Building an online store that not only launches but thrives in a competitive market is a huge challenge. Many distributors focus on product selection or store design, only to find that sales fall flat or operations can’t keep up. What if the secret to building an elite, high-converting store had less to do with traditional e-commerce wisdom and more to do with a popular cookie?
The top distributors understand that a high-converting online store strategy is built with layers, much like an Oreo cookie.
Let’s break down the key “layers” of this powerful concept to understand how high-performing stores stand apart from the rest, focusing on the holistic approach that turns one-time buyers into long-term clients.
1. They Understand that a Successful Strategy is a Perfectly Assembled Oreo Cookie
The foundational principle that top distributors understand is that an online store is not a single entity, but multiple components. Just like an Oreo cookie, each layer is essential and they are all held together by a solid foundation. If any one part is missing or weak, the entire experience falls apart.
The core components are:
- The Top Cookie: This represents winning the business from the customer. It’s the initial strategy, the clear purpose, and buy-in that sets the stage for everything that follows.
- The Center Filling: This is the secure and smart online storefront experience itself. It encompasses strong branding, a deliberate product strategy, and a seamless shopping experience for the customer.
- The Bottom Cookie: This layer is all about flawless fulfillment and creating stickiness. It ensures smooth operations, on-time delivery, and happy customers, which is what brings them back again and again.
- The Foundation: This is the infrastructure and team dynamics that support the entire structure. Without a solid foundation of people, partners, and technology, the Oreo crumbles under pressure.
Top performers know that these parts must work in perfect harmony. Focusing on just one area, like having a beautiful storefront without a solid fulfillment plan, is a recipe for failure. An Oreo works because all three pieces come together to create the perfect cookie.
2. They Define the Endgame Before Building a Single Page
While many aim for vague goals like “increase sales” or “make our customers happy,” top distributors operate with military precision. They define their end goal before any work begins.
To build that goal, they lock in on specific, measurable metrics that define what a “win” looks like for both them and their client. This means moving beyond simple revenue targets to metrics like “750 orders placed in the first week” or hitting an “average of 3-4 products per order.” These types of goals satisfy both the distributor—by hitting revenue targets or increasing average order values—and the customer, as it signals that the group is actively using the store and enjoys the curated product selection.
When success is defined with true KPIs, every decision made during the store-building process, whether it’s strategic or creative, can be objectively measured, transforming the entire project into a predictable revenue engine.
Pro tip: If you don’t know where to start when it comes to identifying KPIs for your customer’s program, our team can retrieve your specific OMG account data and review past store performances to help you measure new goals.
You can also reference data from similar store types within that industry to help you forecast the performance for your customer’s store by downloading the latest OMG Quarterly Benchmark Report.
3. They Act Like a Consultant, Not an Order-Taker
The most successful distributors make a critical mindset shift: they stop being reactive order-takers and become proactive, trusted professionals. They understand that customers hire them for their expertise and industry knowledge, so they operate as “solutions architects.”
Rather than asking generic questions, they utilize data and experience to offer informed, specific suggestions. Being a consultant isn’t about opinion; it’s about referencing qualified insights, like OMG quarterly benchmark reports on growing product trends, to guide customers proactively. They lead the conversation with a “curated solution” because they know their customers would rather be guided toward an effective outcome than be burdened with generating ideas themselves.
Instead of asking, “Should we add pens to the store?” lead with a complete solution: “I strongly recommend the Vienna pen. It has sleek, high-gloss styling, comes in trending colors, and even has raised teardrop grippers for a premium feel.” This approach sells a vision and its benefits, not just a product.
From there, top distributors know how to manage the shopper’s journey from start to finish. They understand that store aesthetics build trust and that maintaining consistent branding allows shoppers to build excitement. The store may have advanced features like Permissions, SSOs, or other integrations enabled, but the shopper is guided through a seamless shopping and checkout experience. Eliminating detours and complexity ensures the shopper can purchase exactly what they need without confusion.
4. They Obsess Over What Happens After the “Buy” Button is Clicked
In a counter-intuitive twist, the top distributors know that the most critical part of an e-commerce transaction happens after the sale is complete. Top distributors have a game plan for what to do with an order before they win the business.
The real win isn’t the order, it’s the fulfillment.
Fulfillment is where elite distributors create their economic moat. While competitors focus on customer acquisition, top distributors focus on customer retention. That’s because the cost of keeping a high-volume customer through flawless fulfillment is a fraction of the cost of acquiring a new one. This “sticky effect” is the engine of long-term, predictable growth. A flashy, high-converting storefront is only valuable if the backend can handle the volume flawlessly.
Every business is completely different, and this industry is complicated. Top distributors lean on technology to help them execute flawlessly. With OMG, you can connect your stores with third-party tools to simplify fulfillment including a decorator network for print-on-demand programs, popular order management platforms (including OMG), and more. Need something more custom? We have open APIs that allow you to build your own integrations to the tools you use every day.
5. They Know They Can’t (and Shouldn’t) Do It Alone
This foundation holds the Oreo together. The most successful distributors recognize that managing high-volume logistics demands teamwork; as the experts say, they “never try to manage large businesses alone.” Instead of viewing limitations as roadblocks, they extend their capabilities through technology and integrations, strategic partnerships, and building a solid internal and external team.
- Technology & Integrations: They treat technology like APIs and integrations as their friend. Leveraging integration capabilities allows them to capitalize on more opportunities and align their e-commerce strategy with their broader business goals. If they don’t want to use integrations, that’s okay! The OMG ecosystem continues to grow and our platforms have excellent built-in reporting capabilities.
- Strategic Partnerships: They leverage powerful services like the STAHLS’ Fulfill Engine for print-on-demand. This allows them to confidently say “yes” to any order size without taking on the financial risk and logistical headaches of holding inventory or worrying about minimums.
- Internal & External Support: They often have a dedicated e-commerce manager and a structured process for managing their online stores internally. However, not every distributorship has the resources to support an in-house e-commerce manager or a design team. That’s where OMG comes in. Crucially, top distributors view OMG as a direct extension of their own team, offloading complex tasks to our Professional Services Team. Tasks such as answering RFPs and security questionnaires, graphic design, store building, marketing, and technical services, enable them to focus on winning the next customer.
What Part of Your Oreo Needs Work?
The “Oreo” concept offers a comprehensive framework for establishing a truly elite online store. Success isn’t found in a single layer: a brilliant strategy, a beautiful storefront, and an efficient fulfilment process. The seamless integration of all three layers, supported by a rock-solid foundation of people and technology, leads to a high-converting online store strategy that operates like a well-oiled machine.
Looking at your own operations, which part of your business needs the most attention to create a truly winning combination: the strategy, the storefront, the fulfillment, or the very foundation holding it all together?
