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B2B e-commerce: Potentials in B2B sales
Many companies have recognized the potential of digitization in B2B sales for their business, but usually do not fully exploit it in this area. After all, successful B2B e-commerce is more than just an online store or digitally available catalogs: Products that require explanation, large shopping carts, individual customer relationships, and long decision-making processes with many stakeholders make B2B e-commerce a strategic and technological challenge.
What exactly is B2B e-commerce?
Strategies for B2B e-commerce deal with the holistic optimisation of trade between companies. Through efficient and customer-oriented processes in sales, marketing and procurement, the potential of digitalisation for further development & growth in online trade can be exploited.
Typical B2B sales models: online store vs. marketplace
Strategic B2B e-commerce has long since gone beyond the implementation of an online shop. Whether Amazon Business, Alibaba or Mercateo: digital marketplaces as a transaction model, as known from the B2C sector, are also gaining importance for companies with a focus on B2B. The sales models can be differentiated by the relationship between providers and customers.
Is B2B e-commerce relevant to your business?
The shopping behaviour of professional buyers has changed dramatically. Many of the e-commerce advantages that your customers appreciate in B2C online shopping are also expected in the professional context. The generational change - in the management floors as well as in the purchasing departments - will continue to drive this trend. At the same time, there is increasing pressure on companies to cut costs and open up new markets for their business. B2B e-commerce helps you to grow successfully on the basis of smart technologies, to better understand your customers and to design online shopping experiences with real added value for buyers.
10 good reasons for B2B e-commerce
Company-wide process cost savings
Easier scaling and internationalization
Better understanding of customers through data analysis
Higher order values through cross- and upselling
Optimized shopping experience for shoppers
High transparency for purchasers
Green footprint through resource savings
Customer loyalty through digital aftersales services
Access to new customer groups
Setting the course for competitiveness
How to best implement B2B e-commerce
How you proceed can be very individual. It depends on the processes in your company. In the following, we will show you how we proceed when we support companies in the integration of B2B e-commerce.
Learn more about organizational development now
Needs analysis
The first joint workshop is about clarifying the task: we compare our level of knowledge and talk about goals.
Strategy development
In the second step, we analyze the status quo: We evaluate existing e-commerce activities and identify the weak points through a target-performance comparison.
Data Strategy
We then define the relevant key figures for the company, create a tracking concept and make the performance of processes and channels measurable - the basis for further optimization.
Solution Design
Now it gets concrete: We develop ideas tailored to the company using suitable ideation methods, which we prioritize in a proven process, condense into a roadmap, and visualize and test as an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
Implementation
In agile, iterative feedback loops, an individual B2B e-commerce solution is created, always hands-on and in close coordination with the team - until we can hand over the final product in the form of training.
Success measurement
We measure performance under real conditions and derive measures for optimization and further development from regular analyses.
Our focus
in B2B e-commerce is on the following:
Rights and role concepts
Who is allowed to research products, see prices or make the purchase - and within what price and budget framework? B2B shops need a role concept that ensures that customers act within their competences.
Customized price structure
In contrast to B2C trade, many customers in the B2B segment have individually negotiated prices and discount scales. These purchasing conditions lead to a complex price calculation that must be digitally mapped.
Sustainable architecture
CRM, PIM or ERP, payment or logistics service providers: only a flexible, modular software and platform architecture with open interfaces for third-party providers is fit for current and future requirements of digital B2B sales strategies.
Digital billing
Purchase on account is the most popular payment method in B2B e-commerce. Secure, digitalised payment processes with real-time risk assessment and standardised e-invoicing formats are therefore a must-have in online commerce.
Performance & Scaling
More channels, new markets or larger data volumes: For fast and flexible growth, B2B e-commerce needs solutions with maximum availability that can easily handle even high-traffic peaks.
Efficiency increase
Digitisation, automation and self-service offerings offer B2B e-commerce the opportunity to streamline complex administrative and sales processes and thus save resources and costs.
Product data quality
In their role as salespeople, B2B decision-makers can take little time for research, but they compare very rationally. It therefore makes sense to have an appropriately enriched data model with the help of which the customer can get a comprehensive picture of the product without spending a lot of time, for example in the form of images, videos and reviews.
Product Data Management
As a platform for information on products and to provide B2B buyers with consistent product data regardless of channel, a PIM system is needed that makes the process of data collection, data maintenance and data distribution as efficient as possible.
