Top 10 B2B Ecommerce Trends to Transform Your Business

Over the years, we’ve gradually evolved into a digital-first society that favors fast and seamless online experiences. This is evident everywhere, from the growing adoption of digital wallets to the rise of mobile ordering. The same holds true for B2B sales, with more businesses preferring efficient online experiences over traditional sales methods. In fact, seven out of 10 B2B buyers find purchasing online more convenient and prefer it, according to Digital Commerce 360.

With more businesses buying online, the International Trade Administration predicts the global B2B ecommerce market share will grow by 14.5% annually and exceed $36 trillion in GMV by 2026.

It’s safe to say there’s a significant opportunity for B2B brands to capitalize on this market growth. That’s why we’ve gathered the latest trends to help your business stand out against the competition and achieve ecommerce success.

B2B ecommerce statistics

B2B ecommerce is here to stay. In fact, McKinsey & Company reports that it’s the most effective sales channel and Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of all B2B sales interactions will occur digitally.

This is no surprise, given the consistent upward trend in B2B ecommerce sales worldwide. In the US, B2B ecommerce is experiencing a compound annual growth rate of 10.7%. Meanwhile, Europe is on track to surpass $1.8 trillion in GMV by 2025, with the UK alone expecting 56% of its B2B revenue to come from digital channels next year.

However, while B2B ecommerce sales are climbing, the market lags when it comes to customer satisfaction. A 2024 global survey revealed that 38.4% of B2B buyers reported having a negative or somewhat negative online shopping experience. Another 25.8% of respondents said their experience was average, leaving only 35.7% who claimed having a somewhat or very positive experience.

As a result, B2B brands have a valuable opportunity to set themselves apart by optimizing the online customer journey.

Top B2B ecommerce trends for 2024

To maximize online sales, your B2B brand must provide a top-tier digital shopping experience. Below are some of the latest trends that ecommerce businesses should implement to stay competitive and exceed customer expectations.

• Leave behind legacy systems.

• Invest in ecommerce platform technology.

• Embrace composability.

• Personalize the online shopping experience.

• Prioritize product discovery and information.

• Sell across third-party online marketplaces.

• Explore social media platforms.

• Fulfill orders even faster.

• Utilize AI.

• Effectively manage data.

Leave behind legacy systems.

With 90% of global B2B buyers now expecting an online shopping experience that mirrors the ease and convenience of B2C sites, building a customer-centric B2B store has never been more critical.

To do this, you’ll need to have the right systems in place.

Unfortunately, many businesses make the mistake of only upgrading their systems on an as-needed basis, making it harder to integrate new technologies down the road and potentially putting you back to square one.

Instead, focus on a digital transformation strategy that aligns with your long-term business goals and vision — not just your immediate technology needs.

Invest in ecommerce platform technology.

When planning your digital transformation, start with your B2B ecommerce platform, which can serve as the center of your digital ecosystem.

It’s important to know that not all ecommerce platforms are the same. Many still operate as a monolith, or one-size-fits-all solution, meaning you don’t have the flexibility to choose the best solution for your needs. 

On the other side of the spectrum, you’ll find platforms that don’t truly support B2B ecommerce functionality. Instead, they might offer a few features or workarounds.

With modern SaaS ecommerce solutions, like BigCommerce, you can get all the benefits that come with SaaS — including robust security, speed, ability to innovate, lower total cost of ownership, and features that support the complexities of B2B.

Another key consideration is the ability to easily integrate with your other business systems. Watch as Neil Bruce, Ecommerce Manager at Toolsaver, explains how they use BigCommerce’s Promotions API to connect with their proprietary tool to offer exclusive deals to their B2B customers.

Embrace composability.

Coined by Gartner in June 2020, composable commerce is a modular digital commerce solution that replaces the traditional monolithic approach. A composable architecture gives you the freedom and flexibility to adjust individual site components and connect outside technologies or customizations through an API.

This MACH-based architecture also offers the freedom to take a headless approach, which decouples the shopping cart from the content management system, allowing you to connect the CMS of your preference. In fact, 29% of B2Bs are currently considering using a headless solution, though they have not yet implemented one.

B2B wholesalers and distributors looking for a scalable ecommerce solution should invest in a composable platform. This modular framework allows you to efficiently make changes that align with business goals without altering your entire ecommerce site.

Personalize the online shopping experience.

According to Forrester, 66% of B2B buyers expect fully or mostly personalized content when buying a product or service, making it clear that personalized shopping experiences are the new norm.

To keep up with consumer expectations, explore ways to integrate personalization into your online store.

BigCommerce customer TYGRIS implemented a headless solution with the help of their agency partner, Bspoq, to offer personalized experiences for their customers.

“We used BigCommerce's API and Dropbox Business API to create the middleware portal of MyTYGRIS.com. It allows customers to connect to it via an API and place orders or check stock levels and data, which are pushed or pulled from the BigCommerce platform with MyTYGRIS.com acting as validation between all connected systems,” explained Matt Sandham, Director of Bspoq.

That’s one of the reasons many B2Bs choose headless commerce — it can make building and delivering personalized shopping experiences much easier.

In addition to headless commerce, there are numerous personalization solutions designed to elevate your business. Apps like Klevu use AI machine learning to create a custom search experience, build product recommendations, and strategically merchandise items based on a user’s interactions.

Prioritize product discovery and information.

A top pain point for B2B buyers shopping online is finding products. Even if they can find the products, they still face challenges finding up-to-date information. 

There are several ways B2Bs can solve this issue. One is with product information management (PIM) software. PIMs are helpful because they collect, manage, enrich, and distribute product information across channels, from your ecommerce storefront or mobile app to social sales channels, marketplaces, and even advertising networks.

You can also take advantage of back-office technology, which allows you to set up automations for manual processes. For instance, many B2Bs use spreadsheets for product information or inventory. By integrating the right back-office system, such as an ERP, you can house all your catalog information in one place that’s connected to your website so that updates and changes show up in real-time. 

Another option is to use chatbots to direct shoppers to product pages or encourage them to start a conversation with your B2B sales team.

Sell across third-party online marketplaces.

Marketplaces are an essential part of the B2B buyer journey, with many shoppers finding inspiration and starting their product search on sites like Amazon Business. 

One of the best advantages of third-party marketplaces is their ability to attract new customers. Not only can this mean more sales, but it's also an opportunity to reach global markets and test new products.

BigCommerce’s partnership with omnichannel tool Feedonomics allows B2B brands to seamlessly manage their different selling and advertising feeds. This technology allows you to grow your business across various touchpoints with minimal effort.

"Many successful B2B merchants are leveraging tools like Feedonomics to optimize their marketplace strategy. In fact, Feedonomics helps B2B merchants streamline their Amazon listings. For example, Feedonomics' Amazon Business integration allows B2Bs to incentivize buyers with prices visible only to registered Amazon Business customers and quantity discounts for customers who purchase in higher volumes," said Dmitriy Ryzhiy, Vice President of Product Experiences at Feedonomics.

Explore social media platforms.

While social media commerce has historically been dominated by B2C businesses, it’s become a powerful tool for B2B businesses, especially with millennials making up a large portion of the workforce. In fact, 75% of B2B buyers turn to social platforms to make buying decisions, and according to eMarketer, it’s the most effective channel for driving B2B revenue.

If selling and offering checkout through social media sounds too daunting, you can still experiment with B2B marketing through social media.

Pick the platforms most relevant to your audience and start by creating a variety of posts, such as a video of how your product works or quotes from customers sharing their experiences with your business. This can help you determine which types of content resonate best with your audience.

Fulfill orders even faster.

As more and more B2B companies cross the digital threshold, the need for fast and efficient fulfillment processes has become increasingly urgent.

Customer expectations are growing, and this is another way B2B sellers can appeal to the modern B2B buyer. B2Bs can streamline fulfillment processes by using order management software. This type of software can help you manage orders across different sales platforms, centralize information, and reduce supply chain complexity.

B2Bs can also turn to third-party fulfillment to get things moving. Third-party fulfillment, commonly referred to as 3PL, is a great option if your business is scaling fast, your current fulfillment costs are on the rise, or you are spending too much time on inventory management.

Utilize AI.

Staying ahead of emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, is one of the best ways to increase team productivity and boost conversions. In fact, 45% of B2Bs have started testing the waters with generative AI technology, and 32% have fully integrated it into their business.

Take advantage of BigCommerce’s suite of AI-powered tools designed to elevate the shopping experience, increase revenue, and minimize back-office tasks. With tools like the soon-to-be-released B2B Quotes AI Assistant, you can improve your quote-to-order conversion with custom quote proposal emails generated through AI.

When it comes to increasing team efficiency, take advantage of BigAI Copywriter. With this feature, you can craft compelling, SEO-optimized product descriptions in your brand’s voice and tone — saving your team ample time.

Effectively manage data.

Effective data management is essential for a successful B2B ecommerce business. When it comes to handling complex catalogs as well as sensitive customer and business information, it’s important to invest in a data management tool you can trust.

Proper data management not only streamlines operations but also informs decision-makers of how they can enhance the customer experience — ultimately leading to more sales. By leveraging real-time data, B2B businesses can scale efficiently and stay competitive in an ever-changing market.

Thankfully, BigCommerce’s Big Open Data Solutions gives you the freedom to integrate data management tools that work best for your business so you can gain a holistic view of your organization and break down silos. This allows you to create personalized shopping experiences, optimize your operations, drive revenue growth — and so much more.

How to determine if a trend makes sense for you

Not every trend is worth jumping on at the same time, so which should you prioritize first? While some will provide a huge value-add, others might be out of touch with your particular audience or too costly to implement.

Knowing what trends will be a good fit for you often comes down to knowing your customers, vertical, and competitors backward and forwards. There are several things you can do to evaluate industry trends and make the right move for your business.

Stay up to date with industry reports and data.

Every industry changes at some point, and staying updated through reports and data can help you better understand those shifts and pivots.

The numbers in these reports often come from original research you can trust. Plus, by keeping up with what's happening in your industry, you'll have a better sense of which trends are worth pursuing and which ones can wait.

Assess your customers' behaviors.

One of the biggest advantages of B2B ecommerce is access to first-party customer data. Use this data to identify trends in purchasing patterns, frequency, and preferences. Consider which channels your customers are most active on and how they prefer to engage with your brand. Do they rely more on mobile ordering, or do they still favor desktop interactions? Are they responding well to personalized product recommendations? By analyzing these behaviors, you can identify trends that will enhance your overall customer experience and improve retention.

Ask for feedback from your B2B customers.

Another option is to reach out to customers directly to better understand their pain points and how you can solve them. Getting feedback from current customers can give you insight into trends, help you create more specific plans for the future, and discover new ways to enhance your shopping experience.

Evaluate what your competitors are doing.

Take a look at your competitors. Did they jump on a specific trend? If so, how did it work for them? Of course, you don't have to do everything your competition is doing, but being aware is another way to measure how successful a trend might be for your business.

How BigCommerce helps B2B brands

BigCommerce is one of today’s leading ecommerce solutions for B2B brands. Our robust platform offers a variety of features designed to meet the unique needs of your business, helping you drive online success.

Discover why BigCommerce is the platform of choice for leading B2B ecommerce brands.

Native enterprise functionality.

BigCommerce offers a wide range of native B2B functionalities designed to elevate your business. With features like price lists and customer groups, you can provide custom pricing down to the SKU level, offer bulk order discounts, and run promotions.

Additionally, BigCommerce supports complex workflows such as multi-storefront management, making it easier for B2B brands to streamline operations through the same backend account. The platform’s open API architecture enables easy integration with ERP, CRM, and other essential business tools, ensuring your business can seamlessly scale.

BigCommerce also offers more advanced B2B functionality with B2B Edition. With the feature, you can take advantage of capabilities including:

• Open-Source Buyer Portal: Offer personalized self-service experiences that match your branding by utilizing the source code of our Buyer Portal. 

• Payment method visibility control: Add, edit, show, or hide approved payment options for customers.

• Invoice portal: Allow customers to easily manage and pay invoices online with multiple payment options.

• Customer requested quotes: Let customers add items to their shopping cart and automatically request a total order value.

Visit our Solutions page to learn more about BigCommerce’s B2B functionality.

Trusted technology.

BigCommerce is built on secure, scalable, and reliable technology that countless brands trust. With top-notch security features like ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification and DDoS protection, your business is well-protected from cyber threats. 

Additionally, the platform delivers 99.99% uptime and is designed to handle large volumes of traffic and transactions — ensuring your site runs smoothly during peak traffic periods.

Modern buyer experience.

Today’s B2B buyers expect a shopping experience that’s as easy and convenient as what they find when shopping B2C — and BigCommerce helps you deliver exactly that.

The tool’s variety of native features, third-party applications, and ability to seamlessly integrate customizations lets you create a modern, user-friendly experience that keeps your customers happy and coming back.

With mobile-optimized storefronts and personalized product recommendations, your buyers can enjoy a smooth, engaging experience no matter what device they’re on. Features like reordering and customer requested quotes give them more control and convenience, while the ability to offer a quick and efficient checkout makes buying hassle-free. 

Partner-supported functionality.

BigCommerce provides customers access to its robust agency and technology partner ecosystem. From design and development agencies to technology providers offering specialized apps and integrations, you can find the right tools and expertise to meet your business needs.

Take advantage of popular integrations like Feedonomics, Klevu, and Avalara.

Maintenance, updates, and more.

BigCommerce takes the stress out of managing your ecommerce site by handling maintenance, updates, and security patches. With automatic updates, your store is always running on the latest version, keeping it secure and optimized without any downtime. This lets you focus on growing your business, saving you ample time and effort when it comes to keeping your store up-to-date.

The final word

As B2B ecommerce becomes the norm, you need to prioritize building a top-tier online store.

B2B shoppers now expect the same fast, seamless experience they find on B2C sites. Staying ahead of industry trends is essential to deliver this and maintain a competitive edge.

With BigCommerce’s comprehensive suite of robust B2B features and partner integrations, you can create an online store that meets and exceeds customer expectations.

Discover how BigCommerce empowers B2B brands to achieve ecommerce success.

FAQ about B2B ecommerce trends