The Top 3 Disparities of Spare Parts Websites
The spare parts aftermarket is experiencing a boom in 2021 and unfortunately, spare parts websites have, by and large, left users unsatisfied.
Why is that?
Aside from being unintuitive, cumbersome, and having other legacy issues that plague older websites of all industries, there are three spare parts-specific web shop issues that – to this day – continue to get in the way of what is otherwise a potentially revenue rich channel:
- Websites are unable to connect buyers with local parts sellers
- Websites don’t support multi-brand stores where the buyers can purchase the parts they need for all of their equipment.
- Websites aren’t able to offer buyers access to appropriate support manuals.
Consider that between February and March of 2021 there was a 20% gain in parts consumption across the construction industry. That’s far larger than just a one-time post-pandemic boom. What that number is telling us instead is that the parts market is set to see some tremendous growth for the remainder of 2021 and beyond.
But those website issues pose a potential obstacle to many businesses looking to take advantage of this massive opportunity.
The good news is that newer e-Commerce platforms – like SmartEquip e-Commerce Store – are overcoming these challenges for equipment owners by making online spare parts buying and selling platforms easy.
Now let’s take a deeper look at the issues mentioned above and how you can avoid them as you look to sell and buy spare parts online.
Can’t Buy Local
One of the first things that many online buyers look for is the ability to buy locally.
The reason is simple: they want to be able to buy the parts and have their equipment serviced all within the same location.
Furthermore, no one wants to cover costly shipping expenses or delays if they can be avoided. Nor do they want to sit around idle waiting for a specific part to arrive if it can be found in their area.
Spare parts websites, up until now, have been notorious for being unable to link buyers with local sellers and service providers. However, SmartEquip has developed an extensive network of OEMs and suppliers to help build spare parts websites for local dealers across the U.S., making it easier for you to reach your local customer online.
What’s more, if you offer services, you will also be able to supply your technicians with access to the parts they need offer your customers everything they need to get their equipment up and running again.
This saves time and effort, making the whole customer service process flow much smoother.
Weak Multi-Brand Centralized Platforms
For too long, spare parts websites forced buyers to scour the internet looking for specific parts from different brands. This typically involved visiting a variety of different websites, forcing the buyer to coordinate different shipping processes, keeping track of the different vendors, aligning delivery times to maximize efficiency, etc.
In other words, it required a lot of extra legwork.
Luckily, SmartEquip e-Commerce Store has gotten rid of all this bloat with a multi-brand, centralized platform that makes buying and selling different parts from different brands simple and easy for both your technicians and customers.
Unattainable Access to Support Manuals
As with all online transactions, there’s a degree of risk when buying online.
After all, while the part may look perfect online, when it arrives, there’s always a chance that it may not be the correct piece – or that the support manual is absent, making it far more difficult to use effectively.
Once again, the SmartEquip e-Commerce Store platform has solved this issue. SmartEquip e-Commerce Store provides authorized dealers the ability to offer their technicians and customers access to the appropriate support manuals.
In other words, your customers never have to fear buying the incorrect piece ever again or buying a spare part and struggling with installation. What’s more is if you have a service department, your technicians will have access to these manuals too – making your customer service efficient too.
SmartEquip’s network of over 600 supplier brands is deep and resource rich, so you can rest assured that you or your customer are getting the right part and the right support documents to get equipment back up and running in no time.
SmartEquip – Your Relief from Outdated Spare Parts Websites
That’s why we developed a user-friendly, intuitive, and comprehensive e-Commerce platform that allows fleet owners and dealers the ability to maximize their potential revenue gain from the spare parts aftermarket.
Our robust network of industry leading manufacturers and suppliers allows your customers to seamlessly discover and purchase spare parts from local vendors offering a large variety of brands support manuals.
SmartEquip Procurement features:
- Parts Catalog Library – Search for parts and get access to interactive parts diagrams for over 550 brands on the global SmartEquip network. You must be an authorized distributor to access.
- Support Content – Access to support manuals and supersession information. You must be an authorized distributor to access.
- *Data Connector – Extend your current connection to your brands on the network to bring pricing and inventory data directly to your customers.
- Smart Cart – Let your cart do the work – automated supersession management, pricing and availability.
- Payment Gateway – Integrate seamless merchant services with flexible and secure payment options.
- Shipping Set-up – Setting up your shipping options is easy – freight forwarding and international shipping options.
- Automated Parts Availability – Integrate to your inventory management system or to your existing brand connections on the network and automate availability directly in your cart.
- Automated Parts Pricing – Integrate to your inventory management system or to your existing brand connections on the network and automate availability directly in your cart.
- White Label – Pick a custom domain and color scheme. Choose from a variety of design templates.
- Mobile Friendly – Enjoy a responsive web design and mobile friendly website.
- SEO Toolbox – Learn about the various tools to drive traffic to your store and convert to sales.
- Retargeting – Built in analytics tag that will allow you to re-engage with potential customers who left your store, or to upsell customers.
Put an end to your spare parts website woes. See how you can capitalize with a white-label web shop like SmartEquip e-Commerce Store.
*Only available to SmartEquip Procurement Customers
