6 Challenges for online shops in B2B e-commerce

What does an online shop in B2B have to be able to offer? What differentiates B2B e-commerce from B2C? The basic criteria can be summarised as six challenges:

• The shop is aimed at smaller, homogenous user groups
• B2B shops are often used by the same customers for the same products
• The emphasis is therefore on finding the product and completing the order quickly. Compared to B2C, time saving functions such as savable wish lists, are more important than design.

• Information on availability, as well as tiered pricing, packing units and exact delivery times belong in the product description.
• A B2B shop rarely comes alone: Complete integration into the system landscape is vital, in order to provide internal and external data exchange.
• The direct connection makes certain areas from the B2C ordering process in B2B obsolete. For instance, the customer is normally familiar and the order standard, meaning that the log-in site and availability of different payment methods play a smaller role. Should SAP be deployed, the shopping cart is generated directly in the SAP system.

Because of these differences to B2C, using the correct e-commerce software, which meets the specific requirements of the B2B branch, can be a deciding factor when entering into B2B e-commerce. The Forrester-Analysis Forrester-Analyse zu B2B E-Commerce-Systemanbietern can serve as a basis for the evaluation of these systems.

Learn more: Whitepaper “Success with B2B E-Commerce”

<img src="https://www.handelskraft.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/B2B-Whitepaper-klein.png" alt="B2B E-Commerce Whitepaper" width="200" height="200" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-22367"

In our new whitepaper, we answer the question, what e-commerce can do for brand owners and industry. Every B2B customer is also a B2C customer and calls for a correspondingly up-to-date user experience. Improved service, automatised client acquisition and deployment opportunities for mobile end devices are addressed, as well as process optimisation. Download free of charge here.