B2B eCommerce Website Development: A Definitive Guide

b2b ecommerce website development

Stepping into the world of B2B eCommerce can be a bit like exploring a new city without a map. Today’s business buyers want more than just a list of products online. They’re after easy, fast, and personalized shopping experiences, much like the ones they get on their favorite B2C sites.

So, how do you build a B2B website that feels modern and meets these expectations? Dive into our straightforward guide on B2B eCommerce website development. Whether you’re an experienced developer or a business owner taking your first online steps, we’ll help you create a site that doesn’t just sell – it shines.

What Features Need To Be Included In B2B eCommerce Website Development?

When developing a B2B eCommerce website, it is crucial that businesses integrate dynamic features to enhance their user experiences. There are many functionalities to consider.

Bulk Order & Discount

ecommerce market

B2B businesses involve large order quantities. Therefore, it would be best if a B2B website optimizes the feature for bulk orders & discounts. When purchasing a big number of products, clients often compare prices and discounts from different sellers.

As a result, it matters a lot if the B2B website offers flexible discount ranges for different bulk orders. For example, clients who buy 500 units will get a 5% discount, and those who purchase 1,000 will get a 10% discount.

Focusing on a clear display and simple navigation for this function is excellent in driving more sales for B2B businesses. 

Responsive Design

wholesale ecommerce

B2B buyers have serious intent when browsing websites. And the website design is a noticeable element that may affect their decisions. Therefore, when going 100% digital, B2B businesses should focus on delivering a responsive and eye-catching web design.

The interface needs to be friendly on multiple devices, including desktops and mobiles. In addition, it is necessary to concentrate on key design elements, such as simplicity, consistency, readability, and easy navigation.

The website should also showcase appealing banners that feature special offers to promote higher conversion. And it would also help if B2B businesses can personalize the interface to meet the demand of clients. 

Order Tracking

b2b ecommerce web development

By using order tracking, both businesses and clients can find out where the order is at any given time. And B2B purchasers have their customers. The order status has a big impact on other business operations and the capacity to fulfill further orders.

As a result, an order tracking system must be able to track an order’s progress from the time it is placed to the time it is picked up and delivered by the carrier, as well as provide information about its status along the way.

This includes tracking the order from the time it is placed to the time it is filled in the warehouse. Optimizing this function will create more trust and add up professionalism for B2B businesses. It can also help increase repeated orders.

Ultra-fast Page Speed

create a b2b ecommerce website

Website loading speed is the first impression users get when accessing a certain page. And the first impression is very important because customers, readers, or users on the website can immediately evaluate the organization or business.

If the website loads quickly, it will make a strong hit. New visitors will also be satisfied.”If the page loads fast, it’s definitely professional!”

Slow-loading websites will fall in the rankings, providing lightning-fast websites a chance to advance and get more visibility, traffic, conversions, and money.

On the other hand, a slow-loading page feels unsafe and unreliable. And it will be very difficult to turn around that first negative impression.

“79% of online buyers say they won’t visit a website again if it has problems loading.”

For B2B eCommerce sites, clients often browse and place big orders. As a result, ensuring a smooth speed promises businesses a great opportunity in boosting conversion rate and repeated orders. 

Smart Search

Smart search is a function integrated with artificial intelligence to provide advanced capabilities to the search field. This feature is critically important because it can affect the shopping experience of customers.

Imagine when you walk into a clothing store and look for jeans. It would be best if the receptionist shows you the jeans area and consult you on the stylish ones. 

This case represents the smart search function closely. For B2B business, when a client goes to a website, he or she already knows what to look for.

As a result, they will jump right into the search box and look for what they need. An effective search tool will greatly impact the conversion. And therefore, B2B merchants can benefit a lot from smart search. 

One thing to note with smart search is to avoid “zero results”. Even when there are no products that match the search query. B2B sites should display complementary or recommended items. It brings a better chance for earning orders. 

In addition, an efficient smart search should be well prepared for spelling mistakes or even missing space. Do not miss out on any chance to convert!

Flexible Payment Methods 

Transactions in B2B business often involve multiple parties from different regions and countries. Therefore, satisfying diverse payment methods is an important condition for business development. It not only helps B2B businesses become professional and global but also increases the likelihood of getting repeat customers.

Various payment methods include traditional payment, electronic payment, and smart payment. B2B businesses need to offer diverse forms, such as debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, charge cards, virtual cards, electronic money transfers, and so on.

The application of these diverse payment methods will help meet the needs of customers in the digital age. Thereby, B2B businesses will be recognized more professionally in the eyes of customers, and the ability to convert will be very promising.

In addition, the use of a variety of payment methods helps businesses easily make statistics and control accounting work. All transactions will be declared, transparently, and accurately.

Live Chat Support

Clients in B2B businesses are busy and time-constrained. They often seek instant responses and simple access. Live chat is an excellent tool in this case. It not only provides customers with relevant information they need but also generates leads and sales impressively.

Businesses can also learn more about customers via chat history. The session can be easily gathered for analysis.

Apart from that, with live chat, B2B businesses can also boost brand identity by cleverly integrating and promoting complementary products and services. Even when clients do not place direct sales, businesses can still take advantage of potential customer data. 

High Security

Data now serves as the foundation of any B2B eCommerce company. Attackers are drawn to stealing data and holding it captive in exchange for money.

Along with financial benefits, other strong motivators include humiliation, rivalry, and competitive espionage. Cyberattacks were initially directed at lone computer systems or specific users.

Unpatched eCommerce shopping site security concerns were the easy money for thieves when online selling was just getting started. Attackers are more skilled and well-prepared than ever nowadays. They focus on sectors and populations they think will give them more backlash. Cybercriminals eventually recognized that targeting big businesses was more lucrative.

A good secure website will help a lot for businesses and customers. In particular, the data will be optimally protected, and the control of the enterprise will be strengthened. Therefore, B2B websites should highly focus on improving their security.

Mobile-friendliness

Mobile optimized screen means ensuring website content will be fully displayed, error-free, and easy even when visitors access with devices with different screen sizes.

More importantly, Google has announced that they will prioritize websites with a mobile-friendly interface. Developing a B2B with this approach helps businesses generate more leads, and get higher conversions. Important things to note are:

  • Focus on simple navigation
  • Display important information on top of the page
  • Optimize the interface for all screen sizes
  • Insert a strong call to action

Push Notifications

push notifications

Push notification is a powerful function for any eCommerce website. It is a great tool to bind clients with businesses. In particular, sellers can send any update, discount, or latest information to buyers at any place, and any time.

After users accept or subscribe to receive, web push notifications are brief, immediate, and highly personalized to send to them through the browser. Due to its inherent qualities and advantages, this function acts as an efficient marketing tool for eCommerce sites.

Businesses can urge potential clients to take action or nurture them by sending personalized messages with high-quality content. It brings a great chance to engage with active visitors and re-engages dormant users. 

Offline Mode

There are different types of internet connections, and they aren’t always quick or effective. Sometimes the fieldwork doesn’t need to be constantly connected to the server’s back-end data. To load and refresh data, they just occasionally need to be linked.

With offline mode, clients can still surf and proceed with the website even under an unstable Internet connection. This feature is critically beneficial for B2B websites. It enhances a great shopping journey and helps B2B clients save time in case they revisit a website.

All the data can be cached in the background to ensure there is no interruption or repeated loading processes. 

How To Ace B2B eCommerce Website Development?

Create A Data-Driven Strategy

business strategy

A data-driven strategy helps B2B businesses have a clear direction for eCommerce website development. Businesses can produce real-time insights and predictions to improve their performance by using data-based decision-making.

This way can help evaluate the efficacy of various methods and decide which actions will bring good outcomes. An effective strategy should identify the goals and approach based on real numbers and trusted data.

It would be best if the business can answer the following questions thoroughly:

  • What are B2B clients looking for at the company?
  • What goals should expect from the B2B eCommerce web development project?
  • What is the personality of the B2B website?
  • What are competitors doing?
  • How to optimize the performance of the website?
  • What features should be prioritized for the website development?
  • How much should be invested?

Pick A Platform

B2B eCommerce website development necessitates a scalable platform due to the extensive requirement in terms of product quantity, heavy content, and materials. The platform should make the purchasing process easy, quick, and well-suited to the unique requirements of B2B transactions.

Numerous B2B eCommerce platforms are available that can support small to large enterprises in thriving. Some are affordable for only basic service, while others, although more expensive, stand out for their variety and feature set.

Here are the top selections for each of these eCommerce platforms based on price, customizability, and strengths.

  • Magento: This is an open-source platform for online stores. It is well-known for dynamic scalability and is recommended for all business sizes. Magento allows a smooth upload of up to 10,000+ products. In addition, this platform is also beneficial for B2B businesses in terms of SEO, speed, customization, and enriched features. 
  • Woocommerce: With the help of the WooCommerce B2B extension, you can fully optimize your store for both B2B and B2C clients. Many businesses have used this site and it is listed in the top B2B eCommerce platforms. 
  • Shopify: Shopify is a go-to eCommerce solution for small enterprises and online stores since it’s simple to install and configure and makes client payment processing a snap. The capabilities provided by Shopify can be useful for even the smallest eCommerce businesses, all without taking a lot of time or money.

Pick A Well-known Agency

B2B businesses can gain many benefits from working with a trusted B2B eCommerce development agency. The company will take care of your online business by designing a stunning website that is mobile-responsive.

Along with planning and building your website, the development company can also help optimize your search engine ranking and other necessary elements. Refer to Tigren’s service for the best quality eCommerce web development project. 

Test Before Launching

Unresolved issues and faults in your online business can have a number of negative effects, including lost sales and harm to your brand’s reputation.

As a result, your QA team needs to test every small detail in addition to the eCommerce test cases they already have to run, regardless of how pricey or well-maintained your eCommerce solution is.

Your business will be exposed to the dangers of compromising security functionality and performance if you let eCommerce site testing run its course.

Launch & Maintain

After checking thoroughly and ensuring smooth operation, it’s time to launch your B2B eCommerce site. Pay attention to the consistency of interface, and features in multiple devices. In addition, you should also prepare a well-thought marketing plan to inform customers about your website.

Picking the right time and content to place on different channels like social media can boost your business presence. And for B2B eCommerce website, the maintenance process is crucial. Make sure your site is up-to-date with enriched features and enhanced brand personality.

If there are on-trend technologies, you should consider integrating them to make your site more powerful. Some examples are Progressive Web Application, Hybrid App, and Headless Commerce.  

What Are Inspiring Examples Of B2B eCommerce Website Development?

Alibaba

examples of b2b ecommerce websites

Alibaba is the top leading B2B eCommerce business. That’s why they invest enormously in their website appearance and features. The interface is simple and easy to navigate.

They organize categories and highlight them on the left page neatly with attractive icons and simple typos. There is a big banner featuring popular products that clients can refer to. The search box is also enhanced with the function “search by image” and recommended top searches.

Apart from that, the color is nicely mixed to bring a good feel of professionalism and friendliness. It makes products more highlighted, which is easier for B2B clients to shop.

In general, Alibaba has proven that it understood the foundations of great eCommerce website design with its robust, alluring, and well-constructed website.

Rubik’s

b2b ecommerce examples

It would be very remiss not to mention Rubik – a brand that is too famous for puzzle blocks. The decision to sell online has brought this brand huge revenue. Rubik’s website attracts many retailers, because of its prestige and professionalism.

If you pay attention, you will see that Rubik focuses on the main colors of the product in the design of banners, videos, and images. In addition, to build trust with customers, they also post testimonial videos from people who have purchased the product.

They also integrate contact via different social platforms to make better connections with clients.

Quill

b2b ecommerce website examples

Quill is one of the biggest office suppliers whose website is specially designed for B2B eCommerce. Their online store is exceptional thanks to its straightforward, user-friendly style and wide range of school and workplace products.

Quill also offers many loyalty rewards to utilize B2B operation, such as customer-benefit coupons, exclusive discounts, etc.

A well-rounded marketing bundle that includes logo creation, SEO, and social services is also a highlight. In addition, the buying process is simple and takes little time thanks to clear classification, guided navigations, and filterable search results.

Chocomize

b2b companies

Chocomize is the go-to supplier for customized cooperate gifts in the United States. On their website, you can see eye-catching banners and designs that focus on the product visual. In addition, they also show the rate from customers to earn the trust of new visitors.

By utilizing each product’s keywords in the page names, body copy, and alt image tag, their SEO on-page performance is highly optimized.

In addition, by converting the top pages into in-depth presentations, they also enhanced and increased the page content. Finally, they added internal links to direct the domain’s authority to the top pages they wished to rank.

Read More: 10 Successful B2B Ecommerce Examples: Get Your Inspiration

What Is The Best Agency For Effective B2B eCommerce Website Development?

To develop a B2B eCommerce website efficiently, it would be best if you cooperate with a well-known agency. And to save budgets, Asian companies are better options compared to Western ones due to the discrepancy in hourly rate and cost. 

One of the best agencies in Asia is Tigren. We have been known for our professional approach to delivering high-quality eCommerce website development services

web development company

Rich Experience

Founded in 2012, Tigren has successfully worked on 700+ eCommerce websites with 21,120+ hours for over 1,000 customers worldwide.

We ensure to deliver a stunning website following the latest design trends and enriched features. Your online store will appear aesthetically and functional to attract clients. In addition, we can also help focus on key elements to optimize SEO and thus drive more organic traffic to your B2B website.

You can refer to our highlighted B2B projects, including Unified Experience Solutions, Stock In The Channel, G-D Shopping Focus, The Grain Father, etc.

Various eCommerce Services

Developing B2B eCommerce websites may involve lots of work. It can be creating a brand new website or adding dynamic features to the current page. As a result, we offer various services for you to choose from. They are:

  • E-commerce website development
  • E-commerce PWA development
  • E-commerce hybrid app development
  • E-commerce SEO

Cost-efficiency

“We think eCommerce development should be affordable so anyone can turn their business dream into a reality”. (CEO of Tigren) That’s what we strive to offer. Even small and medium-sized businesses can afford our website development service.

The cost is lower than other Western companies, but the quality is guaranteed to greatly exceed your expectation. All our work is committed to measurable metrics in a clear timeline. We will support you dedicatedly so that there will be no misunderstanding or trouble when working with us. 

We understand the requirement and what will work best for B2B eCommerce website development. Look no further and contact us today to make your B2B online store outstanding and high-converting.

Read More:

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