The Potential Long-Term Value of Aftermarket Spare Part Sales for Manufacturers
The initial sale of a product is just the beginning of the relationship between B2B industrial manufacturers and their customers. Depending on your industry and business model, you could be selling a mix of configurable, standard, and aftermarket spare parts through direct, distributor, or other partner channels.
For most, the long-term value lies in aftermarket spare part sales – the ongoing need for aftermarket spare parts and maintenance supplies to repair machines and reduce downtime. Capitalizing on this opportunity requires a strategic approach, and that all starts with a seamless and personalized aftermarket spare parts search experience on your e-commerce platform that removes the friction for your customers, no matter if they are buying directly from distribution partners or a combination of both.
Most Aftermarket Spare Part Sales Experiences are Full of Friction
When speaking with our customers, it’s clear they know the challenges and desired outcomes, and they seek solutions to help achieve them. The elephant in the room is that their customers are increasingly looking for the convenience and ease of use they’ve come to expect from the B2C experience they’re accustomed to in everyday life. It may seem daunting, but leaders in your industry are taking the strategic approach to offering a B2C-like experience across all sales channels.
The aftermarket spare parts search and purchasing experience can be full of friction that ultimately leads to frustration for customers and eroded margins for manufacturers. Searching for industrial machine parts can be challenging because you need to identify the exact parts needed, especially for older or more complex machines. Considering you likely have millions of aftermarket spare parts available, it quickly becomes difficult for customers to know where to start. The disjointed experience leads to abandoned carts, wasted labor hours trying to identify the part, excess costs tied to reps spending time on low-value tasks, lost revenue, and frustration for everyone.
Aftermarket parts are a lucrative market that can help your business increase low-touch, high-margin revenue when you implement the right digital e-commerce and part search solutions. Just as e-commerce giant Amazon enables you to search for products easily by part number, keywords, or image search for e-commerce sales, leading manufacturers are working towards delivering a similar experience for their aftermarket spare part sales business.
Leading manufacturers are separating themselves from the competition by implementing e-commerce solutions to enable that same frictionless experience for aftermarket spare part sales.
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Top Five Benefits for Manufacturers Using Aftermarket Spare Parts Search for E-commerce Growth
We know buying aftermarket parts has several barriers that prevent a good customer experience and easy sales. Removing the obstacles makes it easier for customers to find the exact parts they need. With the right solution, you can create a frictionless aftermarket spare parts search and sales experience.
Aftermarket spare part search with e-commerce helps you achieve the following:
- Frustration-Free Aftermarket Spare Parts Search that Boosts Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Suppose a customer or distribution partner lands on your e-commerce store to search for a replacement part and finds only a list of categories and cryptic product codes. In that case, you’ll likely have to work a lot harder for that sale or lose it completely. After minutes of fruitless searching, they abandon their cart to either search elsewhere or call your service reps. Unfortunately, this scenario plays out all too often.
A user-friendly aftermarket parts search is paramount. By integrating visual search tools like exploded views, image search, and interactive 3D models, you empower customers to quickly and confidently identify the exact parts they need. If a customer can search for aftermarket parts by part number, exploded view 2D or 3D visualizations, or snap a picture using image search, they can access detailed information and easily add it to their cart. The intuitive approach minimizes frustration, increases purchase confidence, and fosters customer loyalty.
- Increased Conversion Rates Because Visuals Convert Better Than Text
The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Incorporating visuals into your aftermarket parts search significantly improves conversion rates. High-quality aftermarket part visualizations clearly show how components fit together. Visual search elevates the search and buys experience to a whole new level by giving customers the ability to zoom in, rotate, and even explode the model to pinpoint the exact part they need. The level of interactivity helps clarify product features but also builds trust and confidence in the purchasing decision. Research shows that 3D visualization can increase conversion rates by up to 70%, so take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your e-commerce buying experience with visualization!
- Reduced Returns and Improved Aftermarket Part Sales and Service
It’s easy to understand how a customer could mistakenly order the wrong filter because the description wasn’t clear enough or they didn’t have the proper part number. This unfortunate experience leads to returns, lost revenue, and a negative customer experience. Visual search tools can significantly reduce these occurrences by giving the user visual confirmation that they found the correct port. By allowing customers to visualize the part in the context of the entire assembly, you minimize the chances of ordering errors and increase no-touch e-commerce orders.
- Upselling and Cross-Selling Opportunities: A Data-Driven Approach
A well-optimized aftermarket parts search platform helps customers find what they need and presents valuable upselling and cross-selling opportunities. By analyzing search behaviors and purchase history, you can generate personalized recommendations for complementary parts or maintenance kits to complete the job. For example, a customer searching for a bearing might also be interested in adjacent parts that should be replaced at the same time. Strategically placed pop-ups could highlight frequently purchased replacement parts or suggest a maintenance kit tailored to their specific model. Giving customers data-driven recommendations not only increases average order value but also encourages customers to proactively maintain their equipment, leading to longer product uptime, lifespans, and more repeat business.
- Building Brand Credibility and Customer Trust
Investing in a high-quality visual search and e-commerce solution for your aftermarket parts business demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and transparency. Detailed product visuals, exploded parts and interactive 3D visualizations showcase your products comprehensively and engagingly, build trust with potential buyers, and position your brand as an industry leader in innovation and customer experience. Giving customers a self-service e-commerce experience that builds buyers’ confidence sets you apart from most of your competitors and increases customer trust.
The Future of E-commerce is Visual with CDS Visual and Intershop
The future of e-commerce for manufacturers lies in embracing a visually-driven approach to the aftermarket parts search experience. The aftermarket parts market holds immense financial potential for manufacturers prioritizing a user-friendly, visually-driven experience. Investing in the right tools specializing in 2D and 3D visualization for manufacturing aftermarket spare parts sales creates high-quality product visuals but also integrates seamlessly with your existing e-commerce platform, ensuring a smooth customer journey. In this way, manufacturers can unlock the true potential of the aftermarket and e-commerce – a continuous stream of revenue and a dedicated base of loyal customers who keep your products running smoothly for years to come.
CDS Visual and Intershop are leading the way by working together to help leading B2B manufacturers grow their aftermarket spare part sales and e-commerce sales. See how we partnered to help Environmental Solutions Group (ESG) explode their aftermarket e-commerce sales by 900%.
About Intershop:
CDS Visual’s Technology Partner is the engine that drives digital commerce. Our powerful B2B e-commerce platform enables the world’s leading manufacturers and wholesalers to transform their business and increase revenue in a digital-first world.
Our cloud-based solutions give you an essential foundation for digital success, plus the flexibility to deliver unique experiences and quickly react to changing needs. With a global presence and extensive partner network, we support your success every step of the way— creating opportunities to scale, innovate, and gain a competitive edge.
We’re proud to partner with CDS Visual and help you operate a growing digital after-sales business.
For more info, visit www.intershop.com.
