It\u2019s unlikely that a customer will waltz up to your parts counter and need a\u00a0 part that\u2019s been sitting on the shelf for a while, but that\u2019s only because you\u2019re selling to a limited market. If you could sell on a national level, you\u2019d have a much higher chance of finding the customer you need.<\/span><\/p>\n If your dealership has an obsolescence problem, the good news is that an eCommerce platform is an easy fix. You don\u2019t have to be tech-savvy to run a parts web store or put your inventory on today\u2019s most popular online marketplaces, either. As long as you <\/span>work with a solid eCommerce solution<\/span><\/a> that offers you full support and training, you\u2019ll feel in control every step of the way. So what are the steps to launching a successful parts eCommerce strategy to address obsolescence?<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Do you just want to eliminate obsolescence, or do you want to aggressively grow your parts department\u2019s revenue? You can decide to start small and get used to handling more orders, or you can scale quickly. Set the pace that\u2019s best for you and is based on your internal resources. This will help you determine which options are best for you when going digital.<\/span><\/p>\n The main ways to go digital are:<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|||43px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n If you evaluate your resources and still aren\u2019t sure which channel is right for you, then you can go to an eCommerce provider for guidance. They provide the online parts and accessories catalog, shopping cart, order processing, shipping tools, and more. They\u2019ll also handle every step of the website setup and implementation, so you don\u2019t have to worry about the technical details.<\/span><\/p>\n Since the quality of the eCommerce solution is critical to your success, it\u2019s worth your time to research your options. Look at sample sites and even view a demo if you can. You can find an auto parts eCommerce checklist below with 50 questions to ask vendors and helpful tips for evaluating eCommerce solution providers.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n SEE MORE: <\/b>How to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform to Sell Auto Parts Online<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n If you pick an eCommerce provider with a reliable support team, you\u2019ll be guided through every step of the process. They\u2019ll guide you through things like shipping methods, tax settings, payment gateways, and other back-end settings that are necessary to run an online parts business. <\/span><\/p>\n If your eCommerce solution isn\u2019t able or willing to help you out, then you might want to reconsider who you\u2019ve decided to partner with. This is your first indicator of how the support team will work with you in the months or years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n You have multiple options when it comes to selling online, and if you want to do it well, it\u2019s best to sell through as many channels as you can. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb title=”Set Up Shop on eBay ” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||400″ icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”15px||15px|” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n A marketplace like <\/span>eBay is the perfect place to make the sale<\/span><\/a> on your \u201cobsolete\u201d parts. With a user base of over 182 million people around the world, there\u2019s <\/span>someone<\/span><\/i> out there who needs that dusty old part on your shelf.<\/span><\/p>\n When selling on eBay, first set up a <\/span>business account on PayPal<\/span><\/a>. After that, you can go through the steps of <\/span>registering for an eBay business account<\/span><\/a>, linking to PayPal, and filling in all the necessary information, like tax rates.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you\u2019re ready to go, you can create listings manually or sign up with an auto parts eCommerce eBay solution that will make the whole process much faster and easier. The RevolutionParts eBay solution handles all the grunt work with bulk listings, accurate shipping calculations, advanced pricing, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n Obsolete parts are some of the best car parts to sell on eBay. Some dealerships have even been known to buy out obsolete inventory from other dealers, then resell it themselves on eBay!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Start Selling on Amazon” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||400″ icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”15px||15px|” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n You can also sell on Amazon! Amazon is a giant online marketplace with over 300 million active users, including people looking for OEM parts and accessories. As with eBay, you can instantly upload your entire inventory, including obsolete parts, to your Amazon store. Just head over to their <\/span>sign-up page<\/span><\/a> to register for an Amazon Seller account. After that, simply list your products and wait for customers to make a purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n If your parts department is already partnered with RevolutionParts but not selling on eBay or Amazon<\/a>, talk to your account manager to learn how you can get started. With RP, you can instantly list your entire inventory, have your listing fees waived, and manage all orders from all of your selling channels from a single dashboard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Start a Parts Web Store” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”15px||15px|” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n The time it takes to set up a new parts eCommerce site really depends on where and how you\u2019re selling. If you\u2019re plugging your new online parts store into your existing site, then you won\u2019t have to do much in terms of customization. However, if you\u2019re starting up a standalone website to sell nationally, then your eCommerce solution will create a custom logo and website design for you.<\/span><\/p>\n You can get your parts website up and running faster if you give them something to work with! Of the offered templates, which one do you like the most? What color scheme do you want? Check out competitors\u2019 websites that you like and determine the basics of <\/span>what the best designs have in common<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Once your parts website is live, the orders will start coming in. It\u2019s up to you to <\/span>fulfill and ship these orders<\/span><\/a>! Make sure you\u2019re prepared with some packing materials on hand.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember, this is your chance to clear your shelf space of those obsolete parts! It\u2019ll also help you avoid obsolescence in the future. Drop the prices for the parts you want to get rid of, and with the right marketing strategy, they\u2019ll be off the shelf in no time.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Marketing is absolutely essential if you want to dominate the online retail sphere. Even if it\u2019s as simple as a Facebook account or an <\/span>email list<\/span><\/a>, you need some way to let customers know that your parts website is open for business.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to rank with the top competitors, write original product descriptions to <\/span>boost organic traffic<\/span><\/a> to your parts website. Additionally, you can set up paid ads through Google. <\/span>Advertising with Google<\/span><\/a> is another powerful option that\u2019s not too difficult if you know what you\u2019re doing\u2014and it\u2019s great for advertising your low-priced, obsolete auto parts.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font_size=”26px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n An online revenue channel will rapidly grow your market share and profit. The best part is, that it doesn\u2019t require a ton of technical knowledge to get started. When it comes to online advertising, you can choose to invest as much or as little time as you want. Of course, you can always hire a marketing service to do all that for you, so you can focus on selling auto parts.<\/span><\/p>\n Setting up your parts department for sales success is easier than you think. By taking these steps, you can help reduce and eliminate obsolescence in the parts department. If you\u2019re still unsure about the process, read through our \u201cParts Manager\u2019s Guide to Beating Obsolescence<\/a>,\u201d to dive deeper into how these tools and steps can help you grow your parts business today!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/beating-obsolescence-banner.png” title_text=”beating-obsolescence-banner” url=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/ebook\/the-parts-managers-guide-to-beating-obsolescence\/?utm_medium=revparts&utm_source=mkt:%20blog&utm_campaign=sell-obsolete-inventory&utm_content=eleminate-obsolescence-for-your-parts-department” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Does this sound familiar?Your parts department just found the wrong part was ordered for a customer, so it sits on the shelf. Another customer doesn\u2019t show up for their appointment at the service lane, so the part goes back on the shelf. A customer orders a part for pick up but never arrives, so the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" The wrong part gets ordered, the customer doesn\u2019t show up for the service appointment, parts get returned\u2026 we\u2019re all human and it\u2019s easy to end up with an obsolescence issue if you don\u2019t have a focused strategy in place to keep parts from sitting on the shelves for too long.<\/p> It\u2019s unlikely that a customer will waltz up to your parts counter and need the exact part that\u2019s been on the shelf for a while, but that\u2019s only because you\u2019re limited to selling locally. If you could sell on a national level (or even internationally!), you\u2019d have a much higher chance of finding the customer you need.<\/p> <\/p> If your dealership has an obsolescence problem, the good news is that eCommerce is an easy fix. These obsolete parts are the best car parts to sell online, especially on a marketplace like eBay. Thousands of dealerships are already doing it, and the market for online auto parts is growing every year<\/a>.<\/p> You don\u2019t have to be tech-savvy to run a parts website, either. As long as you work with a solid eCommerce platform<\/a> that offers you support and training, you\u2019ll feel in control every step of the way.<\/p> Here are the steps to getting started to sell obsolete auto parts online:<\/p> Do you just want to eliminate obsolescence or do you want to aggressively grow your parts department\u2019s revenue? You can decide to start small and get used to handling more orders or you can scale quickly. The pace is up to you and is based on your internal resources.<\/p> The main ways to go digital are:<\/p> If you evaluate your resources and still aren\u2019t sure which channel is right for you, then you can ask an eCommerce provider for guidance. They provide the online parts and accessories catalog, shopping cart, order processing, shipping tools, and more. They\u2019ll also handle every step of the website setup and implementation, so you don\u2019t have to worry about the technical details.<\/p> Since the eCommerce solution is critical to your success, it\u2019s worth your time to research your options, look at sample sites, and even view a demo if you can. You can find an auto parts eCommerce checklist here with 50 questions to ask vendors and helpful tips for evaluating eCommerce solution providers.<\/p> SEE MORE: How to Choose the Right eCommerce Platform to Sell Auto Parts Online<\/a><\/strong><\/p> As long as you pick an eCommerce provider with a reliable support team, you\u2019ll be guided through each step of the way: shipping methods, tax settings, payment gateway, and other back-end settings that are necessary to running your online parts business.<\/p> If your eCommerce solution isn't able or willing to help you out, then you might want to reconsider who you've decided to partner with. This is your first indicator for how the support team will work with you in the months or years to come.<\/p> A marketplace like eBay is the perfect place to save the sale<\/a> on your \u201cobsolete\u201d parts. With a user base of over 155 million people around the world, there\u2019s probably someone<\/em> out there who needs that dusty old part on your shelf.<\/p> When selling on eBay, first set up a business account on PayPal<\/a>. After that you can go through the steps of registering for an eBay business account<\/a>, linking to PayPal, and filling in all necessary information, like tax rates.<\/p> Once you\u2019re ready to go, you can create listings manually or sign up with an auto parts eCommerce eBay solution that will make the whole process much faster and easier. The RevolutionParts eBay solution handles all the grunt work with bulk listings, accurate shipping calculations, advanced pricing, and more.<\/p> Trust us, obsolete parts are the best car parts to sell on eBay. Some dealerships have even been known to buy up obsolete inventory from other dealers, then resell it themselves on eBay!<\/p> You can also sell on Amazon! Just head over to their sign up page<\/a> to register for an Amazon Seller account. After that, simply list your products and wait for customers to make a purchase.<\/p> The time it takes to setup a new parts eCommerce site really depends on where and how you\u2019re selling. If you\u2019re plugging your new online parts store into your existing site, then you won\u2019t have to do much customization. However, if you\u2019re starting up a standalone website to sell nationally, then your eCommerce solution will create a custom logo and website design for you.<\/p> You can get your parts website up and running faster if you give them something to work with! Of the offered templates, which one do you like the most? What color scheme do you want? Check out competitors\u2019 websites that you like and know the basics about what the best designs have in common<\/a>.<\/p> Once your parts website is live, the orders will start coming in. It\u2019s up to you to fulfill and ship these orders<\/a>! Make sure you\u2019re prepared with some packing materials on hand.<\/p> Remember, this is your chance to clear your shelf space of those obsolete parts! It\u2019ll also help you avoid obsolescence in the future. Drop the prices for the parts you want to get rid of, and with the proper marketing, they\u2019ll be off the shelf in no time.<\/p> Some type of marketing is absolutely essential if you want to dominate the parts market. Even if it\u2019s as simple as a Facebook account or an emailing list<\/a>, you need some way to let customers know that your parts website is open for business.<\/p> If you REALLY want to rank with the top stores, write original product descriptions to boost organic traffic<\/a> to your parts website. Advertising with Google<\/a> is another powerful option that\u2019s not too difficult if you know what you\u2019re doing\u2014and they\u2019re especially great for advertising your low-priced, obsolete auto parts for sale.<\/p> An online revenue channel will really grow your market share and profit, and it doesn\u2019t require technical knowledge to get started. Even for advertising, you can choose to invest as much or as little time as you want. Of course, you can always hire a marketing service to do all that so you can focus on selling auto parts.<\/p> Overall the entire process is easier than you think and can take as little as a day to set up. So what are you waiting for?<\/p>Assess Your Resources and Goals<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
Find a Parts eCommerce Solution That Aligns With Your Goals<\/span><\/h2>\n
Configure Administrative Settings<\/span><\/h2>\n
Set Up a Parts Store<\/span><\/h2>\n
Start Selling Auto Parts<\/span><\/h2>\n
Make Parts Marketing a Priority<\/span><\/h2>\n
Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Assess your resources and set goals.<\/strong><\/h1>
2. Find a parts eCommerce solution provider that aligns with your goals.<\/strong><\/h1>
3. Configure administrative settings.<\/strong><\/h1>
4. Set up your parts store.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>
Setting up a store on eBay or Amazon:<\/strong><\/h4>
Setting up a parts web store:<\/strong><\/h4>
5. Start selling auto parts.<\/strong><\/h1>
6. Take your parts sales further<\/strong><\/h1>
![\"7](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Grow-Parts-Sales-Outside-Local-Area.png\")
<\/a><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,66,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-fixed-ops","category-getting-started"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n