Committing to a B2B ecommerce platform development is no small task, especially if you want to make good sales as a business owner. And of course, you do! But while B2C platforms focus on user-friendly designs and fast transactions, B2B has different needs. It should address things like bulk buying, long sales cycles, and complex customer relationships. So in this article, we’ll explore the key features that your B2B eCommerce platform should have.

Custom Pricing and Bulk Discounts

One-size-fits-all pricing doesn’t work for B2B transactions. Many of your customers may negotiate unique pricing agreements, and there are many customers indeed. It’s all based on things like order volume, contract terms, and others. Your e-commerce platform should be able to handle this.

So why does it matter exactly? Well, a few reasons: 

  • More flexibility. There should be an option to sell to small businesses, large enterprises, or resellers. All of them need different pricing!
  • Allows for bulk ordering. Customers will want to order in bulk if there are volume discounts.

But that’s just the basics. Let’s get into more nitty-gritty stuff a pro team like the SECL group could do for you when developing a B2B ecommerce platform.

Advanced Search and Navigation

B2B buyers know what they want—it’s important to make it easy for them to find it. Whether you sell products or services, a simple search is key to increasing customer satisfaction. And where there’s customer satisfaction, there are revenues! Most of the B2B transactions consist of a big catalog so it requires a smooth experience for the buyers.

Key features here would be the following:

  • Faceted search. It should be possible to filter by brand, category, price, and availability.
  • Autocomplete. This offers autocomplete suggestions when a customer is typing in the search field.
  • Search history and saved searches. This would allow returning customers to select their previous choices one more.

These will save your clients some precious time. So if you want to reduce friction for people so they can get their products easily, an advanced search and navigation is something to account for when developing a B2B ecommerce platform with an expert team like the SECL group.

Personalized Catalogs and Products

B2C customers often have no need to view an entire catalog. You can make it easier for them to find the relevant products relevant by dividing the product catalog by industry, location, or previous purchases. This will make the overall shopping experience better and more straightforward.

Buyers will save time on the search because they will be able to filter everything they need to filter. No need to look through a dozen unrelated products. This can also improve the possibility of upselling or cross-selling in turn.

Flexible Payment Options

The payment processes for B2B tend to be more complicated than in B2C. The platform should offer flexible payment options so that it meets the needs of different customers. Having various options for payment—purchase order, invoice, credit card transaction—can make the purchase itself go smoother. And nobody wants to deal with complex selling deals—handling money is stressful enough as it is.

Popular payment options to include are:

  • Credit accounts. Offer regular customers to make purchases on credit for a defined period of time.
  • Payment on invoice. Allow your customers to make a purchase and pay later when they receive a physical good.
  • Purchase order system. Allow your customers to raise a purchase order and submit it directly through your platform.

These flexible options will demonstrate your understanding of the nuances of B2B, so you’ll know how to direct the development of your B2B platform better.

Real-time Inventory and Order Tracking

If you are a business owner, you will need to know what is in stock or when it will arrive. No one wants to get through an ordering process only to find out that the item is unavailable. Real-time inventory means your customer is always informed. It’s easier to avoid possible delays or cancellations in this way. In the same way, once an order is made, a customer should be able to track their order status in real-time.

So what your platform should have:

  • Real-time inventory tracking. Showing stock and highlighting available items.
  • Tracking orders. Status updates of placed orders, with estimations on delivery dates along with the shipping details.

This will make your platform more transparent, so it’s easier for your clients to trust the process while they are waiting for their packages to arrive.

Mobile-Friendly Experience

A lot of people do their business on mobile. Whether they are checking inventory on their way home or placing orders on the go, your eCommerce platform needs to be fully optimized for mobile use. A poor mobile experience means lost sales and frustrated customers!

A good mobile experience requires responsive design. The website should fit any screen size to allow smooth and intuitive navigation. Quick loading time is also key to make users don’t bounce to go find something that works faster!

Integration with ERP and CRM Systems

Any B2B e-commerce site doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It needs to be fully integrated with other systems, including ERP and CRM software. It makes automation easier: updating the inventory and customer information, tracking the budget, and other operations associated with running a business.

Integration with the ERP and CRM systems helps maintain consistency by keeping product availability, customer information, and orders in sync. This allows for a lot of things: automation of the invoicing process, order tracking, and customer support, so your team can focus on more strategic plans. Integration also allows to gather more insights because it will be easier to collect relevant data.

Conclusion

A powerful B2B e-commerce platform is a lot more than just an online shop. It’s a robust tool that drives sales and builds customer relationships. In this guide, we’ve gone over some fundamental features you should consider developing while creating a B2B eCommerce site. They will not only make buying easier but will also create more sales for your site and help in building long-term client loyalty.