How to Take Your B2B Store Online in 3 Easy Steps

You deserve more money. ???

You should demand a larger share of the nearly $15 TRILLION market.?

Not an easy task if you’re one of the 35% of B2B businesses without an e-commerce presence.

Fortunately, launching a business-to-business e-commerce store is easy.

In fact, your brand could be online in 3 easy steps and less than 30 days.

In this article, we’ll reveal:

• How to build an e-commerce ordering structure.
• How to personalize your ordering processes.
• The multi-million-dollar company that proves B2B buyers are motivated online.

3 Easy Steps for Building a B2B eCommerce Presence

Want to reach the 66% of business buyers who choose digital channels at every stage of the buyer’s journey??

Here are 3 simple steps to design a profitable B2B store online:

1. Choose an eCommerce Platform, Build an Ordering Structure
2. Personalize Your Ordering Processes
3. Optimize Your Online Sales Funnel

Step 1. Choose an eCommerce Platform, Build an Ordering Structure

What’s the first step in opening a brick-and-mortar store? Find the right property.

Similarly, your first priority is to choose the best e-commerce platform for selling online . Collaborate with development experts for an expert opinion or to build your own property.

How to Build an eCommerce Ordering Structure

To set up your e-commerce structure, you need a database that lists your products. This database must include certain fields, such as item name, product description, price, wholesale price, the different pricing tiers, and the quantity in stock.

Upload images of your products to the site, and integrate your merchant account with the e-commerce platform. Now, you can charge credit cards and you're in business.?

You can accomplish all of this in as little as 30 days.

"Oh, wow. We didn't know we could do this much business online."

We’ve taken many B2B businesses online with this basic strategy. Often, it can be executed for only $10,000. Then, after going live, and they start to make up to $50,000 in additional monthly revenue, they're surprised.?

But their customers were already there. So are yours — 60% of B2B buyers report that they’re ready to purchase online.

You just need to be accessible.

Step 2. Personalize Your Ordering Processes

If your B2B business offers custom products, then your store requires custom product pages and ordering processes.

In fact, you may require a product configurator. If you're selling machinery equipment and parts, for example, there may be several configurations for every item.?

This empowers your customers to personalize their purchases. At Optimum7, we collaborate with many clients who require functions like this, such as Orange Coast Pneumatics.?

OCPneumatics.com: A Massive B2B Retailer of Machinery Parts

OC Pneumatics has two million SKUs on its site. Still, they display an SMC product for every combination of options for that part.?

If you believe the common B2B myth that business buyers prefer in-person contact, here’s the counterpoint. This is a B2B business that does over $10 million in annual revenue.?

And these aren’t “low-ticket” transactions.

We built a custom function for OCPneumatics.com that generates a quote request for orders over a threshold amount. If your customer clicks on the pop-up, a PDF is generated and emailed to the addresses of your choice.?

You can choose how to resolve the request, or assign it to a specific salesperson. This simplifies and accelerates your sales cycle, minimizing the time between the request and conversion.?

Step 3. Optimize Your Online Sales Funnel

Once your property, ordering processes, and product catalog are established, you must help your target consumer to find the front door. We won’t discuss how to boost sales at each step of the sales funnel here.

However, your digital marketing and development teams must optimize your buyer’s journey. If you’re new to B2B e-commerce, then awareness and interest are likely your greatest priorities.?

Attract your target consumers with a comprehensive, integrated marketing plan and captivating, compelling landing pages. Remember to motivate your in-person customers to meet you online as well.

Motivate Your Customers to Meet You Online

If you’re taking your B2B store online, then you’re aware of the benefits of doing so. By motivating more of your customers to shop online, you further reduce your overhead to maximize your profitability.

Educate your shoppers about the convenience and cost benefits of shopping online. Then, use a portion of your additional revenue to improve your customer experience.

After establishing an e-commerce presence and attracting your target audience, your priorities will shift to optimizing your conversion rates. This requires data analysis, personalization, and custom development — but let’s build your online B2B store, first, shall we?

Take Your B2B Business Online in 2023 with Optimum7

You can launch an online B2B store in 3 simple steps with an experienced digital marketing and e-commerce development team.?

Learn more about why you should take your B2B businesses online with Optimum7.com on our e-commerce blog.??

And subscribe to The Optimum7 Letter for more insider insights into the dynamic world of web development and digital marketing.

Scott Cercy is a Content Strategist at Optimum7 . He writes compelling copy that enables e-commerce brands to form deeper relationships with their target audience. Connect with Scott on LinkedIn and Twitter .