B2B eCommerce Checklist – what should you consider when looking for a B2B eCommerce solution

Whilst most of us have become accustomed to online shopping and B2C web stores in recent years, the requirements of a B2B eCommerce site is considerably different due to the added complexity of B2B sales.

As an increasing number of companies are looking to implement a B2B web store in light of COVID-19 and the disruption to their existing sales channels, we thought it would be useful to put together a B2B eCommerce checklist to consider when looking for a solution.

You can download the full 12 point checklist here or alternatively, I have created a preview of the first 3 points below:

Increase sales with B2B eCommerce

Often one of the first objectives when establishing a B2B eCommerce presence is to increase sales. With a B2C site, this objective would be closely aligned to general promotions and site visibility, however, these objectives shift considerably when looking at a B2B solution.

1. Can your remote sales team use it to consistently price products?

With most sales teams now working from home, it has become increasingly important for them to have access to detailed and relevant information about their customers. Although most CRM’s can provide much of this intelligence, most cannot facilitate the complex personalised pricing and promotions offered as part of a fully fledged B2B eCommerce solution.

This omission often leaves the sales team without consistent pricing information which can lead to confusion and distrust in your pricing model. The order processing screen feature allows telesales and remote staff to process sales and decrease your cost of sale.

2. Can you launch personalised promotions?

Modern sales and marketing processes all revolve around increased personalisation to increase the relevance of offering that are being presented to customers. This is an area where B2B and B2C eCommerce diverge completely. In a B2B eCommerce environment, customers need to login to make purchases and it’s this login that allows the whole onward experience to be personalised to that individual in a way that would otherwise be impossible in a B2C arena.

With automatic identification of products that are on promotion your customers can easily take advantage of your most relevant offers.

3. Is there Punchout integration?

In a remote working world, comply with your largest corporate clients’ requirements with punchout, a specialist B2B eCommerce feature which reduces administrative costs for both parties. Punchout seamlessly links your B2B offering to third party procurement systems allowing buyers to browse and add products on your website and complete the purchase via their procurement system. Saving your customers 10% on doing business with you, without reducing your prices.

To view the other 9 essential B2B eCommerce considerations, click here to download the full checklist.

If you would like to find out more about the TrueCommerce B2B eCommerce solution please contact us.