.jpeg)
Recent growth has been fuelled by rapid technological advancements, such as AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics. Whether you're carrying out a digital transformation project in-house, or working with an implementation partner, it's crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the B2B Commerce space.
B2B eCommerce is the art of businesses selling to other businesses via electronic mediums. Utilizing an online sales portal, B2B eCommerce facilitates the exchange of goods and services, and is used to increase efficiency over and above manual labour by sales reps (which would otherwise take place in-person, via the phone, email, or live chat).
B2B eCommerce is the art of businesses selling to other businesses via electronic mediums. Utilizing an online sales portal, B2B eCommerce facilitates the exchange of goods and services, and is used to increase efficiency over and above manual labour by sales reps (which would otherwise take place in-person, via the phone, email, or live chat).
This is not to say B2B Commerce technology eradicates the need for sales and customer service representatives, but this technology is more scalable, reducing the company’s overheads and empowering both sales and customer service with greater insights, a more seamless customer journey along with faster order processing.
B2B eCommerce is a component of B2B Commerce, they are not mutually-exclusive. Commerce is a broad term that refers to the monetary exchange of goods and services (both offline and online), while eCommerce (electronic commerce) is where these transactions take place online, via a web browser, email, or via an app.
An all-encompassing term, B2B Commerce involves in-person interactions and business transactions, whether that be on-site, at an event, via mail order or telephone, in addition to electronic channels. The rise of IoT means increasingly, offline channels are integrated with online, which means B2B Commerce, as a term, will become more redundant, superseded by ‘B2B eCommerce’, or conversely, the electronic element will be made redundant.
B2B commerce differs in terms of transaction types, industry sectors, and business models. Another way of looking at it is where they sit in the supply chain, or retail operations journey.
Manufacturers sometimes offer a B2B storefront, such as SoundOff Signal - B2B storefronts typically require an account registration, along with other stages such as credit checks, and other manual checks for approval. This is to facilitate credit agreements. Another consideration is that the manufacturer might have issued licences to different regions and have to adhere to them.
Looking further down the supply chain, we have wholesalers, who themselves might offer a B2B eCommerce shop, selling to SME retailers in bulk. There are distributors to consider, who market products and services online on behalf of manufacturers, brands, and/or wholesalers, in order to reach new, untapped markets.
Outside of physical unfinished and finished goods, B2B Commerce is also utilized by SaaS companies. An exemplar of this is Adobe Creative Cloud, where marketing departments and brands around the world purchase graphic design software online, on an ad-hoc, or more often subscription basis.
While the B2C eCommerce space is dominated by Shopify and WooCommerce (along with marketplaces like Amazon and eBay), the B2B space is different.
While D2C and B2C software is designed with accessibility in mind for start-ups, B2B Commerce systems vary in terms of cost, complexity, and features, so the choice depends on your business size, technical expertise, and scalability requirements. Therefore, popularity of platform is less important, what is more important is that you find the right system to suit your unique needs.
B2B eCommerce platforms cater specifically to businesses that sell to other businesses. They focus on features like bulk ordering, tiered pricing, and custom user permissions.
While some B2B eCommerce platforms, such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and Shopify Plus, are designed to create a storefront, others do the same, but the storefronts sit within an ecosystem of many others. This is what makes it a marketplace.
A prime example is Alibaba, which is a B2B marketplace for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and brands, whereas AliExpress, the Alibaba Group subsidiary, is a B2C, or one could also argue D2C environment, where consumers can access products directly from merchants, but rather than having to order in bulk, they can make ad-hoc orders with MOQs as low as one.
B2B commerce varies in terms of firms' business models, the types of transactions they make, and their customer base's behaviour. Business models include manufacturing, wholesalers, distributors and also SaaS (software-as-a-service).
For example, a manufacturer might have historically had a verbal agreement with a couple of wholesalers, and following acquisition and the desire for rampant growth, a digital transformation project has begun, with a key objective of introducing digital sales channels. B2B eCommerce technology, such as Salesforce Commerce Cloud, is an example of a solution that could be implemented for the manufacturer to be able to sell directly to other businesses online.
Another example is a team of developers might have created their own graphic design software, got it patented, and would like to take it to market, and offer graphic designers the opportunity to buy their software on a subscription, or ad-hoc basis. This is where B2B Commerce technology, along with the help of implementation experts, can help them bring their software to market.
B2B2C is different to pure B2B Commerce because it connects manufacturers and suppliers, directly with consumers. Many firms will adopt a hybrid approach, selling to both businesses and consumers, and even governments (B2G). A prime example of B2B2C commerce is Amazon's marketplace - here, manufacturers sell alongside distributors. For many consumers, buying directly from source can be appealing.
Whether a business is in manufacturing, banking, healthcare or retail, they will always face challenges in the form of growing pains, and capital-intensive commitments. From B2B companies' perspectives, their challenges will usually fit into one of two categories; the retail operations journey, and their customer, or client journey. These two together are end-to-end business operations.
From an operational standpoint, B2B firms might want to accelerate their order processing, increase productivity through automation, and reduce manual errors. They may want to optimize their supply chain operations, by minimizing understocking, overstocking, and/or adding delivery options.
From the B2B firm's clients' perspectives, they may want to enhance the customer buying experience, create self-service capabilities, and obtain deeper insights into consumer behaviour. Customized commerce solutions can help address this plethora of challenges.
Partnering with an experienced B2B Commerce implementation specialist can be beneficial from a number of standpoints. Established consultants will have decades of expertise working on similar digital transformation projects, and strong partnerships with sales portal technology firms (e.g. Salesforce, Shopify, and Eloqua), along with payment and product information management (PIM) platforms.
Working with an implementation partner can also be beneficial from a strategic standpoint; they will help you think clearly in terms of what it is you are trying to achieve, the resources you will require, and will ensure you are aligned in terms of KPIs and OKRs. Deciding whether to insource or outsource depends on in-house expertise, and some firms will adopt a hybrid, collaborative approach.
Like B2C, B2B eCommerce is on an exponential growth curve. The growth of B2B commerce over the next 20 years will be driven by technological advancements like AI, blockchain, IoT, and the transformative potential of quantum computing, which could revolutionize supply chain optimization, secure data processing, and complex decision-making by solving problems at unprecedented speeds.
Businesses will also need to adapt to digital transformation, including eCommerce platforms, omnichannel strategies, and mobile-first solutions, while meeting evolving buyer expectations for transparency, personalization, and consumer-like experiences. Sustainability and ESG priorities, globalization with localized solutions, and the rise of emerging markets will further shape the landscape.
Meanwhile, workforce dynamics like remote work and the need for digital skills, coupled with advances in fintech for flexible payments and secure transactions, will redefine operations. As cybersecurity threats grow and regulatory environments shift, businesses must prioritize resilience and compliance to remain competitive.
