According to research and insights by McKinsey & Company, 66% of B2B buyers believe self-service is more important than traditional sales interactions, while many cited issues pertaining to suppliers' websites.
Among these, the top ones included technical glitches related to ordering (33%), difficulty finding products (34%), and the length of the ordering process (36%). Issues like inadequate information about delivery and technical support and payment-related problems were also cited.
In simple words, the need to invest in B2B eCommerce solutions is being felt more than ever before. B2B businesses like manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and suppliers are now keen on getting on to smart B2B eCommerce platforms to create new selling models while ensuring a seamless customer experience. You need to choose one diligently to embark on a successful eCommerce journey for your B2B sales and marketing.
The global market size of the eCommerce platforms industry is currently 2,379,586 with 439 companies producing eCommerce platforms technologies. We’ve enlisted our top 5 recommendations to help you make the right choice.
But before we tell you what’s hot, let’s set expectations here. Knowing what you want will give you a definite direction in your hunt for the perfect B2B eCommerce platform.
Your buyers have too much on their plates - running their businesses, managing cash flow, setting budgets, reviewing trends, and making payments. You are expected to understand them, treat them as a priority, and speak to them in a language they are comfortable with.
They want to go channel hopping and need the freedom to choose a suitable payment mode. They want options; they want help in choosing the right products; they want expert opinion and assurance that they are making the best buying decisions.
The many expectations of customers can be easily met if the B2B eCommerce platform you choose does so. While retail is here to stay, wholesale is not going away either. It will only grow with time causing eCommerce platforms that specialize in B2B and are flexible enough to adapt to the evolving B2C needs too. A mobile-first, omnichannel experience is what everyone unanimously agrees on. The B2B eCommerce platform you choose should offer all this and more.
Price - Although every platform will promise you competitive pricing, the cost will hugely differ based on the capabilities they offer. You may get something for a base price, only to pay much more for add-on capabilities. Please note that you will have to pay for good web design, programming, functionality, security, hosting, licensing, maintenance, and app creation. Consider the total cost of ownership before deciding.
Your audience - Because your customers could include a huge number of millennials and active social media users, you will need a platform that offers built-in integrations with popular social media sites.
What you sell - The number and nature of your products will determine how large your product portfolio will become. If it is vast and diverse, a platform with low SKU limits is definitely a strict no-no. The number of SKUs also impacts the page load speeds. Don’t forget to take this into account.
Your need for scale - You will grow with time, but have you considered that while choosing a web host? You need to evaluate the traffic visiting your site and the scale you have in mind. A surge in traffic can cause your site to crash and that's certainly not something you would want to happen when you are scaling up while building your credibility.
Cloud hosting can be an option but as mentioned earlier, you need to critically evaluate your needs first.
Another need for scaling which is lately emerging for B2B companies is going direct to customers (DTC/ B2C). You may not need this, but it's good to have.
Customer support - No matter how digital the world becomes, the power of help and support cannot be undermined - be it through phone, emails, or chat. Customer support should be personalized and prompt. It should not be outsourced but should be an important part of the services offered by the B2B eCommerce platform provider.
Read - How to choose a B2B eCommerce platform for your B2B business
Magento is an ideal choice for small-to-medium businesses that know exactly what they want and have a substantial customer base. Magento offers over 5,000 extensions but is often considered by those who have the financial flexibility to stretch their budgets to outdo their competitors.
If you have a solid IT setup, you will be quick to realize what Magento can do for your business. Magento is often chosen by those who specialize in fashion and apparel, beauty and cosmetics, food and beverage, home furnishings, etc. A popular open-source platform, Magento has been helping businesses rev up their eCommerce plans and strategies with a solid suite of features. Adobe took over Magento in 2018, giving birth to Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce to augment its offerings.
Magento offers support as an online help center and community forums.
Cost: Magento 2 Enterprise Version starts at $22,000/ year (Source: Graybox)
Shopify needs no introduction considering that 20% of the eCommerce stores are built on it. With a global presence and some of the finest tools and features, Shopify has been helping millions of individuals and startups from all over the world carve their niche with a solid digital presence. It entered the B2B space recently by acquiring HandShake in 2019 and renamed it as Shopify Plus.
Shopify’s offerings are comprehensive with virtually all your needs taken care of. From web store design to performance analytics, it gives you the leeway to scale as quickly as you want. It also allows third-party extensions along with a bunch of features that include:
Shopify offers continuous support through phone, live chat, community forums, and an online help center.
Cost: Pricing starts at $24,000/ year (Source: Shopify Plus)
If you wish to get to the market in just a few days, look no further than ewiz commerce. It's one platform that works perfectly well for every stakeholder irrespective of their vertical.
Powered by Powerweave, a technology partner to some of the fast growing B2B businesses in the world, ewiz commerce is a one-stop solution for all your B2B eCommerce needs; technology, services and support - all under one roof.
It comes with a powerful, built-in AI technology that powers key eCommerce sales and marketing tools like catalog creator, personalization engine, and product recommendations. Thanks to all these in-built tools, it allows personalized marketing across all channels at speed and scale.
Built using a microservices-led, plug & play architecture, ewiz commerce is easily scalable to suit your business’s needs. It’s a SaaS-based eCommerce platform with a high level of functionality and customization and pretty much offers the best of every platform available out there.
ewiz commerce offers 100+ features along with 200+ benefits to scale and succeed in this overly crowded B2B eCommerce market.
Some of the top features include:
ewiz commerce offers continuous technical support through phone, chat, email, and a 24X7 helpdesk. It also offers dedicated support packages to assist growing businesses.
Cost: Pricing plans start at $8,700/ year (Source: ewiz commerce)
BigCommerce is an open SaaS solution, offering business owners enterprise-grade functionality, customization, and the simplicity required to sell across the globe.
It started as a DIY store creator for individuals who wanted to sell online and later started catering to enterprises. BigCommerce helps create engaging web stores for those who work regularly with complex catalogs.
It offers support for B2B as well as B2C functions for different verticals including fashion and apparel, health and beauty, sporting goods, food and beverage, home furnishings, and automotive.
Its Plus and Pro options come with several features including:
BigCommerce offers multiple support options - 24-hour live chat, phone support, email support, community forums, and an online help center.
Cost: Enterprise plans start at $24,000/ year (Source: ecommerce-platforms.com)
With an open-source approach and complete code transparency, OroCommerce enables business owners to expand their business with a well-equipped B2B online store.
OroCommerce along with other offerings from Oro Inc. - OroCRM and OroPlatform, allows multi-channel businesses the much-needed flexibility to tailor their products as per business requirements.
OroCommerce gives a 360-degree view of the customers and their purchase journeys. OroCRM is offered as SaaS or on-premise to empower users with distinct capabilities to make it big in the world of eCommerce.
It comes with customer management tools and elaborate analytics that are being used for diverse verticals currently. It also allows third-party software integrations to help individuals, as well as large retail conglomerates, meet their growing business needs.
Among many things, OroCommerce also offers:
OroCommerce offers support in the form of live chat, phone, email, and support desk.
Cost: Pricing plans start at $45,000/ year (Source: ecommercenext.org)
Formerly known as DemandWare, Salesforce Commerce Cloud has been empowering the eCommerce fraternity with its fantastic range of services and capabilities. It is perfect for businesses with complex needs and comes with all imaginable customizations to facilitate business applications in the B2B as well as B2C domain.
The B2B Commerce Cloud comes with added features such as:
Salesforce offers support through an online ticket system, community forums, and a 24X7 online help center.
Cost: Pricing plans start at $150,000/ year (Source: phaedrasolutions.com)
There are multiple platforms available to manage your business needs on various fronts. No matter what your budget and needs are, there's one that is perfect for you. It is however important that you evaluate your needs closely to find your best fit.
Luckily, most B2B eCommerce platforms would have demos or product documentation to share before you choose to collaborate with them for your fashion and apparel business. Do detailed research, check reviews on Capterra and other business listing sites and yes, don’t forget to ask for customer references. Always helps!
Still, if you have questions, reach out to me at deepak.gawas@powerweave.com
Identify your B2B eCommerce needs 
