Grow Your SaaS Business: 5 Features To Look For in an eCommerce Partner

As a SaaS business owner, we know you want to get your business on the path to success. Our first suggestion is to take some time to find the right product to suit the market. Once you have decided on this, you’ll need to grow your customer base and work on a strategic plan to onboard them. Once all of this is established, you’ll want to focus on increasing your fledgling business, so you can turn a profit. And this is where the question of working with an eCommerce partner comes in.

Strategic eCommerce partnerships have existed for a long time, but good partners have never been more relevant than today’s globalized economy. eCommerce solutions provide SaaS online businesses with shared knowledge, fresh insights, greater market reach, vital services, and access to new users to help them succeed.

Choosing an eCommerce platform to help you grow your business can be complicated and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be! We’re here to help you understand what to look for in terms of features to ensure successful eCommerce partnerships.

The top 5 Features To Look For in an eCommerce Partner

There are core services any good eCommerce partner should be able to offer.

1. Tax and Compliance Management

To run a successful business, tax compliance, general compliance, and liability are critical priorities in all companies. As your business grows, tax and compliance become more complicated, especially regarding global digital goods. A solid eCommerce partner should have a team of tax experts and lawyers to handle your taxes locally and globally. Consult our guide to handling tax as a SaaS business for more detailed information on this vital issue. Or use our Tax Panic Scale to determine each country’s tax complexity score.

Your partner also needs teams well-versed in compliance regulations and complexities, especially as this is an ever-changing part of the business. To educate yourself on your compliance needs, read our range of informative compliance articles. You should feel confident that your partner is handling tax and compliance efficiently.

2. Dedicated Customer Support

In a PwC study, 73 percent of consumers cite customer experience as an important factor in their purchasing decisions. Your customers are the core of your business; obviously, you need to keep them happy, so your partners must share this vision.
Offering practical, efficient customer service is essential if you want to retain and grow your business. Customer support encompasses the services you offer your customers – before and after they buy and use your products or services – to get the most out of your product and resolve any problems.

By outsourcing this to an eCommerce partner, you can focus on providing the best product while adding another layer of customer satisfaction for your shoppers.

3. Fraud and Risk Management

According to PwC’s Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey of 2022, 46% of surveyed organizations reported experiencing fraud, corruption, or other economic crimes in the last 24 months. But does your SaaS business fall into this category? Knowing the answer to this question is crucial for the future of your business. Check out our article to get a better sense of the fraud & cybersecurity risks your SaaS is vulnerable to.

More than ever, your eCommerce partner needs to be up to date on fraud prevention strategies and be able to handle any questionable transactions quickly and carefully. The importance of getting ahead of risks to mitigate them cannot be overstated.

To understand potential risks as a SaaS business, read our article on whether your business is high risk.

4. Subscription Management and Billing

With the proper eCommerce partner in place, your revenue streams should be predictably reliable if they use intelligent subscription management and billing. A system like this can increase lifetime value and drive down churn. This will also allow you to manage your plans within the greater infrastructure, giving you the control you need to oversee your business finances. And it’s relevant to mention that with subscriptions heavily affected by the rising inflation, partnerships with complete eCommerce platforms are essential in ensuring growth.

5. Data-Driven Insights

Like any business, understanding the numbers is vital for development and growth. According to McKinsey Global Institute, data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers. Your eCommerce partner needs to provide you with data that is insightful and strategic. . With this type of business intelligence, you will have a significant advantage over your competitors as you can map out long-term plans based on reliable reporting in all the critical metrics necessary to steer your business in the right direction.

How To Choose the Right eCommerce Partner For Your SaaS Business

Making the right choice can be important to achieve your business's success. But what should you look for when researching who you would be most aligned with? We’ve summarized the most critical aspects for you to consider.

Learn the benefits of working with an eCommerce partner and how to choose the right one for your SaaS business on PayPro Global's Blog.