eCommerce has become business-critical for B2B organizations.
Forrester predicts digital B2B sales will reach $1.8 trillion and account for 17% of all B2B sales in the US by 2023
It’s clear B2B eCommerce offers a huge opportunity, but it also comes with plenty of complexity and challenges. Every company has its own set of unique growing pains and requirements, but by working with a partner that is able to meet those specific needs and having the right eCommerce technology you will achieve success in scaling B2B selling through digital commerce. We are sharing how two very different companies partnered with Echidna to successfully scale their B2B selling capabilities through digital commerce.
Doubling Product Revenue
Founded in 1948, Construction Specialties is a specialty building product manufacturer. Providing solutions to challenges that architects, designers, building owners, facility managers, and contractors face every day, their products can be found on or in some of the most iconic buildings around the world.Throughout the years, Construction Specialties has always prided itself on focusing on continual improvement in serving their customers. As a leading manufacturer in the building products industry and where many haven’t leaped into digital commerce, Construction Specialties saw the potential that improving their digital presence and consolidating technologies would offer customers. They realized an important component of this would be the addition of an eCommerce site.Steps Taken to Achieve a Standout B2B eCommerce:
- Implementing Oracle Commerce Cloud which aligned with their complex business needs and existing application strategies
- Created an intuitive and guided experience to aid customers in the search, discovery, and selection of products needed to meet their particular requirements
- Gave customers the ability to specify the product attributes and measurements they require in order to arrive at pricing and discounting details that they need to inform buying decisions
- Focused intentionally on providing a screen experience that is optimized for both mobile and desktop devices in order to meet the demands of customers on the go and in the office
- Simplified the checkout process to reassure customers of the company's commitment to convenience and confidence when shopping with them
They now offer a superior user experience with more efficient back-end e-commerce operations, which drove massive improvements in conversion rates and more than doubled product revenue. Read Entire Case Study
eCommerce Turns Essential
Since 1956, Jessup Manufacturing has been offering a diverse set of products and grown to serve a range of disparate markets. Introducing eCommerce in 2009, they slowly grew their base of online buyers of both small retailers and consumers within the United States. Flash forward and now all of their safety, graphics, and signage products are sold online to businesses of sizes.Jessup Manufacturing realized several years ago their current eCommerce solution wasn't offering them the scalability they required. To ensure they were meeting customers' expectations for accessibility and ease of use for years to come they chose to invest in an updated eCommerce with improved online selling capabilities. Their new site has allowed them to seize unexpected opportunities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic with their social distancing signage.Steps Taken to Achieve a Standout B2B eCommerce:
- Unifying all of Jessup’s digital tools into a powerful instrument for growth, turning their new site into a cornerstone of their business
- Implementing Magento Commerce Cloud to create a solid foundation for their storefront and backend business operations
- Crafting a simplified UX to support multiple customer journeys and personas that is responsive and adaptive in all device viewpoints
- Adding features for live chat, blog search, and an improved payment application
Scaling B2B Selling Through eCommerce - What to Understand
There are many reasons to consider adding or updating your B2B eCommerce capability. From limiting technology, managing product complexities, empowering customers to free up internal resources, or expanding sales growth opportunities- the list can go on, but where to start with B2B eCommerce remains the same.
What is Required:
- Clear strategy and scope with prioritized requirements
- Powerful implementation partner
- Strong internal team and leadership support
- Right eCommerce platform for your business needs
Before diving in, you will also want to keep a few considerations in mind. These will not only ensure the success of the initial project but the future success in scaling your B2B eCommerce operations.
What to Know:
- Consider a phased approach if the time to market is critical. You can work to find a way to holistically launch it and add to it as you go, starting with your foundation and moving up.
- Choose a platform built for B2B and that has B2B on their roadmap to continue adding functionality.
- Pick a strong implementation partner that is certified in the software
- Embrace the business process change opportunities that arise
- The joint experience between your implementation partner and eCommerce technology is critical to project success.
Echidna is a leading digital commerce agency with capabilities including strategy, creative, marketing, systems integration, technology services, and managed services. Our team is experts in delivering end-to-end solutions with high complexity for B2B, B2C, D2C, and mixed business models. We are committed to delivering top-notch quality on a predictable schedule and at an affordable rate that our clients recognize the real value in and dedicated to helping leaders continue with their growth and innovation well into the future.Contact Us