Data feeds are widely used across e-commerce. We've already covered how data feeds are used in B2C e-commerce by merchants — now let's look at how B2B eCommerce software vendors can leverage merchants' data feeds. Here are 8 industries that successfully build their features around data feeds extracted from customers' stores.
#1 Multichannel commerce
The basis of any multichannel software is its database. Its main task is to consolidate data across multiple channels. Once the system has access to a customer's inventory and order feeds, it can automatically update inventory across multiple channels. With access to product lists, it can export data to new channels and push product updates within seconds, so any change made in the main web store is reflected across every channel almost instantly.
#2 Comparison Shopping Engines
A comparison shopping engine is a service that gathers product descriptions, prices, images, and categories from multiple online stores so shoppers can compare offers in one place. Integration with multiple shopping carts — and therefore with stores' databases — lets these engines pull data from online stores, submit it to their system, and refresh it regularly to keep the information accurate and up to date. This same approach powers the broader eCommerce marketplace services that merchants rely on to list products in multiple places at once.
#3 Dropshipping Software
In dropshipping, retailers don't keep the products they sell in stock, so it's essential that suppliers provide accurate product data and quantities. With data feeds, dropshipping software can automatically export and refresh product information across dropshippers' stores. Such software also syncs the retailer's and supplier's inventory and order feeds to keep product quantities accurate and prevent availability mismatches.
#4 Mobile App Builders
Building a mobile version of a web store requires tying the two together. To always show app visitors up-to-date information on prices, newly added products, availability, and quantity, a mobile application needs real-time syncing with inventory and product data feeds.
#5 Data Feed Management System
A data feed management system is a tool that optimizes data feeds for various listing platforms and automatically submits them to shopping engines and other marketing and sales channels. To perform these and other functions, such systems also need access to a store's data feeds — or at least to its product, order, and other lists, which they can then organize into a feed themselves.
#6 E-mail Marketing Systems
Access to data feeds containing customer information and contact details allows e-mail marketing systems to run mail-outs. If a system can retrieve product, price, and order information from an e-commerce store, it can use that data to notify clients about new items, discounts, and special prices. Having all related client information at hand also lets the system generate meaningful e-mail statistics.
#7 Inventory Management Systems
Inventory management systems use inventory, product, order, and customer data lists to update stock levels and perform predictive analysis, which helps merchants maintain adequate stock levels.
#8 Social Commerce Software
Access to data feeds allows social commerce software to export product lists to social platforms' sales groups, automatically add new products, and notify the social media community about discounts and special prices. Integration with the store also helps keep product information current across social platforms — an approach similar to what powers Facebook Marketplace integration for eCommerce software.
How to get access to stores' data feeds?
Merchants build their stores on shopping carts, and that's where their databases are stored. So to get access to these databases, you need to integrate with shopping carts. Take Magento or PrestaShop as examples: integrating with a specific shopping cart lets a system access data feeds from every store built on that platform. Similarly, once you've integrated with many shopping carts, you can set up real-time synchronization with data feeds stored across all supported platforms.
Integration Difficulties
Integration is a difficult, long, and costly process, especially when it involves multiple platforms. Finding a qualified, experienced developer isn't easy, and their work on a single integration can cost several thousand dollars and take a few weeks. Because every integration is unique, each new connection typically takes no less time and no fewer resources than the previous one. On top of that, once an integration module is ready, it still needs ongoing maintenance and upgrading.
How to avoid integration difficulties?
Luckily, there is a service that helps software vendors avoid these integration difficulties.
API2Cart offers a unified API that lets you integrate with many shopping carts at once. We also maintain all the connections, so you won't need to worry about further upgrades when new versions of e-commerce platforms come out. For teams looking to go a step further and manage stores with less manual effort, it's also worth exploring how to run a store with AI without needing a developer.
If you have questions, schedule a quick call with our representative or try out how API2Cart will work for your business.
