With more and more traditional B2B companies moving to online, the popularity of e-commerce for wholesaling is increasing . With this article we will delve into the world of modern B2B buyers, discovering the advantages reserved for wholesalers adopting e-commerce solutions and what to look for in an e-commerce platform for wholesaling.
What is wholesale e-commerce?
Wholesale e-commerce is a B2B model (business-to-business e-commerce) in which, instead of selling individual products to consumers, they are sold in large quantities to other companies, applying a discount. In a supply chain, the wholesaler is the intermediary between the manufacturer and the distributor or retailer wholesale food suppliers.
Advantages for wholesalers who use e-commerce
Previously, the B2B sales process required sellers to build lasting relationships with potential customers, even for the simplest deals. However, the rise of e-commerce has changed that, offering numerous benefits to B2B companies who choose to shift sales online.
Automate manual processes
Selling goods on an e-commerce platform is one of the most time-consuming ways to automate manual processes. With the right platform, tasks like checkout, billing, and inventory management are done via apps instead of manually.
Employees can allocate resources to other business activities, such as digital marketing or customer service. Additionally, sales teams can devote their time to larger, more complex customers, rather than activities that are easily accomplished by self-service templates found on a website (such as large order processing).
Reach more customers
Wholesalers active in e-commerce are not tied to a physical location, being able to reach customers from all over the world via their website, social media and marketplaces. This omnichannel experience makes it easier for customers to find you across devices or channels.
Furthermore, online wholesaling is a great opportunity to make your brand known if you want to expand into new markets and target a previously unreachable user base without investing in a local store.
Obtain data and insights
With a website, you can more easily access granular customer data and insights, such as:
- The most viewed pages and products every day / week / month.
- The number of visitors who clicked on a specific coupon.
- The average time spent on a web page.
- The percentage of users who have made a hit and run on the site, compared to those who have continued to browse.
The insights gained from this data can help shape marketing campaigns, product mixes, pricing, discounts, and more. Combined with feedback from sellers and customer service, you can gain a better understanding of customer needs.
Improve customer service
In addition to offering self-service portals to customers, e-commerce allows you to personalize their experience in order to improve it . For example, custom catalogs and price lists make it easier for customers to log into your site and order their desired products without having to speak to a seller.