For some, Magento is seen as the e-commerce platform of choice for B2C e-commerce websites. However, there has been some concerns from time to time that Magento isn't appropriate for a B2B online ordering system. We would like to put that right.
Why Magento is a great for SME B2B online ordering
We have pulled together four really good reasons / examples of how Magento really makes a big difference in B2B.
- The customer journey is customisable: whilst we know B2B is more about an efficient online ordering system and less about shopping as a pleasurable experience. But it is very important to have a short, efficient flow to purchase.
- Find items using SKUs / quick ordering: B2B has a need to find items quickly by search functions and previous purchases using SKUs. Magento does this and you can even add quick pull down menus to make this even faster.
- Live account information: many businesses will operate on an account basis. Customers need to know their current trading position and how close they are to their credit limit. This is all easily deployed. But, additionally, if they are close to their limit but still need to order, you can swap them over to purchase by credit card, for example. So, you don't lose possible sales.
- Previous order history: for many businesses, they have repeat purchases that they make regularly. Previous order history and regular purchases can be quickly accessed to make sure the purchase journey is as short as possible and any barriers to purchase is minimised.
The benefits of Magento in B2B
When you are setting up and using an online ordering system, there are some very important improvements you will find in your overall business operation.
- Drop in customer service calls: customer service will swap from being a 'problem solving department' into an extra sales organisation. They'll have the time to support customers and up-sell and cross-sell them effectively
- More visibility on order status: the site will allow you to see how many orders are coming in. Additionally, you are now able to sell 24 hours per day
- Mobile responsiveness: the world is going mobile. Most searches are now done on mobile devices and, if your business is going to lose out. This trend is only going to continue.
We know that B2B SME customers are often purchasing for their businesses out of working hours. They run their businesses during the working day and then they source additinonal stock in the evenings. Having an online ordering system available at these times really keeps your costs down in terms of selling efficiently.
What would a Magento agency do?
If you are considering a cheap ecommerce website, then this might actually be a bit of a false economy. Given that selling 24/7 and being found by smartphone and tablet will become increasingly more important going forwad, you need to choose a platform which can support these.
Using a Magento agency will allow you to build a site which delivers the kind of functionality and overall business improvement you need going forward.
ITQ Solutions is an ecommerce consultancy and a Magento developer Manchester. If you liked this blog then you might like this previous blog too.