B2B ecommerce has seen huge growth in recent years, as more and more wholesalers make the move online.
Forrester has predicted that B2B ecommerce sales will top the US$1 trillion mark by 2020. This indicates not only the general shift among B2B organizations towards digital, but also how much revenue potential online channels hold.
If you’re a wholesaler who has outgrown your current platform or are possibly yet to make the move to ecommerce at all, there are a few things to consider when selecting a new platform.
In this blog, we’ve picked out a few of the important areas to think about when selecting your ecommerce platform.
Heightened customer experience
You want to be delivering the best customer experience you can. In the digital B2B space, that covers everything from efficient purchasing processes and product information, all the way through to being able to find relevant information about delivery and even providing a personalized touch.
So ask yourself whether the ecommerce platform you’re considering is ultimately going to provide your customers with a heightened offering? Is it easy to search for products? And is all the information a purchaser needs readily available?
These are things to look at, as they actively impact the overall customer experience. If this isn’t on the money, potential customers are likely to look elsewhere.
Developing better relationships
Having an enhanced B2B ecommerce platform at your disposal allows you to deliver a better offering to your existing customers. You can create a clearer idea of what each customer wants, what products might interest them and when they might need to reorder from you moving forwards.
Having accurate, insightful information on customer purchasing habits and gaining a deeper understanding of their requirements opens up the possibility of personalization. Having this as part of your B2B online offering means loyalty can ultimately be increased. In fact, according to Infosys, 59% of shoppers who have experienced personalization in action feel that’s had a positive impact on their purchasing decisions.
Easy integration
One vital component of B2B ecommerce success is being able to align the platform you pick with the rest of your business. By integrating your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with your ecommerce platform, you are able to provide customers with more in-depth details about your inventory and what’s available to them.
Having a platform that’s not integrated with your ERP system runs the risk of incorrect information reaching your customers, and potentially negatively impacting customer confidence – particularly if orders can’t be fulfilled for example.
Meeting objectives
Knowing what you want to achieve is an imperative part of selecting an ecommerce platform. Naturally you want to move things in a positive direction, but you should also identify some specific areas that you’d like to target.
This is why working with a provider that is communicative and able to support you in meeting these aims is advisable. It’s all about finding the best method of meeting those objectives, and when selecting an ecommerce platform, be sure to align what’s on offer with what’s desired as closely as possible.
Get the right platform for you
Finding your perfect ecommerce platform as a B2B organization is all about knowing your requirements and finding the perfect match. Look to cater to your customers while remaining efficient and organized and there’s a real chance for online growth.
If you’re looking to launch your B2B business online, why not request a free demo from Cloudfy today?
