What Is a B2B Platform?

There are many different B2B eCommerce platforms available, each with its own set of features and benefits. When choosing a platform, it's important to consider your business's specific needs and requirements. Some platforms may be more suited for businesses that sell physical products, while others may be better for service-based businesses.

B2B ecommerce is typically used by companies to streamline their purchasing processes and make it faster and easier to purchase products or services from suppliers.

In McKinsey's 2022 B2B Pulse survey, 65% of B2B companies let buyers complete a purchase online, up from 53% in early 2021. With this shift in how people do business, B2B platforms have become increasingly important for streamlining purchases between companies.

These platforms enable businesses to quickly and easily purchase products or services from suppliers. It's important for companies to consider their own specific needs when choosing a platform that's right for them. There are many different B2B commerce platforms available with their own unique features and benefits, so doing research to find the best one is essential.

It's considerably different in the B2B sphere. Products must first be made from raw materials, then the finished product can be sold via multiple sales channels before finally reaching the customer. Here are the main kinds of businesses along a B2B supply chain, plus the direct-to-consumer sales many of them add.

Raw Material Manufacturers

Manufacturers of bulk goods from unprocessed materials typically sell their products to other manufacturers or wholesalers in a B2B format. A steel mill, for example, sells to parts makers, who sell components to carmakers, who assemble the finished cars and sell them on through dealers.

With the increased digitalization of business, B2B buyers are now looking for more of a B2C buying experience. Grand View Research valued global B2B eCommerce at about $24.1 trillion in 2025, so businesses that sell online are reaching a large and growing market.

Businesses across industries should embrace this trend in order to stay competitive and continue delivering great products and services both online and off.

Wholesale to Other Businesses

Wholesale companies often sell the bulk of their products to retailers at discounted prices. Usually, these businesses are manufacturers or distributors who tend to sell goods in large quantities to other businesses.

A distributor that buys hardware by the pallet and resells it to local stores is a typical wholesale business. A wholesale B2B platform gives those retail customers an online store to order and reorder from, since many now prefer buying online.

Digital wholesale and B2B ecommerce can essentially mean the same thing as they both involve bulk selling between two businesses through an online platform. As technology evolves and more businesses move towards digitalization, this type of commerce is expected to gain even greater traction in the years ahead.

Distributors to Customer-Facing Sellers

Manufacturers rely heavily on distributors to bring their products to consumers and end-users as well as aid in marketing efforts. By partnering with distributors, manufacturers can increase their revenues, especially in the digital age where reaching wholesalers and customers are made easier through online platforms.

B2B distributors are focused on improving efficiency while cutting down lead time from point of sale to delivery. This helps streamline the process and further boosts productivity while ensuring that customers get the best possible service.

Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Many manufacturers and wholesalers also sell straight to consumers. Business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce is a form of online commerce that enables businesses to directly interact with customers. B2C eliminates the need for a middleman in transactions between businesses and consumers.

Online B2C sales run through eCommerce platforms, apps, and storefronts. This type of model allows wholesalers and manufacturers to serve their customers directly or through a partner business.

In more complex product selections, a buying committee is established to make a decision. It consists of a business decision-maker (i.e., the person responsible for allocating budget), a technical decision-maker (assessing product capabilities), and influencers (providing input in the choice). Larger purchases are oftentimes preceded by requests for proposals where prospective vendors can submit their offers with details regarding price and terms of service.

B2B relationships create more sustainable collaborations that cultivate customer loyalty and help companies stand out. Furthermore, these deals also improve customer service experiences and all areas of operation such as sales growth and cost reduction, ultimately resulting in improved business results.

Constant Availability

B2B interactions have revolutionized the way that businesses interact with their customers. With an online B2B platform, customers can access your products 24/7 from anywhere in the world, eliminating cumbersome sales visits and long phone calls.

This type of convenience helps to foster stronger relationships between buyers and suppliers; enabling customers to order quickly, easily, and at their own convenience.

A B2B platform also allows vendors to use their expertise to cater to customer needs better and serve them more efficiently. This results in improved business results across all areas of operation. In sum, B2B platforms are essential for businesses today as they help streamline processes, increase productivity, and create a better experience for customers.

Improve Customer Satisfaction

The modern B2B landscape demands a more personalized approach in order to foster customer loyalty. With the help of B2B platforms, you can deliver tailored experiences to your customers - from first-time buyers to long-term partners.

You could provide them with the necessary knowledge and insights regarding their potential purchases, as well as extra support along every step of their journey. This will ensure that they receive the best products, services, and solutions that align with their preferences; leading to improved customer satisfaction and better business performance.

Streamlined Order Fulfillment

B2B businesses can streamline order fulfillment with an order management system (OMS), which suppliers, wholesalers, and distributors use to automate customer orders from start to completion.

Some B2B platforms combine the online store with inventory and order management and other supply chain functions in one system, which makes customer orders more efficient to manage.

Take Advantage of Business Data

Gaining access to a range of customer data-driven business tools through B2B platforms can provide companies with invaluable insights that allow them to make faster and more informed decisions. These tools can include CRM, procurement, ERP, and more, offering real-time visibility into the company's operations.

For example, the CRM section will help analyze the effectiveness of content marketing strategies while the ERP section could uncover areas of wastage and order fulfillment inefficiencies.

With these business tools, businesses are able to identify their competitive advantages within a single platform, making it easier for them to sell professionally and error-free. Also, there is much more B2B platforms have to offer beyond these four benefits.

Limited Market

B2C companies can sell to millions of consumers, for example through a marketplace software platform.

B2B eCommerce has a much smaller number of possible relationships to make. If you are in an industry that's relatively small, everyone may know everybody, and losing a single customer means you might only have four more in the world to deal with.

Trends and Regulatory Changes

Keeping up with trends and regulatory changes can prove to be a challenge as well. Technology changes rapidly and staying up-to-date is essential for remaining competitive in the B2B marketplace. Similarly, changes in legislation can affect how companies do business; not understanding them can lead to costly mistakes or even legal action against the company if they’re not compliant with regulations.

Secure Payments Across Borders

Ensuring secure payments can be another obstacle for B2B companies. As digital payment technology progresses and evolves, so do cyber security threats such as fraud and data breaches.

Companies must ensure their systems are adequately protected from potential malicious actors as well as adhere to any industry standards for payment processing or risk losing customers or being fined by authorities. Having a solid currency-converting payment hub is a must.

Establishing Effective Pricing

Unlike consumer purchases, there are often multiple stakeholders involved in a single transaction, which makes it difficult to establish an optimal pricing structure that balances profitability with customer satisfaction. On top of this, when dealing with high-volume orders, customers may expect discounts or other incentives which could put further pressure on a company’s bottom line.