Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for a good reason. It offers many advantages for B2B companies, including increased efficiency and customer satisfaction. This study by eMarketer/Inside Intelligence shows that B2B Ecommerce Site Sales will potentially reach over $1.98 trillion in 2023.

The companies that will be the most successful will consider both their internal customers- sales, customer service, operations- as well as their external customers when planning their B2B e-commerce development. The best B2B e-commerce websites provide added value to their external customers through personalized B2B ecommerce website features which we will discuss in more detail. For sales teams, the combination of online and offline contact points with their customers provides visibility and flexibility.

This blog will explore key benefits of B2B e-commerce and provide some expert tips on how sales teams can make the most of it.

Benefits of a B2B E-Commerce Strategy

When it comes to B2B e-commerce solutions, there are several benefits that sales teams receive. B2B e-commerce allows both inside sales and the field team to expand their reach and tap into new markets. It also allows companies to provide customers with a more efficient online ordering process for routine orders and complex orders. In addition, B2B e-commerce provides sales teams with more comprehensive data on customer behavior and preferences, which can be used to direct conversations by understanding what was ordered, any customer service issues, and offering new products and services. Automation can help streamline processes like order processing and payment management, freeing up time for the sales team to focus on building relationships with customers. Automated emails from their sales reps to customers when orders are placed lead to better customer service and an improved customer experience.

Benefits of Website Features Tailored for B2B E-Commerce

An important point to note is that B2B e-commerce sites are not the same as B2C e-commerce. There are specific features of a B2B website that create benefits for both customers and sales teams. These benefits lead to promoting customer retention through ease of access and processes, create higher order frequency, and increase average order volume.

Here are some B2B specific features that sales teams and their customers can benefit from:

• 24/7 access to order products, samples, and collateral
• B2B Self-service management of customer account
• B2B Price quote requests
• Approval Workflows
• B2B Bulk ordering 
• Custom catalogs
• Custom pricing 
• Punch-out support

If you would like to learn more about any of the B2B specific features above, click here.

Benefits of B2B E-Commerce Website Features for Sales

The evolution of the sales process moving to the internet provides an opportunity to increase customer retention through ease of access and processes. So much of sales involves manual tasks, such as finding and emailing product information, pricing (hopefully there have been no changes since the last time you sent it out), company updates, and more.

• A B2B website can also include product content management, which will allow for:
• Personalization by account with specific access and approvals by user and user groups
• Up to date product information all in one place
• Self-service document retrieval for customers (SDS, Spec Sheets, Manuals, etc)
• Custom Catalogs and pricing, so sales does not have to worry about sending out inaccurate information to a customer.

How to Create a Successful B2B E-Commerce Sales Team

Creating a successful B2B e-commerce sales team is essential for businesses looking to maximize their revenue and growth. The key to creating a successful sales team is to hire the right people. This means hiring salespeople with solid customer service skills and who have an aptitude for using data to create opportunities for their customers.

Additionally, businesses should ensure that their sales team is well-versed in the latest technology that is becoming integrated into the sales process. Finally, companies must provide their sales team with the proper and continuous training and resources to ensure their success.

B2B E-Commerce Services

B2B e-commerce is a powerful tool for companies that want to maximize their sales team’s success. By understanding the benefits of B2B e-commerce, developing an effective strategy, and cultivating an empowered and successful sales team, businesses can unlock the full potential of B2B e-commerce.

Dunn Solutions' B2B E-commerce Consulting and Services provides B2B companies with an opportunity to meet their market's growing demands head on – and then exceed them. Our B2B E-commerce Solutions promote customer retention through ease of access and process, create higher order frequency, increase average order value, as well as cross-sell/up-sell opportunities. Leveraging top technologies, we are able to build complex and unique e-commerce platforms that fit specific organizational goals.

We partner with B2B technology partners like SAP Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce and Liferay Commerce.

If you are interested in learning more about how to take advantage of B2B e-commerce, contact us today.