B2B Ecommerce: Breaking Through the Barriers in a Rapidly Changing World

Transcription

1 B2B Ecommerce: Breaking Through the Barriers in a Rapidly Changing World FitForCommerce Whitepaper Series Dealing with intricate business models and distinct operational processes, B2B organizations face unique challenges when launching an ecommerce channel. In addition to the technical capabilities required, B2B organizations also need to consider the strategic differences of selling online. Read this paper to learn about B2B ecommerce challenges, best practices and explore how three different B2B organizations with very distinct business models - B2B pure play, B2B + B2C and B2B2C - have successfully launched ecommerce channels. March 2015 Rod Forsythe, Kerry Martin and Marty Schmid, FitForCommerce

2 Introduction As business- to- business (B2B) organizations move from traditional selling and basic online ordering portals to a complete digital commerce channel, there are several challenges they need to think about and address as well as features and functionalities that they need to ensure are in place before launch. While B2B organizations can learn a lot from business- to- consumer (B2C) sites in creating a seamless customer experience, B2B selling is inherently different and a lot more complex than B2C commerce. Where B2C companies primarily market and sell direct to consumers, B2B organizations typically deal with intricate business models that involve different types of buyers including distributors, suppliers, resellers and partners. It is therefore critical to carefully map out the business model to ensure that all processes and capabilities required to support the current business and future growth are fully accounted for. In addition to the technical capabilities, B2B organizations also need to consider the strategic differences of selling online. Launching a B2B digital commerce channel is not a build it and they will come initiative. It requires new strategies for attracting and selling to new customers, educating existing customers on the new sales process, and dealing with potential challenges related to channel conflicts. In this paper, we will detail the challenges related to launching and managing a B2B commerce channel. We will explore how three different B2B organizations with very distinct business models - B2B pure play, B2B + B2C and B2B2C - have overcome these challenges and we will offer recommendations for how to successfully get started. It s a Brave New World Customer demands and the growth of B2B Imagine a consumer, on her couch, online, shopping. She browses websites, compares items, views product videos, reads reviews and eventually makes a purchase. Online plays an important role in her shopping process. Now imagine the same customer at work, about to make a business purchase. She turns to the internet but, more often than not, this turns out to be a disappointing experience. Either her preferred vendors do not offer online purchasing options or those that do are cumbersome and not as easy to shop from as she is used to.

3 B2B buyers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the differences in the level of convenience and user experience that they receive as consumers versus what they experience when purchasing for work. Steve Jones, VP and Sr. Consultant, FitForCommerce Although business- to- business ecommerce is on the rise, the scenario above occurs too often in today s business environment. Consumers expect online shopping experiences to be seamless and hassle- free, regardless of how, where and when they shop. Business buyers are also online shoppers; they expect their personal shopping experiences to transfer to their professional buying experiences. This is important to realize because the online channel is quickly becoming the go- to source for business purchases. The overall sales numbers for B2B far exceed those in B2C online retail. In 2013, B2B ecommerce sales reached $ billion and are expected to reach $6.7 trillion by This trend will make the B2B ecommerce market twice the size of the B2C market ($3.2 trillion) within that timeframe. Considering that business buyers come to a B2B site because they have to as part of their jobs, it is even more important to meet and exceed their expectations. So why is B2B lagging behind B2C? Since there is such a huge demand for online purchasing options, it seems surprising that so many B2B organizations have been slow to embrace and adopt ecommerce best practices. It is certainly not because of a lack of demand or sales potential. So what is the reason for the slow adoption? Typically, we see a number of barriers that keep organizations from fully embracing the online channel: potential channel conflicts, cannibalization of existing channels, disruption of current business, and technology concerns. Common B2B Ecommerce Barriers Potenbal conflicts across channels The cannibalizabon of exisbng channels Disrupbon of the current business Concern that technology pladorms do not support the complexibes of B2B 1 Frost & Sullivan B2B Ecommerce Research 3 P age

4 B2B organizations can no longer use perceived barriers as an excuse for not establishing an ecommerce channel. Karen Greenberg, SVP FitForCommerce These barriers are valid concerns and should be addressed. However, in today s competitive B2B environment that is already being disrupted by online marketplaces like Alibaba.com and AmazonSupply.com, B2B organizations can no longer ignore customer demands or hide behind these barriers. Successful B2B organizations have proven that it is possible to create channel harmony and technology platform providers have evolved capabilities to address and support the complexities of B2B selling. In fact, by bringing sales processes online and automating many of the complex processes, many organizations experience overall efficiency improvements across the entire business. The inescapable benefits of B2B ecommerce While the intricacies of B2B selling make the implementation of an ecommerce channel more complex, by adding an online channel, B2B organizations can uncover added revenue streams, increase margins, and monetize existing customer relationships. The automation of sales and operational processes can benefit the entire organization, and the availability of self- service tools for customers are extremely valuable as they enable the sales force to concentrate on revenue- generating activities. Furthermore, since customers demand online options, a well- managed direct online sales channel will meet those demands, improving customer satisfaction and fostering loyalty. At the same time, the online channel provides direct access to the end- user, which enables the collection of valuable data to improve product offerings, operational efficiencies, and marketing activities for greater conversion. Understanding B2B Ecommerce Models The differences between B2C and B2B In a business- to- consumer environment, ecommerce is relatively simple. B2C customers typically buy one or just a few products. Products are usually sold at fixed prices and promotions and discounts apply across all customers or particular segments. The products sold are usually shipped to one address and B2C companies typically do not have to worry about complicated tax or regulatory issues. B2B online selling, on the other hand, is quite complex. Most B2B organizations deal with various distributor networks, manufacturers and resellers. Pricing is highly variable and influenced by many different factors such as volumes and negotiated pricing agreements for individual customers. Products often require configurations and are typically sold in bulk, influencing logistics and 4 P age

5 shipping. In addition, tax and regulatory concerns impact sales processes and logistics. All these factors translate into complicated customer hierarchies, differing pricing contracts, payment options, authorization rules, terms, approval workflows, product assortments, and marketing for different customer types. Addressing B2B business model complexities Organizations must fully understand their business model, sales and operational processes and must- have platform requirements in order to achieve ecommerce success. Arthur McManus, SVP, FitForCommerce 5 P age B2B business models involve transactions between businesses manufacturer/wholesaler or wholesaler/retailer. But often B2B commerce models are more complicated, ranging from B2B2B, B2B2C and various other hybrid models and can include many different forms of customer types, such as direct- to- consumer retailers, corporate businesses and more. In addition to internal sales teams, many B2B organizations also rely on distributors, resellers and agents that provide an easier and more affordable way to get products to end- users. Depending on geographic reach, there are also often additional layers within each channel that further complicate the distribution model. Moreover, for any business that an organization interacts with during the sales process, there can be multiple contacts and authorities that are able to purchase for an entity or multiple divisions. Simply moving away from the one- to- one relationship of B2C means that the supply chain gets more complicated and, as a result, most B2B sales processes require various pricing, incentives, volume discounts, contracts and more. When managed properly, these complicated distribution channels deliver the benefits of a fully- integrated distribution chain. However, this does not come without a cost. These distribution channels often translate into very complex business models and ecosystems that can become cumbersome and challenging to manage. Furthermore, these business models result in the lack of direct access to end- customers, which means that B2B organizations must rely on their partners to provide them with valuable data about their customers.

6 B2B Ecommerce In Action Three distinct B2B business models Since each organization is distinct and unique, it is critical to carefully map out the business model before establishing the online channel. Businesses must understand the complexities involved and fully account for all the processes and technological capabilities required to support the current business and future growth. We will now cover three different B2B organizations with very distinct business models, exploring how each has overcome B2B complexities and launched successful ecommerce channels: B2B pure- play B2B + B2C B2B2C B2B pure- play: extending B2C best practices to B2B As a leading international distributor of products, equipment, and supplies to spas, skincare professionals, and resort and destination properties, this 33- year- old B2B business relied primarily on catalog, direct mail and their call center as their sales channels. Historically, the company s website served to compliment the call center. However, the company recognized the potential of ecommerce and developed a multichannel strategy aimed at achieving stronger sales and customer retention goals. The company launched its ecommerce channel in Today, inbound and outbound sales remain the primary source of revenue; however, after just three years the website generates just under 30% of overall revenue and effectively supports all other channels. Supporting B2B complexities One of the biggest requirements of the B2B commerce platform is that it supports variable pricing, custom catalogs and user account management. Since every customer negotiates unique pricing and discounts, it is critical that the right products and the right pricing are displayed at the right time, to the right users. The company achieves this by requiring business users to register and sign in when purchasing on the site. Depending on the registered user, the system automatically displays the necessary information. Extending B2C capabilities to meet customer demands 6 P age The company goes to great lengths to leverage best practices from B2C ecommerce to ensure that their customers enjoy the best online experience possible. It is

7 therefore important that their ecommerce platform provides B2C- like front- end functionality. These features include promoting cross- selling opportunities, multifaceted navigation and rich media. In addition, because the online channel provides an excellent opportunity to showcase products and engage customers, the company places great emphasis on creating detailed product descriptions and educational content to inform customers, move them along the purchase funnel and encourage them to come back to the site. The prioritization means that the platform needs to be able to support the delivery of content and also that the company has to allocate more resources to content creation and management. A new marketing approach Since the company previously relied mostly on direct mail as its primary marketing tactic, management knew that they needed to invest in new tactics to drive traffic to the site and educate existing customers about site capabilities. The company s first move was to invest in building out the marketing team to include digital marketing expertise. With the right team in place, a new cross- marketing strategy was implemented, focusing on cross- marketing efforts to drive traffic from all customer offline and digital touchpoints, including print catalog calls- to- action, direct mail, search engine marketing, digital advertising, marketing and SEO. B2B + B2C: Balancing resources Some B2B organizations operate both B2B and B2C ecommerce businesses and therefore need to balance resources. One such company is Jeffers. Jeffers is one of the largest privately- owned catalog and ecommerce animal health supply retailers in the United States. The company s comprehensive collection of food, supplies, and health and wellness products is unrivaled in the industry. In forty years, the company has grown from a home- based family business founded in 1975 by Dr. Keith Jeffers, PhD, to a multi- million dollar B2B and B2C enterprise. A centralized platform for both B2B and B2C Based on a hybrid business model, servicing both B2B and B2C customers, it is important for Jeffers to cater to both segments while limiting the internal resources needed to run the business. The two distinct audiences require different functionality in terms of onsite usability, pricing and fulfillment. Historically, the company s ecommerce site did not fully accommodate for these differences, resulting in performance and conversion issues. Rather than further fragmenting Jeffers s customer base through multiple dedicated sites, Jeffers now deploys a single platform with capabilities to support both the B2C and B2B online channel. 7 P age

8 This option more effectively meets their SEO and branding objectives while further lightening staff workload. Meeting both B2C and B2B customer expectations With a single site for both segments, it is important to ensure that the platform supports the complexities of B2B sales processes such as variable pricing and complex shipping, while offering user- friendly navigation as well as easy checkout processes for the consumer audience. The previous site required all customers to create an account before purchase and the lack of a guest checkout process significantly increased the cart abandonment rate. To overcome this challenge, the checkout process has been streamlined and now includes a guest checkout. As a result, B2C customers are no longer required to create an account to place an order. These efforts have drastically decreased the abandonment rate. Complex shipping requirements While, for B2C customers, shipping is fairly straightforward, when it comes to the B2B customers, shipping becomes more complex and requires capabilities to support different shipping needs within a single order. For example, a customer s order may include vaccines that require overnight shipping, heavy bags or cans of food that may restrict some third- party options, and books or t- shirts that can be sent via standard shipping methods. The Jeffers platform supports highly- complex shipping requirements. In one clear checkout step, customers are prompted to select the appropriate shipping methods that accommodate various products in their carts. Improved efficiencies through automation The Jeffers ecommerce platform is designed to lessen the burden on the Jeffers staff by automating complex order, payment, and shipping processes that were previously handled manually. The platform, therefore, includes sophisticated workflows, variable pricing options for the B2B audience, multiple payment and shipping options. Personalized merchandising Jeffers leverages personalization and segmentation tools to appropriately merchandise to their distinct customer types. Seamless integration with Jeffers s service provider offers channel- based marketing opportunities that target and capture subscribers preferences and goals while more effectively communicating Jeffers s exciting offers and promotions. 8 P age

9 B2B2C: A co- op business model servicing the needs of many Do it Best Corp. is the nation's second largest hardware buying co- op. Their primary competitors are Ace and True Value, as well as big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot. As a co- op business, Do it Best is owned by its members - independently owned hardware and home improvement retailers. The co- op currently has 3600 locations in 54 countries. Do it Best is interesting in that it does not have a national brand. Members do not need to take on the Do it Best brand name, which means that they can operate as independent retailers, yet gain the benefits of belonging to a large co- op. These benefits include 6,700 products stocked in warehouses, advertising support, graphic design, store design and ecommerce capabilities. Do it Best pretty much handles everything required for members to get started and then turns over the keys to the member. Bringing its members online One of the significant services that Do it Best offers its members is the online channel. Doitbest.com is a customer- facing storefront powered by a robust ecommerce platform that enables Do it Best to also offer its members custom microsites. Members can direct traffic to doitbest.com via a special link and receive a commission every time a consumer makes a purchase. At a more advanced level, the platform also enables Do it Best to offer members the ability to create their own sites, with their own branding and url, powered by the centralized platform. One platform many sites This approach is vastly different from traditional ecommerce sites. Instead of one site for multiple customers, Do it Best manages one site for 3600 online stores that all have different brands and feels. This essentially means that the ecommerce platform has to be able to support potentially 3600 microsites and therefore needs to be as agile as possible. The goal of the co- op is to best support member stores and a lot of effort, time and investment went into building custom templates for microsites that allow members to reinforce their individual brands. 9 P age In addition to robust support and seamless management, it is also important that the platform used is affordable and flexible. Huge technology stacks and traditional licensing models are therefore not a cost- effective option. Instead, the company was drawn to the agility and flexibility of platforms leveraging open source technologies, such as Ruby on Rails and MongoDB.

10 Removing channel barriers A big challenge for any co- op is to not appear to be competing with its members. Members understand that they need to pay a commission in order to gain access to the services provided by the co- op, but there are still conflicts with respect to customer perception. If customers of Philly Hardware do not know anything about Do it Best but then go to the Philly Hardware site and see the Do it Best affiliation or are directed to a Doitbest.com page, they get confused. Do it Best aims to remove that barrier by allowing Philly Hardware to customize the look and feel of the microsite and host it on their own URL. The only thing that customers will see is that the checkout is powered by doitbest.com. Cross- channel fulfillment capabilities Approximately 80 percent of orders processed through the Do it Best platform are fulfilled through store locations, which means that the ecommerce system needs to be capable of cross- channel fulfillment and order online/pick up in store functionality. Customer acquisition To attract customers to the main site, Do it Best does national advertising through search engines Bing and Google. Although these efforts are aimed at directing traffic to Doitbest.com, in most cases fulfillment actually happens at store locations, which means that the online channel and marketing investment drives a lot of new business into member stores. Complete control In order to enhance member benefits, Do it Best is aiming to launch a more powerful B2B option where members will be able to set their own pricing and add products to their sites that are not part of the Do It Best product catalog. For instance, if Philly Hardware has specific customer demands for home repair products that Do it Best does not carry, they will be able to add products to their online stores from different suppliers. The company recognizes that its members know the customer area and demand best and it is therefore important to offer the capabilities for them to best service their local communities, in terms of merchandising and marketing. They do not aim to become a Big Box retailer by offering one item for the whole country; instead, the goal is to offer what each local community needs. It is therefore imperative that the ecommerce platform allows members to do it efficiently and effectively. 10 P age Future phases of the platform will include business intelligence tools and enhanced customization and marketing automation. Members will have access to their own

11 dashboard providing insight into best selling products at their stores, online and nationally, to help them better stock and merchandise. They will also have real- time visibility into sales, order volumes, profits, and customer details. They will be able to dive deeper into analytics, customize s from there, and reach out to consumers as need be. Overcoming Barriers and Getting Started Understanding B2B complexities Although B2B business models vary from organization to organization, most share similar factors that contribute to the complexities of B2B commerce. Understanding these complexities and mapping out how they apply to an organization s business model, sales and operational processes are critical to identifying the technical capabilities required to support the business. Understanding B2B Complexities Complex buying organizations, roles and authorizations B2B customers may have centralized or distributed purchasing departments, multiple business units, locations and different users. They may also have multiple contacts attached to one customer account, multiple customers attached to one billing account, and so on. In addition, the vast majority of business purchase decisions involve multiple decision makers and influencers. As a result, it is common that these customers require support for their buying process with different user roles and authorization levels. Pricing Product configurations and custom catalogs B2B commerce typically includes many tiers of pricing and custom pricing by customer type and individual customers, which means that pricing is often variable including multiple pricing groups, quantity breaks within pricing groups, item categories and more. These pricing structures are often a result of negotiated contracts and terms based on customer relationships fostered over time, purchase volumes, frequency and more. B2B product offerings often require some custom configuration such as kits, assemblies and style options. Many business customers also have specific approval rules for what products certain employees are allowed to purchase, as well as different credit limits and product assortments per customer. This means that product catalogs might need to be customized for not only individual companies, but also for buyers within a company. Since business buyers rely on product availability, it is also critical that product catalogs are updated dynamically and in real- time, along with delivery timelines. 11 P age

12 Payment terms, invoicing and contracts Business customers often require specific invoicing and terms of payment as well as some levels of approval or authorization workflows. It is also common that businesses require various methods of payment including credit cards, purchase orders, ACH, procurement cards and more. Logistics, fulfillment and shipping In B2B, it is not uncommon for customers to have multiple locations for shipping and billing. Products are often stored in multiple warehouses and distribution facilities and orders are often split to multiple destinations. B2B orders are business- critical, meaning that customers depend on quick and reliable fulfillment and delivery of their orders. Data and systems integration Because of the B2B value chain, B2B organizations often deploy a wide range of systems to manage products, pricing, orders, customers and product information. It is therefore crucial that all systems are fully integrated, including vendor collaboration tools, financials (AR), ERP and more. Taxes and regulations Geographic restrictions, specific products by customer, and hazardous materials are common issues that have to be considered in B2B commerce. In addition, tax issues are complex. Dealing with direct sales force and channel conflict Because so many B2B companies rely on a combination of their suppliers, distributor networks, channel partners and an internal sales force, channel conflict has always been a concern - even before ecommerce. Since a good portion of B2B success is attributed directly to partnerships, the fear is that the online channel will harm existing relationships with channel partners that may have taken years to nurture. Channel partners are not the only stakeholders that may feel threatened by B2B ecommerce. While the online channel should free sales representatives from time- intensive manual processes, allowing them to focus on generating new business, often the inside sales force will view the online channel as a direct competitor. Some partners may try to undercut or refrain from doing business with B2B organizations with direct ecommerce channels. As a result, there is understandably some resistance among B2B management to activating the online channel. However, the ecommerce channel provides benefits that B2B organizations cannot afford to ignore. B2B organizations are increasingly overcoming this conflict by working with partners to devise strategies that are beneficial for all parties involved. 12 P age

13 Potential strategies to managing channel and sales force conflict Communicate objectives and emphasize upside to channel partners in advance Level the playing field by not competing on price Offer exclusive distributor product lines Offer incentive programs to motivate channel partners Include website features that will benefit the partners Consider targeting a different demographic market than existing partners in the distribution network As more and more B2B organizations embrace the online channel and develop strategies for avoiding channel conflicts with positive results, we see that both direct and indirect channels are able to co- exist and even thrive, ultimately improving overall profitability and customer satisfaction. Marketing was a big priority for us when we decided to launch our ecommerce site. We knew that we needed to refine our acquisition strategies and build a team responsible for driving traffic to the site. VP Marketing, B2B Retailer Build and they will come? Launching a B2B ecommerce site is only half the battle. In addition to the technical capabilities, B2B organizations need to consider the strategic differences of selling online. Unlike B2C commerce that is often highly focused on new customer acquisition, B2B organizations are historically very focused on generating revenue from negotiated contract terms and strong customer and partner relationships. Historically, these relationships have been fostered via personal interactions with sales people and customer service representatives. The direct ecommerce channel requires new strategies for attracting and selling to new customers as well as educating existing customers about the new tools. With this shift to an increased focus on acquisition marketing comes new challenges. Acquisition marketing requires a different approach and skillset, which is usually beyond the scope of traditional B2B organizations. In many cases, this requires that organizations build out digital marketing teams that are responsible for driving traffic to the ecommerce site and converting online sales through SEO, search engine marketing, digital advertising and marketing. In addition to having the right team in place, organizations should also look to their ecommerce platform to ensure that it provides advanced SEO functionality, visibility into customer data and integration with marketing systems. Using data captured from online customer activity to create digital marketing programs also allows B2B organizations to automate customer outreach for communication about new products, upsell/cross- sell opportunities and order 13 P age

14 information to increase sales and reduce manual resources in customer service, marketing and sales. Best practices for getting started At FitForCommerce, we see many organizations struggle to implement an effective direct B2B channel, mainly due to the fact that the undertaking of establishing an online channel seems overwhelming and risky. The good news is that there are ways to make the journey less daunting. By taking the right steps to fully understand the complexities of the business model, focusing on the best approach, getting the organization aligned and mapping out technology requirements to support the business, B2B organizations can successfully build, launch and manage a successful ecommerce channel. Recommended Steps For Getting Started: Build the business case: educating decision- makers and building support with key internal stakeholders. Meet customer demands: focus on end- customers expectations and their demands for the online channel. Align the organization: get executive buy- in to build a team with the right skills needed to manage the ecommerce business. Limit channel and sales conflicts: carefully map out how the direct channel will influence channel partners and sales, be fully transparent and incentivize. Select the right platform: ensure that technologies used to support the business have the right capabilities. Set goals and measure: determine the goals of the ecommerce channel and measure against performance. It was extremely important to select an ecommerce platform that could support the complexity of our business and to partner with a provider that understood our business model. The selection process was rigorous, but worth it. Ecommerce Director, B2B brand manufacturer. Selecting the right B2B ecommerce platform Managing the intricacies of B2B commerce has, thus far, been challenging for many organizations, largely due to the lack of tools and platforms that can properly support the workflow and sophisticated business rules required of B2B ecommerce. However, recently, we have seen an increasing number existing and new ecommerce platforms introducing tools tailored specifically to the B2B channel. B2B organizations should look for platforms that provide the critical capabilities required, while offering the flexibility to accommodate their particular business model needs. A successful B2B solution will offer business buyers the same information and features that they would receive if they were interacting with a sales representative or customer service department. In addition, a good ecommerce platform will draw from the lessons learned for B2C and offer front- end functionality that mirrors B2C online experiences. Deploying a platform from a 14 P age

15 company that also offers a B2C solution has its advantages, as proven B2C functionality is already integrated and readily available. No matter what platform is selected, the first step is to carefully map out business models and sales processes to identify the capabilities necessary to support the business. What to Evaluate when Selecting a B2B Commerce Platform B2B Workflow User Roles/ Approvals Pricing Options Payment Options Shipping Self- Service Custom Catalogs B2C Features Merchandising Search and Navigation System Integration Mobile Platform Model and IT Ensure that the platform supports B2B workflow requirements. Evaluate the default business rules options for customizing business rules to handle unique workflows. Map out user roles and approval flows required. Ensure that the platform offers different levels user roles and level of approvals required for different buying groups. Confirm that the platform offers variable and contract pricing options for different customers, pricing quantities and promotional thresholds if needed. List out the payment methods that customers require, credit limits, quoting capabilities, PO requirements and ensure that the platform provides the necessary payment options. Investigate shipping options such as multiple ship- to options and align them to customer requirements. Evaluate platform tools for self- service functionality including re- ordering, order tracking, cancellations and so on. If required, confirm that custom catalogs are available for different users. Ensure that the platform draws from B2C best practice features to meet customer expectations and make the buying process more convenient. Confirm that the platform offers upsell and cross- sell capabilities. Understand how customers search for products and evaluate platform search and navigation capabilities. Optimized search functionality should be highly configurable and offer filtered results. Ensure that the platform can be fully integrated with other solutions in the ecosystem. Investigate if the platform offers mobile capabilities such as mobile optimization, responsiveness and other sales force mobile solutions. Analyze internal IT resources and budget allocation for ecommerce maintenance to determine the right platform technology and license model. 15 P age

16 Conclusion As private online shoppers, the online channel is becoming the preferred source for business buyers, contributing to the growth of B2B ecommerce and the increase in technology solutions tailored to address the complexities of business selling. B2B organizations must seriously consider the online channel as a way to accelerate growth and improve efficiencies. Despite the obvious opportunity, many B2B organizations have been slow to launch or improve the ecommerce channel. Typically, B2B organizations are hesitant due to a number of barriers including potential channel conflicts, cannibalization of existing channels, disruption of current business, and technology concerns. Ignoring customer demands is no longer an option. As explored in this paper, it is possible to break down the barriers and launch successful ecommerce channels, while improving operational efficiencies across the entire business. The key to success is to fully understand the complexities of the business model, focus on the best approach, ensure organizational alignment and map out technology requirements to support the business. Based on this approach it is possible to select an ecommerce platform that supports the complexities of B2B selling while flexible enough to support intricate business models. 16 P age

17 This white paper is made possible by the support of WebLinc: WebLinc is the commerce platform and services provider for the fastest growing online B2B and B2C retailers. Combining an understanding of the complex business needs of B2B sales and a strong focus on user experience, WebLinc enables B2B retailers to consistently out- pace the competition. Modern, agile technologies and strategic expertise empower companies like Thomas Scientific, Do it Best Corp., Jeffers Pet, and Becker s School Supplies to sell more online. For more information, sales@weblinc.com, visit or call P age

18 FitForCommerce 40 Highland Ave Short Hills, NJ phone fax FitForCommerce is a leading consulting firm, helping ecommerce and multichannel retailers and manufacturers grow their online retail operations. Our consultants bring decades of practical, hands- on experience to guide merchants in defining ecommerce strategy, selecting the right technologies, and building online marketing, merchandising and best- in- class website experiences all using a rigorous ecommerce Diligence process and a vast knowledge base built on our work with hundreds of leading retailers. Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. FitForCommerce, the FitForCommerce logo, and all other FitForCommerce products and services are trademarks of FitForCommerce. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 18 P age