The growing case for effective B2B eCommerce

What does effective eCommerce look like?

The building blocks of an effective website include - highly informative product content, account specific pricing, accurate availability/lead time information, with frictionless order processing as a minimum.

Thought should also be given to increasing customer value by ensuring the website offers them added convenience such as quick ordering, repeat ordering combined with customer loyalty and personalisation to help build and grow their engagement.

Why eCommerce matters

A comprehensive approach to B2B eCommerce is increasingly important – as it is clear that old myths, such as B2B eCommerce being only for low value and repeat orders, are being dispelled. Certainly, B2B eCommerce can fulfill that role – however it can also be the route for new customer acquisition, aid customer retention, and secure large ticket orders.

McKinsey reports that buyers are more willing than ever before to spend through online sales channels, with 35 percent willing to spend $500,000 or more in a single transaction (up from 27 percent in February 2021). Seventy-seven percent of B2B customers are also willing to spend $50,000 or more.

Clearly going forward, eCommerce will be an essential element in generating B2B orders – along with face-to-face, video, phone, emails, online chatbox, and so forth.

The exciting thing for us is that a website's role can be readily extended to serve as a personal selling aid in face-to-face meetings and as a tool for generating quotes for customers and prospects which can be converted via the website, over the phone, or in a meeting.

In essence, an effective B2B eCommerce website can serve as the hub of the omnichannel sales process, creating operational efficiencies and providing an agile, coordinated, and informed approach to closing new and repeat business – especially when those orders are passed seamlessly into to main business ERP system.

As an established eCommerce specialist, delivering award-winning B2B eCommerce websites, we look forward to engaging with and helping new clients deliver on their eCommerce and omnichannel aspirations in the future.

For any business serious about a long term commitment to B2B eCommerce, having the support of a heavyweight technical eCommerce agency can mean the difference between stellar-success or stop-start failure. Picking and choosing the right platform and agency to support and supply you takes careful thought.

In this context open source and widely deployed eCommerce platforms, such as Magento or Shopify, can seem very attractive with the initial promise of scalability and customisation. But there’s a substantial body of evidence to suggest that once you look into it there’s rather more “buyer beware” caveats than is reasonable. See our critique and comparison.

If you’re interested in exploring how our B2B solution can transform your B2B account management contact the team here.