Enterprise commerce: difference to e-commerce & when a platform change is worthwhile

A classic enterprise commerce company offers a wide range of products, is represented worldwide and has an annual turnover in the millions. To be able to implement all this successfully, it uses an appropriate shop system. Enterprise commerce platforms can process a large number of transactions and customer contacts and create a 360-degree view of all business processes and customers.

If your company has already grown considerably and the previous e-commerce platform no longer meets your needs, or if scaling your business is on your agenda, you are in the right place. In the following, we will discuss, among other things, what is meant by enterprise commerce, when you should consider migrating to an enterprise commerce platform and what are the advantages of such a solution.

Enterprise Commerce: What is meant by it

Enterprise commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services by large companies. This requires complex software solutions, also called enterprise commerce platforms.

In short, enterprise commerce is understood as a cross-system solution for all business processes under the heading of an overall digital strategy. Enterprise commerce platforms include more powerful tools for inventory tracking, customer relationship management, and handling larger order volumes.

Enterprise Commerce vs. E-Commerce

E-commerce is a sub-sector of e-business that generally encompasses electronic commerce, i.e. the selling, buying and advertising of goods and services on the Internet. The term has become one of the central business models on the internet and some common e-commerce platforms are:

• Shopify

• Wix

• Jimdo

• WooCommerce

• Webflow

Enterprise commerce is a special form of e-commerce. It is typically characterised by multi-million euro sales, large operations and a global brand presence. Some examples of enterprise commerce platforms are:

• Shopify Plus

• Salesforce

• Magento

• OpenCircle

• Optimizely Commerce Cloud

Enterprise commerce platforms have the infrastructure and tools needed to handle high volumes of orders and customers. Many also offer businesses the ability to seamlessly unify all operations into one digital ecosystem. Pricing can vary - for example, there are free open source platforms or managed cloud services offered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution.

Advantages and disadvantages of enterprise commerce platforms

Enterprise commerce platforms offer comprehensive solutions for large and established e-commerce businesses. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of such platforms:

Advantages

Scalability: enterprise commerce platforms are designed to keep up with the growth of a business. They can easily handle a high number of products, transactions, and customers.

Comprehensive features: These platforms offer a wide range of features relevant to large enterprises, including advanced product management, multiple currencies, international taxes, comprehensive CRM integrations, personalized marketing features, and more.

Customizability: enterprise commerce platforms often offer the ability to customize the store and checkout to meet the unique needs of the business. This allows for seamless integration with existing systems and greater control over the shopping experience.

Security and compliance: because businesses deal with sensitive customer and transaction data, enterprise commerce platforms offer stringent security features and are often PCI-DSS compliant. This is especially important for customer data protection and regulatory compliance.

Enterprise integration: These platforms enable seamless integration with other enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM and enterprise resource planning. This facilitates smooth operation of the entire business process.

Disadvantages

Cost: Enterprise commerce platforms tend to be more expensive, both in terms of licensing costs and implementation and customization. This can be a heavy financial burden for businesses.

Complexity: The extensive features and customization options often result in a more complex platform. This requires specialized expertise to effectively use and manage the platform.

Implementation Time: Implementing an enterprise commerce platform can be time-consuming, as it often requires extensive customization to meet a company's unique needs.

Maintenance and updates: Due to complexity and customization, enterprise commerce platforms require regular maintenance and updates to ensure they run smoothly and remain secure.

Learning curve: using and managing an enterprise commerce platform often requires a steep learning curve for the internal team. This can require training and specialized knowledge.

Overall, enterprise commerce platforms offer comprehensive solutions for large companies that have demanding requirements. However, choosing such a platform requires careful consideration of the pros and cons, as well as a detailed analysis of the company's specific requirements.

The 5 best enterprise platforms 2023

Shopify Plus

Shopify Plus is the enterprise edition of Shopify, designed specifically for large and growing businesses. It offers advanced features, customized solutions, and greater scalability compared to the standard version of Shopify. Shopify Plus is aimed at merchants with complex requirements who need a powerful e-commerce platform to run their business at a higher level. We'll take a closer look at the enterprise solution later in the blog.

Cost

The price for the Shopify Enterprise plan is based on the company's revenue. When using Shopify Plus, a fee of 0.25% of sales is charged, with a monthly minimum of 2000€.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce Enterprise is the powerful enterprise solution from BigCommerce, an e-commerce platform designed specifically for large and growing businesses. Here's some information about BigCommerce Enterprise, including costs, pros and cons:

Cost

The exact cost of BigCommerce Enterprise can vary depending on individual requirements and the size of the business. Since it is a customized solution, the price is negotiated on an individual basis. Costs may include factors such as transaction volume, custom features, support levels, and other options.

Advantages and disadvantages

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Salesforce Commerce Cloud, formerly known as Demandware, is a state-of-the-art enterprise e-commerce solution developed by Salesforce. Here's some information about Salesforce Commerce Cloud, including costs, pros and cons:

Cost

The cost of Salesforce Commerce Cloud is high and varies greatly depending on the needs and size of the business. It is a customized solution where prices are negotiated individually. The cost can affect factors such as transaction volume, custom features, implementation effort, and support levels.

Advantages and disadvantages

Magento Commerce

Magento Commerce is a leading enterprise e-commerce solution that provides a powerful platform for businesses to manage online sales and e-commerce activities. Here is some information about Magento Commerce, including costs, pros and cons:

Cost

The cost of Magento Commerce varies depending on the license chosen, the company's requirements, and the level of functionality desired. Magento offers two main licensing models: Magento Commerce (formerly Enterprise Edition) and Magento Open Source (formerly Community Edition). Magento Commerce licensing costs can be high and include an annual fee as well as additional fees based on the company's gross annual revenue.

Advantages and disadvantages

SAP Customer Experience

SAP Customer Experience, formerly known as SAP Hybris, is a comprehensive enterprise e-commerce solution developed by SAP to help companies manage their e-commerce activities and customer relationships. Here's some information about SAP Customer Experience, including costs, pros and cons:

Cost

The cost of SAP Customer Experience varies depending on the individual needs of the business, the size and scope of the e-commerce operation. Because SAP Customer Experience is an enterprise solution, costs are typically high and can consist of licensing fees, implementation and customization costs, and ongoing maintenance fees.

Advantages and disadvantages

Signs that your company is ready for enterprise commerce solutions

Enterprise commerce solutions are usually something that companies grow into over time. Rather, however, they outgrow their previous e-commerce system because it no longer meets their own requirements. But entrepreneurs don't have to wait for that time. If it is already apparent that your system has insurmountable limits in the medium or long term, you can also bring forward the leap into enterprise commerce and adapt your processes early on. This usually has the advantage that the changeover can take place gradually and you have more time for the change.

But when has the point been reached when you should definitely consider an enterprise commerce system? There are a number of signs of this:

• Downtime is on the rise. If your platform, website or connected services are constantly down, it may be a sign that current demand or traffic can no longer be handled.

• The platform does not support all the necessary functions.

• You have to constantly search for suitable add-ons instead of benefiting from a unified interface with many tools.

• You experience bottlenecks in service or production. An inadequate system can slow down operations by making it harder to find information, such as customer orders, supplier information, supply chain data, inventory management and more.

• Sales on the world market create a lot of extra work for you. A platform that does not support language or currency options can make it much more difficult for you to internationalise.

• You don't have a complete picture of your financial situation. From lost invoices to inaccurate reports, the risks of not having an overview of your finances are huge. If it's difficult to track down this information, you probably need more robust software.

• You can't add more team members. Many shop systems that are not intended for enterprise commerce limit the number of people who can log into the back end. If you are faced with this limitation, it may be time to move to an enterprise platform to increase scalability.

Advantages of the conversion to Enterprise Commerce

So we now know that businesses should migrate to enterprise commerce software if their current e-commerce platform is no longer sufficient. If you are considering a migration, you can benefit from the following advantages, among others:

• A better customer experience: Customer experience is not just about how well your online shop works or how beautiful your shop front is. It's about how quickly and well your business delivers goods and services to your customers. An enterprise platform can help you better meet your customers' needs.

• Operational efficiency: Enterprise commerce platforms are typically cloud-based or hosted on-premise, which makes it easier to integrate with your CRM system. They also help keep all of your key business functions in a single ecosystem, so your team doesn't have to switch back and forth between different services.

• Scalable features: Whether you have one website or multiple, an enterprise platform can help you manage them all seamlessly. Plus, these solutions typically support powerful integrations and APIs so you can easily work with all the tools you need.

• Improved security: Enterprise commerce solutions not only provide better security, but also more visibility into business operations.

• Deeper analytics: The modern business landscape is driven by data. An enterprise platform that is able to collect and analyse data can help you make smarter business decisions faster.

• Omnichannel: Enterprise commerce solutions can bridge the gaps between brick-and-mortar and online shops. This means more seamless experiences, smoother transactions and higher customer satisfaction.

Enterprise commerce platforms: Here's what they can include

So an enterprise commerce platform can bring different departments together in one central point and provide a reliable communication platform. This includes integration with other business systems, including accounting, inventory and CRM systems - and all of this should be scalable.

The following solutions are also often included in enterprise platforms:

The enterprise solution from Shopify: Shopify Plus

a scalable e-commerce solution designed for large, high-growth businesses. The main advantage is that it offers more control, customisation and automation, and combines faster speed with better omnichannel services.

Merchants get multiple stores directly with Shopify Plus, so they can take off internationally and reach different audiences. They also get a dedicated partner, called a Merchant Success Manager (MSM), who acts as their first point of contact. In addition to an MSM, using Shopify Plus gives online merchants access to exclusive features that help them grow their brand and business.

We have listed the most important differences to the Shopify standard package for you here:

• Premium Support

• Launch Engineer to help you get started

• Shopify Flow for automation

• Easier sales to corporate customers through wholesale channel

• Event campaigns can be managed with Shopify Launchpad

• More options in checkout

• Better conditions by reducing transaction costs

• Access to more exclusive APIs for more integrations and automations

Conclusion

Currently, more than 10,000 brands worldwide rely on the Shopify Plus enterprise commerce platform. Well-known German examples and also Latori customers include LIVE FAST DIE YOUNG, Asphaltgold and Shape Republic. If you too are now thinking of switching to enterprise commerce, let's talk about your options. After all, there are a number of things to consider when migrating, such as forwarding old links, transferring customer data, transferring orders, and much more, and we will be happy to provide you with active support.