b2b-ecommerce

Although the concept of eCommerce has previously been thought of mainly in terms of consumer-focused online stores and B2C still makes up the biggest chunk of online sales, the B2B sector is fast catching up. Also, B2B trading has produced some of the greatest success stories in online business. 

For a B2B brand to succeed, the companies behind them must choose the best eCommerce platform to facilitate the operation of their web stores. This article looks at some of the crucial features that a B2B eCommerce platform must have.

Ability to restrict access

Typically, B2B stores, merchants, and manufacturers want to control access to their websites. This ensures the companies can give only registered clients the right to access crucial information about their products and prices. 

As you look for a suitable B2B eCommerce platform for your online shop, you should look for one with the built-in functionality that will allow you to establish a fully password-protected site, making it mandatory for customers to register to access the web store. At an advanced level, B2B traders can regulate the visibility of their main website. They could use features that allow them to hide prices and products, or disable purchases for unregistered buyers. 

Availability of an excellent content management system

Unlike in B2C, where shoppers purchase for personal desires and sometimes emotional reasons, B2B buyers buy pragmatically making it necessary for sellers to provide appropriate information. This is vital to help buyers find relevant details about their options. The seller needs to communicate clearly through thoroughly detailed product descriptions, certifications, videos, and marketing about their merchandise, and their advantages. The product should answer queries that buyers may have as well as address their pain points.

The best B2B eCommerce platforms such as Virto Commerce come with excellent content management features to allow sellers or manufacturers total control of their content, attachments, and layout. The content management capabilities allow the merchandising and marketing teams to easily update the product pages even without having any coding background. 

Capability to reorder items bought previously

It is common among corporate customers to buy the same things over and over again, for example, where the business uses those items as parts in their products or as inputs in production. The best B2B eCommerce platforms avoid wasting customers’ time by allowing buyers to re-order the same items easily 

Online B2B store owners or managers should make it possible to display previous orders directly on customer account pages—especially the most recent ones. Also, the web stores should have a function to make new orders for the same products.

Availability of several flexible payment methods

Businesses exist to sell so getting paid by buyers is crucial. However, in B2B scenarios, various customers have different arrangements and relationships with the seller so not all purchases need their payments to be completed online.

For proper customer relations and trading, a B2B eCommerce platform should offer payment options including offline payment options such as corporate accounts, checks, credit cards, purchase orders, and flexible credit terms. The platform should allow the configuration of several payment options and customizations to allow individual clients to use specific payment options. 

Conclusion

The best B2B eCommerce platforms incorporate the above features and others that make handling different customers a seamless process and enable buyers to enjoy a great experience and return again and again.