How to choose an eCommerce platform in the UK for B2B

Although we are slap bang in the middle of a massive digital transformation with transactions of virtually every kind now being done online, an astonishing number of B2B businesses are still muddling along as they have done for decades. Many seem to believe that their companies are exempt from all this new-fangled digital stuff. However, such a Luddite mentality will likely see them less able to compete as their competitors and customers go digital.

Some businesses seem to be terrified of technology, and the prospect of adopting an eCommerce platform in the UK is simply a step too far for them. But that honestly does not need to be the case, as many B2B eCommerce platforms exist that can help make the transition from regular commerce to eCommerce super simple. Furthermore, by going digital, not only will those companies have access to a broader market than they probably have at present, but it will also allow them to compete against other companies that have already shifted to digital trading.

The 6 Main Factors to Consider When Looking for a B2B eCommerce Platform

Contrary to what you may think, eCommerce is not just for hi-tech companies and Berlin-based startups. To make choosing a suitable eCommerce solution for your business a little less daunting, we'll now go over the main factors that you need to consider before investing in one.

Focus on Business Needs

Knowing the needs of both your business and those of your customers is essential. There will, of course, be some commonalities in those needs, but there will also be some that are specific to either you or your customers but not both. Furthermore, the kind of business you run will have a bearing on the solution you choose; for example, a manufacturer's buying and selling processes differ significantly from those of a wholesaler or distributor.

Therefore, the B2B eCommerce platform you opt for should have sufficient flexibility to cater to the business needs of everyone using it, and that may also include individual personnel within your customers' organisations. That means you will need the ability to create personalised catalogues and price lists, probably managed through an integrated content management system (CMS). Furthermore, it may also be necessary to grant different permissions and access rights to the various people using the system.

Ability to Create Customer Accounts

In contrast to B2C customers who are just looking for the best deal, B2B customers prefer to form ongoing relationships with one another. So, while pricing will also be important to them, they will probably also ask for things like specific payment terms, custom prices, or special shipping arrangements in return for their repeat business.

As such, your chosen B2B eCommerce solution must have the facility for creating and managing separate accounts for every customer, each with its own unique features. Having that facility will enable you to offer them a personalised experience, plus you will be able to manage transactions better, thereby avoiding expensive, time-consuming errors.

It is also advantageous if the solution can segment customers by things like order volume or frequency, geographic location, etc. As well as helping you manage customers more effectively, segmentation will also allow you to focus your marketing efforts precisely where they are needed.

Customer-Specific Information

B2C customers generally buy on impulse, with only a high-level idea of what they actually want. Furthermore, they are happy to spend lots of time searching for the best deals. In contrast, B2B buyers will have precise requirements when looking for products. They don't want to spend hours trawling through endless catalogues to find what they are looking for – they want relevant information to be readily available.

All B2B eCommerce platforms worthy of their salt will allow you to easily provide product catalogues and prices tailored specifically to each individual customer or customer group.

Options for Electronic Payments

While they were commonplace in the UK not so long ago, cheques gave way to credit cards and manual bank transfers. Fast forward to today, and electronic payments that can be done instantly via online banking or through payment gateways like Wise, Stripe, and PayPal have become the de rigueur.

The wonderful thing about electronic payments is that they can be done from any device, including mobile phones or tablets. That is great for busy businessmen, and it lays to rest the default excuse "the cheque is in the post, guv"!

Therefore, it figures that all decent B2B eCommerce solutions can accept electronic payments. That said, you may still get customers asking for things like lines of credit, and your chosen platform needs to be flexible enough to accommodate those requirements too.

Delivery Options

Often, B2B customers have very rigid timescales to which they must adhere. This is especially so with manufacturing companies where, for example, production could grind to a sudden halt if a particular part is unavailable, or parts deliveries are not possible due to a lack of storage space at the factory.

Given that each of your customers is likely to have very different delivery demands, you must ensure that your B2B eCommerce platform can accommodate those.

Ability to Scale with Your Business

You want your business to grow, and it makes sense that your chosen B2B eCommerce platform should evolve with it. For example, you may wish to branch out into overseas territories, in which case you will probably be dealing with multiple languages, currencies and taxations. Your platform should ideally be able to help you with that, or at the very least, be upgradable to do so

A Word of Caution

While B2C eCommerce platforms are generally much cheaper than B2B solutions, the two are not interchangeable. This is because B2C and B2B customers are very different, with B2B ones having very particular needs compared to B2C. Therefore, if you run a B2B business, be sure to invest in a B2B-specific eCommerce platform.

If you would like to see a detailed comparison of the two, check out the article B2B vs B2C eCommerce Differences: 6 Tips on How to Sell to Your Real Customer.

Don't Be a Digital Luddite – Jump to eCommerce Now!

Hopefully, this article has got you thinking more deeply about what kind of business you operate, its current and future needs, and those of its customers. That should have helped you realise that regardless of what industry you are in, the longer you put off establishing a solid digital presence, the further behind you will lag. It's a grim fact that many firms fail just because they do not keep up with the times, and time seems to move faster than ever before in this digital age.

The six factors mentioned in this article are the essential ones you should expect to have when looking for a B2B eCommerce platform for use in the UK. Of course, there are many other factors such as integrations, ease of use, security, maintenance, etc. However, you will only know if those are useful to you if you have a thorough understanding of both your and your customers' business needs now and in the future.

Finally, many out-of-the-box eCommerce platforms are available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. However, we suggest you start by looking at some of the most popular, for example: