B2B Ecommerce Transition: A Review on the Transition from Commerce to eCommerce

The digital transformation brought about a breakthrough that influenced today’s businesses in all aspects. “Commerce” evolved to “eCommerce”, which entailed the transformation of manual operations within fields of commerce through online procedures. Digitalizing one and each of these operations and shifting business to online platforms have been possible thanks to various software. In the B2B eCommerce context, it was also possible by platforms designed especially for managing the B2B ecosystem. The B2B eCommerce transition could happen on the basis of that.

The first spark was the idea that expanding a simple online buying experience and reflecting on a broader context in the B2B environment is possible for future platforms. As easy as it may sound, it is a chain of transformations to shape a larger and more complex whole.

What are the B2B eCommerce transition elements to transform first?

As further episodes of digital transformation unfold, the following emerged as the first elements to transform first in any business:

• Automating business operations across your channel
• Presenting your brand, in other words, brand education
• Relationship within your channel, and without

Today, the first element is successfully covered by a wide range of software. Companies found it easier to leave it to their decision-makers who approach the issue with IT knowledge.

However, the other two have more multifaceted natures, therefore they require different as well as indirect approaches with special care for relationships within B2B eCommerce. As many of our followers would notice, we’ve covered the relationship complexity in B2B environments several times in our blog. It’s not only a core component of the very nature of B2B but also directly linked to the engagement concept.

As developers of Apex Loyalty, we welcome the technical approach for B2B eCommerce procedures first, so that we make sense in the latter part. So firstly, let’s take a look at how companies make the B2B eCommerce transition happen today.

Merging CRM and B2B eCommerce Together

Customer relationship management (CRM) and business-to-business (B2B) are two crucial components of modern marketing. If we can integrate them on a platform, all actors behind your business processes can benefit from this. Today, eCommerce platforms serve as the merging platform for this need, empowering sales, marketing, service, and many other departments. With the launch of B2B eCommerce platforms based on modern CRM, companies discovered a much easier means to handle and direct operations.

B2B eCommerce software covered tools for dealing with major functions that need to be addressed on a daily basis in B2B eCommerce environment. For instance, products for eCommerce on Salesforce with a focus on such, the following emerged as these major segments: Boosting revenue, scaling your business, industry-specific customization, and in-depth engagement. Realizing these fundamentals actually produce more returns than simply eliminating manual tasks of B2B eCommerce. How?

Automation Makes Room for Growth

Let’s tackle each item, one by one:

Boosting Revenue 

Insights from users and brands show the key is the simplicity and applying the feel of “self-service” to online multi-purchasing. Therefore, imitating a consumer-like shopping experience regarding the transactions within a channel may provide a smooth experience for B2B partners. Daily tasks across the B2B environment vary for the channel manager.

For instance, if you are a retailer you need to meet the needs of your distribution or wholesale partners and your own employees. This varies from restocking your shelves to online ordering functions that enable partners to order replacement parts, etc. For your own party, you need features that are compatible with B2B dynamics for achieving fast reorders, account hierarchies, contract pricing, custom catalogs, and more. The reason B2B eCommerce platforms are in high demand today is their multi-response ability to address these all.

Scaling Your Business

With the elimination of the above-mentioned manual work, you will definitely have time and energy to focus on launching new products and generating more revenue. To achieve this, you need to see where you are standing and your performance in measurable units. This will also clear up your horizon, providing you with crystal clear forecasts.

Once you are able to measure your activities, you can reduce costs and reallocate resources. Imagine being able to do it with all your partners as a whole body that focuses on the same objectives. By empowering your allies with self-service tools and walking them through guided experiences, you can reallocate time and money immensely.

Industry-specific Customization

Your unified and account-based structure including ordering, pricing, stock-taking, etc. functions are possible due to the power of CRM integration. This encompasses the entire chain — from manufacturing to the end buyer — with a seamless, online experience across all touchpoints. Gaining such freedom will provide you more room for getting creative in engagement activities.

Being more aware and responsive in ad hoc situations and ever-changing needs will make you a better channel manager. This way you’ll also be able to encourage your partners, which will lead to steering a whole ecosystem towards digital.

In-depth Engagement

Connecting customer data to the overall endeavors through your CRM was the foremost and crucial step. Gaining a multidimensional view of customer activity across all your department and parties was exceptional. Reaching this was hard work, but worth it. Now it’s time to maintain this, stay connected, and in harmony while staying up-to-date.

B2B eCommerce platforms help you build customer loyalty faster, and it will be more fruitful than you think. It will help you deploy the new way of doing B2B eCommerce in weeks, instead of years. Resistance to technology within a business context is a thing, and new eCommerce dynamics are effective in fighting this challenge.

Reinforcing the User Experience with Apex Loyalty Elements

One of the driving power behind Apex Loyalty is the group of professionals coming from various backgrounds. We are aware of your needs, conflicts, and the hardships you constantly go through.

We developed Apex Loyalty’s core structure with awareness for the industry dynamics and B2B eCommerce environment combined. It’s no coincidence that our framework bears a high resemblance with any B2B eCommerce platform that is mentioned in this post. You may think of our services as another layer that reinforces and amplifies the engagement parameter in your commerce platform.

Embracing the very same principles, Apex Loyalty becomes your catalyst. It also serves as an effective communicative tool in supporting your partners as they go digital. Feelings of familiarity Apex Loyalty provides will render your B2B eCommerce transition experience personal and empower your presence in all domains.

You can click the link https://www.apexloyalty.com/b2b-engagement-ideas/ to read our previous article.