Many B2B operators, dealers, and sellers utilize an ordering portal to achieve their business objective. The demand by customers has risen sharply for an easy-to-use, highly intuitive platform with the means to search their product catalog, place and track orders, and manage invoices, payments and account information.
There are a wide range of ordering portal solutions on the market today, claiming to offer an all-in-one user friendly, seamless solution. Truth is, each B2B entity has unique requirements based on their business model, customer interactions, catalog and pricing structure, and back-end system.
The features of the portal, the size and condition of the data sets, specific customer needs, as well as its technical design, must be the drivers for platform selection. That means starting with the scope of capabilities and catalogs, and complexity of the technology ecosystem.
Here is an overview of considerations as you explore portal solutions for your B2B business.
Personalized Requirements
- Branded accounts with logo & user name
- Unique order guides
- Contract pricing / multiple price lists
- Product offering at a unit level
- Favorites list by user
- Minimum order quantities by product
- Multiple delivery addresses by account
Product and Order Capabilities
- Detailed product descriptions and multiple views
- Embedded product videos
- Attached product files and documentation
- Intuitive site navigation
- Product ID look-up
- Product browse and search with robust filtering options
- Product and price comparison
- Inventory availability and real-time quantities
- Order review and approval by master user
- Mandatory PO entry
- Order by par levels and bulk purchases
Ordering Convenience
- Adjustable delivery and shipping schedules
- Order tracking without login
- Frequently ordered items lists by user
- Notification of out-of-stock and back-ordered items
- Text and email order confirmation alerts
- Reorder from prior orders (full or at a line-level)
Account Management
- Access and download invoices
- Invoice payments online
- Manage users and permissions
- Update account information
- Customer support and product services
Promotions and Incremental Sales
- Landing page banners (messages, incentives, reminders)
- Shopping cart notifications
- Related items on product pages
- Quantity threshold discounts
- Bundled offers
- Limited-time sale events
- Upsell, cross sell and product suggestions
- Exclusive coupons based on buying behaviors
- Clearance for discontinued items and overstock
Seamless Technology Integration
- Back-end integration and custom APIs
- Mobile app for easy ordering
- Optimized data transmission
- Design for all devices and browsers
- Compatible operating system
A final note (kind of a warning)
Platforms that tout their “all in one”, “easy to integrate”, and “out of the box” value may sound enticing, but actually are fraught with challenges. Every business, no matter its size, will have exclusive operating requirements, peculiar data issues, and uncommon system features. Further, customer interactions, needs, and expectations are different – often singular to the industry.
Consider, too, that market opportunities, growth track, revenue channels, and expansion plans are distinctive to your organization. Look closely at how you aim to sustain and scale your digital commerce and best serve current and future customer demands. Not everything fits into one box. Nor should it.
