4 B2B eCommerce Platforms Sellers Need to Know
Learn more about these 4 B2B eCommerce platforms (including what they offer sellers), and set yourself up for success in this booming industry.
The B2B eCommerce industry is growing fast. In fact, this report from Digital Commerce 360 shows that “the value of transactions through B2B digital sales channels” increased by 9.6% to $9.92 trillion in 2020 (up from $9.06 trillion in 2019).
With sales on the rise, more and more platform developers are entering the B2B space. And that means sellers have lots of choices when deciding which one to use for their website. While we can’t tell you which platform to go with, we can certainly provide some useful information about several of the most popular ones. Here are 4 B2B eCommerce platforms that all sellers need to know about…
What Is B2B eCommerce?
B2B stands for business-to-business. And B2B eCommerce simply means selling products or services online to other businesses rather than to individual consumers. This approach is also sometimes known as “wholesale eCommerce.”
Many sellers opt to go the B2B route due to benefits that can include the ability to reach a new group of customers (companies), more efficient sales processes and access to big data. Others enter the B2B space because it just makes sense for the types of products or services they sell (such as software developers or equipment manufacturers).
1. Shopify Plus
First up is Shopify’s enterprise offering, Shopify Plus, which was launched in 2014, and now hosts more than 10,000 brands in 175 different countries.
This platform enables sellers to get up and running quickly, and offers automation, 3D and augmented reality visual shopping experiences, easy checkout with ShopPay and more.
With ShopifyPlus, sellers can manage both B2B and B2C sales from the same platform. Just a few of the features that make this platform stand out include ERP and CRM integrations, more than 100 payment providers, conversion optimization and tons of customization options.
Pricing: ShopifyPlus’ pricing is revenue-based, from $2,000 to $40,000 per month.
2. CS-Cart
Next up is CS-Cart, which started in 2005 and powers over 35,000 stores and marketplaces. CS-Cart is a multi-vendor solution, meaning it allows independent vendors to sell their items through a single storefront using built-in CMS for marketplaces. This enables sellers to concentrate more time and effort on selling, rather than focusing on custom development.
With over 500 features, including drag-and-drop design templates and fully customizable source code, CS-Cart truly lets B2B eCommerce pros convey the branding tone of their choice.
Pricing: CS-Cart starts at $2,450 per month for B2B companies.
3. BigCommerce B2B
Launched in 2019, BigCommerce B2B enables sellers to “build sleek site designs for large catalogs, with customer and pricing segmentation down to the SKU level.” This platform comes with a wide range of tools and capabilities, including automation and punch out, as well as a long list of useful integrations.
On BigCommerce B2B, sellers can develop custom shipping rates and sync data across CRM, ERP, OMS and other platforms. Plus, shoppers are able to enjoy the same type of one-click ease they find on marketplaces such as Amazon.
Pricing: Available upon request.
4. WooCommerce B2B
Powering 26% of all eCommerce websites, WooCommerce is the official eCommerce plugin for WordPress-based sites. Made for eCommerce businesses of all sizes and launched in 2011, this free open-source offering gives sellers access to a huge list of optional plugins to customize their business.
One of them, WooCommerce B2B, includes several exciting features for B2B eCommerce sellers. Just a few of them are the ability to hide prices from non-members, give discounts to specific customer groups and exclude taxes.
Pricing: WooCommerce is free, and the WooCommerce B2B plugin costs $69 per month.
B2B eCommerce Platforms: Final Thoughts
When it comes to choosing a B2B eCommerce platform for your online business, you have lots of options. In addition to the 4 mentioned above, just a few more include SuiteCommerce (Oracle), Pepperi, OpenCart and Magento B2B. It’s important to consider the needs of your company, as well as the features, costs and capabilities of any given platform in order to decide which one will work best for you.
And once you’ve made your decision, don’t drop the ball when it comes to customer service! As a B2B eCommerce pro, you may be selling to other businesses, but they’re still your customers. And if you’re selling on multiple marketplaces in addition to your own website (as most eCommerce sellers are), then centralizing your customer messaging is imperative to keeping things streamlined and responsive.
Use Replyco’s time-saving tools such as customizable templates, smart-auto-responders and Live Chat widget to handle everything from responding to customer inquiries to answering FAQs to meeting shoppers where they are at the point of sale.
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