13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B ... - e2b anytime apps

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2BeCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2CConsiderations for Evaluating B2B Shopping Carts & B2B Storefront Software

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 2 of 13Table of ContentsIntroduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3B2B & B2C Similarities ............................................................................................................................... 3B2B & B2C Differences .............................................................................................................................. 3B2B eCommerce Markets ............................................................................................................................. 4B2B eCommerce Goals .................................................................................................................................. 5B2B eCommerce Buying Process .................................................................................................................. 5B2B eCommerce Users .................................................................................................................................. 6B2B Order Frequency .................................................................................................................................... 7B2B Shopping Cart Order Total ..................................................................................................................... 7B2B eCommerce Stock Status ....................................................................................................................... 7B2B Order Creation ....................................................................................................................................... 8B2B eCommerce Pricing Strategies ............................................................................................................... 8B2B eCommerce Payments ........................................................................................................................... 9B2B eCommerce Order Fulfillment ............................................................................................................... 9B2B eCommerce Shipping Methods ........................................................................................................... 10Custom B2B eCommerce Requirements ..................................................................................................... 10B2B eCommerce Return On Investment (ROI)............................................................................................ 11Anytime Commerce .................................................................................................................................... 12About e2b teknologies ................................................................................................................................ 13Copyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 3 of 13IntroductionThere are many similarities between B2B ecommerce and B2C storefront software. In fact, thesimilarities are growing as more business to business ecommerce providers integrate sales andmarketing strategies common in the consumer commerce world. For example, very fewbusinesses considered investing in search engine optimization or social media marketing topromote their business to business ecommerce sites but these strategies are becoming moreand more popular ways to find new customers and to engage existing customers.However, there are still some key differences between business to consumer ecommerce andbusiness to business ecommerce that companies must understand when evaluating ecommercestorefront applications.B2B & B2C SimilaritiesBusiness to business ecommerce sites used to have very basic functionality but B2B ecommercesystems have improved over the past few years bridging many functional gaps compared totraditional business to consumer storefronts. Many of the “common” features found in B2Cecommerce are now “Gaining Popularity” and in some cases, becoming common practice inB2B ecommerce. The table below shows some of the major similarities between B2B and B2Cecommerce.B2CB2BOrder History Common CommonSecured Account Log-In Gaining Popularity CommonGuest Shopping Carts Common Gaining PopularityProduct Suggestions Common Gaining PopularityMultimedia Attachments Common Gaining PopularityCustomer Loyalty Common Gaining PopularityContent Management Common Gaining PopularitySEO Optimization Common Gaining PopularitySocial Media Marketing Common Gaining PopularityShipment Tracking Common Gaining PopularityShipping Costs Common Gaining PopularitySales Tax Calculation Common Gaining PopularityB2B & B2C DifferencesWhile there are many similarities between B2B ecommerce and B2C ecommerce, there are stillsome major differences that are critical to selecting the right B2B ecommerce platform for yourbusiness. This is becoming increasingly important as many B2C ecommerce providers aremarketing their systems for B2B with little attention to the specific business requirementsCopyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 6 of 13respect to cost and inherent risk. Purchasing a poor quality product could cost the business amajor account and it will certainly impact its ability to attract new business – especially inmarkets such as automotive, aerospace and defense, food and beverage, and other industrieswhere quality control is a premium value.Consequently, most businesses are involved in the buying process with their customers, oftenproviding detailed product information, customized business services, and even custom quotesfor more complex products and purchase commitments.B2B ecommerce needs to support the complex sales process allowing sales reps, brokers,dealers, and others to engage with business customers to improve the sales process making iteasier for business customers to find answers and to place repeat orders once the businessrelationship is established.B2B eCommerce UsersOne of the biggest differences between consumer-based ecommerce and business to businessecommerce lies in who uses the system. Consumer sites are designed so that any individual canget information and purchase a product online but they aren’t designed for other types ofusers.B2B ecommerce users often include sales reps who log-in to see order information for theirassigned accounts. Sales reps can also place orders on behalf of their customers or save a B2Becommerce shopping cart for their customers to review.Other types of B2B ecommerce users include brokers, dealers, franchises, resellers, distributors,and independent sales reps who resell products on behalf of the company. These users havespecific business needs that are often not supported by traditional consumer ecommerceapplications.Sales Reps Dealers Brokers Franchises ResellersCopyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 10 of 13B2B eCommerce Shipping MethodsMost consumer purchases are smaller and relatively light weight. Consider the size of a packagefrom Amazon.com for a book order or a gift you’ve purchased online. Most consumer sites shipvia common carriers such as UPS, FedEx, or US Postal Service. While many businesses also shipvia common carriers, others must use alternative shipping methods due to size and weightrestrictions or because they can get better shipping rates with other shippers. Consider a capitalequipment manufacturer whose machines weigh several tons. These companies typically shiptheir products to the business customer using LTL or TL (less than truckload or truckload)shippers such as Con-Way, Old Dominion, Estes Express Line, or others. Some businesses mayalso operate their own delivery fleets common in many industries such as janitorial or industrialsupply distribution businesses. Shipping methods and rate calculations are an importantconsideration and a major difference between consumer and business ecommerce sites.Custom B2B eCommerce RequirementsB2B ecommerce is very different than b2c ecommerce and there will be other requirementsspecific to the business, the markets served by the b2b shopping cart, or even by customer.Some other common requirements include the ability to look-up parts based on a serialnumber, an online product configurator to assemble products based on attributes, andcustomized integrations to other business systems, warehouse management applications, andmore.Most B2C ecommerce providers are hesitant to customize their software. B2B ecommerceapplications are designed for flexibility and B2B ecommerce providers who understand yourbusiness needs can custom tailor a solution to meet even the most complex businessrequirements ensuring that your B2B ecommerce software and shopping cart deployment is asuccess.Copyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 12 of 13Anytime CommerceAnytime Commerce (www.anytimecommerce.com) is one of thefew b2b ecommerce storefront applications developed specificallyfor business to business ecommerce transactions. It features deepintegration with back-office business accounting and ERP systemsfor automated order creation, inventory stock status integration,customer-specific pricing, and other complex b2b requirements.Anytime Commerce can be installed on your web server or hosted. Businesses may choose to subscribeto it as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model or purchase it outright. Integration includes freight rates,shipping options, sales tax, and credit card merchant services in addition to on account sales.Copyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com

13 Reasons Why Business to Business B2B eCommerce Storefronts Are Different Than B2C Page 13 of 13about e2b teknologiese2b teknologies is a Microsoft Managed Partner providing cloud-based business software applicationsand business services to progressive businesses worldwide. e2b anytime apps is the publisher ofAnytime Collect, Anytime Commerce, Anytime Supply Chain, and related Anytime brand products. e2benterprise develops custom cloud-based business applications and resells leading ERP accountingsoftware, CRM, and other enterprise business software applications.Copyright 2013 | e2b teknologies | 521 fifth ave. | chardon, oh 44024 | 440.352.4700 |www.anytimecommerce.com