Industrial and manufacturing professionals need to work with various businesses to maintain their supply chains, whether purchasing or selling certain products. Using a B2B eCommerce platform can simplify distribution and improve the transaction process.
The Top 6 B2B eCommerce Platforms for Distribution
All B2B eCommerce platforms serve as marketplaces, but they can be configured differently to optimize the distribution of goods. Here are the top options.
1. Unilog
Unilog’s team of e-commerce experts offer more than 20 years of experience, making the company a longstanding ecommerce platform for B2B distribution. CX1 is its flagship B2B eCommerce platform, offering a customer experience that improves the trustworthiness and engagement of each interaction. It can be easily integrated with numerous payment gateways and shipping for simplified distribution
Key features:
- Offers an automated product information management tool that helps business easily manage, publish and share consistent and accurate details across its channels and marketplaces
- Assists with data migration and integrations, eCommerce site development and launch, catalog onboarding and optimization, and much more.
- Produces quarterly or annual reports to help businesses track the success of the ecommerce platform
- Utilizes content management training programs with customized system designs and development
2. Znode
Znode is a flexible and scalable B2B e-commerce platform that can deliver unlimited catalogs and portals while managing multiple programs. It is an API-first architecture in distribution-oriented software that can assist manufacturers and distributors in growing their sales and margins and meeting buyers’ expectations.
Key features:
- Offers up to 1,200 pre-built REST APIs and enables companies to build front-end applications and an administration console using any technology
- Improves time-to-market metrics and complex pricing rule management for seamless digital branch development
- Applies multi-warehouse shipping that can be applied at a catalog or store level. As well as by profile, account or customer by store, to create a flexible ecommerce experience
- Empowers sales teams with portals that offer customer data analysis, customer order history and other management tools
3. EvolutionX
EvolutionX was developed by ECI Solutions to be one of the most powerful B2B ecommerce software solutions. It’s designed to help companies manage transactions between businesses with its modern interface and easy-to-use shopping carts, and complete purchases efficiently. Companies can get real-time insights to track balances and transactions too.
Key features:
- Offers budgeting-oriented cost centers that can deliver custom pricing and comprehensive quote management for sales and corporate accounts
- Appeals to diverse customer bases with personalized product building and product management capabilities
- Integrates business processes with the top ERP solutions and open API access
- Provides 24/7 self-service access to enable fellow businesses on managing orders, statements, and payments on their own
4. Channel Software
Channel Software is one of the top B2B ecommerce platforms for distribution, as well as business growth and customer satisfaction. It focuses on delivering an enhanced shopping experience through ERP systems, payment gateways and more. Plus, it’s integratable without requiring third-party tools.
Key features:
- Optimizes shopping carts and checkout with user-friendly order processes and a smooth, personalized checkout experience.
- Configures account details like user logins, distinct product views, purchase limits and other unique ordering details to align with business needs.
- Ensures mobile responsiveness across the entire website through accurate display and functionality on devices of varying screen sizes
- Encourages customers to purchase through the promotions feature and offerings, as well as product recommendations and inventory notifications.
5. Cloudfy
Cloudfy is a pre-built SaaS B2B ecommerce platform that helps manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers. Look forward to trade-only features that simplify and scale operations, like automated order-to-cash processing and a deep integration between the ordering portal and ERP systems. It has processed up to 2 million orders annually.
Key features:
- Offers SEO features such as customizable meta-tags and search engine-friendly URLs to help e-commerce websites rank higher and drive more traffic
- Streamlines operations, improves customer satisfaction and accelerates collections by giving clients a place to view, print, and even pay all their outstanding invoices 24/7 with the invoice payment portal
- Comes out-of-the-box with robust product information management (PIM) functionality, which is capable of integrating with 3rd party PIM software
- Offers a ‘Request a quote’ option and allows queries and attaching documents to make their query clearer before checkout and purchase completion
- Ensures multi-level authorization to complete the purchase approval process and confirm their order easily
- Tailor storefronts to specific buyers and make it easy to interact with customers on different levels with Cloudfy Punchout
6. Aldrich Solutions
Aldrich Solutions assists distribution businesses of any size with integrated ERP e-commerce solutions. The WebAlliance Platform was created to serve the special needs of distributors with its features. Its customer service is ready to guide businesses through implementation and launch to get operational within 90 days or less.
Key features:
- Builds websites for distributors in-house to power business growth online.
- Gives customers self-service capabilities, including online invoice payments, with 24/7 accessibility through a Service & Invoice Portal
- Ensures effortless data management with ERP Integration.
- Creates e-commerce mobile app with B2B-centric add-to-cart and account management features to get business names in the App Stores.
What to Look for in the Ideal eCommerce Distribution Platform
Only a select number of e-commerce platforms are geared toward B2B and distribution. Here are some factors considered when evaluating and recommending certain platforms.
| Scalability | Growing businesses can experience shifts in inventory size, order volume, and more. It’s critical to commit to a B2B e-commerce platform that can fulfill those changes. It will indirectly avoid switching and migrating data in the future, too. |
| Security | Sensitive customer data can be transferred through e-commerce platforms, so it’s paramount that it has the right security measures in place. Aside from protecting fellow companies, businesses must adhere to data privacy laws. |
| Seamless integration | Establishments with an existing distribution process should use an e-commerce platform that matches theirs. Look for features, such as APIs and plugins, that connect systems as quickly as possible. |
| User-friendliness | An interface that is too complex can take too much time and energy to decipher and utilize. Seek e-commerce distribution platforms with an easy-to-use interface. An organized layout, search fields, clear payment processing are ideal |
| Customer service | An ecommerce platform should have quality customer service to address queries. Down the line, these cloud-based sites can experience some downtime, so it’s ideal that they have platforms for reporting and rectifying such incidents. |
Improve Distribution Operations With a B2B eCommerce Distribution Platform
Take advantage of a B2B ecommerce platform for distribution to enhance your customers’ experience while improving operational efficiency. It’s more than worth it with the return on investment offered on the table.
