B2B digital commerce, digital commerce, e-commerce

Digital commerce continues to grow in importance—and not just for companies that sell business-to-consumer (B2C). The Gartner Digital Commerce Survey found that 86% of marketing leaders believe that digital commerce will be their most important market channel over the next two years.

E-commerce has upended how we all shop. B2C e-commerce customers are now used to, and increasingly prefer, self-serve buying options. However, business-to-business (B2B) companies have been traditionally reluctant to adopt e-commerce.

86% of marketing leaders believe that digital commerce will be their most important market channel over the next two years.

It’s fair to say that e-commerce technology grew from B2C practices and that B2B companies did not have the tools to serve their customers in the same way. However, that has changed. These days B2B companies can leverage comprehensive digital commerce platforms that allow them to meet their customers’ needs, and attract new ones.

Why Change? Your Customers Want You To

Whether we shop B2B or B2C, most of us start our buying journey with a web search. This means that in order to meet the needs of today’s B2B customers, your website needs to act like a virtual sales representative. When your customers log in, they need to be able to see their order history, as well as products and pricing.

Ideally, a B2B digital commerce solution should have a smart and quick reorder form so that customers can easily place repeat orders. In addition, features like punchout catalogs, private B2B portals and automated quoting will help companies gain new customers.

That’s just on the customer end. A comprehensive B2B digital commerce solution should also help your sales representatives sell more effectively, for example, by generating catalogs and presentations that their customers will be interested in.

B2B Digital Commerce is Complex…but Not That Complicated

Every company is unique and has its complexities. B2B companies often incorrectly assume that:

  1. Their products are just too complex for e-commerce, or 
  2. That there are no digital commerce solutions that will be able to handle their unique needs.

Neither assumption is true. Robust digital commerce solutions designed to specifically address the needs of B2B companies are available. These solutions offer advanced features such as:

  • Punchout catalogs
  • Private B2B portals
  • Marketing automation
  • Quick ordering functionality
  • Workflows and business rule builders
  • Product configuration

B2B companies risk getting left behind by not exploring their digital commerce options and finding the right technology that suits their particular needs.

Don’t Get Left Behind…Invest in Modern Digital Commerce Today

B2B companies need a B2B digital commerce solution that will positively impact growth and revenue. Therefore, B2B companies should carefully consider whether the platform is configurable and customizable to their needs as well as the scalability of their chosen solution. Ideally, your vendor should also offer access to an extensive API library that allows your company to easily configure the site and cost-effectively automate workflows.

Want to Learn More? 

To learn more about how QAD Digital Commerce can help you, visit our website.

Lynne Roof is QAD's Product Marketing Director for QAD EQMS and QAD Complete Customer Management solutions. She has been helping manufacturing companies overcome challenges and experience value from technology for 30+ years in roles of product management, product marketing, business consulting and implementation services, with the last 14 years at QAD. In her free time she enjoys hiking, biking, camping and spending time with her family.

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