Best practices for B2B e-commerce

B2B E-commerce platform: Flexibility and integrations

Ready-made platforms don't offer the flexibility needed for B2B e-commerce businesses, which makes a tailor-made solution the most efficient option. By developing a platform tailored to the needs of the business, it becomes possible to fully customize it and adapt it to the rules and requirements of the business.

Integrating the e-commerce platform with the company's systems is a key factor in ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow. There must be a connection between the platform and the systems used - e.g. ERP, CRM and logistics - in order to guarantee centralized management and automatic synchronization of stock levels, real-time orders and shipments.

Tailor-made B2B E-commerce platform

For a B2B e-commerce business to be efficient, it needs to be tailored to the needs of the business and customers, integrated and secure. Opting for a tailor-made solution allows for greater control over functionalities, business scalability and competitive differentiation by providing a good customer shopping experience. Instead of relying on generic and limited platforms, investing in a tailor-made platform developed by specialists in digital transformation and B2B and B2C e-commerce guarantees superior performance, integration with your company's ERP and other systems, as well as a better user experience with a reserved area and a simple and intuitive checkout process with the latest payment methods.

Checkout process and recent payment methods

The user experience on the B2B e-commerce platform needs to be intuitive and provide exclusive areas for customers, making it possible to track purchase history and order status.

A checkout with too many steps can cause the user to give up on the purchase, especially with recurring purchases, so the entire checkout process must be simple and intuitive to make it possible for the customer to complete the purchase without giving up and abandoning the cart. B2B businesses often have specific purchasing policies, and a checkout process adapted to these needs allows for situations such as split billing and multiple delivery addresses.

As for payment methods, B2B businesses in Portugal need to adapt to market demands and new solutions that allow for greater efficiency and competitiveness. In B2B e-commerce, the requirements are different from B2C e-commerce, with needs such as payment terms, invoicing and business credit.

An intuitive checkout and recent and popular payment gateways for B2B e-commerce businesses are a necessity for improving the customer experience and boosting loyalty as well as increasing sales.

Efficient logistics process

For B2B e-commerce businesses, efficiency at the logistics level is one of the most important factors to guarantee. Delays and failures to deliver on time can jeopardize customer operations and damage the commercial relationship with your business. In B2B e-commerce, orders are generally in larger quantities and more recurrent than in B2C e-commerce, which means that logistical control needs to be more precise and reliable. If the delivery of raw materials to an industry is delayed, the entire production of that industry could be affected, resulting in financial losses and a loss of confidence in your brand.

An efficient logistics process, rather than improving the customer experience, can also be a way for B2B businesses to reduce operating costs and strengthen commercial relationships. Investing in route automation, strategic partnerships and real-time order tracking allows for greater precision, security and efficiency in order delivery.

How to build an efficient B2B E-commerce business?

A B2B e-commerce business requires a strategic approach that guarantees efficiency and scalability. The development of a tailor-made e-commerce platform, systems integration, user experience, process automation and security are fundamental pillars for guaranteeing an efficient, competitive and sustainable B2B e-commerce business.