Revolutionize Your Contracting Business with eContractor: A Seamless Solution for Inventory Display and Direct Customer Purchases
What is e-Commerce?
Chances are you’ve probably heard the term “e-commerce” in the past 10 years quite a bit. But what does the term actually mean? Simply put e-commerce or “electronic commerce” is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transfer of funds/data over an electronic network, typically the internet. The primary transactions that occur are business-to-business (B2B) transactions or business-to-consumer (B2C). Occasionally consumer-to-consumer or consumer-to-business models work as well but aren’t typical.
This process works through a customer’s web browser communicating with servers that host the online storefront. Data from the order is then relayed through to an order manager, inventory manager and merchant system to manage payment information. This is to make sure the store can fulfill the order before officially placing the order.
Over the last few years, e-commerce has become completely intertwined with the global economy. The retail landscape has undergone tremendous amounts of change in the age of the internet. Over 2 billion people purchased something online in 2020 and by 2025, its predicted e-commerce sales will account for almost a quarter of all retail sales globally.
If you’re an everyday HVAC contractor, there’s security in knowing e-commerce cannot replace the labor required to offer a professional touch with installation and maintenance. But what if your company could provide both? At Jackson Systems & Supply we tried to tackle that dilemma, and our solution led us to creating a service that could implement the e-commerce experience on an already existing website.
What is eContractor?
eContractor is an easy-to-use e-commerce plugin that turns your website into a fully functioning online store. It comes equipped with customizable part/sku numbers to fit your business, it’s fully integrated into your existing or new website. We also provide program training to keep your site up-to-date and easy to navigate. You have the website, we provide the plugin, you make money off of the sales. All items are shipped by us, for you.
How Does it Work?
eContractor can be installed on your pre-existing site in two ways: either you can install it yourself or it can be installed for you by one of our experts. Once eContractor is fully implemented into your business site, it’s time to start selling. Direct your current customer base to your new store and watch your business grow. You choose the markups on all products and pricing, we handle all the shipping and inventory involved with the products. Every month, we’ll send you a check for the sales your site has made! Simple as that. We’ve streamlined what can be a very complex process in the world of e-commerce.
The current selection of available products centers around air filters. Filters make up a significant upkeep cost for the homeowner but are a pain for contractors to stock and make service calls to replace. This is the perfect opportunity to stay top-of-mind with your customer base while providing them with an avenue to purchase filters without a service call needed. We handle all the shipping, while you keep your customers buying filters from your business.
How Does eContractor Help Me?
eContractor provides you with supplemental sources of income without disrupting your business. The majority of the current products offered are filters but will expand to additional products fit for the B2C market at a future date. Suddenly, your service-only business model can expand into an e-commerce marketplace. Allowing a more unified “one-stop-shop” approach to customer relationship management. The site plugin is extremely user-friendly, and exists on your current website.
Don’t have a website yet? That’s ok! The eContractor program is all about assisting the HVAC Industry we care about. We want to help as many contractors as possible transition their businesses into a more digital friendly space. Additionally, our expert eContractor team can assist you with any questions you might have as we implement the new plugin.
How Do I Get Started?
There are two paths available for our contractors ready to try out the eContractor program. If you just want to give it a try for a few months, we recommend the monthly membership. No contract is required and you can enjoy all the benefits of the eContractor program immediately. We do charge an installation fee for this membership option to assure speedy setup and implementation.
The second option is an annual eContractor membership. This is the most popular option available because of the additional client perks, no installation fee, and flexible payment options. We understand this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to e-commerce, that’s why we wanted to provide you with a few options based on your company’s needs. Either way you’re getting a great deal on a revolutionary service to the HVAC industry.
If you have any questions about anything covered in this explanation, or maybe something we didn’t cover, feel free to contact us about it! We love any feedback on our products and services. Ultimately we want a transparent relationship with all our customers and make sure you’re getting the most out of this program. eContractor is about breaking through to gain sales you didn’t know were possible. You work hard for your clients to provide excellent service they can rely on. Now’s the time to add on to that promise by offering a whole new catalog of products to their customer experience.
Sign up for eContractor here.
