Potential Roadblocks of B2B Ecommerce Implementation Part 1 of 2

There’s no denying the fact that consumers are engaging in online shopping more than ever before. While personal online shopping can be a monthly, weekly, or even daily occurrence for many people, business owners often hesitate to take their products online to sell to other businesses. A vast majority of entrepreneurs still consider a physical store, print catalogs and sales reps as best practices. However, this thought process is limiting to both their business exposure and selling potential.

Wikipedia defines Business to Business (B2B) ecommerce as “the sale of goods or services between businesses via an online sales portal. In general, it is used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company's sales efforts.”

As you continue reading you will learn more about certain roadblocks that hinder some businesses from establishing a B2B ecommerce website. Today, we’ll take a look at three main factors.

Lack of Reliable Knowledge

If the technical aspect of establishing a B2B ecommerce site leaves your head spinning, you’re not alone. Unclear expectations of the revenue potential, spinning your wheels trying to improve processes, and not knowing how to build custom websites are all common challenges many business owners face. 

However, with a B2B ecommerce website your company will be able to increase sales, improve efficiencies, lower overhead costs, obtain new customers, improve customer service, and so much more. As a supplier, don’t lose out to your competitors by not implementing an e-commerce site; your competition hasn’t let their lack of knowledge slow them down in this area.

Concern Over The Cost

Like most new processes, there’s a financial investment associated with setting up a B2B ecommerce website. There are of course free sites available on the internet, but those definitely come with risk. To build a fully customizable B2B ecommerce website, you need to work with a company that has experience in this area.

With customers leaving suppliers because of not having an online ordering or the buying process being convoluted, the real question to ask yourself is, “Can I afford not to build a B2B ecommerce site?”

Not Having Enough Time

Business owners are juggling hundreds of tasks simultaneously and the thought of adding one more element can be overwhelming. Even more, you don’t have time in your day to dedicate to developing a software solution. It’s true, creating an e-commerce site doesn’t happen overnight, and there will be some time required if you want it done correctly. However, working with a full-service website design company allows you to still tend to your other responsibilities. Plus, once your website is up and running you will be making sales 24/7 as opposed to a physical store which has 9-5 hours.

The benefits of implementing a B2B E-commerce site far outweigh the challenges.

Next week check out Potential Roadblocks of B2B Ecommerce Implementation (Part 2 of 2).