Manufacturing eCommerce Solution Providing Direct Access to Customers

Clarity eCommerce - The eCommerce Platform to Scale and Grow Your Business
Finding the Right Solution Unique to Your Business

Improving your Busines Reach with an eCommerce Solution

eCommerce has transformed retail forever. It has significantly influenced the way buyers think and their expectations. So, it comes as no surprise that this revolution has impacted the area of B2B commerce as well. Like retail, people who are quick to adopt manufacturing eCommerce in the manufacturing industry will obtain market share and dominate this area for years. While digitizing has its challenges, the benefits overweigh them if you choose the right manufacturing eCommerce solution.

B2B customers are eCommerce-savvy B2C consumers now. Their digital expectations for retail are not the same anymore. They continue to change the B2B buying journey with each transaction.

B2B customers are proactive all the same. However, instead of going through catalogs and dialing numbers, they now prefer turning to manufacturing eCommerce platforms and search engines. The self-serve concept of the B2C model drives their current behavior. Naturally, suppliers and manufacturers that reward these customers with a web experience (such as eCommerce facility) will gain their loyalty.

What Is In It For Manufacturers?

Benefits of eCommerce for Suppliers and Manufacturers

One of the major benefits is increased sales. However, that is just the beginning. The right manufacturing eCommerce software will integrate with other solutions, support marketing efforts, and ensure positive user experience.

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Touch New Markets

eCommerce and digital marketing are more linked with each other than you would think. It makes scaling into unexplored markets and territories not only easier but also cost-effective. Moreover, it also makes tracking results easier. Improved brand awareness and increased reach results in greater sales possibilities.

There are some steps you can take to ensure creating an eCommerce presence does not impact your relationship with existing distributors. You can provide them with exclusive offerings, so they do not start perceiving your business as competition. These offerings can include unique finishes, sizes, colors, or maybe exclusive products, if possible. Additionally, tailoring your products according to new markets, will improve your reach without affecting your current network.

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Improved Operations

With all the new sales to deal with, you will thank your manufacturing eCommerce software for being able to hand back-end efficiencies. A good solution will provide manufacturing eCommerce integration with your PIM, CRM, ERP, or any other system you use. Therefore, it is important to keep integrations in mind while selecting a platform to maximize the effectiveness of your efforts.

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Improved Customer Experience

eCommerce allows customers to order and check the order status online from anywhere and at any time. This means you do not have to waste your time taking orders and answering questions regarding the order status via the phone. The sales functions and customer service can instead focus on nurturing leads and building relationships.

Leveraging a Mobile-Friendly Omnichannel Experience To Your Customers

Mobile-Friendly Platforms

B2B customers look for an omnichannel experience- one that includes online and mobile options. A lot of manufacturers realize this- so should you. These days, having a website is not enough. It should be mobile-friendly too. You need features like click-to-dial for customers looking at your catalog online but have questions regarding certain products. Many global players pair their eCommerce manufacturing platform with global marketplaces to service the buyers’ need for self-serve, no matter where they are located. To sum up, you need to be prepared for the modern buyer, whether it is on mobile or desktop, at a marketplace or an eCommerce site.

Debunking the Myths Surrounding Manufacturing eCommerce

Common B2B eCommerce Myths

It is obvious that B2B eCommerce ensures buyers get the experience they want. So why are suppliers and manufacturers not catching up with this trend? There are a lot of myths that serve as stumbling blocks. In this section, we tear the most common ones down.

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Complex Orders Cannot Be Handled Online

A lot of manufacturers have this misconception that because every order is different, it is impossible to process them online.

The myth: you cannot deal with the RFQ process, and catalogs and price lists customized by customers online.

While the myth is simply untrue, there is a reason why it originated in the first place. At the start, B2B merchants tried to utilize B2C eCommerce software. Naturally, it was incapable of handling the complex processes associated with B2B eCommerce. So a lot of expensive and extensive customization was required. These days, there are platforms built from scratch to deal with B2B transactions.

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B2B Sales Involve Multiple Decision Makers

Multiple decision-makers are responsible for most B2B sales.

The myth: eCommerce will not be able to handle such a complex approval process

Again, while a B2C software won’t do the job, a solution with solid account management will allow customers to configure the corporate account structure of their organizations. They would be able to define authorities and roles and make purchasing rules for the different accounts depending on their roles.

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Ordering/Reordering is Tedious

Most customers already know what to order while repeat purchasing. It is easier for them to place an order by just uploading a file listing the SKUs and quantities.

The myth: processing bulk and repeat orders online is slow as customers are required to search to fill the order form

Well, if your manufacturing eCommerce solution cannot deal with re-orders and bulk orders efficiently and easily, you have selected the wrong solution. In fact, businesses that have online ordering facilities experience greater average order values than companies that do not.

How Clarity can Help

Clarity Manufacturing eCommerce Experts

As suppliers and manufacturers started to develop eCommerce platforms, B2C solutions tried to alter their systems to fulfill the needs of B2B businesses. As expected, they were unsuccessful. They were not able to create the customizable and scalable solutions required by the B2B marketplace.

Therefore, when choosing B2B solutions, see whether the platform fulfills the common B2B requirements. Look for scalability and flexibility, total ownership cost, and a healthy collaboration ecosystem.