The increasing trend is that companies are actually leveraging online technologies to establish an online wholesale channel.
In this text blog we share, the most common questions that sellers should think through as part of this process, as it can help make decisions about the best approach, and what features are required, to make this channel successful. The essential questions are:
- Do you have an existing channel?
- What do you use to support order taking?
- What ordering patterns do your customers have?
- What types of products do you sell?
Do you already have B2B or maybe B2C channel?
Some B2B businesses also sell direct to consumer. In fact, many businesses have started out bringing their B2C business online, while still conducting B2B business through more traditional ways.
But as B2B buyers begin to expect the same ease of selling online as what they encounter from B2C stores, they’ve realized it’s time to also launch an online B2B buying system.
What elements do you use today to support order taking?
- Phone or email: Some companies provide downloadable one-pagers on their website to provide the same information a catalog used to provide.
- Snail mail (such as by catalog): Some still receive a catalog and fill out a card as their way for placing orders. Others will use mailed assets to see what’s new.
- Human-led ordering: Some buyers simply prefer to work with someone(real person) to make sure they’re ordering the right things.
- In person order taking: And some clients place orders with a rep in person, such as at trade shows or when they stop in to a location.
- Order approvals: Some businesses require getting approval from a higher-up stakeholder before processing.
What ordering patterns do your customers have?
- Do customers place similar orders consistently?
- Do they order the exact same products every single time?
- Do they generally know what they need to order, or do they need some kind of assistance?
What types of products do you sell?
D’Butler can help you
Order capture/management solutions like D’Butler can help maintain business logic critical to the business while enhancing and improving the overall processes. Learn how we can help your business.
Visit dbutler.qa or check out our explainer video.