Business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce refers to online transactions between businesses, like manufacturers selling to wholesalers or wholesalers selling to retailers. The US is one of the largest global markets in B2B ecommerce adoption, marking huge potential for businesses in this space. By 2028, B2B ecommerce will account for 14% of all total B2B product sales.

Ecommerce optimization is essential to stay competitive. Businesses must constantly evolve to anticipate and overcome inevitable challenges. This guide will reveal 12 ecommerce tips to increase the efficiency and functionality of your B2B ecommerce business.

In this guide:

• What is B2B ecommerce marketing?
• B2B ecommerce business efficiency tips.
• Types of B2B ecommerce.
• Why B2B ecommerce matters.

What is B2B ecommerce marketing?

B2B ecommerce marketing is the art of using promotional tactics to interact with and drive sales of existing and potential business customers online. Ecommerce marketing looks to convert traffic into paying customers and turn first-time purchasers into fruitful partnerships with follow-ups and aftercare.

An omnichannel ecommerce marketing strategy uses marketing strategies on and offline to create a consistent brand experience — from social media channels to trade shows and self-service platforms.

There is overlap between B2B and B2C marketing. For example, both practices aim to ensure you hit your target audience, build brand awareness, drive customer loyalty, and land sales.

Both B2B and B2C ecommerce marketing strategies include:

• Search engine optimization
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Paid advertising
• Personalization
• Customer reviews and testimonials

B2B ecommerce business efficiency tips.

Traditionally, B2B businesses have been slow in adopting ecommerce. But, with ever-changing buyer expectations, it’s more essential than ever for companies to keep up.

Here are 12 ecommerce tips to help with your B2B optimization strategy:

1. B2B ecommerce personalization.

Personalization is the key to standing out among an overload of consumer choices — and it’s possible for even the smallest B2B ecommerce brands. Personalization includes both the content that customers see when they visit your website, as well as your promotional efforts — like email marketing campaigns.

B2B ecommerce companies can tailor their messaging to connect with customers and create loyalty based on:

• Past order history
• Contract terms
• Geographic region
• Browsing history
• Company size and industry
• Average order size
• Account role/purchase authority

One challenge to personalization to consider is business customer privacy, but this can be overcome by being transparent with how data is used. Businesses may be willing to share sensitive information, but they’ll want to see tangible benefits like offer customization and operational efficiency.

2. Mobile optimization.

It’s essential for B2B ecommerce companies to optimize sales strategies for mobile phone users. A well-optimized mobile site is essential to staying competitive and gives your business an edge over other companies that don’t offer such convenient solutions. While responsive design is the current industry standard, there are many mobile ecommerce optimizations that will soon become commonplace.

Progressive web apps (PWAs) use regular internet technology but deliver an app-like experience in a mobile or desktop web browser. They are rising in popularity in B2B ecommerce. Easier to maintain than mobile apps, PWA’s are more accessible to small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) that don’t have the finances or resources for IT development. PWAs are particularly useful for B2B ecommerce platforms where speed and engagement are essential — plus faster loading times and offline capabilities can help to improve user retention.

3. Integrate generative AI into ecommerce.

Intelligent commerce relies on the latest generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning models such as large language models to improve website functionality. Increasingly, ecommerce businesses are enhancing their websites with these innovations, making them more dynamic.

Marketers and merchandisers can collect customer data, but the next step is putting that information to work with intelligent ecommerce that’s more responsive than past digital technologies.

Here are some AI applications to consider for B2B ecommerce optimization:

• Smart search and product recommendations. These tools can help your B2B buyers easily locate the product they’re looking for and have a more positive experience on your website.
• Automated metadata. Generative AI can automatically create metadata for visual assets based on pre-defined conditions for a brand.
• AI assistants. Chatbots on websites can help to improve the customer experience, reduce order errors and increase satisfaction.

Supplementing data-driven ecommerce initiatives with AI is becoming an important way to satisfy the need for the personalization of B2B ecommerce experiences.

4. Optimize online checkout user experience.

Cart abandonment rates across ecommerce sit at 70%, with incomplete purchases being almost as high in B2B as they are in B2C checkouts. Even with a well-designed website, businesses risk losing potential orders if their purchasing process is too complex or inconvenient.

Your ecommerce platform should use data to identify when and why buyers abandon their orders. Unlike B2C shoppers, B2B buyers may leave due to unexpected pricing structures, lengthy approval processes, or a lack of preferred payment options.

For example, if a procurement manager starts an order but doesn’t complete it, it may indicate that they’re waiting for internal approval, comparing supplier pricing, or facing friction in the checkout process. Your business can respond by sending automated reminders, offering a streamlined quote-to-order conversion, or providing personalized support to help finalize the purchase.

5. Integrate back-end inventory.

An effective inventory management system is essential in improving the functionality of your B2B ecommerce company. A key part of improving front-end operations is connecting them with back-end support, giving customers greater visibility into product inventories online. This helps to manage their expectations and increases the likelihood they’ll be satisfied with a final purchase. Improved customer satisfaction also helps to cut down on product returns that are costly to restock.

Better inventory visibility helps B2B ecommerce optimize fulfillment by identifying the fastest, most cost-effective warehouse. It also ensures product availability across locations, improving customer satisfaction and supply chain efficiency.

6. Use social media.

Social media marketing should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy to drive traffic to your website. Not only can it amplify brand awareness, but it can also drive sales, build trust, and cultivate a loyal customer base.

Consider using LinkedIn to share industry insights, engage in discussions, and generate leads. Utilize X (formerly known as Twitter) for thought leadership and customer engagement. Showcase case studies and testimonials to build credibility and experiment with different platforms to see where your audience is most active.

7. Enhance email marketing.

Don’t neglect your email marketing efforts. While not as flashy as social media, email gives you the space to expand on your product or provide longer-form engaging content that can’t always fit into a social post.

Actively promote email capture points across your website, blog, and any other media to maximize your subscriber base. Make the most of automation too — set up recovery emails encouraging customers who’ve left items in their basket to revisit the site. Automated emails allow you to send super-relevant and timely messages seamlessly and garner you higher click rates.

Here are some B2B ecommerce email best practices to bear in mind:

• Write engaging subject lines.
• Personalize your message.
• Use conversational copy.
• Utilize AI software that can help.
• Consider user-experience.
• Optimize for mobile.
• Share value, not just sales. Include industry insights, case studies and thought leadership.

8. Optimize content marketing.

Content marketing can include videos, podcasts, seminars, industry insights, and in-depth product specs, depending on where your potential customers are in the marketing funnel and the platform it will be on.

Consider content as a tool to boost brand awareness and position your business as a problem solver. It’s a good idea to think about your potential customers as a community within which you can be a leading voice and industry expert.

You could consider utilizing user-generated content like testimonials and webinars, as this builds a higher level of trust among potential customers and helps to foster authenticity and authority.

With all content you create you should carefully consider search engine optimization (SEO) to help you capture a larger audience and help potential customers find your site.

9. Upsell and cross-sell customers.

Rather than relying on attracting a new customer, you can try selling more to existing customers. Upselling and cross-selling often occurs at the point of purchase. For example, a business ordering office printers might be prompted to add bulk toner refills, or a manufacturer purchasing raw materials may be shown a premium-grade alternative with better durability.

But it’s a fine balance. It’s important to ensure your upsell products are closely linked to the original purchase — and they shouldn’t be too expensive either. If your potential customers feel irritated or pestered, they may leave the purchase completely.

10. A/B testing.

One of the simplest B2B ecommerce tips to improve conversion rates is to repeatedly test to see what works best. Even when you seem to be doing well, tweak your ecommerce site to experiment and look out for potential issues.

Keep a close eye on analytics and use the data to make smart choices. You might want to ask yourself: Should that button be there? Can we make it a different color? Is that photograph converting viewers or can we choose a better one?

11. Understand your target customer.

Put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Consider their pain points — what might they find difficult to navigate on your website? Consider their scale, industry, and how they discovered your business. You could create surveys and follow up at every stage of the purchase journey to better understand their experience and see what you can improve.

12. Five-year planning.

Annual planning provides a tactical roadmap for the immediate future. It allows businesses to translate overarching goals into actionable steps, focusing on optimizing current operations. For B2B ecommerce, this might involve:

• Refining online product catalogs: Ensuring accurate information, high-quality visuals, and competitive pricing based on yearly market analysis.
• Optimizing the online checkout process: Implementing user-friendly interfaces and diverse payment options is identified as a priority for the next year.
• Enhancing digital marketing campaigns: Allocating budget and resources to specific channels and strategies projected to yield the best ROI within the year.
• Improving inventory management: Implementing systems that provide real-time visibility and prevent stockouts that could disrupt customer relationships.
• Setting clear, measurable KPIs: Tracking progress on website traffic, conversion rates, average order value, and customer acquisition cost every year.

Five-year planning takes a broader, more strategic view. It compels B2B ecommerce businesses to anticipate trends and position themselves for long-term success. This longer-term perspective enables enterprises to:

• Identify emerging technologies: Strategically investing in AI-powered personalization, advanced analytics, or evolving platform capabilities that will shape the future of B2B interactions.
• Explore new market segments: Researching and planning entry into adjacent industries or geographical regions to diversify revenue streams over the next five years.
• Develop robust omnichannel strategies: Envisioning a seamless integration of online and offline channels to cater to evolving customer buying behaviors.
• Strengthen customer relationships: Planning for long-term loyalty programs and value-added services that foster deeper partnerships with key accounts.
• Build a scalable infrastructure: Investing in technology and processes that can accommodate anticipated growth, and evolving customer demands over the five-year horizon.

By engaging in both annual and five-year planning, B2B ecommerce businesses can identify the most effective ways to grow. The annual plan provides the flexibility to adapt to immediate market demands. In contrast, the five-year plan ensures that these short-term actions are aligned with a clear vision for sustained growth and competitive advantage in the long run.

Types of B2B ecommerce.

There are several different B2B ecommerce businesses, depending on the products and services you sell. Here are a few examples:

• Wholesalers focus on selling goods in bulk to other businesses for them to resell to consumers. Online platforms provide wholesalers with a wider reach and reduced marketing efforts.
• Manufacturers produce goods to sell to other manufacturers, suppliers, or wholesalers. They increasingly need to meet the demand for online transactions with personalized features like pricing and scheduling.
• Distributors play a key role in the supply chain and cover packing, shipping and marketing. Manufacturers may partner with distributors to sell their products.
• Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a form of software distribution model. In B2B ecommerce this involves companies providing software access and licenses to other businesses on a recurring subscription basis.

Find out how Johnson Controls finds their path to profitability in ecommerce.

What are the barriers to B2B ecommerce optimization?

Some key threats to B2B ecommerce include supply chain disruptions, cybersecurity threats, and increasing competition. But there are ways to get around these challenges — from investing in new technology to training staff in security best practices.

To avoid supply chain disruptions, consider investing in integrated tools to help track orders and manage your back-office operations. Cybersecurity threats are becoming an increasing concern as more B2B operations move online, so GDPR and privacy training is also essential. To stay competitive in a saturated market, offer personalized services to your B2B clients to stand out from the crowd and show you value their business.

Why B2B ecommerce matters.

B2B ecommerce has enabled small and mid-sized enterprises to scale by reaching businesses and buyers worldwide.

Each aspect of the operation — from front-end buyer portals and digital catalogs to back-end order fulfilment and inventory management systems — can be optimized to improve efficiency.

Companies may focus on personalized pricing, seamless procurement experiences, or generative AI technologies to better serve their business customers and streamline operations.

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