Below, we answer 7 questions that we often hear when helping clients configure the optimal online shop for their business.
1. How can we get our shop online fast and without going over budget?
Lots of businesses want to launch an online shop, but worry it’ll take ages and cost a fortune. Before we even get to the features they need, we’re often asked if there’s a quicker way to get started. One option that works well is using a standard template. This is a tried-and-tested setup that gives you a solid starting point, which we then tweak and tailor to fit your needs. That way, you can get up and running faster, without having to cut corners on quality or functionality.
2. How can we ensure that our online business doesn’t overload our sales and support teams?
A common concern among online retailers is how to reduce the number of routine questions they receive about orders and invoices.
A good solution is setting up a customer self-service portal where people can find the status of their orders and invoices, along with tracking information, order history, and other useful info. This saves time for both the customer and the sales team, freeing up staff to focus on work that really makes a difference.
3. How can we manage return shipping effectively?
To keep customers happy, a smooth return policy is a must. If your returns procedure is slow or counterintuitive, you’ll risk losing customers in the long run. Again, the ideal setup is a user-friendly self-service portal, where customers can simply click on the past order they want to return, select the items, input the reason for returning, and then receive return shipping information, such as a prepaid label or return address, depending on your policy.
4. B2B retailers: Can we offer our customers different packaging options?
For B2B retailers, it’s often important to allow customers to choose between different packaging options (for example, boxes versus pallets), so they can place orders that suit their needs. With the right shop setup, it’s easy to offer that kind of choice during checkout and make the ordering process straightforward.
5. How can we link product info from our ERP to our online shop?
Information like product names, descriptions, item numbers, and safety details are often stored in the ERP system. So how do you make sure that info also shows up in your online shop without having to copy everything over and manage it in two places? By linking your ERP system directly to your e-commerce platform, your ERP stays the main source of truth, and your shop automatically shows the right product details and prices. With an integration between your ERP and webshop, you can display in real time the prices for the specific customers looking at something in the webshop. It saves time, avoids mistakes, and keeps your product info consistent, without double data entry.
6. Can we manage online and offline sales info in a single system?
Connecting your online and offline sales properly makes things much easier for your company and for your customers. Your online shop should always show the right stock levels, based on what’s actually in your warehouses. But how do you keep that info accurate and up to date, especially if you’re working with multiple sales channels and warehouses, possibly in different countries? A lot of businesses ask us things like: which stock should we show online? Which warehouse should we ship from? One of our customers, for example, has several warehouses, including three in Germany. Thanks to a smart link between their ERP and online shop, it’s clear straight away when an order will be shipped from a more distant warehouse. That way, the customer sees the updated delivery time right away, which helps manage expectations and avoid surprises.
7. Can we automatically add product-specific surcharges in our online shop?
Some products, such as alcohol, machines, or chemicals, may be subject to additional fees or taxes. Manually adjusting invoices each time takes up a lot of time and increases the chance of mistakes. By linking your online shop to your ERP system, you can make sure that product-specific charges (like excise duty, environmental fees, or other surcharges) are automatically included in the price. This way, customers always see the correct amount, and you avoid unnecessary admin.
Want to dive deeper into this topic? Check out our Webinar about combining SAP Business One with Magento (in Dutch).
Building a successful e-commerce setup doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes the right strategy, clear choices, and continuous improvement. At Aiden, we’ve been helping businesses with their e-commerce platforms for years, from getting started to fine-tuning what’s already there. Below, we answer 7 questions that we often hear when helping clients configure the optimal online shop for their business.
