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Things to Consider when selecting eCommerce Software for Ingram Micro VARs

If you plan to develop your site, you need to choose an appropriate eCommerce software that makes it easy to do business with Ingram Micro.

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Things to Consider when selecting eCommerce Software for Ingram Micro VARs

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  1. ThingstoConsiderwhen selectingeCommerce SoftwareforIngramMicro VARs

  2. Ingram Micro, the largest distributor in the IT sector, provides an excellent business opportunity for its value added reseller (VAR) customers. Ingram Micro offers a wide range of product categories, some of which include displays, computer systems, network devices, imaging devices, storage devices, and home & appliances.

  3. As a VAR, if you are interested in doing business with Ingram Micro, you need to build your site. Gone are the days when VARs would make telephonic calls to conduct business transactions. Business does not mean a flurry of back and forth emails between the distributor and reseller. You need to have a proper website to setup a business relationship with Ingram Micro distributor. Without a website, your business prospects with Ingram Micro are next to zero. If you plan to develop your site, you need to choose an appropriate eCommerce platform that makes it easy to do business with Ingram Micro.

  4. Ability to Sell a Large Number of Products Did you know that Ingram Micro offers more than a million products for its US resellers alone? In such circumstances, if you choose an eCommerce platform that is designed to sell limited inventory, it can be difficult for you to run your VAR business. Some platforms have been developed for small vendors with limited inventory - say up to 300 products. Stay away from such eCommerce solutions that hinder your business from growing. Choose an eCommerce platform that allows you to sell all the Ingram Micro products available in the catalog. Simply put, the platform shouldn't put any limit on the number of products you wish to sell. It should allow you to sell unlimited inventory without any additional charges. Built-in Ingram Micro Integration How do you plan to upload Ingram Micro product catalog onto your store? Keep in mind that the catalog has over 1 million products for its US resellers. On the other hand, the catalog houses 0.6 million products for its Canada resellers. So manual upload can be a time-taking activity. Firstly, you have to convert the distributor catalog into an excel sheet format (.xlsx). And then upload it into your store. Instead of going through a tedious manual process, consider the option given below:

  5. Third-Party Plugins There are plugins available in the market that can help you to connect your eCommerce store with Ingram Micro. However, connecting with the distributor using plugins can dig a deep hole into your pocket. An eCommerce platform with plugins ends up being more expensive. Installing plugins does give you added functionality and flexibility but at a higher cost. Also, compatibility issues can arise while connecting third-party plugins. In-Built Functionality So which is the best option? The best eCommerce software for Ingram Micro VARs will have custom integrations for distributors like Ingram Micro. Built-in distributor integrations are available at no extra cost. Ingram Micro comes with a data feed that makes it easy to load information of millions of products to your eCommerce store. The data feed is a mechanism that allows secure electronic transmission of well-structured information of products from one server to another. With data feed, you can bulk upload thousands of products in your eCommerce product catalog at once. Usually, data feed is sent through a file transfer protocol (FTP).

  6. Win Deals with More Number of Companies In just a few seconds your store will receive data feed. Data feed eliminates the unnecessary manual task of uploading the distributor catalog. An eCommerce platform with in-built integration with Ingram Micro will allow easy access to the distributor data feed, which is updated daily. Whenever you login into your eCommerce backoffice, you have up-to-date information about products at your fingertips. Another option is to pick an eCommerce solution that offers real- time XML integration with Ingram Micro. This will enable you to view product changes immediately in real time. With this feature, you can also place orders electronically to the Ingram Micro distributor. Easy to Win Deals Access to large customers is next to impossible without PunchOut. Big buying organizations are solely dependent on eProcurement systems to handle their purchasing process. So stay ahead of the game by offering PunchOut.

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