eCommerce Website Content Management Systems: How a CMS Helps Your Business
If you’re looking to build or redesign an eCommerce online store, you’re part of a vast, growing trend. U.S. B2B eCommerce sales were projected to reach nearly $1.2 billion in 2021, with U.S. retail eCommerce sales expected to come in around $768 billion. Those figures are forecast to increase in the coming years.
So, what does it really take to manage your eCommerce website and how can various CMS platforms assist in management capabilities?
eCommerce Considerations
The first and only thing many people consider when they’re ready to build an eCommerce store is how the store will look. Ecommerce Web design is a critical aspect of developing an eCommerce site, and it’s essential that the look and feel of your online store match your company’s brand.
But design isn’t the only consideration in a major undertaking like this. You also need to take into account factors like:
SEO — Traffic from search engines is a significant source of visitors for websites, and SEO is the way to garner that traffic. Make sure your eCommerce platform is SEO-friendly and you can easily manage SEO elements.
Site Performance — Speed is of the essence. Potential customers won’t sit around and wait forever for your web page to come up, and sites that load quickly get a boost from Google’s search algorithm. Look for an eCommerce system that won’t bog down your site’s performance.
User Experience — A fast, beautiful site won’t generate sales if it’s difficult for visitors to navigate. Make sure your eCommerce store lets customers move easily through the purchase process.
Mobile — More and more purchases are being completed on a phone or mobile device. Ensure your eCommerce site works well on all platforms.
System Integrations — Plan to get the best return possible on your eCommerce investment by integrating it with your CRM, ERP, email platform and more. Including options like an ERP integration lets, you unlock the true power of your eCommerce store and should lead to less hands-on data management via the website administration.
Website Updates — Agility is an essential consideration in developing an online store. You need the ability to edit your site on the fly, and a good content management system is your friend here.
What Is an eCommerce Content Management System?
A content management system (CMS) is software that allows you to update crucial segments of your website without needing to know any coding. A good CMS allows a site owner to easily create, edit and publish website content, like adding a blog post or updating your About Us page. When you have an eCommerce website, you’ll also want to be able to easily manage products, categories, customer data, shipping rates and other essential eCommerce data points.
Above is a screenshot of the Shopify administration / CMS.
eCommerce Content Management
An eCommerce content management system goes even further. At its most basic level, an eCommerce CMS should allow you to input:
- Product name
- Product identifier (SKU)
- Images
- Product Description
- Purchase price data
- Sale price data
- Stock data
- Product attributes (colors, sizes, etc.)
A good eCommerce content management system also will allow you to manage things like:
- Orders
- Customers
- Promotions
- Shipping
It also should provide an intuitive dashboard and generate reports on essential parameters like running sales totals and new vs. returning customers.
eCommerce Content Management Solutions
OuterBox is adept at designing online stores with eCommerce platforms that provide all these features and more. Our eCommerce expertise includes popular options like Shopify, nopCommerce and WooCommerce, all of which make managing your eCommerce website easy. We use the best system for your business and develop an eCommerce store that grows with your company. Our eCommerce solutions deliver flexibility, simplicity and scalability to meet your specific needs now and in the future.
No matter the platform, we make sure you can edit as much content and data as possible. Your ability to easily update and manage your online store directly impacts your business’s profitability and a poorly developed website, no matter the platform, will lead to frustrations. OuterBox’s eCommerce development practices ensure the simplicity and control you need to get the best return on your eCommerce investment.
Trust Your eCommerce CMS Needs to OuterBox
With years of design and development experience under our belt, OuterBox can develop the eCommerce store and CMS that your business needs. Our eCommerce solutions deliver all the best features you expect from an eCommerce content management system, such as system integrations and customized shipping tools. We’re also the leading B2B eCommerce platform developer with specific expertise in B2B requirements.
Our clients know they can rely on us to develop eCommerce content management systems that help them achieve maximum profitability. They depend on OuterBox to deliver online solutions that grow as their businesses grow. Talk to an eCommerce expert at OuterBox today to learn what we can do for your company.
