What’s Holding Back Your B2B Ecommerce?
There are lots reasons why some B2B brands have been reluctant to join the race for B2B ecommerce market share. For some, it is a case of budgets and the general state of the economy. For others, it is because they have yet to see the value in early attempts to sell online. They have most likely pumped money into solutions that don’t work for B2B and can’t face the perceived upheaval of transitioning to a better platform.
Manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors have a lot of gain from ‘going wide’, but a recent survey has highlighted the fact that up to half don’t even have a website capable of ecommerce. The UK fares better than the US, where lack of money and resistance from customers top the reasons for not making the effort. The B2BecNews survey indicates that distributors are less enthusiastic than manufacturers.
‘Mistake’ to ignore potential of B2B ecommerce sales
Dani Attard, a B2B ecommerce specialist, is surprised by the survey’s findings. “The quickest way to get products to market and the most effective way to attract new customers is online,” she says. The Commercial Director of leading B2B platform developer Comgem, she has seen the shift towards ecommerce in the UK.
“Financing an ecommerce website makes sound economical sense - not just for bolstering order books but for streamlining processes,” said Dani. “A good ecommerce system can deliver efficiency that impacts the whole business. It can make it more competitive and more visible.” Dani adds that integrations with suppliers, accounting systems and stock software can make businesses leaner and data-driven - things many in the B2B sector are overlooking.
Sell online, anywhere with a B2B ecommerce platform
For those worried about the future of B2B ecommerce, there is an easy answer - Gemsuite. It is the ecommerce platform developed to serve the needs of the B2B sector. It supports complex products, including variations and bundles, as well as authorisation levels and customer cost centres.
Award-winning, it is effortless to use, mobile optimised and designed to deliver consistently outstanding user experiences. It allows distributors, manufacturers and wholesales to sell across multiple channels anywhere in the world. It is multilingual, fast and supported by a hosting system that puts security first.
If you have yet to break into online sales, or invested poorly in the past, talk to the B2B experts who make selling online easy. For further information, email enquiries@comgem.com and request a proposal or free demonstration.