Feeling lost handling B2B eCommerce?

Imagine getting stuck in a maze without a map–that's what many businesses today face when building their online presence through an ecommerce website.

The global B2B e-commerce market is expected to surge from $7.43 trillion in 2022 to a whopping $36.11 trillion by 2031, reflecting a staggering 19.2% growth rate annually. That's a huge opportunity for businesses to capitalize on the power of digital platforms and streamline transactions through an ecommerce platform.

But nearly 80% of eCommerce businesses fail. To a great extent, that can be attributed to a lack of proper guidance in your online business efforts. 

So, how do you build a B2B ecommerce website that feels modern and delivers what customers expect?  This guide is your ultimate B2B eCommerce solution. We'll equip you, whether you're a seasoned developer or a business owner stepping out for the first time, to create a website that sells and dazzles. Let's dive right in! 

What is B2B eCommerce?

B2B eCommerce, which stands for business-to-business electronic commerce, refers to the online buying and selling of goods and services exclusively between two or more businesses. 

It is a digital marketplace where companies can connect, browse product catalogs, place orders, and manage transactions electronically. This eliminates the tedious paper-based clutter and eases communication between businesses.

Think of B2B eCommerce as an online warehouse for specific business needs and efficient B2B transactions.

A B2B eCommerce platform offers a full suite of essential features designed to simplify every step of the buying and selling process, from product listings to order fulfillment. Wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and basically any party involved in B2B transactions can use B2B eCommerce to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

The B2B eCommerce Web Development Process

The rise of interconnected trade has B2B companies scrambling to jump on the eCommerce bandwagon. But building a website that truly clicks with business buyers? That's a challenge even for seasoned developers. 

This step-by-step guide will help you lay the groundwork for a B2B eCommerce website that can handle the demands of corporate customers while providing a streamlined ecommerce platform experience. 

Step 1: Understand your market

Before jumping headfirst into B2B eCommerce website development, take a step back to test the waters.

Understand what your target market, i.e. wholesalers, distributors, etc., are actually looking for. Don't waste time and resources building a website for products nobody wants.

Grainger is a great example of how to study the market and capitalize it by taking a customer focused approach. It recognized that customers wanted an easier way to browse through the vast amount of products offered in their catalogs. 

Since not everyone had access to the internet yet, Grainger offered their catalogs on CD-ROM in 1995. This allowed customers to search for products electronically, which was a more efficient way to browse than paper catalogs. 

Grainger also realized that some customers wanted to order products online, not just browse the catalogs. 

So, they added search and ordering capabilities to their website in 1996. This made it convenient for customers to find and purchase the MRO supplies. 

Alibaba also used this strategy to grow a loyal customer base with a constant influx of new customers. It knew that Chinese citizens were not allowed to use credit cards. 

So, the company devised its own payment gateway to simplify online orders for its customers. This dedicated payment gateway ultimately grew its sales exponentially. Thus gathering customer data to improve overall customer experience is of paramount importance. 

Step 2: Grab an opportunity when you see it

Sometimes, the greatest opportunities lie in unmet needs.  Can you identify an underserved niche market?  Filling a gap in the B2B supply chain will certainly lead to rapid growth for your website.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gap Inc. created a B2B portal to sell face masks in bulk to businesses. This is a great example of how a company can identify a new B2B opportunity and quickly launch an e-commerce solution to address it. 

Gap Inc. was able to sell 10 million masks to employers through July 2020. There is undeniable potential for B2B e-commerce for companies looking to expand their reach and revenue streams.

And don't rely on gut instinct. Use data to identify what's capturing consumers' attention. Tools like Google Trends reveal product popularity trends and help gauge market demand.  Social media is another goldmine–follow industry influencers to see what products are generating buzz.

Market research will point you toward a vast product landscape.  But remember, your budget and capabilities matter.  Choose products that align with your resources to ensure a sustainable business model. Engage in enterprise resource planning to get ahead of the competition. 

Step 3: Gather data and resources

Before launching into B2B eCommerce website development, gather all the necessary data such as market predictions, ongoing and forecasted industry trends, potential investors, and more. This will help you cater to different market segments.

Don't rush into eCommerce platform development without a plan for your resources. Take into account whether you'll make use of your own team's expertise or outsource development tasks.  Effective resource allocation defines the outcome of your development process.

While ambition is a great motivator, so is financial responsibility. Carefully assess your budget to avoid hidden costs and project delays. Smart budgeting, inventory management, and online tools are vital for boosting online sales, maximizing ROI, cost savings, and elevating your B2B business.

Step 4: Familiarize yourself with the competition

“When one has a thorough knowledge of both the enemy and oneself, there will be a victory in every battle.”

This proverb holds true for the B2B eCommerce industry.

Analyze your competitors' websites to understand their strengths and weaknesses.  Learn from their winning strategies, how they position their brand, how they interact with their target audience, and what marketing and sales tactics they use to drive results.  

Make use of tools like Google Analytics, Adwords, SEMrush, SEOquake, Ahrefs, and Keywordtool.io to know your competitors' digital presence better. Pinpoint their shortcomings and capitalize on those market gaps to establish a unique competitive advantage. You should also monitor the search engine optimization techniques that they are using and try to implement them for better search engine ranking.

Step 5: Define your goals

Before diving into b2b ecommerce website development, take a moment to map out your goals.  Ask yourself: "What do I want this website to achieve?" 

Here are some examples to inspire you:

• Become an industry authority: Educate your B2B audience with industry insights and establish yourself as a thought leader. 
• Build trust and credibility: Showcase your company's efficiency and reliability and position yourself as a dependable partner.
• Showcase your products in action: Demonstrate how your products solve problems and add value for your B2B customers.

Your goals guide every step of the development process.  Knowing what you want your website to do will determine the pages you need, the content you create, and ultimately, the success of your B2B e-commerce business.

Step 6: Create your B2B website sitemap

Now that you've established your B2B website's goals, it's time to design the sitemap.  This visual plan outlines all your website's pages and how they connect.

Take a look at this e-commerce sitemap. The homepage of your site should provide easy access to the most important pages for a customer, such as their account information, their cart, and most importantly, the product pages. The footer should ideally include your service terms and conditions, a link to the blog, the careers page, and contact details.

Don't confuse this with an XML sitemap; that's a technical document for search engines.  Your sitemap is a simpler blueprint that can be easily created on a piece of paper.

Here's the process:

1. Map your main sections: Pick out the major areas of your website like "About Us," "Products," and "Contact Us."
2. Fill in the details:  Within each section, list all the specific pages you want to include.  Think about everything from your homepage to individual product pages.
3. Prioritize organization: Don't just throw pages around; group them logically.  For example, product pages might be nested under a "Products" section, while blog posts belong under a "Blog" section.

Remember, structure rules.  A well-organized website is easy for users to navigate and offers a user friendly interface.  By creating a clear sitemap, you'll ensure your B2B customers can find the information they need quickly and efficiently.  This will ultimately lead to higher customer satisfaction and increased sales.

You can also consider using online sitemap creation tools for a more digital approach.  These tools visually plan your website's structure and generate code for your developer.

Step 7: Choose a domain name

Before you start building your B2B website, there's an indispensable step: securing a domain name.  This is your website's unique address on the internet; the URL users will type in to visit your site.

Your domain name has an important role to play, so don't rush this decision. Take your time to find a memorable, brand-representative domain name.  Here are some considerations:

• Keep it short.  A shorter domain name is easier for users to remember and input. Make sure it also abides by search engine optimization requirements.
• In the best-case scenario, your domain name should also include your business name (e.g., greenwoodoffice.com for Greenwood Office Solutions).
• Before you get your mind set on a name, make sure it's available for registration.  Many domain registrars offer a domain name search tool to check availability.
• If your ideal domain name isn't available, think of creative variations like adding "store" or "co" (e.g., greenwoodoffice.store).

Bonus Tip: Many domain registrars offer bundled packages that include domain name registration and web hosting.  Consider these options for a one-stop shop to get your B2B website up and running.

Step 8: Start shaping your B2B eCommerce website

Building a B2B eCommerce website is tricky; each element, no matter how small, has a role to play in converting visitors into customers.

To simplify the design process, encourage your development team to use website-building tools like Shopify or Webflow. These tools help you build a fully functional website without coding. However, if you’re a coding maestro and want granular control over every design element, you can always use the custom code feature.

Alternatively, you can hire web developers who help visualize your website ideas. They'll ensure your website is both visually appealing and fully functional. If you’re interested in hiring an agency, Amply can be your partner to help develop an ecommerce website for you.

Regardless of how you build it, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind to deliver a smooth customer experience and boost conversions and online sales.

Here are some pointers on key areas of a B2B site:

Navigation

• A typical B2B buying journey is quite complex since it involves several stakeholders and decision-makers. So, organize your website accordingly.  Think about buyer personas and map out the steps they'll take to find what they need. 

For example, Slack categorizes its solution by industry and by department. This not only highlights the fact that it caters to different business needs but also simplifies navigation for the users. 

That’s not technical expertise, that’s called a customer-focused design.   

• Don't underestimate the power of your search bar! For B2B buyers placing bulk orders, a precise and efficient search tool is essential. Optimize your search function by adding context-aware recommendations and redirections to similar products to deliver relevant results and encourage desired actions. 

Security

• Secure your site with SSL certificates, user authentication, and permission controls.  SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a digital security shield that encrypts data flowing between your website and a user's browser.  This ensures all information remains confidential and secure.  Look for "https://" in the URL–this indicates an SSL-protected website. 

If you process payments, ensure PCI compliance to safeguard customer information during online transactions. 

• B2B transactions often involve large orders, so website speed matters. A sluggish site will lead to frustration and lost sales.  Optimize your website for fast loading times.

Reviews and testimonials

You might have seen many ecommerce platforms utilizing user reviews. on their ecommerce site. Positive reviews from real customers act as social proof and validate your brand and product quality.  Highlight testimonials and encourage reviews on third-party platforms to boost your own ecommerce platform.

Step 9: Add B2B-specific functionalities to your site

The recipe for a B2C website or even a general B2B won’t work for e-commerce B2B customers.  Many wholesale sites lack features that have the potential to skyrocket sales and improve user experience (UX) as per the market trends. 

Below we’ve discussed a few.

Access restriction

B2B involves sensitive information like pricing and production details.  Public access to this can be a competitive nightmare because your competitors might use that information in a way that is detrimental to your profitability and reputation.  Additionally, you might offer different pricing tiers to different customer groups. Unrestricted access can lead to confusion and hurt customer relationships.

The solution is to implement access controls.  Think of a "Corporate Customers" section–you wouldn't want B2C users stumbling upon it because of potential risks of misuse. Block access and redirect them to a registration page, through which you can attract curious customers to sign up for your services and also encourage them toward your email marketing program.

Customer segmentation

Serving multiple customer groups demands smart segmentation tools.  A well-designed registration form is your friend here.

Registration allows you to collect customer data and categorize them directly through your ecommerce site.  Dealing with clients by making different customer segments simplifies your marketing strategies and also lets you personalize the shopping experience, thus streamlining your customer relationship management.

Shared accounts

The B2B purchasing process often involves multiple decision-makers within a company.  With the shared accounts feature, team members can log in with specific roles and permissions.

Flexible pricing

Features like hidden prices and personalized pricing protect your competitive edge and give you pricing power. Make full use of pricing tactics and sales strategies to deliver the right price message to the target audience during the purchasing process.  

Some effective ways to better position for profitability is to implement tiered pricing with additional costs for niche feature add-ons, discounts for long-term billing, customer loyalty, etc. when you sell online to your business clients and market your products to potential customers.

Quote management

Negotiation is a cornerstone of B2B deals.  Some products might not have displayed prices and require potential customers to request quotes.  Your website needs a tool to streamline this process.

You can explore B2B eCommerce extensions such as Magento and Cloudfy to find the perfect quote management solution. And don't forget to provide multiple payment options.

Minimum order amounts (MOA)

Running a B2B website means you need to conduct inventory management with daily sales.  Setting a minimum order amount (MOA) is crucial for your bottom line. A minimum order amount helps your B2B business maintain the desired stock levels and reduces the risk of overstocking and exhaustion of products, contributing to your business objectives.

Analyze your target customers and ROI to determine a reasonable MOA.

When you implement these B2B features, you create a website that has the potential to position your brand as a leader in the B2B eCommerce space while mitigating resource drain through effective inventory management, thus hitting your business goals more effectively.

Must-Have Features for Your B2B eCommerce Website

B2B eCommerce website development goes beyond simply listing products and waiting for sales to happen. To truly shine, you need features that streamline the buying process for your customers. 

Here are some key functionalities to prioritize:

Bulk ordering and tiered discounts

B2B purchases often involve large quantities.  Make it easy for your customers to place bulk orders and see the value they're getting.  A dedicated bulk order section with clear discount tiers (e.g., 10% off for 100 units, 20% off for 500 units) will incentivize larger purchases. 

To complement that, ensure a smooth user experience with an intuitive, simple and distinct display and simple navigation for this feature. 

 Responsive design with a focus on usability

B2B buyers are on a mission.  Don't let clunky design slow them down.  Use a user friendly interface throughout your website development project to make things as easy as you can. Invest in a responsive website that looks great and functions flawlessly on any device, from desktops to mobile devices, and allows your buyers to act upon their personalized business goals. 

Speaking of responsive, adaptable websites, mobile-friendliness is a must these days. B2B buyers are increasingly going mobile.  Here's how to make your B2B website mobile-friendly:

• Simplify navigation. Make it easy for customers to find what they need quickly and intuitively.
• Display key details like product information and contact details in a prominent location.
• Optimize your website to adapt to all screen sizes.
• Tell your customers what you want them to do next, whether it's contacting you for a quote or placing an order.

When you adopt a mobile-first approach, you make way for more leads, boost conversions, and stay ahead of the curve in the B2B space, especially if you provide a good multi-device online store.

On top of that, prioritize clean layouts, intuitive navigation, and easy-to-read text for all your services online.  

You can also highlight special offers with attractive banners to grab attention and boost conversions.  Consider personalization options to serve specific customer needs depending on customer behavior and further enhance the user experience and customer engagement. 

Smart search integration

Smart search on a website feels like walking into a store and being greeted by a helpful salesperson who whisks you to the exact product you are looking for.  B2B buyers know what they need, so make it a snap to find it.  Integrate AI-powered advanced search that anticipates their needs and surfaces relevant products quickly in your ecommerce sites.

And you shouldn’t let dead-end searches kill conversions.  Even if a search comes up empty, offer up suggestions for similar items or complementary products. It's all about keeping the buying journey in motion. 

And because typos happen, make sure your search is smart enough to handle them (and even missing spaces). Don't miss a single sale because of a misplaced keystroke!

Multiple payment options

B2B transactions often involve a global target audience. You can better sustain them by offering a diverse range of flexible payment options and secure payment gateways. This not only positions your business as professional and international, but it also keeps customers coming back for more. 

Think beyond the basics: global payment gateways and existing systems like Apple Pay, PayPal, and VISA are a must. Task your development team to consider offering additional options like charge cards, virtual cards, e-wallets, and ACH transfers to give your buyers maximum flexibility. Make sure these are available by the end of your website development project.  

Real-time order tracking

Both you and your B2B customers need real-time order tracking nowadays. It sends the message to your customers that orders are being handled professionally and securely, and that customers can expect reliable service from your end. Your ecommerce solution should seamlessly follow the customer journey, from placement to warehouse fulfillment, carrier pick-up, and final delivery, a truly comprehensive business model.

Clear and consistent status updates throughout the process build trust and enhance customer satisfaction.  Plus, it allows your business customers to efficiently manage their own operations and fulfill their own customer commitments through your ecommerce websites.

Blazing fast page speed

According to a 2022 study by Portent, you triple your chances of conversion when your page loads in less than 1 second, compared to a competitor site that takes around 5 seconds. A lightning-fast page load also screams efficiency and professionalism.  Visitors get what they need quickly, and search engines reward you with higher rankings, leading to more traffic, conversions, and ultimately, sales.

On the flip side, a sluggish website feels unreliable and can damage your reputation in an instant.  Remember, 79% of online shoppers abandon slow-loading sites–that's a massive missed opportunity!  Invest in optimizing your site speed to convert more browsers into buyers and effectively hit your business goals. Make sure you maintain the same speed thresholds on multiple digital marketing channels, especially on your ecommerce websites.

Reliable security measures

Data, especially sensitive customer data, is the backbone of any B2B eCommerce business.  Cybersecurity threats are real, with attackers motivated by everything from financial gain to disruption and espionage.  

The average data breach can cost companies around $4.45 million. Just recently, American Express was hit by a data breach from unauthorized access to a third-party merchant processor, compromising the personal details of their customers.

Today's attackers are sophisticated; they target entire industries for maximum impact. 

Here's why strong website security is a must-have

• You keep your customer and company data safe from prying eyes. 
• You maintain complete control over your business operations and information.
• You demonstrate your commitment to security and build trust with your B2B partners.

Investing in top-notch security is an investment in your business's future. Protect sensitive customer data to protect your customers' trust in you.

Amply Simplifies Web Development for B2B companies

Ready to build your successful B2B company website? Amply is here to help. With a prestigious client base including Startup Slack, Recordpoint, Pathlight, and more, it is a leader in building high-growth B2B sites. So join the Amply Advantage before your competitor does.