Vertical Development Inc. and Spork Marketing recently collaborated to create a new plugin that integrates ShowMeTheParts’ API into WordPress websites. Combining ShowMeTheParts’ aftermarket parts database with the Spork Marketing website platform makes bringing parts information to customers easier than ever before, the two companies say.
The first company to use this new tool is GMB North America Inc. On the previous GMB North America website, customers had to leave the site to check parts information on ShowMeTheParts.com. As part of developing a new website for GMB, Spork Marketing created a WordPress plugin that integrates GMB’s ShowMeTheParts catalog directly into the WordPress website system, so now customers can find what they need for their vehicles immediately. The results are now live on GMB’s website, gmb.net.
“Our new WordPress plugin leverages the ShowMeTheParts’ API, which allows any parts seller or manufacturer to add a full suite of catalog lookup tools to a WordPress website,” said Jason Lancaster, president of Spork Marketing. “As perhaps the most popular website platform in the world, WordPress is already a reasonable choice for any auto parts or accessory manufacturer’s website. Our plugin makes WordPress an even better option.”
ShowMeTheParts is designed to deliver every piece of information an aftermarket parts customer may need for parts transactions, including interchange information, specifications, data sheets, photos and even 360-degree views. Vertical Development designed the database so it can be tailored to specific businesses while still carrying over the same web and mobile interfaces the company has refined over years of development.
“The ShowMeTheParts plugin is the catalog search solution for anyone with a WordPress website,” said Jay Wright, president of Vertical Development. “Using the new plugin from Spork Marketing makes it easy for companies to upgrade existing WordPress websites to seamlessly function with the comprehensive parts search tools from ShowMeTheParts.”
WordPress is a proven site-building platform with more than 60 million users, including companies and institutions as large and diverse as Sony, Dole and the U.S. Library of Congress. Its popularity stems from an extensive portfolio of plug-ins that can be used to build anything from personal home pages to e-commerce websites.
ShowMeTheParts’ robust API gives users three ways to search for parts information: by VIN, by part number, or by vehicle information including the year, make and model. Once the vehicle is selected, the site presents a list of compatible parts including available photos, interchange information and part attributes drawn from the ShowMeTheParts database.
In Spork’s new plugin, the ShowMeTheParts’ search functions are assembled as widgets, so any function can be added to any page on the site, giving customers quick access while they’re browsing or through a unified search page when it’s all put together. Completing a parts search creates a unique URL ,which can be linked to in promotional blogs, advertising emails and even social media. Thanks to the size of ShowMeTheParts’ database, most of the back-end work is already done, the two companies say: it’s simply a matter of specifying the parts that are in stock, and the database and plugin do the rest.
To take a tour of the all-new ShowMeTheParts WordPress plugin with this brief demo click here or visit GMB’s website to see the catalog lookups live at gmb.net. To put ShowMeTheParts to work for your brand or company, visit verticaldev.com/showmetheparts/ or call 847-609-9540.
