We built our own 2,847 SKU CNC tool store. Here's the complete process we use to build industrial e-commerce platforms for manufacturing companies.
We built our own 2,847 SKU CNC tool store from scratch. We've solved complex variant logic, B2B pricing, ERP integration, and engineering calculator challenges.
This guide isn't theoretical. It's the actual process we use to build industrial e-commerce platforms. We know what works because we use it daily. For platform comparisons, see our platform comparison guide.
We understand industrial e-commerce because we operate one. This means we can share the real process, not marketing fluff.
Document your product catalog, variant logic, pricing models, and integration needs. How many SKUs? What variant types? B2B or B2C? ERP integration?
Key Tasks:
Evaluate platforms based on your requirements. For complex catalogs (1,000+ SKUs), custom platforms are usually best. For simple catalogs, Shopify or WooCommerce might work.
Key Tasks:
Design the database schema, variant logic, pricing rules, and integration architecture. This is critical for complex catalogs.
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Develop product catalog, variant selection, cart, checkout, and order management. Focus on performance and user experience.
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Build B2B pricing, approval workflows, quote generation, and customer-specific pricing. This is essential for manufacturing companies.
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Connect your ERP or inventory system for real-time sync. This ensures accurate inventory levels and eliminates manual data entry.
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Integrate custom calculators (True Position, Speeds & Feeds, etc.) to help customers make better purchasing decisions. We've seen 40% conversion increases.
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Thoroughly test all features, deploy to production, and optimize for performance. Monitor metrics and iterate based on real usage.
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Solution: Design a flexible variant schema that handles multiple dimensions (diameter × length × coating × material). We handle 15+ variant types in our store.
Pro Tip: Don't try to force complex variants into simple systems. Custom platforms handle this better.
Solution: Build a pricing rule engine that handles customer-specific pricing, volume discounts, and approval workflows. This requires custom development.
Pro Tip: Shopify and WooCommerce struggle with complex B2B pricing. Custom platforms handle this natively.
Solution: Use API integration with proper error handling and retry logic. Real-time sync requires careful architecture.
Pro Tip: Test integration thoroughly. Real-time sync eliminates manual errors but requires robust error handling.
Solution: Optimize database queries, use caching, and design for performance from the start. We handle 2,800+ SKUs with fast load times.
Pro Tip: Performance issues compound at scale. Design for performance from day one.
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