With an increasing number of successful B2B eCommerce ventures popping up every day, there are a lot of best practices to consider when building an eCommerce store.
To stay on top of the eCommerce game, you need to up your game when it comes to customer expectations. The B2B eCommerce market is fiercely competitive, with clients coming from all over the world.
What is B2B eCommerce?
B2B eCommerce is short for business-to-business eCommerce, which is defined as the sales of goods or services between businesses via online channels.
B2B eCommerce is growing exponentially as consumers are becoming “self-mobile.” The $1 trillion industry has many opportunities for companies to succeed in the digital age.
B2B eCommerce Website Best Practices
- Customers don’t know what they need or what product matches their needs until you educate them. Give customers the ability to configure and bundle products on their own.
- Make customers’ lives easier with one-click quotes and requests for quotes.
- Make it easy for customers to create and manage product orders, order in bulk, or re-order. You could also offer the ability to save shopping carts or lists.
- Sellers can provide multiple payment options for B2B buyers such as the ability to pay with a credit card or via purchase order.
- Keep your website current and relevant with a clean, simple layout. It’s important to keep your website crisp and clear so visitors can easily navigate it when they want to keep up with what you’re doing. Be sure to include a search bar on each page, as well as contact information that allows visitors to find out more information or make an appointment.
- As your website grows, it’s important to ensure that users can access information quickly. To keep pace with growing traffic and increase conversion rates, you need to ensure that your website loads quickly.
- Leverage website content (blogs, articles, product pages, and videos) to answer customer-specific questions such as the following:
- What makes you different from your competitors?
- How will your website help you attain your goals?
- What are your core product features and functionalities?
- What do your products cost, and how can I buy them?
- What doesn’t your service or product provide?
- When would I receive my product or service?
- What do others think about it (reviews, case studies, etc.)?
- How do I contact you? If you are providing a service, how does someone cancel if necessary?
- Ensure your website is providing a clear company vision and consistent branding so customers perceive your business to be the best in class.
Examples of Successful B2B eCommerce Brands
Here at NimbusPost, we work with a wide range of B2B businesses. Therefore, we’ve put together a list of some of the most successful B2B eCommerce platforms, which have added valuable eCommerce features to give customers the best user experience.
Get inspired by these 4 examples of the best B2B eCommerce platforms:
1. Alibaba
Alibaba has nearly 600 million active buyers and sellers on its marketplace site, reaching over 1 million small businesses. It provides an extra shield to sellers by helping them to sell their products globally with the help of its huge catalogues. Moreover, it also provides easy access to global markets through this platform.
This online selling hub unbelievably influenced the Chinese entrepreneurs by being able to sell products at an industry-best selling price.
Alibaba’s Features Include
- Multiple products
- Simple-to-use search option
- Discounts to merchants
- Personalised B2B catalogue
2. Amazon
Amazon is a well-known eCommerce site globally. This platform is the largest supplier of products from every category. The main aim of this global B2B website is to connect suppliers with buyers who are looking for authentic products.
Businesses have many advantages to leverage as they interact with customers through Amazon. Wholesalers can promote their brands, create more effective strategies to attract potential clients, and increase the sales volume of their products.
Best Features of Amazon
- Pay-as-you-go shipping
- Seller central coupons
- Automated pricing system
- Product catalogs
- Inventory management
- Option for reorder discounts
3. eBay
eBay is a growing business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce website, which offers several services to businesses and online entrepreneurs. The site has strategic business policies and criteria that help make it a successful business platform. It invests a lot of time and money into making its website easy to navigate and engaging for both customers and businesses alike.
eBay is the best way to increase your reach and expand your horizon globally, as it provides a secure platform for buyers and sellers around the world to interact. eBay has become a household name in the B2B eCommerce industry because most sellers experience remarkable business growth on this platform.
eBay’s Best Features
- Practical prices
- High-quality products
- Interactive and responsive websites
- Efficient shipping
- Numerous payment methods
- Simple checkout procedure
4. AliExpress
AliExpress is the largest B2B eCommerce site in the world, acting as a subsidiary of Alibaba. It has grown into an online retail store that interacts with international retailers.
The AliExpress marketplace is a great place to find potential customers for your brand’s products and services. AliExpress is owned by the same corporation that operates Alibaba, a leading eCommerce site. Like Alibaba, it has many strengths that make it a strong competitor in its field.
Best Features of AliExpress
- A variety of products
- Seamless pricing
- Multiple payment gateways
- Comprehensive incentive
- Discount policies
- High-quality images for every product
Final Words
In conclusion, these four websites have considered the benefits of removing barriers that would otherwise prevent buyers from using your platform or service. By keeping things accessible and decluttered, you will be ahead of the crowd and advance yourself as a leader in the industry. Make sure to tell your story, and how you stand out from the rest by implementing all of these points to encourage potential buyers to consider you for greater options.
To get your business up and running or if you are considering starting an online business, we can help. Please read NimbusPost Blog on how to create an eCommerce website for an online business?
