b2b ecommerce Guide & checklist

Advanced Catalog Management

What is it? Advanced catalog management refers to tools that efficiently organize and present large, complex product catalogs. This capability help distributors manage extensive product lines with ease and clarity.

Why is this important? For distributors, advanced catalog management is essential. It enables efficient handling of extensive product lines, a common challenge in distribution and ensures that customers can easily navigate and find products, even in vast catalogs. It also helps distributors maintain accurate product information, manage inventory effectively, and quickly update offerings.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What features does your platform offer for managing large product catalogs?
• How easy is it to update product information across multiple catalogs?
• Can we create customer-specific catalogs?

Scalability

What is it? Scalability refers to an eCommerce platform's ability to grow alongside your business. It's the capacity to handle increasing transaction volumes, expand product lines, and accommodate a growing customer base without compromising performance or functionality.

Why is it important? Scalability ensures your platform can grow with your business without costly replacement or customizations. A scalable solution supports expansion into new operations, product lines, or markets without technical constraints. It offers flexibility to meet changing customer needs and market trends, protecting your investment and encouraging sustainable growth.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How does your platform handle increasing transaction volumes?
• What's the largest catalog size your platform can efficiently manage?
• Can you provide examples of how your platform has scaled with other clients?

Mobile Responsiveness

What is it? An eCommerce website's ability to adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and devices, particularly smartphones and tablets. It ensures that the site's layout, content, and functionality remain optimal regardless of the device used to access it.

Why is it important? B2B buyers use mobile devices for work-related tasks, including researching products and placing orders. A mobile-responsive site provides a consistent, user-friendly experience across all devices, enhancing customer satisfaction and potentially increasing conversion rates. It also improves search engine rankings, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites. Mobile responsiveness ensures that your customers can engage with your B2B eCommerce site effectively.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• Is your platform fully responsive on all mobile devices?
• Can customers complete the entire purchase process on mobile?
• How does the mobile experience differ from the desktop version?

Advanced Search Functionality

What is it? Advanced search functionality refers to sophisticated tools that enable customers to find products quickly and accurately within a B2B eCommerce website. It goes beyond basic keyword searches, offering features like filtering by multiple attributes, autocomplete suggestions, and semantic search capabilities.

Why is it important? Advanced search functionality greatly improves user experience, enabling customers to find products quickly and efficiently. It saves time, reduces frustration, and can increase sales by helping customers discover relevant items they might have missed. This feature enhances customer satisfaction, boosts productivity, and ultimately drives more business for distributors.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What advanced search features does your platform offer?
• Can the search handle complex product attributes and relationships?
• How customizable is the search functionality?

Ecommerce Product Information Management (PIM)

What is it? An eCommerce Product Information Management (PIM) is a software tool that centralizes, organizes, and distributes product data across various sales channels. It acts as a single source of truth for all product-related information, including descriptions, specifications, pricing, and digital assets.

Why is it important? An eCommerce PIM is vital for distributors with large, complex catalogs. It ensures consistent, accurate product information across all channels, boosting customer trust and reducing errors. A PIM streamlines data updates, speeds up new product launches, and supports channel expansion. By providing comprehensive, current product details, PIM enhances customer experience, aids decision-making, and can boost sales and loyalty.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• Does your platform include a PIM system or integrate with third-party PIMs?
• How does your PIM handle complex product relationships and variants?
• Can we easily update product information across multiple channels?

High-Quality Product Visuals

What is it? The support and use of professional, high-resolution images and videos that showcase products in detail that allow customers to visualize products with greater clarity.

Why is it important? High-quality visuals are essential for large-volume purchases made sight unseen. They provide detailed product views, helping customers make informed decisions. Good visuals reduce uncertainty, decrease returns, and boost buying confidence. They also enhance site professionalism, differentiate from competitors, and effectively explain complex products.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What types of product visuals does your platform support?
• Can we add 360-degree product views or videos?
• How does your platform handle large volumes of product images?

Configurable Products

What are they? Configurable products are items that can be tailored by customers during the ordering process. They allow buyers to select specific attributes or options, such as size, color, material, or features, to create a product that meets their exact needs.

Why are they important? Configurable products provide flexibility to meet diverse customer needs without excessive inventory. This functionality streamlines inventory management while offering variety. It improves the customer experience by giving buyers control and ensuring they get exactly what they need. Configurable products can increase order values and reduce returns through customization.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How does your platform handle configurable products?
• Can we set up complex product rules and dependencies?
• How are configurable products displayed in the catalog and search results?

Product Bundles and Kits

What are they? Product bundles and kits are features that allow distributors to group related items together and sell them as a single package. This can include complementary products, frequently bought together items, or components that form a complete solution.

Why are they important? Product bundles and kits increase average order value and provide perceived value to customers through discounted pricing. Bundles help move slow-moving inventory and simplify buying for customers seeking complete solutions. They can introduce new products to customers, boost sales, improve inventory turnover, and enhance satisfaction by offering convenient, value-added options.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How does your platform handle product bundles and kits?
• Can we offer discounts on bundled products?
• How are inventory levels managed for bundled products?

SEO Capabilities

What is it? SEO capabilities are features built into a B2B eCommerce platform that help improve a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results. These include tools for optimizing content, URLs, meta tags, and site structure.

Why is it important? Robust SEO capabilities help increase organic traffic, making it easier for potential customers to find your products and store online. This visibility can significantly reduce marketing costs by decreasing reliance on paid advertising. Good SEO also enhances credibility, as businesses often trust higher-ranking search results. By improving your site's discoverability, SEO features can help you reach new markets and compete more effectively in the digital space.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What built-in SEO features does your platform offer?
• Can we customize URLs, meta tags, and other SEO elements?
• How does your platform handle dynamic content for SEO purposes?

API and Developer Tools

What is it? API and developer tools are resources provided by the eCommerce platform that allow for custom integrations and extensions. These include well-documented APIs, software development kits (SDKs), and developer portals with guides and support.

Why is it important? These tools enable seamless integration with existing systems like ERP, CRM, or inventory management software. APIs allow for data synchronization across platforms, automation of processes, and creation of custom features. This flexibility ensures the eCommerce solution can adapt to unique business requirements and evolve with changing needs.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What kind of API do you offer for custom integrations?
• Do you provide developer documentation and support?
• Can we extend the platform's functionality with custom modules or apps?

Analytics Dashboard

What is it? An analytics dashboard is a visual interface that displays key business metrics and data related to your B2B eCommerce operations. It presents complex information in an easily digestible format, often using charts, graphs, and other visual elements.

Why is it important? Analytics dashboards provide real-time insights into business performance, helping teams identify trends and opportunities quickly. These tools offer a clear view of key performance indicators (KPIs), customer behavior, and areas needing improvement. By centralizing data from various sources, dashboards enable more efficient monitoring of business goals and progress.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What types of built-in reports and dashboards does the platform offer for tracking key B2B eCommerce metrics?
• Does the platform integrate with third-party analytics and business intelligence tools like Google Analytics, Tableau, or Power BI?
• What level of granularity is available in the analytics data - can we drill down to view metrics by company, product type, location, etc.?

Performance and Load Times

What is it? This refers to how quickly and efficiently a B2B eCommerce website operates under various traffic conditions. This includes page load speeds, server response times, and the ability to handle multiple simultaneous users without slowing down.

Why is it important? Fast performance and quick load times directly impact the user experience, with slow sites often leading to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates. Speedy sites help keep customers engaged and encourage them to explore more products. Good performance also improves search engine rankings, as search engines favor faster websites.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How does your platform perform under high traffic loads?
• What caching mechanisms are in place to ensure fast page load times?
• Can you provide benchmarks for site performance?

Content Management System (CMS)

What is it?  A CMS is a set of tools within the eCommerce platform that allows users to create, edit, and manage non-product content on the website. This includes pages, blog posts, articles, and other informational content.

Why is it important? A CMS enables the creation of informative, industry-specific content that can attract and engage potential customers. This content helps improve SEO, driving organic traffic to the site. It also enhances the customer experience by providing helpful information, establishing your brand as an industry authority. A good CMS allows for easy updates to keep content fresh and relevant, supporting both marketing efforts and customer education.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• What CMS capabilities does your platform include?
• Can we easily create and manage blog posts, FAQs, and other content?
• How flexible is the CMS for creating custom landing pages?

Accessibility Compliance

What is it? Accessibility compliance in B2B eCommerce refers to adhering to guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which ensure that digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. This includes features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and alternative text for images.

Why is it important? Accessibility compliance is crucial as it allows all customers, including those with disabilities, to use your eCommerce platform effectively. It expands your customer base, shows social responsibility, improves SEO, enhances user experience, and helps avoid legal issues.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How do you ensure accessibility features are maintained when updates or new features are added to the platform?
• Can you provide examples of how your platform supports users with different types of disabilities, such as visual, auditory, or motor impairments?

Multi-site Management

What is it?  Multi-site management refers to the ability to operate and control multiple websites or storefronts from a single, centralized platform. This feature allows businesses to manage various brands, regions, or customer segments through separate sites while maintaining unified backend operations.

Why is it important? Multi-site management streamlines operations for businesses with diverse offerings or a global presence. It ensures consistency in branding and pricing while allowing customization for specific markets. This feature reduces overhead, maintains data consistency, and simplifies inventory management across sites.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How does your platform handle shared vs. site-specific content, pricing, and inventory across multiple storefronts?
• Can we manage user permissions and access rights separately for each site while maintaining a single admin interface?
• How easily can we replicate or customize features, designs, and functionality across different sites in your platform?

Continuous Improvement

What is it?  The ongoing process of enhancing, updating, and optimizing the eCommerce platform to address evolving business needs, technological advancements, and user expectations. This includes regular feature updates, performance improvements, bug fixes, and security patches.

Why is it important? Continuous improvement ensures that your B2B eCommerce platform remains competitive, secure, and efficient over time. It helps in adapting to changing market conditions, incorporating new technologies, and addressing user feedback. This approach can lead to better performance, enhanced user experience, and improved ROI from your eCommerce investment.

Questions to ask an eCommerce vendor:

• How do you gather and implement customer feedback?
• How often do you update the platform with new features?
• How do you communicate upcoming changes or new features to your clients?
• Are all improvements included in our subscription/license, or are some charged as additional features?
• How disruptive are updates to daily operations, and what measures do you take to minimize disruption?