How to Choose a B2B eCommerce Platform

By Nick Spooner
CEO at Salesorder.com | Software and expertise for wholesaler optimization

As a business, it might feel like there are loads of potential software platforms that you can onboard to support the majority of your day-to-day activities.

However, upon closer inspection, you start to realize that many of the services on the market are so general that they aren’t able to cater to you and your needs at all.

This can make selecting an appropriate and comprehensive B2B eCommerce platform an incredible challenge, with many different factors that need to be considered.

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What is a B2B eCommerce Platform?

A B2B eCommerce platform is a multi-functional piece of software that has been designed to support you organize, conduct, and manage all your essential business activities.

This includes:

selling to customers
ordering inventory
managing your space effectively
bookkeeping and accounting

While you might already have software that does one of these tasks or another, a B2B eCommerce platform is single-source; allowing you to complete all these functions in one place.

Why is it Important to Choose the Right B2B eCommerce Platform?

Truthfully, if you don’t purchase the best B2B eCommerce platform, you run the risk of missing out on some key opportunities.

Either you’ll have to accept that the software you chose can’t do some of the work you need it to, or you’ll have to pay extra to onboard alternative platforms to tick those boxes.

Then, if the multiple systems you use are unable to interact with each other, you could end up with errors across the board that cost your business a lot of money.

By taking the time, instead, to carefully choose a B2B eCommerce platform able to do everything you need it to, you’ll be able to uplevel your business potential.

What to Look for in a B2B eCommerce Platform

First and foremost, before you start to look at the features on offer, you want to ensure that the B2B eCommerce platform you choose can support your business objectives.

1. Goal Setting

One important part of this is the ability for you to access and process business intelligence – setting achievable targets accordingly. If you can do this through your B2B eCommerce platform, you’ll be able to base your decisions around progress made and grow your revenue smoothly as a result.

2. Artificial Intelligence

However, alongside choosing a B2B eCommerce platform that can process vast amounts of data, you also need a tool to translate those insights into actionable advice. Your software should have innovative Artificial Intelligence that’s able to understand things like buyer journeys and identify opportunities for your business.

3. Smooth Integration

Depending on your day-to-day commitments you might have a lot of requirements for your B2B eCommerce platform. If you truly can’t find one that can tick every box, you should at least pick a service that will support ERP integration. Too often, business owners get so caught up in making a purchase that they forget to check whether their existing digital ecosystem is compatible with the new technology.

4. Scalability

Further, you need a B2B eCommerce platform that’ll not only push you towards your goals – but actively support them. A piece of software that can adapt itself and grow alongside you will prove key to your ability to grow efficiently. You don’t want to waste time finding a new service every few years just because you’ve outgrown the last one.

5. Security

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, it’s absolutely essential that your B2B eCommerce platform is secure and safe from cyber threats. Should you want to sell products through the software, you’ll need to choose a provider that can offer PCI secure payments in order to protect your best interests.

What Your B2B eCommerce Platform Provider Needs to Offer

Following this, your B2B eCommerce platform provider has a number of responsibilities that they absolutely must uphold.

1. Quality Design

The software you purchase should be functional above all else. Any complicated features that are present should come with guidance and training, allowing you to make the most of your B2B eCommerce platform.

2. Maintenance

As technology gets stronger, so should your B2B eCommerce platform. Your provider should constantly be working to improve their product, conduct maintenance, and launch updates that will remove any finicky bugs and errors.

3. Customer Service

When problems arise, you should be able to easily report your difficulties and have them addressed within no time at all. A working B2B eCommerce platform shouldn’t be a luxury, it should be an expectation.

4. Custom Pricing

When you are nearing your decision of which B2B eCommerce platform you want to choose, you’re likely still going to have a few questions. Your provider should be eager to answer these and share a free trial with you so that you can make the best decision for your business.

5. Payment Options

To complement this, your B2B eCommerce platform provider should be able to support different payment options. Whether this is a choice between paying a discounted annual fee upfront and spreading the costs out over the year, you should have the ability to do what works for you.

6. No-Obligation Demonstration

The Types of B2B eCommerce Platforms

When you start looking into B2B eCommerce platforms, you’ll quickly come to a realization there are a number of different types, each of which can offer you a variety of benefits unique to their operating system.

These include:

Cloud B2B eCommerce Platforms
On-Premise B2B eCommerce Platforms
Open Source B2B eCommerce Platforms
Out-of-the-Box B2B eCommerce Platforms

Some of these choices are more flexible, but others might be more secure.

Choosing between them to order the best eCommerce platform for your B2B business really depends on your goals and priorities.

The Cost of Your B2B eCommerce Platform

With such a range of B2B eCommerce platforms and providers available to you, it’ll be of no surprise that the costs can vary significantly.

Some solutions have prices that range from anywhere between $25 to $500 per month, so you’ll need to research where the price point will settle for you.

The quote given will really depend on:

The features you are seeking.
The current scale of your operations.
The quality of the product and the provider.

Some of the top software services, like Salesorder, have flexible pricing. Each month, you’ll be charged just 0.33% of your revenue – meaning you don’t need to worry about paying an expensive total if orders have been slow.

The Features You’ll Want from Your B2B eCommerce Platform

When all of these different factors have been considered, you’ll find that you’ve narrowed your B2B eCommerce platform options considerably.

Over time, you’ll come to realize that some services just won’t meet your needs – unable to customize their service to your requirements.

However, there’s still some thinking to do.

Although you’ll certainly be much closer to choosing a quality platform from a thoughtful provider, you still need to compare the different features and benefits available to you.

For example, Salesorder, one of the best eCommerce platforms for B2B, can act as a:

marketplace
customer relationship management system
enterprise resource planning software
data platform

At the same time.

Each of these attributes will contribute towards creating the effective and efficient business you’ve been dreaming of.

How to Choose a B2B eCommerce Platform - FAQs

Whichever way you look at it, choosing the right B2B eCommerce platform is crucial.

You don’t want to be wasting money on a system that doesn’t fulfill its promises, but you also don’t want to turn away the numerous benefits available to you.

If you are still struggling to choose between one B2B eCommerce platform and another, perhaps these FAQs can provide the guidance you are after.

What are the benefits of a B2B eCommerce platform?

When you are a busy business that is trying to grow, automating the majority of your day-to-day activities will increase productivity and efficiency across the board. It will also reduce human error, allowing you to increase your scaling potential significantly.

What do B2B eCommerce platforms do?

It really depends on which software service you choose, but, for most businesses, you want to look for a B2B eCommerce platform that can allow you to sell products, interact with customers, manage your inventory, and effectively assign resources around your organization using just one system.

Which B2B eCommerce platform is best?

Without a doubt, SalesOrder is the best eCommerce platform for B2B on the market. Not only does it have a comprehensive suite of features, but it also has a responsive customer service team who will be more than happy to provide guidance whenever you need it.

Why SalesOrder is the Best eCommerce Platform For B2B?

At the end of the day, the more your B2B eCommerce platform can do for you… the better.

You don’t want to be wasting time completing business tasks that could be automated when there is a solution out there for you.

SalesOrder has an incredible reputation in the eCommerce space and can provide you with the incredible business potential you’ve been looking for.

Through us, you can:

To find out more about what SalesOrder can do for your B2B eCommerce business, why not contact us today?

Why Salesorder is the Best eCommerce Platform For B2B

At the end of the day, the more your B2B eCommerce platform can do for you… the better.
You don’t want to be wasting time completing business tasks that could be automated when there is a solution out there for you.
Salesorder has an incredible reputation in the eCommerce space and can provide you with the incredible business potential you’ve been looking for.

Through us, you can:

eliminate sales effort
maximize order throughput
manage inventory accuracy
access incredible business intelligence
calculate optimal order quantities
accelerate your revenue

To find out more about what Salesorder can do for your B2B eCommerce business, why not contact us today?