Your client called last week requesting to order their products exclusively online. You’ve looked through their previous ordering behavior and agree that using an online tool like a Company Store could be a great fit. Not only will the store help make the process more efficient and streamlined but it will take a lot of work off of your desk and off of your client’s desk.
So, your client is qualified, you’ve decided a company store has the potential to be a great fit, you’ve found the software you want to use…but now what?
Good question, we’re so glad you asked 🙂
Before you start diving into building a Company Store you will want to ask your client some essential questions about how they might need and use their store.
Why do they want a Company Store?
Ask this in a way that will provide you with the constructive feedback you need to provide them with better service, for example:
- What prompted you to look into a Company Store?
- What are you looking to get out of a Company Store?
- What are your end goals?
Your client may tell you that the reason they want a store is to create a streamlined ordering process for employees and to control the bottom line. There are plenty of reasons as to why a client requests a Company Store. All of them are equally important in determining the set up of the store and the features.
Who will be using the Company Store?
This is one of the most important questions you’ll ask. It’s important to know who will be using the Company Store as this will determine how robust the program will need to be. It will also help you understand and pinpoint if and where you will need to set up different permissions, categories, and features. For example:
- Is the entire company using the Company Store?
- Does each department need separate access?
- Will you require manager approval before completing the order (MOAS)?
This leads directly to the next question, within that population of people who are going to be using the Company Store, will those users all have the same experience? Depending on their answer, you may need to dig a little deeper.
Multiple users? Do they want a shared experience or unique experiences?
We understand that your client may have a robust set of needs which is why a Company Store needs to be flexible and customizable. They may be fine with everyone having the same experience. If so, perfect! No need to set up any special permissions. If they do want a user or groups of users to have unique experiences, be sure to ask what each of those experiences will be like. For example:
- Do you want each user group to have a unique set of product categories?
- Should user groups have a different set of permissions and privileges?
- Are check out options like shipping and payment going to be unique to each user group?
Whatever their needs may be, you can make that vision work by setting up different permissions or Micro Stores.
What does your client want the store to look like?
How is the Company Store going to look and feel? For example:
- Modern and minimal?
- Do you want to mimic your current website?
- Do you have a brand or style guide we should follow?
- How is the layout and design going to feel?
- Left, right or middle category bar alignment?
- Image to text ratio?
As former distributors in the promotional products industry, we understand that no two customers are the same, which means that no two customers will have the same vision of what they want their Company Store to look and feel like.
Is your client truly invested in the solution?
There is a difference between wanting a Company Store and being invested in its success. A client that wants a Company Store will have to have a plan in place to ensure orders go through the Company Store and make the program really successful for themselves and for you. At the end of the day, anyone can have a Company Store, but it’s only worth it, to both you and your client, when it’s going to be utilized and not collecting dust.
Dig Deeper.
Spark a meaningful conversation with your client. At the end of the day, the more you know about the who, what, where, why and how the better. Dig deeper with your client to make sure you understand what they are expecting. You don’t just want to provide a Company Store to your client, you want to provide a Company Store that provides a solution to their challenge.
Want more examples? Check out our Discovery Document.