Renting an online auto parts store: the benefits of SaaS solutions

Rent an online auto parts store – a simple, fast and efficient way to start an online parts business. Allows you to reduce costs and significantly speed up the launch of an e-commerce project by moving from capital to operating costs in the first days of work.

Allzap® is a turnkey solution for selling auto parts. The online store has a stylish design and wide functionality. The basic version includes all the tools you need to successfully trade auto parts!

Rent online parts store

Software as a Service

SaaS (from "Software-as-a-Service" - software as a service)– a service model based on the provision of software for use on a rental basis. It first appeared on the software market in 1997. It received official recognition and wide popularity in 2001. Over the past 20 years has gained confidence.

SaaS has features and benefits for the client:

• Multiple clients use the same program;
• The software is intended for remote use;
• Use is charged as a recurring fee;
• Technical support included;
• Modernization and updates of the system are planned by the developer and provided to the end user free of charge.

The use of the SaaS model is not typical for simple and common software products, but it is popular in the development of complex, high-load systems.

Site of spare parts for rent

The online store of spare parts, despite its external simplicity, belongs to complex, highly loaded systems. Millions of pages, the need to quickly access the database with dozens of requests per unit of time, the need for regular information updates pose a number of complex tasks for the developer, which are not so easy to implement in an individual solution.

The technical complexity and specific features of programming have made the creation of spare parts sites a separate area in IT. Professional development is carried out by specialized companies, offering clients two ways:

• Creation of an individual site using existing developments;
• Ready-to-use solutions for launching an online spare parts store.

There is also a third – integration of the TecDoc catalog with boxed CMS: Opencart, 1C: Bitrix, WordPress and others. However, this is disastrously illiterate and technically incorrect. Experts strongly do not recommend considering this option as an alternative to development or a ready-made solution.

The cost of individual development starts from $2500, excluding server rental, domain name purchase and other related costs. A cheaper, but no less effective option is to rent a website for spare parts for foreign cars based on TecDoc.

Using ready-made solutions has a huge number of advantages inherent in SaaS solutions.

Zoom effect

The key advantage of renting an online spare parts store – "scale effect": a developer maintains, develops and upgrades one software core, receiving invaluable feedback from each user. This information allows the lessor to develop and upgrade the system, and the client – use a highly effective software product for a minimal fee. At the same time, the client receives all updates for free.

To achieve such an effect in the process of working on one project, it will take many years of painstaking work and large-scale investments, which in 70% of cases do not justify themselves.

Financial issues

Renting an online spare parts store in Ukraine is financially beneficial. There are no capital costs even at the start. The tenant makes a monthly payment and does not think about the costs associated with the maintenance of the site.

Unfortunately, at the initial stage, few of the future entrepreneurs realize that the creation of the – this is only the beginning of the journey, and fixed costs – it's not just paying for hosting and domain name. The site requires regular updates, elimination of software errors and failures, periodic improvements.

Technical side

To ensure the performance of the autosite, it is necessary to take care not only of the functionality of the store, but also of the availability of a powerful server - a place for the physical placement of information. The correctness and speed of your online store depends on the technical capabilities and proper server settings.

A slow site irritates users, search robots do not like it, and popular search engines rank it low. Therefore, ensuring the performance of – the primary task of an entrepreneur interested in attracting customers from the Internet. The cost of using a dedicated server, which is able to ensure the perfect functioning of the e-shop of spare parts, starts from 100 € per month.

To ensure correct operation, it is necessary to have not only technical capabilities, but also a staff of specialists capable of servicing the resource in a quality manner. This entails not only additional costs, but also other difficulties.

Imagine that you ordered the development of an online store from scratch and installed the finished product on your server. Until a certain time, the site functions, but your business develops, and the site should develop along with it. Functionality, which was enough yesterday, today  is no longer enough. You decide – install a new module / connect a payment system / add a directory / increase the security level. To do this, you invite a programmer who "something" does, and you pay for his work. If the system fails, you again invite a specialist. Given that the programmer – not a full-time employee, he will not be able to constantly maintain your website, and from an economic point of view, it is more profitable to attract freelancers, paying for work upon completion. However, each IT specialist has his own vision of the problem and his own methods of solving problems. As a result, even the person who initially developed your online store will not be able to figure out the intricacies of the code. Outcome – the site is hopelessly damaged, your money wasted.

Disadvantages?

Opponents of renting an online store cite the lack of access to the source code as the main argument: you will not be able to independently change the functionality of the site, modify or expand its capabilities. The answer to such statements is quite simple:

• Why do you need extra problems and expenses?
• The functionality and performance of a well-established system is many times greater than the capabilities of an individual site. The efforts of developers are focused on the development and improvement of one software product. To achieve the same result, it will take many years and a huge amount of funds to pay developers;
• Professionals should understand the site code. Generalists do not have sufficient competence in the field of solving the problems associated with the development of applications designed for the automotive business. Tampering with source code can end badly – a site in which a lot of effort and money has been invested will be spoiled;
• Any improvements are easily implemented into the rented site at the request of the client – just contact the landlord.

For and against

There are no perfect solutions. Renting a spare parts website, as well as individual development, has pros and cons. The best option for making the right decision is comparison.

The table below, using the example of renting Allzap CMS 2.0 and developing from scratch, presents aspects that, as a rule, concern a novice entrepreneur

*when paying for 12 months;
**the cost of maintenance, technical support and server is included in the regular payment;
***technical requirements for the server necessary for the productive operation of the autosite are many times higher than the capabilities of standard hosting

Renting a ready-made online spare parts store or personal development of the website – everyone decides for himself. Whichever option you choose, we are ready to help you!

Contact us to get more information about cooperation: +38 (057) 780-56-32, +38 (067) 537-58-28, +38 (050) 400 -03-68