WizCommerce

BUILDING A

B2B E-COMMERCE

WEbsite

FOR WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS

Why do you need a

B2B e-commerce website?

Because your customers want it!

Could any explanation or reasoning be better than that? It’s a customer-
centric world—what your customer says goes. It’s 2024, and customer
experience is an unrivaled principle in the world of B2B commerce—
adaptability and accessibility are paramount. 

Talking about accessibility, your B2B buyers are increasingly seeking buying
experiences similar to the B2C experiences they come across in their lives.
Did you know that 64% of B2B buyers are millennials or Generation Z,
tech-savvy professionals used to Amazon-like shopping experiences?
According to Forrester, 90% of younger buyers are unsatisfied with their
suppliers in at least one way, as opposed to 71% of older buyers. This
essentially means that your B2B buyers desire solutions like effortless order
management, personalized recommendations, and self-service and
omnichannel functionality.

When asked to choose between

in-person, remote, or digital self-
service encounters, B2B buyers
said they want it all. Essentially,
what they are inclined towards is
a cross-channel mix.

WizCommerce 02
So, if you are still making your B2B buyers depend on sales reps and their
5-day-a-week, 7-hour-a-day buying window, chances are your customers
are dissatisfied with their buying experience. 

That’s why you need a B2B online store or B2B e-commerce website. As the
digital marketplace evolves, wholesale distributors must adapt to stay
competitive. B2B e-commerce websites offer a unique opportunity to
streamline operations, expand market reach, and enhance customer
experiences.

There goes the what and why. Now, let’s assume you have decided to get a
B2B e-commerce website. Next comes the how.

How to build a B2B e-commerce

website?

That is a loaded question if we've ever heard one. However, that does not
mean it is a complicated process that will keep you up at night—not if you
choose the right tech partner anyway. It simply means that there are ways to
go about it. We love choices, don’t we? Let’s lay down your options.

Now, the world will tell you there are two

Custom developmen
Off-the-shelf solutions

But we are here to break things down for

you one step further. Let’s understand

these options in detail.

WizCommerce 03
 Custom development

As the name suggests, custom development involves building your e-

commerce website from the ground up. This allows for complete control

and customization. This approach is suitable for businesses with unique

needs or those looking to integrate deeply with existing systems. However, it

requires a significant investment in development and maintenance.

Let’s examine these options and understand their business fit, pros, and

cons.

Off-the-shelf solutions

Off-the-shelf e-commerce website builders are pre-built solutions

businesses can use to set up online stores without extensive custom

development. However, an important distinction must be made here.

Some of these platforms are originally designed for the B2C market but can

be adapted for B2B use, while others are purpose-built with B2B

complexities in mind. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for

selecting the right platform.

WizCommerce 04
Building a B2B e-commerce
website: Here are your options

1. Building internally
Building a B2B e-commerce website internally involves creating a custom
solution tailored to specific business needs. This option offers complete
control over design, functionality, and scalability.

Pros
Customization: Tailor the website to fit unique business processes,
including specific customer workflows and product offerings.
Scalability: Design the website to scale with business growth, allowing
for the addition of new features and functionalities over time.
Integration: Seamlessly integrate with existing systems, such as ERP,
CRM, and inventory management, ensuring a cohesive digital
ecosystem.

Cons
High cost: Developing a custom website can be expensive, with costs
including software development, ongoing maintenance, and
infrastructure.
Time-consuming: The development process can be lengthy, often
taking several months to years before the website is fully operational.
Resource-intensive: It requires a dedicated team of developers,
designers, and project managers or outsourcing to an experienced
third-party vendor.

WizCommerce 05
2. Utilizing a B2C website builder
Some wholesale distributors explore using B2C website builders to create a
B2B e-commerce presence. Popular names include Shopify, Magento (now
Adobe Commerce), WooCommerce, etc. These platforms are typically
designed for ease of use and affordability, making them attractive for
businesses new to e-commerce.

Pros
Ease of use: B2C website builders come with intuitive drag-and-drop
interfaces, pre-designed templates, and user-friendly design tools
Lower upfront cost: These platforms generally have lower upfront
costs, with affordable monthly subscription plans
Quick setup: Businesses can launch their online store quickly, requiring
minimal technical expertise.

Cons
Limited B2B features: B2C website builders may lack essential B2B
functionalities like bulk ordering, advanced pricing options, account
management features, and the ability to handle complex product lines
and customizations.
Add-on costs: With many B2B features lacking, you need plugins and
custom development, which shoot up the costs considerably.
Delays in launch: While B2C website builders promise a quick setup,
adding B2B-specific features via plugins or development takes time.
Plugins also introduce risks of technical issues & a compromised user
experience.
Limited developer context: Most developers are not familiar with how
wholesale works and extensive education is required. Many developers
abandon learning curve, and you will be stuck looking for replacements.

WizCommerce 06
 Integration challenges: Integrating with existing ERP and CRM systems
can be difficult, potentially leading to data silos and inefficiencies.

3. Utilizing a dedicated B2B e-commerce website builder

Dedicated B2B website builders are specifically designed to meet the
complex needs of B2B transactions. These platforms come with built-in
features catering to wholesale distributors' unique requirements.

Pros
B2B-specific features: These typically
include essential functionalities like
customer-specific pricing, quote
management, bulk ordering, custom
products, custom catalogs, etc.
Scalability: Designed to handle large order
volumes and a high number of SKUs,
ensuring performance remains robust as
the business grows.
Integration capabilities: Often include
pre-built integrations with popular ERP,
CRM, and inventory management systems.

Cons
Cost: Dedicated B2B platforms can be more expensive than B2C
options, though they often provide greater value through specialized
features.
Complexity: While easier than building from scratch, setting up and
managing these platforms can still require technical expertise.
Customization limits: While these platforms offer a range of features,
customizing specific platform aspects may be limited.

WizCommerce 07
What factors should you consider
when building a B2B e-commerce
website?

1. Features, features, and more features!

Even at the risk of sounding like a broken record, we must iterate that B2B
businesses are much more nuanced than B2C businesses. When selecting
a B2B e-commerce website builder, ensure that features essential to B2B
operations are provided without adding plugins or developing. Here are
some features to look for:
1. Catalog management: Ability to display a wide range of products
with detailed descriptions, images, and specifications.
2. Pricing and discount management: Features like tiered pricing,
customer-specific pricing, and volume discounts.
3. Order management: Streamlined ordering and re-ordering
process, bulk ordering, and order-tracking capabilities.
4. Payment options: Integration with various payment gateways,
offering credit terms and multiple payment methods.
5. Customer accounts: Features like custom catalogs, saved carts,
order histories, statuses, and invoices for each customer.

6 . Inventory management: Real-time inventory tracking and

automated reordering.

WizCommerce 08
 7. Integration capabilities: Ability to integrate with ERP systems,
CRM software, and other business tools.

8. Mobile compatibility: A mobile-responsive design or a

dedicated mobile app for ease of access.

9. Security: Strong security measures to protect sensitive business

and customer data.

2. Customization and branding

Ensure the platform you choose allows customization to match your brand's
identity, including logos, colors, and custom domain names. Depending on
your business model, custom features or integrations might also be
necessary.

3. Scalability
Choose a platform that can grow with your business, supporting increasing
numbers of products, customers, and transactions without sacrificing
performance.

4. User experience
A well-designed UX is crucial for B2B online stores. The platform should be
easy to navigate, with intuitive search and filtering options, easy checkout
processes, and excellent customer support.

5. Support and maintenance

Consider the level of support and ongoing maintenance the platform offers.
This includes customer support, regular updates, and technical support in
case of issues.

WizCommerce 09
6. Cost
Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including setup fees, monthly or
annual fees, transaction fees, and any additional costs for custom
development or third-party integrations.

Choosing the right platform and features depends on your needs, budget,
and long-term goals. You can use this information to analyze the options
and take a call.

Why should you build your B2B

online store with a dedicated B2B

e-commerce website builder?

B2B website builders offer distinct advantages over both B2C website
builders adapted for B2B and custom development solutions due to their
purpose-built features designed explicitly for B2B transactions. Unlike B2C
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Compared to custom development, which provides high flexibility but
involves significant upfront costs and development time, B2B website
builders offer a cost-effective and quicker implementation. They are
pre-configured with business-grade security, ERP and CRM integrations,
and advanced customer management tools, enabling businesses to
achieve high functionality without the complexity and expense of building a
B2B ecommerce website from scratch. This results in a more efficient setup
and maintenance process, allowing companies to focus on growth rather
than technical challenges.

Next comes the question of which B2B e-commerce website builder you
should go for. We have a suggestion.

Why should you choose WizShop by

WizCommerce to build a B2B

e-commerce website?
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WizCommerce 11
Moreover, B2B players operate across multiple channels, including trade
shows, websites, and field representatives. The existing platforms fail to
provide comprehensive solutions for managing transactions across
these diverse channels, leading to data inconsistencies and inefficiencies.
The result? Your sales representatives have no real-time visibility into key
metrics and struggle to track customer orders, product preferences, and
cart contents.

B2B buyers may require net terms or partial payments. Traditional

checkout platforms lack the customization options necessary to cater to
these diverse needs, leaving businesses grappling with inadequate
solutions.

WizShop by WizCommerce has been designed with B2B intricacies in mind

to help you navigate complex B2B workflows with ease. We wanted to
ensure we overcame the challenges of conventional e-commerce platforms
and created a solution specifically tailored to B2B e-commerce needs. Let’s
break down how we achieved that.

‍
Let’s break down our unique selling proposition:

1. Tailored for B2B business dynamics

WizShop is meticulously crafted to cater exclusively to the demands of B2B

operations. Every aspect of our B2B e-commerce website builder is
designed with the unique workflows and requirements of wholesale
distribution in mind.

a) Customizable price-lists: WizShop empowers businesses with

the flexibility to assign specific price lists to individual customers or
customer groups. With this functionality, each customer group only
sees the price list applicable to them.

WizCommerce 12
 b) Personalized buying experience: Harnessing the power of AI,
WizShop delivers a personalized buying journey for each customer.
Through AI-based recommendations, buyers get tailored product
suggestions, enhancing customer engagement and driving
conversions.

c) Downloadable product presentations: In B2B workflows, buyers

may need to download product presentations to have internal
discussions or keep records. They might also need to send product
presentations to end buyers, let them download their orders/
product data in an Excel format, and more. All this and more can be
done easily with WizShop.

d) Comprehensive information access: Wizshop puts all essential

information at the buyers' fingertips —from order history and
invoices to real-time order updates. Your B2B customers have
access to comprehensive data, empowering informed decision-
making and fostering trust and transparency in transactions.
Moreover, it eliminates the need for sales intervention for manual
updates and queries, saving 20+ hours per person per week.

e) Simplified re-ordering flows: Reordering is a norm in several

B2B companies. For B2B customers who often need to repeat
orders at specific intervals, WizShop offers a one-click re-ordering
process to streamline the ordering process and enhance customer
experience.

WizCommerce B2B 13
2. Provides a unified experience across channels

WizShop is meticulously crafted to cater exclusively to the demands of B2B

operations. Every aspect of our B2B e-commerce website builder is

designed with the unique workflows and requirements of wholesale

distribution in mind.

a) Seamless data flow: The data flows seamlessly between the B2B

e-commerce website, trade show app, and sales portal. This unified

approach eliminates data silos, enabling businesses to track

customer interactions and preferences across all touchpoints.

b) Intelligent sales rep insights: Your sales representatives can

monitor customer browsing activities and abandoned carts in real

time. With this information, reps can proactively follow up with

customers, nurture leads, and close deals faster, driving revenue

growth.

c) Enhanced buyer visibility: With an integrated data ecosystem,

your B2B customers can access relevant information about their

orders and real-time order updates, regardless of how or where the

order was placed.

“Partnering with WizCommerce has been a game-changer for Indian Touch

of Gallup. Unlike most platforms designed for B2C, WizCommerce truly
understands what wholesalers need. The results speak for themselves—100
leads on the first day the website went live, and in just one month,
we’ve had 300 users and generated an additional $75,000 in new
revenue.”

Ahmed Ayesh & Abed Ayesh,

Co-owners

WizCommerce 14
3. Built to handle complex product lines
You get the easiest product discovery with custom filters relevant to your
business, a typo-tolerant search bar, and multiple sorting options. Plus, you
can manage complex product variants up to infinite levels and take orders
for products with customizations easily.

4. Comes equipped with AI-enabled product

recommendations
You can recommend new products based on a buyer’s previous purchase
history, maximizing cross-selling opportunities and enhancing the overall
shopping experience. Moreover, when a desired product is out of stock, our
AI-based recommendation engine intelligently suggests similar products so
you never lose a sale and ensure customer satisfaction and retention.

5. Simplifies account management

WizShop simplifies the account management process with customized
sign-up forms and easy approval workflows. Whether adding new accounts
or managing existing ones, businesses can streamline operations and
enhance efficiency, enabling seamless growth and scalability. You can also
allocate custom price lists, freight, and payment terms to customers.

6. Plays well with your existing software

WizShop integrates with all major ERPs and accounting software to ensure
easy flow of information and real-time visibility into data, facilitating smart,
data-driven decisions.

WizCommerce 15
Ready to explore the

revolutionary B2B

e-commerce platform

WizShop?

Book a Demo

WizCommerce