It goes without saying that large enterprises have vastly different needs compared to new start-ups. While start-ups will be looking at cost effectiveness and ease of use, larger companies have to contend with multinational selling and large-scale reporting, for example. It stands to reason therefore that enterprises research rigorously when choosing or moving to a new eCommerce software.

Enterprises do not switch platforms quickly or impulsively. It is a costly and time-consuming process. But if your product is designed to enterprise specifications, there’s no reason why you should be deterred.

Here are five considerations that can go a long way in easing the shift for your enterprise customers.

Single Platform

If your enterprise customer has offices and businesses in several countries, they will need to accept different currencies and have their software translated into different languages.

Using a different local eCommerce and CRM platform for each country is neither time nor cost efficient. Instead, enterprises will pick an eCommerce platform that can handle different languages and currencies with ease.

If your platform is designed for enterprise capabilities such as multi-currency and multi-language support, then it becomes an attractive solution for your potential enterprise customers.

Cloud-based Tech

Enterprises will also be looking for providers who offer reporting across all the regions they operate in so they can get a 360-degree view of their entire organisation. Paperless is not only hassle-free, but also more efficient and secure – just what enterprises need. It is here that cloud-based software can be leveraged. Ensure your platform offers quick and easy access to relevant reporting requirements.

Giving enterprise businesses the ability to be cloud-based enables them to access, upload and review reporting in real time, eliminate language and time barriers and ensure a truly 24/7 business model.

Easy Integration

Business growth is another thing that sets enterprises apart. For start-ups, business growth is all about growing the customer base through strong marketing. For enterprises, it could mean acquisitions and buyouts to expand existing or acquire new markets.

As an enterprise software provider, you may be called upon to assist when enterprises move from a being privately held to becoming a publicly listed company. This includes having a backend system that can accurately calculate tax and offer business reporting that can be shown and used at shareholder meetings.

Easy integration is high on the list of requirements for enterprises so make sure your platform lends itself to enterprise-level integrations with ease and has the support ecosystem in place.

Audit, Compliance and Tax Reporting

Compliance and tax regulations often vary by country, sometimes dramatically. Manually reconciling and building reports by country could be nightmarishly onerous and error-prone. Software that can automatically reconcile and sort tax levels by country is usually a must-have for enterprises.

Enterprises value having access to real-time auditing for country-specific financials and businesses, because it can save them a ton of money and legislative headaches. Accurate reporting also saves them from fines and harsh punishment that could potentially arise from running non-compliant software. Having this functionality built-in gives enterprises another reason not to look beyond your software.

Enterprise-grade Sales Forecasting

All businesses, no matter how big or small, need to be able to access sales forecasting in order to effectively plan out the future.

While most eCommerce platforms will have some form of forecasting built in, enterprise businesses need to be able to collate data across regions and countries they operate in.

By providing them a platform that can handle and collate all this forecasting data for them, you can cut down on the amount of region and country-specific forecasting effort needed by their staff. In addition to the costs savings, enterprises would highly appreciate the insights they glean from your platform which would better equip them to plan global strategies and processes.

Final Thought

You also need to make sure you have highly knowledgeable support staff to help when customers switch to your eCommerce platform. Enterprises demand an entirely different level of support, so make sure you have that kind of capability.

While you will know your platform inside and out, you need to ensure your enterprise customers do as well. Often this is a massive change for them, and you need to make the process of switching as clear, streamlined and easy to follow as possible. This will go a long way in giving them the confidence from the get-go that they have chosen well.

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