Today the transition from traditional sales to an online marketplace is no longer just a competitive edge; it's the lifeline of thriving enterprises. However, selling to other businesses can be a bit tricky and the B2B buying journey isn't always straightforward. Thus online businesses should create a user-friendly interface and ensure a great customer experience to convince all stakeholders that they are the right choice.
All these features are must-haves for the best B2B eCommerce websites, and it doesn’t hurt to take a look at some of them and to learn a few things from the companies that are doing it right.
This article presents top-performing B2B sites so you can carefully analyze their structure and implement their best practices into your own B2B eCommerce business.
Essential B2B website features you need to implement
In modern realities, retaining customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, and advanced B2B functionality is a surefire way to keep them interested and buying. Thus, B2B eCommerce sites should stay up-to-date to adapt to the complex buyer journey.
Depending on the specific industry and business needs, the must-have features of B2B websites can vary, but there are some essential functions that cannot be overlooked in this segment:
- Restricted access control. B2B eCommerce companies use restricted access control to segment pricing based on customer type as it displays pricing based on the logged-in user. Thus, it’s possible to conceal the shopping cart and pricing depending on the user account type or optimize a public product catalog for search engines while restricting access to approved customers.
- Quote management. Rather than relying on list prices, businesses demand personalized quotes. Business-to-business websites can facilitate the configure price quote (CPQ) and the request for quote (RFQ) tools by incorporating online quote generators or RFQ submission options.
- Bulk purchasing. Enterprises often buy items in large quantities. A top-notch B2B website streamlines this process for customers to place bulk orders and incorporate volume-based (or wholesale) pricing features that can dynamically adjust the price per item based on quantity.
- Quick and automatic reordering. Businesses frequently require bulk and repeat orders. The best B2B websites allow their clients to reorder automatically, which not only saves time but also boosts revenue by reducing customer attrition. With features such as automated repeat purchasing, quick order forms, and "favorites" lists, sellers can create a seamless experience for their customers.
Top 8 B2B eCommerce sites all over the world
In this section, we didn’t strive to mention the best-known or largest B2B websites and marketplaces but aimed to find the best examples of B2B websites in different spheres and markets. Some of them utilize cutting-edge technologies, while the others make good use of well-tested approaches in web design & development.
Looking at these examples, you’ll get acquainted with the most powerful B2B functionality, user-friendly design ideas, and industry-specific innovations.
1. Quill.com
Quill.com is widely known as a procurement powerhouse, specializing in office supplies and business essentials. Serving businesses of all sizes, the website utilizes a user-centric design and creates a seamless purchasing journey.
The website’s standout features include personalized product recommendations based on a customer’s history, a streamlined checkout process, and the ability to set up recurring orders for frequently used items. Moreover, Quill employs reward offers (exclusive deals, coupons, etc.) to convert potential clients into loyal customers. The online store also provides such features as all-inclusive categorization, advanced filters, and intuitive guided navigation.
2. Mercateo
Among B2B companies examples, Mercateo is the ultimate solution for businesses looking to sell their products without the hassle of setting up an online store. Unlike Amazon, Alibaba and other marketplaces, it connects supplier catalogs directly to the centralized interface, eliminating the need for business owners to set up B2B storefronts on their own sites.
Thanks to its intuitive interface and customized e-catalogs, Mercateo streamlines the purchasing process. Its catalog-based system provides price comparisons so users can access pricing and product availability without the need for an account. An exclusive shopping cart optimization feature, BestBasket, expertly curates the perfect combination of price, delivery time, and shipping costs.
3. IndiaMART
Launched as a website directory for customers in Delhi, IndiaMART is a pioneering B2B marketplace to discover, connect, and trade with suppliers across India. What makes it stand out among competitors is an especially vast network of Indian suppliers and manufacturers.
IndiaMART offers an extensive and diverse product catalog serving different industries, from machinery to textiles. While anyone can access the catalog, prices are exclusively available to users with accounts. The catalog navigation is clear and well-organized, with subcategories that offer a plethora of options without the need to open multiple browser tabs.
Additionally, buyers can directly communicate with sellers regarding pricing and regional product availability, ensuring a seamless transaction process. The special Advantage Program offers sellers a range of benefits, including higher search engine visibility, lead management solutions, and direct payment options.
4. Made-in-China
Made-in-China has cemented its status among top B2B websites in the sphere of global manufacturing. This webshop is unmatched in its capability to link businesses with premium Chinese manufacturers and offer an extensive range of products at unbeatable prices.
The salient characteristic of Made-in-China is its emphasis on global commerce. A comprehensive supplier directory, stringent quality assurance protocols, and effective negotiation instruments equip businesses to efficiently source products while upholding quality benchmarks.
Currently, the website showcases an extensive range of over 40 million products spanning across 27 industries and 3,800 categories. Additionally, it boasts a vast network of over 6 million registered suppliers and 14 million buyers.
5. EC21
EC21 stands out as an all-in-one procurement website primarily directed towards small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea that are keen on expanding their business in international markets and attracting foreign clients.
The primary advantage is its extensive supplier network and its capacity to assist enterprises in managing the intricacies of global commerce. Having multilingual support, secure payment alternatives, and trade assurance, EC21 also offers a comprehensive suite of specialized digital marketing services (i.e. SEO, PPC and SMM).
6. Fibre2Fashion
Fibre2Fashion is an outstanding example of B2B eCommerce websites. It offers a comprehensive resource for businesses involved in textiles, fashion, and related sectors.
The website’s distinctive value proposition is rooted in its profound industry expertise and vast supplier ecosystem. Fibre2Fashion now features a collection of new blogs and newsletters that provide an impressive insight into the latest fashion news and industry trends. Interested individuals may opt to subscribe to their preferred membership package, tailored to their convenience.
7. ACME
ACME functions as a packaging supplier for shippers and logistics operators, with a mission to become the foremost provider of industrial and intralogistics automation components and solutions. Their eCommerce website distinguishes itself through its remarkable attention to detail, clear and easily comprehensible pages, high-quality product photographs, and ease of differentiation between services and products.
The minimalist web design helps customers easily interact with the page and navigate the site. The homepage is segmented by subtle vertical lines, allowing each section to link to interior landing pages. As the user moves the cursor across the sections of the page, the background animates and reconstructs, displaying new imagery to indicate where they will land upon clicking that area of the screen.
8. Droppe
Droppe completes the list of examples of B2B companies doing online business. It’s an innovative sourcing site that leverages modern technology to revolutionize the way businesses source and procure industrial products. Droppe boasts a vast network of over 100 European manufacturers and helps buyers to effortlessly search, compare, and order wholesale quantities of products across a wide range of categories.
The standout feature is its AI-powered product recommendations and sourcing assistance. The inner algorithm learns from a customer’s preferences and needs, making it a top choice for businesses looking to harness the power of AI in B2B procurement.
Even when all the website examples are examined and the necessary functions are defined, the process of B2B eCommerce development is riddled with complexities. B2B eCommerce website design, customization, integration, scalability, and security pose significant challenges. To solve them all, your business needs a flexible eCommerce platform. And nopCommerce is a perfect candidate to get the work done!
Why choose nopCommerce for making B2B eCommerce websites?
Looking at top B2B eCommerce companies is always a good thing, but it inevitably comes down to creating your own online store. To develop powerful B2B functionality at the same level as your competitors or even better, it is necessary to use the technical capabilities of the chosen eCommerce platform to the fullest extent.
nopCommerce is one of the best B2B eCommerce platforms that can be customized to meet any business needs and requirements. Be it a growing start-up or established enterprise-level company, the software is equipped with everything required for order management, customer segmentation, wholesale trade, dynamic pricing, robust analytics, etc.
Below you’ll find a few examples of B2B websites powered by nopCommerce. See for yourself how the platform meets different business needs and what technical solutions it can offer.
B2B eCommerce store to sell 1000s of SKUs
Over the course of 30 years, NationWide has established itself as a prominent distributor in the hospitality sector, working with medical wholesalers, retail outlets, corporate offices, and educational institutions.
The company aimed to build a B2B eCommerce store to distribute their products globally and adopt the required B2B features, such as customer segmentation and pricing, bulk discounts, quick reordering, minimum order quantity, credit limits, and dynamic shipping charges based on order total and location.
For this project, the choice of nopCommerce allowed to design a mobile-friendly website incorporating the current trends and the necessary features:
- Customer segments were added based on location, order frequency, and order total to set pricing, minimum order requirements, and group-specific content, such as promotions, shipping, and payment options.
- The admin can assign specific credit limits to certain customers, allowing them to purchase products on credit up to a designated amount.
- The developer team implemented dynamic shipping rates, which automatically calculate shipping costs based on location and order total.
Migration from SAP with preserved B2B functionality
As one of the top B2B companies in the music sphere, Music Tribe dominates the global market as a top-tier producer and distributes exceptional musical instruments, audio equipment, and accessories.
To streamline their B2B ordering process and enhance the user experience, Music Tribe decided to migrate from SAP Hybris to nopCommerce. The main goal was to create a responsive B2B online store with robust order management and integration with the MDM (Master Data Management) layer.
In order to overcome these obstacles, a number of features and strategies were implemented:
- The renewed website incorporated a feature that facilitates the effortless configuration of multiple partners, their respective contacts and preferences, which streamlines the process of product selection.
- The updated system employs an intuitive approach to dividing orders based on availability and shipping location, ensuring that order statuses are accurately synchronized with the MDM.
- A sophisticated search engine powered by ElasticSearch significantly enhances product discovery and filtering speed.
- The mobile-friendly website enables Music Tribe partners to shop from anywhere in the world, delivering a seamless and hassle-free shopping experience.
Upgrade of a legacy eCommerce website
Electron Microscopy Sciences (EMS) is a prominent provider of microscopy products, histology supplies, laboratory equipment, and chemicals across various fields in the USA. With over two decades of functioning, the EMS website couldn’t do without an eCommerce upgrade.
The comprehensive analysis of UX revealed that users were overwhelmed by the previous website and heavily relied on the site search function, which was not functioning optimally. To solve the problem and develop a custom web design, the following changes were made to the medical online store:
- The website got a crawlable and easily navigable product hierarchy, with a focus on organic keywords. This taxonomy plan included a navigation structure, category structure, URL paths, and structured data.
- The new webshop was designed with pages that guide users to their unique product/cart experience, where they are presented with lists of related products and components in a list view.
The B2B eCommerce examples above prove that nopCommerce can be a versatile solution for businesses of any size and industry. With its unparalleled out-of-the-box B2B functionality and customizable options, the software can easily empower both new websites and migrated web shops.
Looking for more inspirational and feature-rich website examples? Check out more robust websites built on nopCommerce in our Showcase.
Wrapping Up
Today B2B eCommerce is no longer about transactions; it's about relationships, efficiency, and the promise of untapped potential. And as we've explored the best B2B website examples, one thing becomes crystal clear: success depends on choosing the right platform and using its capabilities for creating a seamless experience for the target audience.
For your inspiration, we've unveiled the stars of the B2B eCommerce world. Learn from their successes, adapt their strategies, and make them your guides in this digital journey.