Rev Up Your Sales: How to Sell Auto Parts Online

The online automotive parts and accessories market is booming, with experts predicting a staggering 15.3% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2032. For automotive businesses, this means a robust online presence is no longer a nice-to-have — it's a must-have.

With US shoppers between the ages of 25 and 40 making up 57% of online car part sales, the ecommerce sector will likely continue to surge as more digitally native consumers enter the market.

The question is no longer how big the automotive parts and accessories sales industry will become. Instead, it’s all about who’s ready to expand their business and sell auto parts online.

To stay ahead of the game and prepare your business for online sales, read this comprehensive guide to becoming an online auto parts seller.

Know what you are selling

It may seem simple, but there is a complex equation behind what we sell and why we sell it. Do you want to compete in the larger automotive arena or specialize in specific products?

Knowing the products you wish to sell will better help you structure your ecommerce website and provide your users with a seamless and well-structured store with a strong user experience (UX) — leading to conversions rather than bounces.

Below are some examples of automotive parts that customers want to buy online.

External: Bumpers, grills, side mirrors, etc.

Exterior parts like bumpers, grills, and side mirrors are top sellers on marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Walmart, and Amazon. These items are often more accessible for the average person to replace, making them popular choices. Customers can choose from OEM replacements or aftermarket upgrades.

These spare parts typically require large shipping boxes and are less fragile compared to internal components. If you plan to sell these items, it's crucial to address specific shipping requirements. Consider which shipping company can handle your product dimensions, whether you'll offer local pickup options, and if you're prepared to manage interstate shipping, including the associated costs.

One of the biggest challenges customers face when purchasing auto parts online is ensuring compatibility with their vehicle model and year. Providing detailed compatibility information can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. Additionally, buyers often have concerns about the quality of aftermarket parts compared to OEM versions. 

To alleviate these concerns, clear descriptions of manufacturing standards and quality assurances are crucial. By addressing these key issues, sellers can improve the buying experience and build trust with their customers.

Wheels and suspension: Tires, hubcaps, shocks and struts, etc.

Wheels and suspension components, including tires, hubcaps, shocks, and struts, are categorized similarly to other external parts but tend to involve a more complex installation process that usually requires professional assistance from a shop or mechanic. As a result, the sales dynamics for these items often shift towards B2B transactions, necessitating a specific shipping strategy.

For B2B sales, it's crucial to adopt pricing strategies that reflect bulk buying, longer-term contracts, or loyalty discounts, which can influence purchasing decisions. 

Additionally, the demand for these items can fluctuate based on seasonal trends; for example, tire purchases may increase in early winter as customers prepare for colder weather. 

Understanding these patterns can help in planning inventory and pricing adjustments to align with market demand.

Internals: Spark plugs, transmissions, cylinders, etc.

Internal auto parts like spark plugs, transmissions, and cylinders, while not outselling externals, still represent a significant segment of the market. These components typically require professional installation by a mechanic rather than direct customer involvement due to their complexity. Given their fragility, these items require careful packaging, often involving substantial bubble wrap or other protective materials, to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.

When choosing a shipping company and service for these high-value internals, it's essential to consider how your packaging innovations can enhance the safety and integrity of shipped items. 

Customers often have concerns about warranties or guarantees for such crucial components. Clearly communicating your policies regarding these can help alleviate customer concerns and boost confidence in your products. 

Efficient packaging solutions, possibly incorporating new innovations in material technology or design, play a critical role in safeguarding these parts during transit, ensuring they reach the buyer in operational condition, and maintaining the integrity of the provided warranties or guarantees.

Tools: Jacks, wrenches, etc.

Tools used in automotive maintenance, such as jacks and wrenches, vary significantly in weight and size, from lightweight wrenches to heavy-duty jacks. This variation means they can be marketed to both individual customers and auto parts businesses but have different shipping requirements. Heavy tools like jacks require sturdier packaging and potentially different logistics solutions compared to smaller, lighter tools.

When shipping these tools, it's crucial to package them securely to prevent damage during transit, which might involve custom crating or reinforced packaging materials. 

Additionally, many users face challenges in selecting the right tool size for their needs. Providing clear product specifications and a detailed compatibility guide can help customers make informed choices, enhancing customer satisfaction and reducing returns. 

By addressing these specific needs in your product listings and shipping practices, you can cater effectively to both casual DIYers and professional mechanics.

Other categories with opportunity.

Do you specialize in other automotive parts? Perhaps there is an unsaturated area of the market to specialize in. Research could prove beneficial for your product range to stand out from the rest.

Who is buying auto parts online?

There are many different demographics and user groups who buy auto parts online. The obvious categories include wholesale buyers — e.g., a local garage — and retail consumers — e.g., people looking to make a one-off purchase. Knowing your target market is also a consideration when designing and building your ecommerce website.

If you have a current website and want to add an ecommerce component, you can use tools like Google Analytics to analyze your current user demographic. Google Analytics allows you to track your audience by age group, gender, country, interests, and more. 

If you do not have a website, there is market research available online regarding the user behavior of the automotive aftermarket shopper.

Knowing your audience will help you better understand how to sell car parts online. Continue reading for some examples of audiences.

Auto shops, local garages, dealerships, and other vendors.

As a B2B wholesaler, you supply auto parts to vendors like auto shops and local garages, benefiting from stable sales, lower costs due to bulk transactions, and higher sales volumes. Enhancing these relationships through loyalty programs or bulk discounts can lead to more consistent and increased sales.

For example, a wholesaler might implement a tiered discount system that rewards auto shops with deeper discounts as their order volumes grow. This strategy not only boosts sales but also cultivates long-term loyalty by providing value that extends beyond just the products sold.

End consumers.

When selling directly to end consumers, like a young car owner looking to enhance their 2002 Honda Civic, you're engaging in B2C transactions. One advantage of this approach is the ability to offer faster delivery times for smaller orders.

Additional benefits of retailers selling auto parts include recurring revenue from consumables like oil filters and brake pads. There’s also significant potential for upselling and cross-selling. For example, when a customer purchases a part, you can recommend complementary tools or installation kits or even offer bundled deals to enhance their overall shopping experience and increase your sales.

The best channels for selling auto parts

It’s an omnichannel world out there. Consumers are no longer going to one place to purchase products. There are price comparisons, convenience shopping, and even location-driven shopping.

For the auto market industry, an omnichannel approach should prove beneficial for online sales. When you are researching how to sell auto parts online, consider the following channels:

1. Your own auto parts ecommerce store.

You have complete control over your ecommerce store. That means you won’t get hit with fees tacked on to each sale — unlike with eBay and Amazon — and you can price your products however you’d like.

A proprietary ecommerce storefront also means that you can better communicate your brand and build more direct relationships with potential customers. Customer relationships can lead to loyalty and repeat business, and customer retention can be much more cost effective than acquisition.

Ensuring effective on-site search is a necessity for customer experience and will add a layer of complexity, but the benefits to your brand may well be worth it. With BigCommerce, building a beautiful, effective online store has never been easier. You can completely customize your auto parts website without any coding required, drive sales with responsive templates, and deliver a personalized shopping experience.

2. eBay.

eBay is a great place to sell auto parts, especially if you’re selling rare parts. As of Q3 of 2023, there were 133 million eBay users worldwide, with one in three global shoppers purchasing from the Parts & Accessories category of eBay Motors. This platform stands out by offering a variety of tools specifically designed to aid automotive sellers, including features that simplify adding fitment data to your listings.

Notably, eBay does not require active subscription fees, which differentiates it from other online marketplaces. While there are selling and final value fees, eBay mitigates this with 250 free listings a month, making it manageable for growing businesses. Additionally, to truly stand out on eBay Motors, it’s crucial to include high-quality images and detailed fitment data in your listings, as these significantly enhance buyer confidence and improve the likelihood of successful sales. 

3. Amazon marketplace.

Amazon also helps businesses open themselves up to a larger audience. As the leading ecommerce and shopping website, Amazon can be a primary channel for automotive parts sellers.

There are some things to note about using Amazon to sell your auto parts. Unlike building your own store or using Amazon, there can be significant costs. To sell auto parts, you must be on the Professional seller account which costs $39.99 per month, along with referral fees. Automotive and Powersports is also a restricted category when selling on Amazon, with specific rules in place to protect both vendors and customers.

Navigating these restrictions requires careful attention to Amazon’s guidelines and could involve additional steps for approval, but adherence ensures a trustworthy marketplace for both vendors and buyers.

4. All three channels combined.

Thankfully, with an ecommerce site builder like BigCommerce, business owners don’t have to choose between eBay, Amazon, and their own platform when considering how to sell auto parts online.

Customers now shop in more places than ever before. With multichannel ecommerce, you can seamlessly sell your products across all touchpoints without additional development work. Connect your store with our simple multichannel integration eBay and Amazon plugins, which are available on the BigCommerce app store. 

Additionally, using Feedonomics, you can further optimize your product listings across these platforms, ensuring that your products are not only visible but also tailored to meet the specific requirements and best practices of each channel. This level of optimization helps improve visibility, accuracy, and, ultimately, sales performance across all your selling platforms.

Finding an ecommerce platform to sell auto parts online

User experience is rapidly evolving and actively influences a customer's decisions when on your website. Factors such as visual merchandising, a social media presence, chatbot implementation, payment gateways, and shipping options can impact whether your customer decides to purchase auto parts on your website. The ecommerce platform you choose will need this functionality available and, preferably, simplify the process of integration and developing this functionality for you:

Filter by vehicle.

Consumers tend to search for parts for a particular car. Create a UX that allows users to identify their vehicle and then filter to display only relevant products.

You can also allow the user to identify their vehicle with VIN or Registration look-up or manually select their vehicle.

Faceted search.

Shoppers want to find things at the touch of a button without hassle or delay. Making their life easier is the first step to delivering an excellent product delivery experience. 

Faceted search can increase conversion rates and customer satisfaction by adding product filters to highlight your valuable information in an easy-to-shop format.

Loyalty programs.

Make a good impression on a mechanic, and you can bet they’ll be back again to buy more auto parts online. Enroll them in a loyalty program and offer tailored incentives such as volume discounts on bulk purchases, rewards for frequent orders, and referral links that provide benefits for both the referrer and the new customer. 

You might also consider offering exclusive access to new products or special training sessions on new installations as part of the loyalty program, enhancing their professional capabilities and fostering a deeper business relationship.

Chatbots.

Chatbots add a layer of personalization to your website and enable real-time communication with your customers, resulting in more time spent on-site and more efficient problem-solving. 

For BigCommerce users in the auto parts industry, integrating chatbot tools like Maisie or Tidio can be particularly beneficial. These platforms are known for their seamless integration with BigCommerce, enhancing customer service by providing instant responses to inquiries about parts compatibility, installation advice, or order status. 

By automating routine interactions, chatbots free up your team to handle more complex queries, while also gathering insights from customer interactions that can help tailor your offerings and improve user experience.

Payment gateways.

A variety of payment gateways make shopping online easier for your customers. Ecommerce websites increasingly use payment options like Apple Pay, Paypal, and other financing options that enable a seamless checkout. This removes customers' need to enter their details in lengthy forms.

B2B capabilities.

Business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce is essential for companies of all sizes, including small or newly established businesses. BigCommerce is well-equipped to support this, offering robust applications specifically designed for B2B or wholesale models. This is particularly beneficial for auto parts sellers looking to service mechanics and local businesses efficiently.

For example, BigCommerce’s price lists feature allows auto parts sellers to set custom pricing tiers for different customer groups, such as offering discounted rates to frequent wholesale buyers or mechanics who make large, regular purchases. This capability not only simplifies managing varying price points but also enhances relationships with key B2B clients by providing them with exclusive incentives tailored to their buying needs.

OEM vs third-party

Customers look for honest, transparent brands that show they care about what the customer wants. It’s important to be transparent about your products when selling car parts online.

You will typically see car parts listed as OEM or not, and you need to be able to distinguish these differences with your customer.

OEM: Original equipment manufacturer.

OEMs are the network equipment manufacturers most are familiar with and are typically the same manufacturers that make parts for a car company. Generally, parts listed as OEM are trustworthy simply because you know that you're getting the same high-quality parts as the original. 

The downside to OEM ultimately comes down to one thing: cost. Since the parts you receive come from more popular brands, such as Cisco, the price is typically higher than it would be otherwise.

Third-party.

Third-party is precisely what it sounds like — sourcing replacement parts from someone who doesn't make them for the manufacturer.

Third-party parts sales often have a less than sterling reputation due to stories about a lack of quality control. However, these stories are often oversold and detract from the real benefits of third-party parts — price. 

The cost-effectiveness of third-party remanufacturers is its selling point, allowing potential customers to skip the "brand tax" they have to pay when looking for OEM products. 

Be sure to research the source of third-party parts. If you trust the source, then the savings you can find should be worth it.

How to sell auto parts online

The ecommerce component of selling auto parts online is just one piece of the equation. There is some pre-planning and project scope that needs to be undertaken before you jump into building your ecommerce website.

As with any big leap, preparation is a key element to making the changes run smoothly.

Talk to mechanics and car enthusiasts first.

We highly recommend talking to some local mechanics or car enthusiasts first. They may have a part that no one can find. You can make it your mission to supply that low quantity part.

Speak to them about the type of user experience they are looking for and ask questions.

• What are their pain points? 

• Have they purchased online before, and how did they find the process? 

• What drives a sale? 

• Is it price, quality, convenience, or something else?

This research can help you understand how to deliver the best experience.

Research your competitors.

To conduct a thorough competitive analysis across all sales channels, such as eBay, Amazon, and third-party sites, consider utilizing advanced tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs. These tools can provide deep insights into how competitors are pricing their auto parts and their strategies for visibility and customer engagement.

Start by using these tools to monitor key search terms related to your auto parts. Observe who ranks highly and analyze the reasons behind their success. Look into their user experience, pricing structures, and the overall customer journey. Analyzing competitors helps you establish competitive prices for parts like tail lights or wheels, making your listings more appealing to buyers.

Both SEMrush and Ahrefs can help you understand backlink profiles, content effectiveness, and SEO keyword rankings, offering you valuable data to strategize effectively. This comprehensive approach can serve as a solid foundation for refining your own online store’s competitive edge.

Contact suppliers for quotes

Once you have the price points you need to hit, contact suppliers through any marketplace you choose, such as Alibaba, for pricing quotes. 

You may have distributors you currently work with or wish to branch out to new suppliers. Check the minimum order quantity to determine if it is sustainable for your ecommerce business. Shop around for a variety of automotive parts suppliers.

Send in POs

To ensure the quality and reliability of the auto parts you sell, it's crucial to monitor and manage your supplier relationships effectively. When sending purchase orders (POs) to auto parts manufacturers, always double-check that their products meet your quality standards. High-quality components are essential not only because they affect consumer trust and satisfaction but also because they can significantly reduce costs associated with returns, complaints, and potential recalls.

Implement regular quality assessments and establish clear communication channels with suppliers to address any quality issues promptly. This proactive approach not only safeguards your brand reputation but also ensures that you consistently deliver products that meet your customers' expectations.

Start building your site.

As you build your ecommerce site to start selling auto parts online, prioritizing mobile optimization and responsive design is crucial. Today’s consumers increasingly use mobile devices to browse and purchase products, making it essential that your website performs seamlessly across all device types.

For beginners entering the auto parts market, tools like BigCommerce make it easy to build a user-friendly ecommerce store without coding expertise. 

BigCommerce offers various ecommerce themes specifically optimized for mobile responsiveness, making them ideal for selling auto parts online. These themes ensure that your site adjusts smoothly to any screen size, providing an excellent user experience whether your customers are on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

If you decide to further customize your website or integrate API connections to external systems, consider engaging with specialized BigCommerce developers. Our network of experienced partners can streamline the development process, ensuring your site is not only mobile-friendly but also equipped with all necessary functionalities to operate efficiently. This can significantly speed up your launch time and reduce the stress associated with building a new website.

Explore our theme store and list of partners to find the right resources to support your online business model. Remember, incorporating keyword-rich content is not only essential for providing product details to your customers but also plays a significant role in enhancing your search engine visibility.

Connect your site to Amazon, eBay, and Google Shopping.

To maximize your online presence and streamline operations, it’s crucial to automate product listing updates across platforms such as Amazon, eBay, and Google Shopping. Automating updates not only ensures consistency in product information across all channels but also saves time and reduces the likelihood of errors.

BigCommerce facilitates these integrations seamlessly, allowing you to connect your site to multiple online marketplaces and advertising platforms through its robust plugin ecosystem. 

For even more efficiency, consider using Feedonomics, a powerful tool that integrates with BigCommerce. Feedonomics automates the syndication and optimization of your product listings across multiple channels, ensuring that your inventory is always up-to-date and optimized for each platform's unique requirements.

By implementing these integrations and automation tools, you enhance your ability to reach a broader audience and increase sales opportunities, all while maintaining accuracy and consistency in your product listings.

Ship your items.

Ship items to customers or drop them off at local mechanics. If you’re using BigCommerce, you will have a variety of shipping options available. Connect with Shipper HQ, Fulfillment by Amazon, and ShipStation to find the best ways to get your auto parts to customers.

Checklist to prep for launching your store

The checklist below summarizes the considerations needed to understand how to sell auto parts online. As we have mentioned in the previous sections, preparation and planning can play a crucial role in the success of your online auto parts store. Here’s a simple checklist for ensuring shipping readiness:

1. Packaging: Ensure that all auto parts are securely packaged to prevent damage during transit. Use durable materials and consider custom packaging solutions for fragile items. Clearly label packages with handling instructions and contents, especially for delicate components.

2. Insurance: Opt for shipping insurance to protect against loss or damage. This is particularly important for high-value or fragile auto parts.

3. Carrier Selection: Choose shipping and dropshipping providers known for reliable and timely deliveries. Consider multiple carriers to provide options for speed and cost.

4. Tracking Capabilities: Ensure that the carriers offer robust tracking systems, allowing both you and your customers to monitor the shipment’s progress.

1. Look for niches.

Do you want to sell auto parts universally or specialize in parts for specific car models? To carve out your niche in the competitive online auto parts industry, consider focusing on emerging and profitable segments, such as EV-specific parts, which are increasingly in demand as the market shifts towards electric vehicles.

Research the market thoroughly to identify areas where your online auto parts store can distinguish itself. Targeting well-defined niches not only helps you stand out from the competition but also aligns your inventory with specific customer needs, potentially increasing both customer loyalty and profit margins.

2. Find uniform manufacturers.

Some car companies have long-standing relationships with the same manufacturers, simplifying the process of sourcing old parts to sell. 

To find reliable manufacturers who align with your values, consider attending relevant trade shows or using online directories tailored to the auto parts industry. These resources can provide valuable connections and insights, helping you identify partners that meet your standards for quality and reliability.

3. Include insightful descriptions.

Define and describe each product in your description, down to every inch. The quality of individual car parts could increase or decrease passenger safety. 

Include in your description whether the parts are OEM or third-party manufactured.

4. Source professional imagery.

Define and describe each product in your descriptions meticulously, emphasizing details down to every inch, as the quality of individual car parts can significantly impact passenger safety. 

Additionally, specify in your descriptions whether the parts are OEM or third-party manufactured to inform customers' purchasing decisions accurately. 

To enhance the presentation of your products, use photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop. These tools can help you create professional-quality images that accurately reflect the quality and detail of your auto parts, making your listings more appealing and trustworthy to potential buyers.

Selling auto parts with BigCommerce success stories

Discover how various businesses have successfully navigated the world of online auto parts sales using BigCommerce. These success stories highlight the innovative features and robust capabilities of BigCommerce that have enabled auto parts customers to thrive in a competitive market.

Kaiser Willys.

Case Study: Kaiser Willys

Established in the early 2000s, Kaiser Willys is the go-to spot for Willys and Jeep enthusiasts seeking vintage parts. To cater to their growing customer base, Kaiser Willys launched an online store on BigCommerce.

With the platform’s variety of functionality and ability to integrate outside technologies, Kaiser Willys has launched innovative features designed to optimize the user experience, like a custom search tool, ultimately resulting in a 9.92% increase in conversions.

“To cater to its growing customer base, Kaiser Willys launched an online store on BigCommerce,” said Graham Lubie, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Delivery at Wasserman Digital.

OK4WD.

Case Study: OK4WD

Since their inception in 1979, OK4WD has grown from a small two-bay garage and gas station to a thriving brand with a seven-bay shop, showroom, and team of experts. To most effectively serve their B2B and B2C customers, the brand decided they needed a new ecommerce platform that would allow them to scale.

After migrating to BigCommerce, OK4WD took advantage of robust features like B2B Edition and third-party applications to improve the customer journey and minimize back-office tasks.

“We’ve almost doubled our conversion rate and sales since moving to BigCommerce. We also don’t have to do much backend work or maintenance because BigCommerce is so easy to use — so it’s been a win-win,” remarked Tim Earls, Operations Manager, OK4WD.

SKDA.

Case Study: SKDA

In 2010, SKDA, a premium custom motocross graphics company, launched in Adelaide, South Australia. As the business grew, founder Sam Morton knew they needed an online presence that would allow them to strategically scale.

After evaluating different ecommerce tools, Morton found BigCommerce and knew it was exactly what SKDA needed. Since launching on BigCommerce, SKDA can easily manage their large volume of SKUs, as well as improve team efficiency and the customer experience through APIs and third-party applications.

“BigCommerce works really well for us and we haven’t been able to achieve the same efficiency with any other system,” explained Sam Morton, Founder and Director of SKDA Moto Creative.

The final word

As the online automotive parts and accessories market continues to flourish, now is the perfect time for businesses to establish or enhance their online presence. Understanding the different facets of online selling — from choosing the right platform and optimizing product listings to managing logistics and customer relations — is crucial.

With the right approach and tools, businesses can successfully navigate the complexities of selling auto parts online. By leveraging platforms that offer robust ecommerce solutions and focusing on strategic marketing and operational efficiency, companies can not only meet but exceed customer expectations. 

Remember, the future of the automotive parts industry is online, and preparing your business for this shift will ensure you remain competitive and relevant in this rapidly evolving marketplace.

FAQs about selling auto parts online