B2B eCommerce Overview - Built to Adapt
Business eCommerce can be greatly different from Consumer eCommerce sites that cater to individual customers. Business to Business eCommerce, often also referred to as Enterprise eCommerce, is aimed to bring businesses together in transactions, and Clarity eCommerce is designed and built for these heavily customized B2B implementations. This essentially involves large suppliers and business establishments. Orders on B2B eCommerce sites are simply transactional in nature and likely to be in higher volumes. Business eCommerce platforms are used to create contracts, set specified prices, handle distributors, resellers, tiered pricing and much more. It usually is much more complicated than creating a B2C eCommerce site, many of which involve standard template implementation. Another distinguishing fact about B2C vs. B2B sites is that most B2C sites can adapt and change their business processes to match the features and functionality of the eCommerce "product" that they select, whereas a B2B implementation, needs the eCommerce "platform" to mold and adapt to their complex business and back-office processes, and be able to be easily adapted and expanded as their business changes.
There are many kinds of websites that companies create to serve their client’s B2B eCommerce purposes. Here are examples of these types of websites:
B2B eCommerce Site Types
Company Websites Just For Business to Business eCommerce
Business eCommerce websites are normally created to target other businesses as their customers. Therefore, these Business to Business eCommerce websites aim to display all their products and services through this website. They might include options such as asking for user registration, viewing of real time inventory and means to find out more about the product’s current location. These websites might even ask for distributors to login and gain access to the company website.
E-Procurement Sites for Better B2B eCommerce
This form of business to business eCommerce website allows companies to submit proposals and bid for a set of products and services. They may also be enable customers to buy products from the vendors once a price is agreed upon. These websites are normally customized to suit the niche and industry of the particular vendor. If your company currently uses a quote proposal system in the sales process and you would like to make your website eCommerce compatible, consider our eCommerce Website Quote Forms offering.
Broker Websites within Business to Business eCommerce Transactions
Some forms of business eCommerce sites are set up for the middleman who is managing in between the buyer and supplier of a particular industry. These websites facilitate communication and transactions that take place between the two parties and function as a broker.
Industry Vertical Websites to Serve Business to Business eCommerce
Business to Business eCommerce websites of this nature serve a wide range of purposes. They serve to provide more information about products within the industry. They also act as a center-point that encourages discussions between members of the industry. These types of B2B eCommerce websites allow you to also get access to product listings from multiple merchants.
Infomediary Websites for Better Business to Business eCommerce
These forms of Business to Business eCommerce websites serve as an informational hub and spoke for visitors who want to learn more about the industry and its companies. These sites allow for easy searches to find out more about each individual firm. They also come with material that helps explain the standards maintained within the industry and trade. This type of B2B eCommerce website aims to educate the public more about the industry.
There are many different kinds of business eCommerce websites that each serve their own purpose. It is essential that you choose the right kind of B2B eCommerce website that helps you with your commercial ventures and revenue goals.