The B2B eCommerce market is constantly booming in the mobile market. In 2020, the market size of B2B eCommerce was valued at over $15 million. By 2023, the market value will reach $18 million. It is greater than the B2C market. More B2B sellers are switching from traditional businesses to online.
Doing B2B business is more complicated than B2C, whether offline or online. The most important thing in running a B2B business is to select the right platform. Thus, this article will guide you in choosing the perfect B2B eCommerce platform for your business.
Table of Contents
What is the B2B Platform?
B2B eCommerce platform is used to develop B2B online stores. They offer all eCommerce solutions for smooth online transactions between businesses. Moreover, It has features including product management, searchability, flexibility, and easy-to-use.
B2B customers differ from B2C buyers. Also, they shop on the website, which offers the best user experience and suitable products at affordable prices. Several eCommerce platforms are available on the market that has a similar set of features and benefits.
Things to look at in B2B Platform
Since B2B eCommerce requirements and challenges require certain features to gain more customers. So, it is important to consider the following features while choosing the right B2B platform:
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Highly Customizable
Whatever platform you choose, it should allow customizing the storefront. Because a responsive user interface improves conversion rates. B2B merchants can customize the site to increase brand reputation and showcase the products in a suitable layout.
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Use-Friendly
B2B platform has a complex sales process. It requires features to help in decision-making and price negotiation. An eCommerce platform should have in-built features, such as live support and automated updates.
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Personalized Catalog:
Proper catalog management is important for any online store. It enables customers to access the catalog seamlessly. So, an ideal eCommerce platform has a personalized B2B catalog management feature. It must have a flexible catalog management system to make product listing and managing easier.
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Easy Integrations
Integration is an integral part of choosing any platform. The B2B platform should help with integrations with ERP, POS, and other systems. A well-integrated eCommerce site will create a better user experience with multiple channels.
- Smooth Navigation System: The right platform allows customers to find what they want. An easy navigation system includes several features, such as voice search, filters, search tags, and autocomplete.
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Security and Privacy:
Does your platform support PCI compliance? Security and privacy features protect the data on the servers from threats and hackers. The cloud-based platforms support PCI compliance and manage security. Make sure that the platform will provide SSL certificates to secure the site.
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User-specific Pricing:
B2B online website helps businesses maximize profit and drive more traffic. A perfect platform should have the following features to gain more sales and make shopping convenient for customers.
- Price negotiation system
- Subscription-based model
- The traditional shopping experience,
- Custom “request a quote.”
- Minimum order amount
- Variable Pricing
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Multiple Payment Channels
An eCommerce store delivers a seamless shopping experience to get the maximum business. A perfect B2B platform can help your store set up multi-payment gateways for different customer segments. It also offers features to improve cash flow management and gain more revenue.
Top B2B Ecommerce Platform to Choose
- Magento Commerce: Magento Commerce is a popular open-source B2B eCommerce platform. Additionally, It has features to enhance customer experience and purchasing quality. Magento platform is ideal for large enterprises that have thousands of product catalogs. It can help you achieve customer expectations and business goals.
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud: This cloud-based platform can grow your business with out-of-the-box features. SFCC can create a mobile-friendly store with a personalized buying experience. It allows configuring B2B, B2C, and B2B2B functionalities to suit your business specifics.
- Bigcommerce: This platform has the power to streamline processes online and faster the selling process. With this Bigcommerce B2B edition, merchants can optimize the frontend and attract new buyers. It offers advanced payment options, shared catalogs, pricing lists, and a buy again feature for customers.
- Shopify Plus: This B2B platform is the most cost-effective eCommerce solution for enterprises. It can manage everything from one place for B2B business. With this leading B2B platform, you can launch multiple websites from a backend and save your time by developing what you want.
Which is a suitable B2B Platform for all businesses?
Magento B2B Definition: This enterprise-grade is named the best B2B platform for B2C and B2B online stores. Scalability, self-hosting, product management, customized buying experience, etc are among its features. In fact, the Magento B2B Platform is the most trusted platform used by several big brands, such as Ford, LandRover, and Vizio.
Pros:
- Custom catalogs and pricing.
- Robust merchandising
- Easily integrates with backend systems
- Support of corporate and company accounts
- Friction-free ordering
- Multi-channel selling
- Effortless management and detailed reporting
- Quoting and price negotiations
- Optimized inventory and order
Cons:
- Technical knowledge is needed to handle the Magento development.
- It is expensive as store owners have to buy third-party extensions and themes.
- Only works for enterprise-level web stores.
In Conclusion
While selecting the B2B platform, you need to mention your needs. This article has shared an overview of all the other platforms and what features you should look for.
However, you need to consult a leading website development company to create a stunning website. In that case, our Magento experts will help you launch a successful B2B eCommerce business.
