Digital B2B purchases only work for low-ticket transactions.B2B companies aren't using sophisticated digital buying channels. B2B digital marketplaces are nice-to-haves but not necessary for success. None of these myths could be further from the truth. B2B companies can't offer e-commerce features that make the buying process easier. 

In the end, the supplier-buyer relationship is only streamlined when large B2B transactions are handled digitally. Suppliers are making significant investments in cutting-edge websites through which customers can order products worth thousands or even millions of dollars without having to travel, spend time meeting in person, or wait for important production and scheduling information to be returned.

Digitalization also offers businesses more flexibility in their B2B transactions. With digital tools, businesses can conduct transactions from anywhere, at any time. This can be particularly useful for businesses that operate across multiple time zones or that have remote employees.

Relationships between businesses are undergoing a revolution. The fact of the matter is that approximately 65% of businesses in the business-to-business (B2B) sector fully support digital channels as an effective method of conducting business. Because of this, tradekey.com claims that the majority of B2B sellers now prefer to conduct business in this manner.

Using an e-commerce platform for B2B businesses B2B e-commerce businesses have traditionally relied on faxes, phone calls, and Excel spreadsheets to sell to B2B customers. As a result, they frequently find themselves stuck on outdated platforms.

Today, businesses can meet the needs of online customers by using B2B e-commerce platforms. No matter where your customers are, these platforms assist in creating an online experience that drives sales and fulfills orders.

A genuine B2B e-commerce platform is more than just a tool for listing products and taking payments. However, many people still believe this to be the case. It serves as a command center, allowing you to control everything from sales to commerce operations, whether the website is for direct-to-consumer (D2C) or wholesale customers. ( Tradekey.com, B2B Buyers Directory)

A B2B e-commerce site, for instance, lets you:

Integrate customer data from your ERP or CRM through dependable APIs. Offer flexible payment options with different payment providers and manual invoicing. Optimize for conversion with powerful checkout promotions. If you're just starting out in wholesale, a B2B e-commerce solution can help you drive sales by assisting you in the following ways:

Allow B2B customers to easily buy, track, and reorder products Sync inventory, purchase orders, and customers with an existing e-commerce store or third-party software "It's fair to say that having the wholesale portal will save us the equivalent of one employee a year." Automate and review new buyer signups that amount to $50,000 to $60,000 annually, which is more than enough to cover the cost of Shopify Plus.

Enhance the functionality of your on-site search if you sell a large catalog of, say, thousands of car parts, it won't be easy for customers to find what they need on your B2B e-commerce website when they need it.

Site search is now a requirement for a website in the B2C market. It helps customers find and purchase the right products, just like a salesperson in a store. This is due to the fact that site search customers can generate upwards of 40% of your website's revenue and have a nearly twofold increase in conversion rates.

It's just as important to improve your on-site search for B2B customers. This helps make the sales process easier and allows your salespeople to work in a more consultative rather than transactional way.

B2B sometimes offers more than B2C, and sometimes less.

Less is more when it comes to resellers, small to medium-sized franchises, and B2C stores. Your website should be more traditional, and more straightforward in the ordering process. If your orders become more complicated, The B2C approach excels with customizations, variants, and fulfillment options.

Customers are at the heart of everything but before we serve those who can make deals, we need to look at those who can break them.

This means generating leads through sales collateral that is "supplier agnostic" when applied to B2B. Although it may sound odd, customers are naturally motivated by their own self-interest. Leading with content that raises your product, solution, or value proposition is traditionally about you.( Tradekey.com, B2B Buyers Directory)

The challenge is effectively framed by the Challenger Customer:

  • For marketers, this is a significant shift. Implementing this content strategy will shift the focus from supplier-centric to supplier-agnostic for the majority of the content types you produce.
  • Lead generation should concentrate on two kinds of issues that are essential to the businesses of your target customers rather than supplier-centric collateral:
  • Problems they are aware of Problems they are unaware of The important takeaway is that B2B e-commerce lead generation cannot begin with you;It must begin with your client.
  • A content-based strategy can direct customers' various pain points toward a company's products.

Imagine the following for your content funnel:

  • Understand—to educate buyers. When new customer visits your website, they can learn more about their own issue as well as possible solutions. Your objective should be to raise the necessary level of awareness, not to sell products so that the customer will value the solution to their issue.
  • Certainly, stories have a much greater impact than product specifications and feature lists in many instances. Because of this, Shopify Plus's B2B marketing focuses more on the customer than the product.
  • Our goal in telling stories is to make the business a hero, not the product.
  • You not only force yourself to avoid self-centered sales and marketing by relentlessly focusing on the issues facing your market, but you also earn your future customer's "permission" before the sales process even begins.
  • Success necessitates obtaining "permission" at the top of the funnel before moving down it with explicitly selling the collateral.
  • Utilize social media to humanize your B2B business despite its undeniable rise in B2C e-commerce, social media has largely baffled B2B businesses. Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn are mostly thought of as channels that go directly to consumers.