How to Develop eCommerce Data Integration

As more and more companies are shifting their operations towards the digital sphere and a growing number of people are launching their own eCommerce stores, we can’t but stress out the importance of data integration for SaaS app providers.

As a B2B eCommerce service provider, it becomes mandatory to develop robust and reliable eCommerce data integration, especially if you want to grow your business and expand into new markets. The entire point of integrating your business with eCommerce platforms is to be able to work with the data from online stores based on them. It includes data related to products, orders, shipping details, customers, etc.

The ability to access the data from eCommerce platforms stands at the core of any eCommerce software business. The usage of such kind of data in the eCommerce sphere allows software providers to provide the functionality related to the:

• managing e-stores’ orders, increasing their accuracy and fulfilment
• creating customized reports
• setting up shipping details, such as addresses, names, shipping facilities
• tracking products
• performing inventory updates
• synchronizing the inventory between various sales channels
• organizing warehouse operations
• creating feeds and product catalogues
• making real-time updates on both desktop and mobile devices

The type of data that you need to import from the e-stores and manage by your system depends on the sphere in which you work. For example, if you provide the shipping management software for e-retailers, you’ll probably need to work with the data related to the order details, products, courier info, customers, etc.

In this article, we are going to explore all details connected with the data integration and will discover how to develop the connection with various eCommerce platforms quickly and easily.

What is Data Integration in eCommerce?

eCommerce data integration is the process of connecting your SaaS apps with the APIs of various shopping platforms. This procedure eliminates unnecessary operations, enabling you to pull out data with ease and work with it according to your clients’ needs.

The data you can use thanks to data integration include info about products, orders, shipments, clients, inventory, and any other aspect related to online shopping. The more integrations you successfully complete, the easier it becomes for you to extend your target niche and offer your services to more prospects.

For example, let’s say that you offer inventory management services. By integrating your solution with Magento, you will be able to automatically pull data related to products and inventory, offering superior services to your customers who have their stores on this shopping platform. Without integration, you have to manually pull data, so your services will lack the speed and accuracy needed on the market. At this point, it’s safe to say that without a solid eCommerce data integration with the specific shopping platforms, you won’t be able to propose your services to e-shop owners using those platforms.

In terms of the benefits, you can get due to data integration with multiple shopping platforms, it’s worth mentioning:

• The ability to expand your customer database. You are gaining access to millions of potential clients who are using platforms such as Magento, Shopify, Amazon, OpenCart, Zencart, Ubercart, AspDotNetStorefront, Ecwid, Gambio, etc.
• The ability to process info related to products, inventory, orders, etc. by your software
• Being able to develop new features of your product
• Increasing your profit and bringing more revenue to your business

The Challenges of Data Integration

Of course, everyone would love to reap the benefits of data integration. In the end, data is the power that can drive your business forward and enable you to enjoy countless growth possibilities. Nevertheless, the integration process is quite a tedious one. For most SaaS app providers out there, developing eCommerce data integration is an extremely painful experience due to the following reasons:

• The entire integration process can take between 4 and 12 weeks
• The cost of a successful integration can amount to thousands of dollars since developers’ fees are extremely high
• Coping with the platform upgrades is extremely challenging and requires additional support from developers (this comes with extra time and money spent)
• Each shopping platform has its own specific API structure, so you need to work with more than one developer, especially if you want to develop integrations with multiple platforms. As a rule of thumb, a developer can only be an expert on two, maximum of three platforms
• Manual data integration with an eCommerce platform is a risky process, as it can cause serious security threats. Weak connections run the risk of cyber-attacks, making your SaaS app prone to cyber criminals who could use malicious software to steal data or remove key files.

How to Develop the Integration with eCommerce Platforms?

No SaaS app development company would want to experience the above challenges and security threats. The great news is that there is another way to integrate your business with multiple eCommerce platforms. The workaround you have to hire a team of developers and to spend several weeks for each integration is using API2Cart.

API2Cart is a unified API that enables SaaS app providers to connect with over 40 eCommerce platforms almost instantly. Using this seamless service, you’re not just able to save months of tedious work, but also enhance your security, boost your performance, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.

With API2Cart, you can completely shun the challenges of data integration and get secure connections with the most important shopping platforms out there. As a result, you’ll be able to manage data connected with orders, products, categories, customers and shipments with the help of API2Cart API methods. Due to API2Cart’s flexible infrastructure, you’ll be able to work with an unlimited number of clients’ stores.

The key benefit of API2Cart is that it enables you to connect to multiple eCommerce APIs at the same time, without doing more work. You’ll simply connect your software to the API2Cart, which then connects your SaaS to all important platforms on the market.

Conclusion

Integrating your business with eCommerce platforms is mandatory in 2021 and beyond, especially if you want to get an edge in your niche and outperform your competitors.

The best way to develop a strong and reliable eCommerce data integration connection is by leveraging the power of API2Cart. API2Cart can help you stay ahead of the curve and overcome any integration obstacles.

If you would like to find out how your B2B system could benefit from API2Cart, do not hesitate to contact us now and one of our business representatives will reach you right away.