Challenges to B2B Ecommerce

Business to Business (B2B) companies now face a market in which their key customers expect the same kind of technological infrastructure as the Business to Consumer (B2C) market.

While once it was acceptable to have a simple website with a small ‘about’ section and a online version of a catalogue, now the market demands a premium online shopping experience, one which is intuitive, rewarding, streamlined and personal.

Business buyers are drawn to suppliers who can demonstrate the same kind of online service they have become familiar with through B2C, this means less emphasis on sales people and more on developing the technology to ensure a positive buying experience. Systems like loyalty schemes, personalised offers, purchasing suggestions and payment/collection options are expected. Multi-platform optimisation is also an absolute necessity as more B2B buyers are using their mobiles to research suppliers than ever before.

Despite the very evident shift in customer preferences, the B2B sector has been slow to adopt the advanced systems expected from an online retailer.

Market researchers Ascend2 have surveyed a sample of businesses in an effort to understand why this should be the case:

The results of the survey demonstrate that many businesses lack the knowledge, experience and expertise required to integrate such complex technical systems into their existing platforms and processes. However it also suggests that availability of data is one of the less deciding factors in developing a digital strategy.

Companies looking to grow their businesses should turn to dedicated agencies such as Redbox Digital, which, as well as being able to produce complex, integrated and scalable systems, can also offer sage business consultancy and training.

The experience and varied knowledge of Redbox Digital’s professionals set them apart from other agencies, their dedicated training centre in Mauritius also ensures that clients are fully acclimatised and tutored in the capabilities of Redbox Digital developed systems, all to an appropriate budget.

Using the Magento 2.0 Enterprise Edition ecommerce platform, Redbox Digital has created a framework for B2B Ecommerce that allows companies get to market quickly with features that are expected by B2B companies, including; custom customer pricing, private sales, drop shipping, invoice payments and integration with key systems.

Redbox Digital has successfully implemented sites for companies such as Alexandra who sell uniforms and workwear.

To see how Redbox Digital can revolutionise how you do business, contact us.