With B2B online sales growing eight times faster than offline sales, it’s important for businesses who aren’t yet selling online to make a plan to do so in order to not miss out on those potential sales.
We recently talked with BigCommerce global B2B manager, Paul Dabrowski, about how BigCommerce has quickly become a leading platform for manufacturers and distributors who want to get started with eCommerce or want to streamline their current eCommerce operations. With a strong focus on B2B functionalities, BigCommerce provides businesses the tools needed to grow revenue, reduce costs, and improve customer experience across all channels.
In this post, we hope to educate you about the features and functionality that make BigCommerce a great option for those looking to build a new B2B commerce platform or to migrate their current platform.
“We’re seeing two thirds of companies forecast eCommerce to make up between 21-40% of their total revenue in the next 12 months.”
Paul Dabrowski, Global B2B Manager, BigCommerce
Unique Challenges for B2B Businesses
Traditional businesses such as manufacturers and distributors have neglected a decade of emerging tech. Most live in a pre-cloud, pre-mobile era and are struggling with developing the right business models for getting themselves online. They find it hard to know which technologies to implement. Companies who enlist a good agency partner to help navigate this will have more success.
We often hear that B2B buyers want a B2C-like experience. But they actually demand more than that. The stakes are much higher for the B2B buyer. They could lose their job if they purchase the wrong product. From an awareness and technical perspective, it’s more important than ever for businesses to get product accuracy and a great user experience implemented on their websites. They need to provide a way for these buyers to get exactly what they need, when they need it.
Why BigCommerce is a Top Choice for B2B
Scalability and Global Reach
BigCommerce, a SaaS-based platform, is recognized globally as a leader in both B2C and B2B eCommerce. It serves over 10,000 B2B customers, with 1,200+ app integrations across 150 countries. Analysts like IDC, Gartner, and Forrester have identified BigCommerce as a leader in both B2B and B2C markets. Notably, it has been rated highly by TrustRadius for excellent customer satisfaction. Paradigm B2B rated BigCommerce the leading B2B platform for mid-market manufacturers and distributors in 2024.
Integration with Key Systems
For manufacturers and distributors, seamless integration with legacy systems is crucial. BigCommerce integrates with ERP, CRM, and Product Information Management (PIM) systems such as Acumatica, Infor, Netsuite, and Akeneo. These integrations are key for businesses that will link their eCommerce operations with existing back-end systems.
BigCommerce also boasts a robust partner ecosystem of 5,000+ partners, including 2,500 technology partners and 2,500 system integrator and marketing agencies specializing in website implementation and B2B customization. Human Element is one of those implementation agencies, with certified BigCommerce developers on staff, and a wealth of B2B experience.
Role-Based Access and Custom Workflows
A significant differentiator for manufacturers is the ability to create custom workflows with role-based access control. This feature allows businesses to tailor the buyer’s experience, setting up permissions for junior buyers, senior buyers, admins, and more. It’s a powerful tool for personalizing the customer journey – with things like customer-specific pricing and the ability to reorder a previous order – particularly when managing complex purchasing needs. Those B2B businesses providing this level of self-service and convenience are going to outpace their competition.
Multi-Channel Sales and Feed Management
BigCommerce’s acquisition of Feedonomics, used by 30% of the DC360 Top 1000 Online Retailers, gives BigCommerce customers access to the leader in product feed management. For businesses selling products on marketplaces, or placing ads on Google shopping, Facebook or Instagram, Feedonomics simplifies the process of managing product data, ensuring accuracy, automating feeds, maximizing ROAS, and minimizing CPC.
Case Study: AHP Dental & Medical’s Success with BigCommerce
One standout example of BigCommerce’s capabilities is the success of AHP Dental & Medical, an Australian distributor that transformed its operations through BigCommerce. Prior to using the platform, AHP Dental & Medical struggled with a labor-intensive, traditional sales model that involved printing costly catalogs and managing manual credit card payments.
After switching to BigCommerce, AHP transitioned 75% of its sales online, reclaimed six full-time employees’ worth of time, and expanded into new markets such as pediatricians and veterinarians. By automating processes and enabling self-service for their customers, AHP Dental reduced overhead and grew its revenue—while no longer needing to rely on costly print catalogs.
Watch Anthony Rubin (starting around the 8:00 mark), director and owner of AHP Medical & Dental, speak about the company’s results using BigCommerce for their eCommerce operations.
Why BigCommerce is Ideal for Businesses New to eCommerce
For manufacturers and distributors that are new to eCommerce, BigCommerce offers tailored support through B2B launch packages and digital maturity assessments. Launch packages provide expert guidance at every step, from setting up a B2B store to navigating complex workflows. And the digital maturity assessment identifies gaps in the technology stack and roadmap, and can get stakeholders aligned on strategy in order to move forward.
The platform’s flexibility, combined with this hands-on support, makes it a natural fit for businesses looking to transition online, scale their operations, or replace outdated legacy systems.
BigCommerce AI-Assisted Sales Functions
BigCommerce, as a Google Cloud and AI partner, is advancing its sales tools with the introduction of generative AI capabilities. The company is launching “BigAI B2B Quote Assistant,” which will automate tasks like email creation for salespeople, particularly when sending quotes to customers. By integrating product details and customer profiles, BigAI B2B Quote Assistant will generate emails in the brand’s voice, saving time and reducing the repetitive nature of this process. Sales staff will still have the option to review or regenerate the content to ensure its accuracy and alignment with customer needs.
The new BigAI B2B Quote Assistant feature aims to significantly enhance the efficiency of the quoting process, a critical function for B2B sales. By automating and improving email accuracy through generative AI, the platform seeks to simplify the workflow, helping salespeople feel more confident in their communications and ultimately speeding up the sales process.
Future-Proofing with BigCommerce
As businesses continue to invest in digital transformation, BigCommerce remains ahead of the curve by offering solutions that address the evolving needs of manufacturers. With features like role-based access control, seamless integration with essential business systems, and leading feed management capabilities, BigCommerce stands out as a robust platform for B2B eCommerce.
Reach out to Human Element today to see how we can help integrate the platform that helps businesses stay competitive, scale efficiently, and meet the changing expectations of the modern B2B buyer.
