What is an Order Import?
An order import refers to the process of transferring order data from one system to another. The best way to import orders is via API because it saves time and make the process automatic. The data that is imported usually includes the customer's shipping information, the items ordered, the total cost of the order, etc.Features that Can Be Implemented with Imported Order Data
The list of software vendors that must import eCommerce orders to implement their functionalities is extensive. Having access to such store data they can provide the following features for online store owners as inventory synchronization, order status notification, product recommendations, etc. Let’s see in detail some popular features that deal with order data.-
- Inventory synchronization. Online merchants are in need of real-time inventory synchronization. To develop this feature software should be integrated with eCommerce platforms. Moreover, it should have the mechanism of importing order data and syncing product info across different sales channels.
- Personalized emails. Order, customer, and product data allow eCommerce software like marketing automation systems to send personalized emails to their clients. Such emails contain info about new products, discounts, offers, product recommendations, abandonment cart notifications, and other personalized info.
- Order statuses notification. Software vendors like eCommerce marketing automation, cart abandonment software, or chatbots can provide the functionality to notify end customers about the status of their orders, track cart abandoners, etc.
- Reports and statistics. One of the important aspects of online shopping is analysis. Store owners can use order data for generating statistics, and special reports, to analyze which channels work best or what products are selling most often. This analysis can help them strategize their eCommerce operations.
Why Importing eCommerce Orders is Challenging
To attract new clients, software developers need to add the support of eCommerce integrations to SaaS applications. The more shopping platforms you have integrated, the more potential customers you may have. However, because integration is a complex and costly task, it can prove to be an obstacle to the performance level of SaaS software. It can be difficult to integrate with a single eCommerce platform, and it becomes even more challenging when we talk about integrating with multiple shopping platforms. Because of this, most eCommerce software only integrates with a few shopping carts, losing many potential customers and sales. Integrating with various shopping platforms allows eCommerce B2B software to gather orders from multiple sales channels. As a result, online retailers can easily manage orders and distribute order and product information across different platforms. However, any SaaS software provider must remember that accessing order information requires significant technical ability, as each shopping platform has its method of data storage. When shopping carts and marketplaces are updated, compatibility for new versions must be considered. SaaS application providers who do not have a specialized developer in staff will have to spend money on a system upgrade. Below we will show other issues associated with setting up the integration with multiple shopping carts and marketplaces.Other eCommerce Integration Pitfalls
If SaaS software vendors want to dominate in the eCommerce market, then they need to integrate their products with different eCommerce platforms and marketplaces. However, each shopping platform has its unique structure, which is why each integration will have its own set of hurdles. During the integration development, there might be several issues:-
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- First, the Integration is a complex process, so imagine how long it takes to set up multiple integrations with different shopping carts and marketplaces.
- It may not be a good idea to do the integration by yourself because you may not be familiar with all the technical issues of the specific shopping platforms.
- Updating the integration with different shopping platforms is one of the most time-consuming aspects of integration. You may have problems with updated versions of the eCommerce platforms because your programmers have focused on old versions of the shopping platform when setting up the integrations.
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The Solution to Easily Integrate With Shopping Platforms and Import eCommerce Orders
One of the easiest ways to connect to various shopping platforms and marketplaces is by using a third-party integration solution like API2Cart. It provides a unified API that allows connecting to over 60 different eCommerce platforms, including Wix, Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, and many others at once. API2Cart provides 100+ API methods for working with orders, products, prices, customers and other data you need. For example, to import eCommerce orders, it gives you a few options:-
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- Webhook for order.add event
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- Order.list method
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