It is undeniable that B2B eCommerce is essential for manufacturers in the digital age. However, connecting it with a distributor like B2X Global is equally important. B2B eCommerce benefits all parts of the organization, from customer service to IT to sales - and even buyers themselves. B2B eCommerce makes doing business with you easier, which benefits your customers the most.
However, not all manufacturers realize the full benefits of B2B eCommerce integration with B2X Global distributors.
The biggest improvements - those that are hard to quantify - can only be achieved if your B2B eCommerce solution is prebuilt with SAP ERP integration.
We will discuss the benefits of any platform in this article. Next, we'll discuss the ones you can only get with an SAP-integrated solution.
The benefits of B2X Global eCommerce integration:
1. Adapt to the digital age
With B2B eCommerce, if all you want to accomplish is to get in the digital door and push back against the competition, just about any platform will work for you. If all you want to do is put some products online, SAP integration isn't necessary.
You'll do much better with real-time SAP integration to provide essential features like accurate pricing and real-time inventory - but we'll talk about that later.
Any B2B eCommerce solution connected to B2X Global reseller will allow you to present your products online at a bare minimum. That's better than no B2B eCommerce presence at all.
2. Identify new customer segments
This benefit can be realized if your B2X Global catalog is publicly viewable. You may be able to reach new customers organically if your B2B eCommerce catalog is properly optimized for search.
If your business relies on SAP ERP, it's not that simple. You need a vetting process in place when a new customer signs up. Again, you will realize more of this benefit if your B2B eCommerce solution is integrated with SAP.
3. Obtain actionable business intelligence on customer preferences
This benefit is not dependent on SAP integration in B2B eCommerce.
It should come with some form of analytics out of the box for any platform worth its salt. By integrating Google Analytics into your B2B eCommerce solution, you can track all kinds of useful data to understand customer behavior and preferences.
The most popular products
How do your most valuable customers find your site
Sales patterns over time
Return on investment of product promotion campaigns
4. Increase the average order size
If you're launching B2B eCommerce for existing customers, this benefit is rarely discussed. When compared with the phone, fax, and email orders, B2B eCommerce's merchandising capabilities will often increase your AOV (average order value).
Why?
Self-service puts the buyer in control. When your B2B eCommerce solution suggests related products (i.e. cross-selling and upselling), you have a great chance to gain a larger share of the wallet and provide even more value to the customer.
Only available in SAP-integrated platforms
5. Provide customers with the data they need to complete transactions
We're getting to the good stuff now.
When you integrate SAP into your B2X Global data feed, you can provide your customers with 100% accurate personalization throughout their journey. Contract pricing, personalized inventory availability, error-free order placement - the list goes on and on (assuming the integration is comprehensive).
B2B eCommerce success depends on this.
How? B2B eCommerce will be inaccurate without SAP-driven personalization. Customers will still need to contact customer service.
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