Cart

Your Cart is Empty

Back To Shop

Automotive eCommerce: Solving Fitment, Catalog, and Merchandising Challenges for Better Sales

DKTNY

The automotive aftermarket is a multi-billion-dollar industry, but selling auto parts online is far more complex than traditional eCommerce. Fitment accuracy, massive product data, and customer trust are paramount. As an automotive eCommerce expert with 18 years of experience spanning dealerships, service management, auto sales, and digital merchandising, I understand what it takes to transform a catalog into a high-converting sales engine.

My name is Michael Delikat, and I specialize in automotive eCommerce strategy, custom category tree creation, catalog curation, fitment data accuracy, product merchandising, and multi-channel marketplace growth. I’ve led successful projects for websites such as DKTNYGarage.com, ProSourceDiesel.com, IronPros.com, OEPartExpert.com, FCPEuro.com, and SKF.com.
Let’s explore the nuances of automotive eCommerce and how my approach helps brands win with better SEO, higher AOV, improved conversion rates, and scalable digital infrastructure.

Fitment Data: The Heart of Automotive eCommerce

Fitment is the foundation of automotive product accuracy. Leveraging ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard) and PIES (Product Information Exchange Standard), I help brands map exact Year/Make/Model (YMM) compatibility to reduce returns and increase buyer confidence.

Challenges with Automotive Fitment

Data Gaps & Errors:

Incomplete or mismatched ACES data leads to incorrect listings.

Platform Limitations

Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento often lack native support for dynamic fitment filtering.

Slow Search Experience

Poor filtering UX frustrates users, leading to drop-offs.

My Solution

Custom Fitment Engines:

I build or integrate tailored YMM lookup tools, supporting complex vehicle data.

ACES/PIES Data Cleansing:

I validate and enrich manufacturer feeds with accurate applications and attribute sets.

Enhanced UX Filtering:

I implement faceted search and AJAX-based filters to boost speed and responsiveness.

Custom Category Trees: From Generic to Market-Specific

Every region, buyer persona, and vehicle type needs a customized approach to browsing. A generic „Brakes” category doesn’t cut it. Neither does mass supplied data that is identical to your competitors.

By improving product discoverability, I drive more qualified traffic to PDPs, reduce bounce rates, and guide users toward high-converting items.

Websites like DKTNYGarage.com and ProSourceDiesel.com thrive on these curated experiences. I don’t just upload parts—I organize them into a buying experience.

SEO Benefit: By building logical and SEO-optimized taxonomies, I enable better internal linking, keyword clustering, and improved crawlability for search engines.
Keyword Strategy: automotive category tree, custom auto parts navigation, SEO automotive catalog structure, market-specific automotive categories

What I Offer:

Custom Category Taxonomy Development

Whether it’s a 1:1 ACES setup or a completely custom Niche set of categories your business wants to go after. We will create a uniqe SEO friendly layout that is easy to navigate.

Market-Specific Tagging and Subcategories

USDM, EUDM, local terminology, make specific verbiage. SEO friendly multi layer names.

Bundled & Seasonal Collections (e.g., „Engine Specific Oil Change Kits, Bundles by chassis etc.”)

We can get very specific: (engine code, chassis code, transmission code, model line, option code)

Implementation of Categories that Make Automotive Sense

All organized with the perspective of someone who knows how vehicles are repaired and maintained

Platform Nuances: Limitations and Opportunities

Every eCommerce platform has its strengths and weaknesses in the automotive vertical.

I help clients circumvent platform limitations by customizing feeds, modifying search/index structures, and integrating external modules for seamless catalog performance.

01

Shopify:

Pros: Fast, modern UI, app ecosystem
Cons: No native support for YMM fitment filtering

02

Magento:

Pros: Highly customizable, better suited for large catalogs
Cons: Expensive to maintain, can be slow without optimization

03

WooCommerce:

Pros: Flexible and budget-friendly
Cons: Requires extensive development for fitment features

Product Searchability and Search Optimization

A large catalog is only as useful as its searchability. I identify and fix product search issues, helping customers discover the right parts quickly.

By improving product discoverability, I drive more qualified traffic to PDPs, reduce bounce rates, and guide users toward high-converting items.

How I Improve Product Search:

Synonym Mapping and Keyword Expansion

Manufacturer fitment data isn’t always uniform, neither is ACES fitment. 8 categories may be wrtitten differently but contain the same exact product from different manufacturers. Let’s fix the redundancies.

Attribute-Based Search Enhancements

Use specific application attributes to aid in searching for products. Chassis, model, engine, transmission, let’s make your site unique.

Error Correction for Common Misspellings or Vehicle Naming Variants

Knowing proper terminology and lingo will help fix any missing keywords in your catalog.

Search Result Tuning for Relevance and AOV Maximization

Search bar adjustment to cover or omit data during a search.

Product Merchandising: Moving Beyond Static Listings

Successful automotive eCommerce isn’t just about listing parts. It’s about crafting an engaging, confidence-building product page.

On FCPEuro.com, my merchandising strategies helped boost AOV and reduce return rates through clearer product context. I created the framework for all oil kits in the catalog as a result Liqui Moly oils went from $6,500 in sales per month to over $1 Million.

Dynamic Fitment Messaging: „Fits your 2015 Ford F-150 5.0L V8”
High-Converting Images & Videos: 360-degree views, install guides, and teardown videos
Technical Specifications & Compatibility Tables
Reviews and UGC (User-Generated Content) Integration
Unique SEO-Friendly Product Content: Written to resonate with the enthusiast or mechanic, from someone who has turned a wrench themselves

SEO-Driven Content and Site Architecture

The automotive space is incredibly competitive, with thousands of sellers vying for similar part keywords. My approach to SEO blends:

Schema Markup for Vehicles & Parts
Optimized Meta Titles, H1s, and Alt Text
Content Silos by Make/Model/Category
Internal Linking with Faceted Navigation
Speed Optimizations (Lazy loading, WebP, caching)

I also help create rich, SEO-optimized content and blog posts that drive targeted traffic. Content is crafted from a unique voice—someone who has worked in dealerships, done real-world repairs, and understands the vehicle-owner mindset.

Marketplace Growth: Winning on Amazon, eBay, Walmart & B2B Platforms

Selling on marketplaces comes with a unique set of challenges:

Fitment Translation to Platform Standards
Avoiding Listing Suppression
Managing Buy Box and MAP Pricing

I help sellers build fitment-compliant listings and manage channel feeds using tools like ChannelAdvisor and custom APIs. My catalog formatting has helped brands maintain 98%+ accuracy across Amazon and eBay.

Project Management and Team Selection

Delivering excellence in automotive eCommerce is not a solo effort—it takes the right team with the right structure. With deep experience managing cross-functional teams, I take a holistic approach to ensure execution is aligned with business goals.

Defining Clear Milestones and Success Metrics
Selecting the Right Mix of Developers, Designers, and Data Experts
Agile Workflow with Weekly Sprints and Transparent Reporting
Integration with Internal Stakeholders (Sales, Ops, Marketing)

I’ve assembled and led high-performing teams for large-scale projects on platforms like Magento and Shopify, coordinating catalog builds of over 100,000 SKUs. My leadership ensures that timelines are met, priorities are focused, and your eCommerce roadmap is future-proofed.

KPIs I Impact: How My Clients Win

Whether it’s a new store or a 100,000-SKU behemoth, my services are tailored to drive measurable results:

Conversion Rate Increases (10–35%)
Lower Return Rates (especially due to fitment mismatches)
Average Order Value (AOV) Growth via Bundles & Upsells
Organic Traffic Gains via SEO and Site Speed Enhancements
Marketplace Sales Expansion with Catalog Compliance

Let’s Build Your Automotive eCommerce Advantage

If you’re an auto parts retailer, manufacturer, or D2C brand struggling with catalog sprawl, poor search visibility, or fitment headaches, I can help. With nearly two decades of experience and a track record across some of the industry’s top-performing platforms, I offer:

01

Custom YMM Tools

Sometimes a Standard YMM tool will not work, you need more constraints, engine codes, chassis codes, transmissions or option codes.

02

Catalog Cleansing and Structuring

Redundant products, missing images or data, cookie cutter descriptions, poor seo strategy … A purge will allow to bring lift into the catalog.

03

Merchandising and UX Enhancements

Cross sell what you know complements each product, create unique kits that apply to your niche, ensure proper searchability.

04

SEO Optimization and Content Strategy

Fix generic descriptions, images, and data structure. Come up with content that works for your niche and product mix.

05

Marketplace Integration and Growth

Selling on Amazon, eBay, Walmart Marketplace or anywhere else comes with a number of challenges. Let’s make sure the data is on point to win the buy box.

06

Human-Centered Catalog Curation

Computers and AI are great tools but people buy your products. Create a catalog that caters to their needs not just an algorythm. Let’s put a face to the brand they can remember.

Let’s turn your catalog into a scalable, high-converting digital sales channel.

Contact me via LinkedIn: Michael Delikat

Cart

Your Cart is Empty

Back To Shop