to send out promotional emails to your customers and to help you drive sales and sell more auto parts online.

DMS integration can save your team a lot of time. If you’re interested in selling on eBay, for example, DMS integration can automatically update your listings based on your inventory, instead of uploading fresh .csv files each day.

Questions to consider:

• Which integration tools do you currently use (email, DMS, Google product feeds)?
• Which integration tools does the service provider offer?
• Do you have to pay extra for additional integration tools?

9. How secure are the platform and payment gateways?

Customers need to trust you with their credit card information before they make a purchase. Before signing on with an eCommerce service provider, look into how secure their system is and if they have a history of security breaches.

A key feature to look for in an eCommerce platform is a tokenized payment system, which removes the actual credit card number and replaces it with a token (a randomly generated number).

eCommerce platforms that use tokenized payment systems never actually store credit card numbers, so the fraudsters have no credit card numbers to steal.

You should also make sure the eCommerce solution integrates well with major payment gateways such as PayPal, Authorize.net, or CenPos.

Questions to consider:

• Does the eCommerce platform have a history of secure systems?
• Is customer credit card information stored in the system?
• Is the stored information kept in a safe and secure way?
• Does the eCommerce platform support popular payment gateways?
• Is the eCommerce solution PCI compliant?

10. Does the platform offer any fraud protection services?

How does the platform protect you from fraud? Fraudulent orders can incur huge losses for your parts web store, so the best eCommerce solutions will do whatever they can to help you stay safe. Some of them, however, leave you to fend for yourself. If that’s the case, make sure you know the basics of how to recognize fraud when it happens.

While you should still be aware of fraud prevention practices you can follow, ask if the eCommerce solution can do anything to help you spot fraud before it happens.

A tool like the built-in RevolutionParts fraud detector can help you identify fraud before you become a victim. It breaks down exactly what’s suspicious about the order, so you can make an educated choice about whether to cancel or fulfill the order.

Plus, when a RevolutionParts dealer reports known fraud, then that buyer will be flagged on every single website on the RevolutionParts network.

Questions to consider:

• Do they offer a fraud prevention service?
• How does the fraud prevention service work?
• Does it show the details of a potentially fraudulent order?
• What will raise an order’s fraud score?
• Does the fraud service cost extra?

11. How does the platform calculate shipping cost for sold parts?

Shipping is a major factor for any online retailer—and shipping auto parts can be tricky. With so many heavy, oversized, odd-shaped, and hazardous parts to ship around, calculating shipping prices can be an absolute nightmare without the help of a parts eCommerce solution that cares.

Many eCommerce systems use a simple formula based on the price of the part to estimate shipping costs, which can be problematic if you have a large, heavy auto part that sells for a low price.

If the calculation is too low, you’ll overpay for shipping, end up eating the cost, and take a major hit to your profits. At the same time, an overpriced calculation will scare away customers and lose your sales for good.

An efficient shipping system will also help you ship more auto parts without hiring more staff. If possible, you should be able to fulfill an order, get a tracking number, print a label, and email the customer all from the same spot.

Questions to consider:

• Will you be able to accurately estimate shipping costs based on the size and weight of each part for sale?
• Are shipping costs calculated automatically? How?
• Can you easily print shipping labels from the platform?

12. What is the cost of the solution?

Some eCommerce platforms are more or less expensive than others, depending on the quality, effectiveness, and features offered. Before rushing ahead with your plans, make sure you’re getting a deal that matches what YOU need to profitably sell auto parts online.

You Get What You Pay For

Evaluate your budget and don’t just jump for the cheapest option. Sometimes it’s best to pay a little more for a reliable platform, since a more effective website will sell more car parts and drive more revenue.

At the same time, do the math and make sure you’re not overpaying. Some eCommerce solutions charge 10% of sales, which can get incredibly pricey for high-performing websites.

Be careful of parts eCommerce platforms that have unreasonably high claims and can’t back them up with hard facts (hint: see if they can provide you with any case studies!).

Also, be wary of platforms that try to insist you need the most expensive package available. A good parts eCommerce solution will take time to listen to your needs and offer the best solution to help you succeed.

Questions to consider:

• What is the cost breakdown? 
• Are there any hidden fees (set-up fees, processing fees, integration fees, and additional theme or app fees)?
• Is it easy to start small and then scale your parts business as you grow more confident?

13. Is your contract clear?

Once you’ve chosen an eCommerce platform, you’ll likely be working with them for many years to come. If you’ve decided to work with an eCommerce platform with a contract, make sure you’re comfortable with the length and terms of that contract.

You don’t want to be stuck with a money-sucking eCommerce platform that isn’t offering very much in return.

Don’t rush into anything, and make sure you understand any and all terms of the contract. Some vendors offer risk-free month-to-month plans instead of fixed-term contracts so that you aren’t locked in.

Questions to consider:

• Is there a contract? 
• Can you choose between month-to-month or fixed-term plans?
• Are the benefits to a fixed-term plan, like reduced cost?
• What is the cost of ending a contract early?
• Do they make you pay for the entire contracted year upfront?

Great! What else can help you sell auto parts online?

From there, you can research eCommerce platforms that have cool extra features (like built-in marketing tools, bulk product uploading, custom products, and more), but these 13 make up the framework of a solid, reliable eCommerce solution.

The next step is to ask for a product demo. This is the best way to analyze their product and decide how many of these 13 points that platform meets, succeeds, or fails at.

We covered a lot of information here, but don’t worry!

Download this free eCommerce evaluation checklist so you can grade the eCommerce solution’s platform during the demo. It covers all the same questions and topics so you don’t have to worry about forgetting something important.

In the end, doing your research will pay off.

Conclusion

Setting up an eCommerce solution takes a certain level of commitment, and you don’t want to have regrets right after you start. Once you’ve decided on your software, it doesn’t take long to get your site up and running so you can start selling parts.

When you work with a reliable eCommerce solution that fits your needs, it’s not difficult to maximize your revenue. At the same time, picking the wrong platform could leave you with a costly and unsuccessful failure.

Want to learn more about how to successfully sell OEM parts online? Download our free guide on the 8 keys to OEM parts sales success and unlock your parts department’s full potential! Sell auto parts online the right way with a company that has your back every step of the way.

We surveyed over 100 dealers to gain valuable insights into the state of parts departments across the U.S. 

The data presented in this report will help dealers develop revenue-generating goals by giving them a deeper understanding of the operations and concepts within the average parts department.

In this free report, you will discover:

• The average dealer’s fixed absorption rate
• Obsolescene levels in the parts department
• The state of parts eCommerce
• The impact of staffing shortages
• Much more!