Best eCommerce Platform for Auto Parts: Guide

Fitment’s role in the best eCommerce platform for auto parts

Any automotive eCommerce platform should be able to let a consumer search by keyword, or by fitment. “Fitment” in this case can be the obvious year/make/model, or it can be transmission, drivetrain, bed length, or any number of fitment requirements.

ACES auto parts data defines parts fitment for websites.

Two website categories to know

An auto parts eCommerce website, or auto parts shopping cart, generally falls into one of two categories. It can be a proprietary platform, like Web Shop Manager for example, or it can be an open source platform, like Magento, Drupal or WordPress.

Any auto parts eCommerce website builder using a proprietary platform should understand automotive data and fitment requirements.

Any auto parts eCommerce platform that is open source will require outside development work by a developer that understands data and fitment. That can be in-house development if you’re blessed with an awesome IT team, or that can be done by hiring a outside web developer either an individual or a company. When screening website builders, ask about the ability to provide fitment data, what the source for the data is and if fitment data is included in their price or if it is an extra fee.

Using open source for your auto parts eCommerce platform

Open source platforms include platforms like WordPress (and generally, WooCommerce, the auto parts shopping cart that plugs into WordPress), Drupal, Joomla, Shopify, Magento, Volusion, BigCommerce, and ASPDotNetStoreFront. These platforms are typically “free,” but that is misleading because you can invest tens of thousands of dollars in development work.

Some platforms are marketed as open source Software as a Service (SaaS), like Miva, which are hosted services with a monthly “rental” fee. Some SaaS eCommerce platforms don’t describe their software as open source, because they are a proprietary platform and hosted by the developer.

Open source software, or even SaaS websites, let you choose the developer you want to work with. There are typically hundreds or thousands of website builders that specialize in any open source platform. Plugins that add website functionality are typically available for free or for a nominal cost.

Using a proprietary platform for your auto parts site

Proprietary platforms are usually hosted by the website builder. Due to their proprietary nature, custom or advanced programming usually must be done by the builder or by “official” affiliated builders only. This is neither good or bad, you just don’t get to pick the builder you want to work with.

Questions to ask if you’re building a new website

Getting a new auto parts website is complex. Here are just a few questions to ask your website builder:

What will the site navigation look like? How many clicks will it take to get to a product page?
How many clicks will it take to check out and complete an order?
How does a customer verify fitment for an auto part?
How does the site work with vehicle selection (year/make/model)?
What technical support is included and is there an additional charge?
How reliable is your hosting platform and what is your uptime?
How long does it take to respond to technical support issues? How is the technical support team reached?
How much control do I have over the auto parts website’s “look and feel” and branding?
How easily can the auto parts website design be updated?
What is the average website page load time?
How is product data added to the website? How is fitment for products maintained and what is the source for that data? Is it compatible with ACES?
What brands of auto parts do you work with, and am I limited to those brands or are there options for custom data?
How are product prices managed?
How is customer credit card information managed and is the website PCI-compliant?
What payment gateways do you support?
How are fraud orders prevented and managed? Is fraud detection included in the price?
How does site search work? How is it maintained and managed?
Do you work directly with drop shipper warehouses?

Help keep this list updated

What do you think about this list? Did we leave any website provider out or is there an error? Please contact us.

See more on auto parts website design here.