What is B2B e-commerce and how can you benefit from it?

The internet has revolutionised and changed the way we do everyday things, including the way in which we do business. More and more companies are turning away from the traditional ways of purchasing, in favour of business to business e-commerce. The traditional concept of selling products and services to businesses requires companies to have salespeople who actively market their products to other businesses, with B2B e-commerce the internet does the marketing work for you. 

B2B e-commerce allows businesses to sell their products directly to other business via the internet, much like an end-user would purchase items from an online retailer. Software companies like Shopify have made it easier for business to move to a B2B e-commerce model by making their products available to business users. The B2B model has many advantages for both the seller and the buyer and it can make the entire process of buying and selling products and services much easier. If you wish to compare more B2B platforms check out this 2021 eCommerce platform guide.

Why should your company invest in B2B e-commerce technology?

Recent research has shown that many business customers prefer purchasing items online instead of via traditional sales channels such as salespeople. The flexibility of being able to use an online platform to purchase products makes using B2B e-commerce an attractive option to many businesses. 

Adding an online sales channel to your existing sales channel line up can keep your company competitive in the digital marketplace. A dedicated e-commerce service can be added to your existing website easily and quickly with minimal costs. Many e-commerce service providers have products that are specifically designed for the needs of B2B customers. Shopify Plus is one example of an e-commerce service that is well suited to B2B e-commerce. 

Business to business e-commerce is also attractive because it saves costs. The business platform requires fewer salespeople and costs less to maintain. With a B2B e-commerce platform, your sales team is always available and customers can place orders and purchase items at any time, which can help to drive sales upwards. 

Making the change to B2B e-commerce

Changing from a traditional B2B sales environment to a digital one is not as difficult as it may seem to be. By combining existing systems with new technologies, you can open your business up to more customers and sales. B2B e-commerce is not limited to large business and can be successfully used by smaller businesses, especially when making use of e-commerce software. 

In most cases, e-commerce software can be added to existing websites at a relatively low cost. Service providers often offer a variety of subscription plans that strike a healthy balance between cost and functionality. When deciding on the correct option for you, make sure that you do enough research into the available options in order to choose the right plan for your company’s needs. 

B2B e-commerce is the new way in which business are collaborating and trading with each other, make sure that you do not get left behind and go digital!