How to Choose the Right DTC Platform for Your Winery
As wineries evolve in today’s rapidly changing market, selecting the right Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) platform is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. Your winery’s success depends on how effectively you can sell your products, manage customer relationships, and streamline operations. The right DTC platform will not only support your current business model but also help you scale, adapt to new trends, and stay ahead of competitors. There are plenty of DTC technology options in the industry competing for your business, and you’ve likely received emails or calls from these vendors offering demos, free migrations, pricing discounts, and shiny new features. This is why it’s important to approach the selection process thoughtfully and strategically, so you can make an informed decision that serves your winery for years to come.
1. Explore Your Options
Even if you have a strong preference for a particular platform, it’s a good idea to explore your options. Request free demos from multiple providers and take the time to understand the features they offer. This is your chance to get a feel for different systems and determine which one aligns best with your business. It’s your winery, and you want to make the most informed decision possible.
However, as you evaluate, it’s essential to know what questions to ask and how to assess which solution will truly work for you.
2. Understand Your Needs
To make the best decision, you need to be clear about the features that are essential for your winery’s operations. Start by reviewing how you’re currently using your existing platform and identify the core features you rely on. Some questions to consider:
Do you offer a user-choice wine club? Make sure the platform supports this functionality.
Do you have limited stock? Ensure the system provides robust inventory tracking and allocation tools.
Do you serve food or have a restaurant at your winery? Look for a solution with POS systems that has restaurant capabilities and a built-in reservation system.
Do you rely on integrations with third-party tools like accounting systems, marketing tools or analytics software? Choose a platform that integrates seamlessly with your existing technologies.
3. Pay Attention to the Details
When assessing a system, remember that not all features are created equal. Not all club management tools are the same quality. POS systems vary in how well they work for wineries. And eCommerce checkout experiences can range from smooth to frustrating. It’s essential to pay attention to the details. I’ve seen wineries migrate to a platform, only to leave after just six months because they didn’t pay enough attention to the nuances.
Club Management
Club management is at the heart of many wineries’ DTC operations, so selecting the right tools for your wine club is essential. Whether your winery offers standard, user-choice, or curated wine clubs, there are several factors to consider to ensure that the club management system aligns with your operational goals and provides an excellent experience for both customers and staff. Here are the critical elements to focus on:
How many fields, clicks, and steps does it take to sign up online? The easier the signup process, the better the experience for your customers. A long, complicated signup process with too many steps or fields can lead to frustration and abandoned signups.
How does the system handle inventory in a club release? Effective inventory management is essential for processing wine club shipments without over-committing stock. Look for a system that allows you to check inventory levels in real-time and provides an estimate of how much inventory is required for each shipment.
What happens if you run out of stock and need to change products or quantities during an active release? It’s crucial that the system offers flexibility in these situations. You need a solution that allows for easy product swaps or adjustments without disrupting the customer experience.
How does it handle weather challenges? Wine clubs often need to adjust shipments based on seasonal weather changes. A system that can automatically pause or delay shipments to areas affected by weather is crucial.
How does it handle pickup-to-ship orders? Look for a system that can convert an order from “pickup” to “ship” seamlessly. If you process a club release for a large group of pickup members and some don’t pick up their orders for months, the system should have an efficient process for shipping out those orders.
Point-of-Sale
Your point-of-sale (POS) system is one of the most important tools in running your winery’s day-to-day operations. When assessing POS solutions, it’s essential to focus on key features that will enhance your efficiency and ensure a smooth customer experience. Here are some important factors to consider:
Does it support modern payment methods? It’s essential that your POS system is compatible with widely-used payment methods, such as Tap, Mobile Wallets, and EMV (chip cards), which are increasingly standard in the industry. This ensures a seamless, secure transaction process for your customers.
Can you sign up wine club members directly through the POS? This should be done easily within a few clicks by your tasting room staff.
Since they are already at the winery, your new member may want to buy wine right away rather than waiting for the next scheduled release and having it shipped. It’s important that the platform allows for flexibility, enabling the member to process their upcoming shipment right away.
Can you do product exchanges? Your POS should have the ability to handle exchanges efficiently. Club members often wish to swap bottles or products after a release. Ensure that your team can accommodate these requests without complication.
Can you create a cart directly from the reservation system? Your POS should seamlessly integrate with your reservation system. This allows staff to easily create a POS cart from a reservation, streamlining the process of checking in guests and managing their orders. They should be able to see your checked-in reservations in the POS.
If a customer used a credit card to make a reservation, it’s important the POS system can use the same credit card to process any orders during their visit. This eliminates the need for the customer to re-enter their payment details and streamlines the transaction process, creating efficiency and a seamless customer experience.
Does it support food and restaurant operations? If your winery has a restaurant or offers food in the tasting room, ensure the POS system supports restaurant-specific features such as kitchen printing, modifications, and table management.
Ecommerce
The online store and checkout process is crucial for creating a seamless and satisfying customer experience. A smooth, easy-to-navigate checkout can drive conversion rates and customer loyalty. Here are some things to focus on:
How many steps does the checkout process take? A simple, streamlined checkout process is key to minimizing cart abandonment. The fewer the fields, the better the experience. Ensure that the checkout process doesn’t ask for unnecessary information, keeping it fast and efficient for customers.
Does the checkout require customers to log in or create an account? While requiring customers to create an account can help wineries capture valuable customer data for future marketing and loyalty programs, it’s important to also offer the option for guest checkout. Allowing guest checkout speeds up the process and reduces friction for customers who prefer a quicker, no-commitment purchase experience.
What types of payment options does it support? Ensure that your checkout supports all relevant payment methods like digital wallets (like Apple Pay or Google Pay), and other modern payment solutions.
Does it have growth features like personalizations and cart carrots? Look for a platform that offers features designed to drive higher conversions, such as personalized product recommendations based on customer type or purchase history.
Cart carrots - display offers like volume based discounts or free shipping in the online cart. This can incentivize customers to complete their purchases, increase average order value and boost sales. Ensure the platform allows you to implement these strategies easily to enhance the shopping experience and encourage sales growth.
Does it have robust security and fraud prevention features? In today’s eCommerce landscape, security is crucial. Ensure that your checkout system uses SSL encryption and has fraud prevention measures in place to protect both your business and your customers.
Does it show discounted pricing? If a club member is entitled to a discount on wine purchases, it’s critical to highlight these advantages throughout their shopping experience, especially on the store/shop page. Some platforms only reveal discounted price after adding an item to the cart or proceeding to the checkout page, creating potential confusion.
4. Look for a Platform That Evolves
You’re choosing a software solution not just for today, but for the future. Look for a platform that is consistently improving its product and rolling out new features. A great software product isn’t built in a day—it’s an iterative process that relies heavily on winery feedback, studying user experience, and the ability to adapt and evolve over time. Here are the key aspects to look for:
Large Winery Customer Base and Proven Track Record
A software company with a substantial winery customer base has worked with a wide range of businesses and understands the unique challenges faced by different types of wineries. They’ve gathered diverse feedback from users, allowing them to identify common pain points and areas for improvement. Look for companies that prioritize ongoing conversations with their customers ensuring that feedback directly influences the product development cycle. This ensures that the product evolves in a way that addresses real-world needs and reflects the challenges that wineries face.
A large customer base also demonstrates that the platform is trusted by many wineries and serves as a strong indicator that their current solution is effective and meeting the needs of the industry. It is solving real-world problems, and its features are resonating with customers.
Experience and Commitment to the Wine Industry
Experience matters, especially when it comes to industries as unique and specialized as wine. A company that’s been around for a while will understand the nuances of winery operations and customer interactions, from tasting room management to wine club logistics. Wine is a product with its own set of challenges—seasonal fluctuations, inventory control, compliance, limited-stock, and shipping constraints are just a few examples. Companies with experience in the wine industry are better positioned to develop features and tools that specifically address these needs.
Moreover, a true commitment to the wine industry means the company is continually working to stay ahead of trends, technological advancements, and regulatory changes that impact wineries.
Built on Modern Technology
A great platform is built on a foundation of modern technology that allows the company to roll out updates quickly and efficiently. As the wine industry evolves, so too should the software that supports it. Technologies like cloud computing, modular architecture, and microservices enable quick, seamless updates without disrupting the user experience. Look for software solutions that prioritize technological flexibility and scalability, which will ensure that the platform can keep pace with changes in both the wine industry and the wider tech landscape.
Platforms built on modern technology are more adaptable and can respond faster to customer feedback. They enable frequent feature rollouts, bug fixes, and enhancements, allowing you to take advantage of new tools and improvements without the long waits that come with outdated systems.
When assessing your options, compare feature release notes and update logs to determine which platform has been more active in releasing new features. The platform with faster updates and more features will be better positioned to grow with your winery.
While the future of DTC sales and eCommerce is constantly evolving and somewhat ambiguous, you want a technology partner that is focused on continuous development, innovation, and adapting to emerging technologies. Make sure the platform you choose has strong engineering leadership and a commitment to pushing the bar.
Need Help Deciding?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the decision or need guidance in evaluating your options, I’m available to help you assess your current system and make an informed choice. I offer a pre-migration review to provide you with a detailed analysis of how you’re currently using your system, outline your specific needs, and guide you in making the best choice for your winery.
Choosing the right software solution for your winery is a big decision, but by understanding your needs, focusing on the details, and thinking long-term, you’ll be able to make a confident choice that sets your winery up for future success.
If you need help navigating this transition or deciding which platform is right for you, reach out to schedule a pre-migration review today.
