B2B
Business-to-business ecommerce needs are unique, with client-specific pricing, quotation options, invoicing and payment variations, sophisticated data integrations, coordination with in-house sales staffs, and much more. We address it all — for manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers.
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B2B
Common B2B Mistakes, Part 1: Catalog Management, Pricing
March 10, 2019 • Gagan Mehra
This post is the first in a series in which I address common mistakes of B2B ecommerce merchants. For this installment, I'll review errors related to catalog management, pricing, and user experience.
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B2B
Amazon Business Is Winning. Here’s Why
March 7, 2019 • Lori McDonald
After only four years, Amazon Business hit $10 billion in sales in 2018. If you sell to companies, Amazon Business should get your attention. In this article, I will address what B2B sellers can learn from Amazon Business — and how Amazon Business impacts them.
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B2B
7 Digital Marketing Channels for Apparel Wholesalers
February 11, 2019 • Viktoria Kanevsky
Apparel wholesalers don't typically devote money and effort to online marketing. This is a huge mistake. Marketing online can expose those products to thousands of potential customers every day, worldwide.
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B2B
How to Optimize B2B Landing Pages for New Leads
January 24, 2019 • Shawn Arnold
B2B products and services are often complex. Closing the sale frequently takes time, with multiple interactions. Landing pages can capture leads and start the conversation. In this post, I'll address eight ways to generate the most leads from B2B landing pages.
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B2B
B2B Ecommerce Helps Sales Teams (and Customers)
January 9, 2019 • Lori McDonald
Many B2B executives believe that ecommerce cannot fit their business. But B2B companies that don’t embrace digital will lose opportunities. A digitally-savvy competitor could disrupt the market and cause large sales decreases for legacy companies, those that do not evolve.
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B2B
6 Ways to Improve Ecommerce Site Search
November 23, 2018 • Shawn Arnold
Site search is arguably the most important area when it comes to user experience. Buyers don’t have time to hunt for products. In this post, I'll offer a few practical action steps for improving site search on your ecommerce site — B2B and B2C.
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B2B
Skeptical about B2B Ecommerce? Try a Proof of Concept
October 25, 2018 • Lori McDonald
Your B2B company leadership is skeptical about changing business and sales methods. How can you make a case for ecommerce? A proof of concept is a good way to test the digital commerce waters, to learn. Ideally, the project can be completed quickly and has a quick return on investment.
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B2B
A Simple Method for Tracking B2B Ecommerce Performance
September 21, 2018 • Shawn Arnold
Measuring B2B ecommerce performance should be straightforward. Too often, however, measuring means having a complex strategy with confusing key performance indicators aimed at presenting data just for its appearance. In this ...
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B2B
B2B Ecommerce: Managing Product Data Sheets
September 12, 2018 • Lori McDonald
B2B merchants know that producing product literature can be a lot of work. Examples include specification sheets and safety data sheets. Both take time to create and keep current. In this post, I'll address how to streamline the process.
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B2B
5 Tips for Merging B2B Customer Data into B2C
September 11, 2018 • Anna Kayfitz
How can a merchant add B2B info to an established B2C database? Mapping all of the data and its use is the first step. Beyond that, follow these five tips for a smooth addition.
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B2B
4 Expectations of B2B Ecommerce Customers
July 26, 2018 • Shawn Arnold
It’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that a compelling B2C experience will be sufficient for B2B users. For me, it took sitting face-to-face with 50 B2B customers and learning what really matters to them. In this post, I'll share what I discovered.
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B2B
3 Reasons Why B2B Ecommerce Projects Fail
July 16, 2018 • Lori McDonald
Business-to-business ecommerce projects range from changing an entire platform to adding features and improvements to the current one. Unfortunately, failed B2B ecommerce projects are common. In this post, I'll address three reasons for the failures and how to avoid them.
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B2B
8 Approaches to B2B Dealer Locators
June 7, 2018 • Lori McDonald
Business-to-business companies frequently sell products through dealers. But it’s not always obvious to would-be customers how to locate a dealer, to inquire. In this post, I’ll review eight examples of ...
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B2B
Does WooCommerce Fit B2B Companies?
April 24, 2018 • Lori McDonald
WooCommerce is among the fastest growing platforms. We've addressed it many times. B2C merchants, especially, value WooCommerce's flexibility and plugin options. My expertise, however, is with B2B companies. In my experience, companies with meaningful B2B sales should not choose WooCommerce.
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B2B
6 Impressive B2B Ecommerce Sites
March 14, 2018 • Lori McDonald
Offering a compelling ecommerce experience to B2B buyers requires a process of continuous improvement. It can be helpful to examine other B2B ecommerce sites, to learn. Grainger and Amazon Business are often cited as leading examples. But there is also value in learning from smaller, innovative B2B companies. In this post, I'll address six impressive, independent B2B sites.
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B2B
Driving B2B Revenue through Personalization
February 5, 2018 • Lori McDonald
Shoppers want a personalized experience. It used to be that ecommerce sites offered what shoppers asked for. Now, thanks to personalization, ecommerce sites do that, and more. They know what shoppers want or need even before they ask. Personalization adds value. It builds a relationship.
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B2B
How to Set Ecommerce Goals for 2018
December 31, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Now is the time to set ecommerce performance goals for 2018. To do this, know where your business stands now. Be clear on past performance before you set goals for the new year. Create a spreadsheet with the key metrics to track for 2018. Fill in those metrics from 2017. You may even want to insert 2016 as well. This scorecard creates good visibility and accountability for you and your team.
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B2B
B2B: How Manufacturers with Distributors Use Ecommerce
November 24, 2017 • Lori McDonald
I often speak with manufacturers that want to sell their products online directly to retailers or even end users. But they have an established distribution channel that they don’t want ...
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B2B
Using Ecommerce to Attract B2B Customers
October 17, 2017 • Lori McDonald
B2B merchants often consider ecommerce as a tool for existing clients. Acquiring new customers is expected to happen through the sales team, not the Internet. The website becomes a way ...
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B2B
9 Critical Skills to Build a Robust B2B Ecommerce Site
September 5, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Building a B2B ecommerce site requires a breadth of skills. It’s important to look not just at people or roles, but the expertise to accomplish the job. In this post, I’ll ...
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B2B
3 Ways to Simplify B2B Ecommerce
August 3, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Business-to-business ecommerce can be complex. There are often restrictions on who can purchase products. Frequently buyers need assistance in finding the right item. But a key to success in B2B ecommerce ...
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B2B
Pros and Cons of Selling on Amazon Business
June 21, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Amazon Business, the B2B marketplace, has more than 45,000 active sellers and more than 10 million products with bulk purchase options or business discounts. Many B2B merchants aren’t sure whether ...
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B2B
5 Payment Options in B2B Ecommerce
May 8, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Many B2B merchants have avoided ecommerce because they believe their customers will not do business in that manner. Merchants often have concerns about payments, as B2B customers pay in different ...
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B2B
Tips for Migrating B2B Ecommerce Platforms
April 10, 2017 • Lori McDonald
I recently presented “How to Change Ecommerce Platforms,” an Essential Skills online seminar for Practical Ecommerce. I kept the content relatively general for all merchants — B2C and B2B. I didn’t ...
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B2B
How to Integrate B2B Ecommerce with ERP Systems
January 4, 2017 • Lori McDonald
Integrating a B2B company’s ecommerce site with internal systems can streamline operations and simplify customers’ buying experiences. Integrations offer significant benefits, but they are often difficult to get right. One of ...
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B2B
Strategic Planning for B2B Ecommerce
December 6, 2016 • Lori McDonald
With the end of 2016, many B2B companies are reviewing this year’s ecommerce performance and planning for next year. All too frequently, B2B ecommerce development is short sighted. Companies frequently ask,
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B2B
Does B2B Ecommerce Eliminate Sales Teams?
November 3, 2016 • Lori McDonald
The success of many business-to-business companies was built through a strong sales team. This causes B2B owners and managers to often resist ecommerce because they see it as competing with ...
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B2B
Amazon’s B2B Site Evolving, Growing Rapidly
October 12, 2016 • Marcia Kaplan
When AmazonSupply became Amazon Business in April 2015, much more than a rebranding occurred. With AmazonSupply, the company was the only seller. But Amazon Business copied the very successful marketplace ...
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B2B
8 Innovative B2B Ecommerce Sites
September 27, 2016 • Lori McDonald
B2B ecommerce sites are typically more complicated, with more features, than B2C. In this article, I will address eight innovative B2B ecommerce sites. My company has no business relationship with these ...
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B2B
B2B Ecommerce: Pros and Cons of SaaS Platforms
August 29, 2016 • Lori McDonald
Software-as-a-service ecommerce platforms are gaining market share. They have clear benefits, but they also have limitations, especially for B2B companies. SaaS platforms — hosted carts — charge a monthly fee ...
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