Thread: Channel Advisor, multi-store & multi-channel selling

Currently we are running aspdnsf 7.0.2.5 sp1.

We are looking to agressively expand, both the number of products we sell and the number of channels we sell through.

Due to the nature of our expansion we are looking at the aspdnsf multi-store upgrade as we want to have multiple URLs. However, when considering the requirement to sell through multiple channels the only solution appears to be (correct me if i'm wrong) Channel Advisor...

I am interested to know:
- if we are going to use channel advisor is the multi-store upgrade necessary?
- can anyone who has experience with channel advisor explain
------ how the integration with ASPDNSF works (how easy is it, what level of technical knowledge does it require, etc)
------ how the integration with Ebay & Amazon works
------ does it matter if ASPDNSF has been modified (ours is a UK store)
------ are the costs levied by Channel Advisor worth it?


THanks

Disclaimer - I used to work for marketworks until they were bought out by Channeladvisor. I was involved from the outset in the ADNSF project. I now work for 3M who were Marketworks first ADNSF user.

These opinions are my own.
Answers in bold below.

- if we are going to use channel advisor is the multi-store upgrade necessary?
Not necessarily - Channeladvisor can deal with multiple seperate instances of ADNSF - however - this will obviously mean multiple ADNSF licences.
- can anyone who has experience with channel advisor explain
------ how the integration with ASPDNSF works (how easy is it, what level of technical knowledge does it require, etc)
Pretty much no work for you - Channeladvisor have already done the integration work. they use ADNSFs webservices
------ how the integration with Ebay & Amazon works
Channeladvisor provide a central platform which 'pushes' inventory/listings/products out to the various channels - ADNSF, eBay, Amazon
------ does it matter if ASPDNSF has been modified (ours is a UK store)
Strictly speaking - they don't permit midifications - it causes nightmares when it comes to upgrades etc, however, talk to them - they may be wiling to give a little.
------ are the costs levied by Channel Advisor worth it?
Probably - you'd need to consider if you could replicate the service they're providing & if so - what would it cost you.

THanks

TTFN

BFG

BFG 9000, thanks for replying.

- Is ChannelAdvisor the ONLY solution for my requirement (other than implementing or commissioning a bespoke modification)?
- Will channel advisor integrate with my existing store, or when you sign up with channel advisor does their service 'come with' aspdnsf automatically?
----- I ask this because i'm looking to upgrade to the latest edition of multi-store at the moment - is this pointless if i'm thinking of going with channeladvisor in the future?

Having been a previous ChannelAdvisor/Marketworks user, I must say that it is a great solution for eBay selling and a very basic online store. However, the ASPDNSF integration is very limited. For example, you only have access to 3 folders on the FTP server if my memory serves me right. The main reason I got away from MW/CA and went for my own installation is that after months and months of asking them to upgrade from ASPDNSF v7 to v8, they never did. I was finally told it wouldn't happen and I would be stuck with a v7 store indefinitely. Also, eBay checkout through the ASPDNSF was a lost cause since the shipping price paid in the eBay listing could not be imported into the ASPDNSF checkout system (rather shipping was re-calculated in ASPDNSF), therefore it was impossible to get eBay buyers into the ASPDNSF system so there was no chance to convert them to direct/website customers. In the end, it was more important for me to have a quality website with the functionality and control I was looking for than to have an eBay listing management system that also generated a basic ASPDNSF based site. Again, you will find many limitations in features and use of ASPDNSF if you go with the MW/CA route, nevertheless you can manage all your sales channels from one database of products through the MW/CA site. If you are any sort of ASPDNSF 'power-user' I think you would be disappointed and frustrated with the results of switching over the MW/CA setup. I can also vouch that my SEO dramatically improved once I stopped using the MW/CA managed ASPDNSF v7 and started using my own installation of ASPDNSF v8. Just my 2 cents, hope the feedback helps somewhat.

Originally Posted by supergriff

BFG 9000, thanks for replying.

- Is ChannelAdvisor the ONLY solution for my requirement (other than implementing or commissioning a bespoke modification)?
- Will channel advisor integrate with my existing store, or when you sign up with channel advisor does their service 'come with' aspdnsf automatically?
----- I ask this because i'm looking to upgrade to the latest edition of multi-store at the moment - is this pointless if i'm thinking of going with channeladvisor in the future?

We offer an integration solution for aspdnsf.

Using the nChannel connector for AspDotNetStorefront web sites you can quickly and easily integrate AspDotNetStorefront to a variety of POS, ERP and accounting systems. For existing AspDotNetStorefront sites, once downloaded, our AspDotNetStorefront connector starts copying your customer, item, sales and supplier data to the nChannel platform. It’s easy to add additional connectors for the other channel systems you use to begin exchanging data between AspDotNetStorefront and any other channel.

You can learn more about this connector on our site: http://www.nchannel.com/connect-aspdotnetstorefront-2/

If you'd like to talk with us directly, please give me a call at:

Darren Lacy
Director of Sales
nChannel
1-800-406-8217