How do you know which store is right for your client? Once you understand what your client needs, it’ll be clear which one will work for them. Between a Simple Store and a Company Store, there are distinct differences.
Storefront
Let’s talk about the most significant difference right off the bat – the storefront. The storefront of a Simple Store is just a single page store with a logo, a store description, an optional countdown clock or order goal, and all of the products listed on one main page. Shoppers scroll down the page and can select the size and color of the product they need and add it to the cart. The shopping cart appears in the top right corner of the page, and they’re off to check out. That’s it! Simple? Yes, very simple (that’s why we call them Simple Stores).
A Company Store is a “traditional” online store in that it has a customizable homepage, category navigation bar, category pages, and a page for each product. Company Stores also have a page for the shopping cart, so the shopper can review the order and a checkout page that you can customize to remove fields such as shipping and billing address to create a one-click checkout experience.
Number of Products
Because a Simple Store lists all products on a single page, it’s best to keep these stores for your clients who only have a handful of products. Ten products or less is the perfect scenario for a Simple Store because you are not leaving the shopper scrolling through a long page. In Company Store, you can offer as many products as your client needs and separate them with product categories to make it easy for the shopper to navigate through the store.
Store Design
You can customize a Company Store to your heart’s desire. And don’t forget our design team is here to help if you need them! A Simple Store has a very clean design, and you’ll just add a logo. Both stores are mobile responsive, so they’ll look amazing on any device.
Features
Simple Stores is a light solution so you can offer your clients a cost-effective store that’s easy to set up and will launch quickly. Along with a countdown clock and an order goal, you can also use the platform to send shoppers an email campaign reminding shoppers to place their orders. The email will send shoppers directly to the storefront. You can also create a Redemption Store where shoppers have a code they enter to redeem for products instead of a payment method.
A Company Store is loaded with features to manage a variety of store scenarios, user accounts, and integrations. Equipped with permission capabilities, you can restrict what users can see and experience in the store including store access, categories/products, logos, payment methods, shipping methods, addresses, and admin access. You can also setup manager approvals and budgets. And, Company Stores are integration friendly – so you can make the store work exactly how you and your client needs. Check out a full list of Company Store features here (hint – there’s a lot!).
Checkout Process
In a Simple Store, you can include a flat shipping and tax rate in their order. You can use a gateway to securely accept credit cards for payment or utilize a custom payment method. A Company Store has a lot more checkout capabilities. In a Company Store, along with credit card and custom payment methods, you can also utilize gift certificates and coupon codes. You can pull in zip code based sales tax rates or integrate with Avalara for real-time rates.
Orders & Reports
Whether you are using a Simple Store or a Company Store, you’ll have robust reporting capabilities. Both platforms have a custom report builder with over 70 fields to choose from so you can create any report you need or you can select a report from the report suite. Simple Stores lives on the Bright Orders platform, so you can manage and process your orders right away, begin fulfillment, and accept payments – all in the same system. You can even have your Company Store orders flow into Bright Orders too! Both systems are flexible. If you want to export your orders, it’s no problem.
Bottom Line
There’s a store level appropriate for your clients’ needs and budgets. Simple Stores are great for a budget-friendly quick solution or for getting a client used to the idea of ordering their products from their own store. And Company Stores are perfect for program management providing increased control, brand management, and customization.
