B2B ecommerce is no longer “cutting edge” or “the latest craze.” For manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and importers who haven’t made the jump to digital yet, I only have one thing to say:
Going digital isn’t a luxury, and it isn’t optional — it’s a necessity.
In three years, we’ll be in the 2020s, a decade that’s used so often in old science fiction books and movies as a representation of “the far future” that it’s become something of a running joke. It’s no joke - that time is here, we are very much in the future, and though we might not have flying cars or hovercraft just yet, we do have the ability to buy and sell products and services at the speed of light.
This is something your customers have come to expect.
No matter their age, no matter their expertise, no matter how many years they’ve spent in the industry (or how few), they’re familiar with online buying and selling on the B2C side of ecommerce — Amazon, EBay, and similar sites have been around for well over a decade, and everyone has gotten used to the ease and convenience of making quick orders online.
B2B Ecommerce Is a Necessity for Modern Manufacturers, Distributors, Wholesalers, and Importers to Stay Competitive
On top of that, there’s expectation for the modern business to provide an online order system. Just speaking generally, business has become more competitive than it’s ever been.
The rise of globalization, combined with the power of the internet, means that your customers have more options than they’ve ever had before. There are more manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, importers, and exporters around the globe who are more than happy to undercut your product and offer something cheaper.
And one of the simplest ways for them to lure in your existing customers — and poach your prospects — is by offering the latest in technology.
Now, you and I both know that the customer service level at many of these places is going to be well below what your customers and potential customers can expect when they work with you, but your potential customers may not know that.
What does all that mean? It means that your customers are probably going to judge your book by its cover.
If you haven’t taken the digital leap, if you’re not able to offer “simple” customer-oriented services, like a customer portal or digitally accessible invoices, then your potential customers are going to wonder why they should buy from you when they can “walk down the digital street” and buy from the guy who has streamlined the ordering process for them.
Now Commerce Lets You Provide Your Customers a Customized Online Ordering System
But it’s so much more than that.
One of the biggest problems with a lot of modern online ordering systems is that they lack customization.
If every customer portal looks the same for every customer, that can be a real problem for a business owner who needs to change pricing, inventory availability, and other variables from customer to customer.
With Now Commerce, you can easily customize the order screen of every single one of your customers.
You can ensure that your big accounts get the discounts they need and access to the range of products they desire, while your other accounts are unable to see how much you’re charging the other guy or what products they have available for purchase.
You can customize this portal about as far as your imagination can take you. It’s simple to decide which product images will be visible to your customers, to ensure that they see your branding and logo when they log in — you can even set date ranges, minimum orders, and give your employees and reps access to the portal at a variety of different access levels.
The Now Commerce portal is connected with QuickBooks and with your warehousing or other shipping system. These connections provide regular, detailed updates to your customer on the status of their order, all while updating the information about that shipment in real time across all your systems.
Learn How Now Commerce Can Help You Break Into the Digital Era
We’d love to talk to you more about how Now Commerce can improve your business, help you make the switch to digital, and give your customers the digital access they’ve come to expect in the modern era.
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