This post was originally published in January 2022 and was updated in September 2025 with additional information on B2B ecommerce strategy, FAQs, and more.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve witnessed B2B digitization rapidly accelerate across industries as a variety of factors have increased the need to shift business online. This digital embrace has allowed organizations to eliminate brick-and-mortar barriers while replicating the ease of consumer digital experiences. It also opens the opportunity to provide greater value with data that helps their buyers do their jobs better.
We onderzoeken de drie belangrijkste pijlers voor het creëren van effectieve e-commerce en hoe teams deze kunnen gebruiken om sterkere relaties op te bouwen met hun klanten. Maar laten we eerst eens kijken naar de huidige stand van zaken op het gebied van B2B e-commerce.
Common barriers to B2B eCommerce strategy adoption
While consumers around the globe have welcomed online shopping, the B2B world has been slower to adopt. There are a number of reasons for this, including inertia, as well as the anxiety that can be present when making large orders online. Additionally, sales teams can have concerns about the potential impact that adopting an ecommerce strategy will have on their roles. This includes questions such as “Am I really needed if my customers are making purchases online?” or “How can I maintain these long-established relationships through ecommerce?”
However, the truth is that an effective ecommerce platform can not only accommodate the unique needs of buyers at scale, but it can also strengthen the role of sales teams. This is exactly why the B2B ecommerce space is experiencing such rapid growth today, with some projections that global B2B ecommerce could reach $20.9 trillion by 2027.
Voor leveranciers en hun marketingteams is het creëren van een digitale winkel waarmee je 24 uur per dag bereikbaar bent voor je klant nog maar de helft van de strijd. Het stimuleren van acceptatie en het vergroten van het marktaandeel is de sleutel tot langetermijnsucces. Met de juiste aanpak kunnen teams van hun webwinkel een go-to maken voor hun klanten.
Struggling with payments? Read our blog to learn how online eCommerce payment systems work and how to choose the right one.
Key pillars for B2B eCommerce success in connecting with customers
1. Provide valuable content
De online concurrentie is moordend. Een van de beste manieren om je te onderscheiden is door consistent content van hoge kwaliteit aan te bieden. Sterker nog, hoogwaardige inhoud is een van de belangrijkste signalen die Google gebruikt om je website te rangschikken voor zoekopdrachten.
For distributors, quality content can include everything from product descriptions and real-time inventory updates to helpful blog posts or videos that empower your customers to make the most of what they purchase from you. A secondary benefit of producing this type of content on your ecommerce presence is SEO (search engine optimization). Effective SEO means more people will see your content, increasing awareness of your product offerings and ecommerce capabilities. SEO is a powerful tool, which is why 70% of marketers see SEO as more effective than PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising.
Een platform waarmee snel, eenvoudig en flexibel content kan worden gepubliceerd, is onmisbaar om van deze voordelen te kunnen profiteren. De juiste content die verbonden is met producten en services zorgt ervoor dat klanten en prospects terugkeren naar je site als een bron waar ze gemakkelijk de antwoorden, producten en services kunnen vinden waar ze naar op zoek zijn.
At the end of the day, quality content that conveys a deep understanding of your products and how they solve the challenges your customers face not only increases their confidence when making a purchase, but it also shifts their perception of you from being simply a supplier to being an industry thought leader and partner in their business.
Your ERP data can jumpstart your eCommerce strategy and accelerate your webstore maturity. Learn how to build a thriving online store with this guide: Webstore Maturity: Using Your ERP Data to Shortcut eCommerce Success
2. Create a personalized buying experience
When purchasing as a business or a consumer, customers want to feel seen, heard, and understood. This is why 67% of B2B buyers reported switching to vendors that offer a “more consumer-like” experience. Just as Amazon serves up recommendations based on its understanding of customers, to be truly effective, B2B ecommerce platforms should replicate this type of personalized customer experience. Great B2B solutions help you identify customer segments and understand them even better. To meet these ever-evolving expectations for personalization, teams should identify a digital ecommerce platform that provides the following:
- Multiple storefronts: For enterprise accounts that may have various buyers with different needs, providing multiple storefronts will give each buyer a personalized experience for everything from recommended products to content.
- Search functionality: Customers should be able to easily search for products and helpful content. If different customer segments use different words or terms, ensure that each “language” can be easily searched so every customer can find what they are looking for.
- AI-powered product recommendations: Automating personalized recommendations creates a frictionless experience for customers and sales team members. An AI-powered platform will “learn” about each customer through their interactions, making it easier for them to do business with you every time.
3. Maintain the human connection
Traditionele verkoopprocessen bestaan van oudsher uit persoonlijke interacties die zijn gebaseerd op relaties die gedurende een lange periode zijn opgebouwd. En hoewel dit proces nu steeds meer verschuift naar het digitale domein, is het nog steeds mogelijk om het menselijke element te behouden.
Met virtuele teams en een overvloed aan informatie en resources wordt de aankoopervaring steeds complexer. Met zo'n breed scala aan contactmomenten kan er gemakkelijk wrijving ontstaan tijdens het koperstraject. De integratie van menselijke interactie in deze contactmomenten schept vertrouwen en zorgt ervoor dat je klanten zich niet het zoveelste nummer voelen.
Here’s how your marketing, sales, and support teams can help elevate the customer experience:
- Mobile communication: Today’s buyers are constantly on the go. Your ecommerce presence should provide a mobile experience that gives them easy access to your offerings and services whenever they need them and wherever they are. This is also where you can reach them more immediately with alerts and notifications.
- Chat functionality: When a customer has a question, you need to be able to address it quickly. A live chat function that connects customers and prospects to real people reduces the risk of customer churn while strengthening your relationships.
- Sales process integration: Successful sales teams know how to navigate the in’s and out’s of their ecommerce presence. They should be able to quickly access information to help customers whether on a phone call, email exchange, webstore communication or on the sales floor.
Het huidige ondernemerslandschap is voortdurend in ontwikkeling. Maar één ding zal nooit veranderen en dat is de noodzaak om sterke, langdurige relaties op te bouwen met je klanten. Door een e-commerceaanwezigheid op te bouwen die waardevol is voor je klanten, met een krachtige rol voor je team, kun je als bedrijf een uitstekende klantenbinding opbouwen en tegelijkertijd de omzet stimuleren. Dat is een echte win-win situatie.
Read the blog → ERP eCommerce integration: Fast-track success
Frequently Asked Questions
Bekijk de veelgestelde vragen voor algemene vragen. Vind snel nuttige antwoorden om de informatie te krijgen die u nodig hebt.
What are the key components of a successful B2B eCommerce strategy?
Effective B2B eCommerce strategy relies on three core elements: providing valuable content that establishes your expertise, creating personalized experiences for different customer types, and maintaining human connections throughout the digital process. The best platforms combine AI recommendations, flexible storefront options, and integrated sales tools to deliver complete customer experiences.
How does B2B eCommerce strategy improve customer satisfaction?
B2B eCommerce platforms give customers convenient access to products and account information anytime, anywhere. Features like personalized recommendations, self-service capabilities, and real-time inventory visibility reduce wait times and simplify the buying process, leading to higher satisfaction rates.
How do mobile capabilities fit into B2B eCommerce strategy?
Mobile access is essential for modern B2B buyers who need to place orders, check inventory, and manage accounts while traveling or working remotely. Mobile-optimized platforms support the flexible work styles that define today’s business environment.
