How to Build a B2B Ecommerce Website with a World-Class User Experience

As we move deeper into a digital-first world, traditional B2B sales methods are quickly taking a back seat to faster, more streamlined online experiences. Gartner even predicts that 80% of B2B interactions will take place digitally by 2025, reinforcing that the days of cold calling are rapidly fading.

In this new landscape, having a well-designed ecommerce website isn’t just nice to have — it’s a must-have. With B2B ecommerce market sales expected to surpass $3 billion in the US alone by 2027, businesses need to get on board with this modern approach to effectively scale and meet the changing expectations of today’s buyers.

User experience matters

With today’s heightened competition and consumer demands, a quality user experience is everything. Shoppers in the B2B marketplace expect a fast and intuitive user journey. Meeting these expectations is a surefire way to attract and retain existing and potential customers.

Let’s dive into some of the top ways B2B brands can offer a stand-out online user experience.

Well-designed UI/UX.

First impressions are everything — and the appearance of an ecommerce site is what catches a shopper's attention right away.

Offering an easy-to-use online experience that embodies company branding across the homepage, product pages, and checkout is key to keeping shoppers on a site. Through streamlined, thought-out UI/UX features and website design, brands can make their online store a pleasure to browse and more effectively drive customers to checkout.

While creating a well-designed ecommerce store may seem like a heavy lift, platforms like BigCommerce offer a wide range of self-service B2B-specific themes that allow brands to effortlessly build an aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly site.

Speed-focused.

Few things are more frustrating than navigating a slow, cumbersome website. In fact, 60% of B2B buyers say the load speed of online sites has stopped them from completing purchases. To deliver a modernised B2B customer journey, businesses must provide a fast online experience without delays.

Ecommerce B2B brands can easily measure their site performance and page load speed by checking their Google Core Web Vitals. Strong Core Web Vitals also enhance a site’s search engine optimisation (SEO) ranking — complimenting a brand’s marketing strategy by increasing visibility among target audiences.

Learning how a brand’s website scores can help them determine if they offer the fast and efficient experience shoppers crave or need to make improvements.

Discover how LA Police Gear — B2B and B2C tactical equipment brand — drastically improved their user experience after overhauling their site to improve their Core Web Vitals.

Have a great mobile experience.

To create a truly seamless shopping experience, brands need to focus on offering a smooth UX across all devices. With 78% of global B2B buyers wishing their suppliers offered a better mobile experience, brands have an opportunity to stand out against the competition by optimising their m-commerce customer journey.

Prioritising a mobile-first design can cater to the growing number of shoppers who prefer this buying medium, ultimately boosting conversion rates. BigCommerce offers mobile-responsive themes through B2B Edition, allowing brands to easily translate their desktop store to mobile devices.

Easy product search.

The ability to easily find products is another essential component of a well-crafted ecommerce store, with 27% of US B2B buyers reporting that it’s the most important online purchasing feature.

By building intuitive category structures and leveraging filtering features such as BigCommerce’s faceted search, buyers can easily find what they're looking for and even refine their search based on aspects like size and colour.

Third-party providers, such as Klevu, can further optimise the B2B search experience by using AI to strategically merchandise items, build personalised product recommendations, and more.

Seamless checkout.

One of the most important features of a well-crafted UX is the checkout process. With 32% of US B2B buyers saying an easy checkout is the most important online purchasing feature, building a fast and efficient experience is the key to minimising abandoned cart rates and securing sales.

One-click checkout can streamline the buying process by allowing customers to make purchases with a single click, using their stored payment and shipping information.

In addition to a swift checkout, brands should accept a range of payment methods — like purchase orders, paper checks, credit cards, and bank-to-bank wire transfers. Ensuring their payment gateway can support these options allows them to cater to varying customer preferences and further enhance the purchasing process.

B2B ecommerce website development steps

Identifying how to create a world-class UX is just one part of building an ecommerce site. Once a brand knows how they want to design their B2B site, it’s time to start bringing it to life.

Establish business goals.

Establishing clear business goals is the first step in building a successful B2B ecommerce site. These unique needs help guide everything from choosing the right platform to deciding which features to include. Measurable goals also make it easier for brands to track progress and tweak their ecommerce strategy.

Align on budget and timelines.

After establishing business goals, brands should set a clear budget covering platform costs, design, web development services, and ongoing maintenance. Businesses planning to work with an agency partner should also factor this added cost into their budget. While an agency may be an added expense, it’s a surefire way to get a polished site while saving internal teams significant time.

Additionally, brands should set realistic deadlines for each phase of the project, especially if adding custom features or complex integrations, as those can take more time. Be sure to account for testing and add a buffer in case issues arise.

Determine needed features and functionality.

When determining needed functionalities, brands must consider what features they need to improve team efficiency and bring the buyer journey to life. BigCommerce offers several robust features for B2B brands, like B2B Edition. With this tool, businesses can optimise both the front and back end experience with capabilities like the open-source buyer portal, multi-storefront, invoice portal, enhanced mobile optimisation, and more.

In addition to B2B Edition, brands can take advantage of native BigCommerce features like customer groups and price lists and explore the platform’s wide selection of third-party B2B apps.

Understand which current systems need to be integrated.

Before choosing a platform, B2B ecommerce brands should examine the tools they currently use — like an ERP, CRM, or inventory management system — and figure out how they will connect to the ecommerce software they’re considering.

By identifying these integration needs early, B2B brands can avoid future headaches and create a more streamlined experience for both their team and customers.

Determine who will execute.

Before a brand selects a platform, they need to decide who will create their ecommerce site. This can either be an internal team or an external agency. Factors like cost, team bandwidth, development capabilities, and launch timelines should influence this decision. Deciding this early on helps make the project run smoothly and stay aligned with overall goals.

Decide on an ecommerce platform.

After determining these critical aspects, it’s time to start researching B2B commerce platforms. Businesses should start by looking at the features, scalability, total cost of ownership, and complexity of different tools available.

Once they’ve determined their top contenders, they should take the time to engage with sales teams and request demos to assist in their decision-making. Platforms like BigCommerce offer a 15-day free trial that enables brands to test the various features and functionalities of the tool.

By carefully exploring various platforms — like BigCommerce and Shopify — and understanding how each aligns with their business needs, companies can make a well-informed decision that supports their long-term goals.

Start building an ecommerce site.

Once a B2B brand selects a platform, they can begin executing the project. It’s important to follow the project timeline closely throughout the site’s development, ensuring they meet key milestones. Regular check-ins with the internal team or the external agency will help keep everything on track and address any challenges.

Biggest issues B2B companies face with their website

When building a B2B ecommerce site, it’s important to be aware of common challenges many businesses face.

Let’s look at some of the headwinds B2B brands experience with their online store and how to avoid them.

Security and performance maintenance.

Many B2B businesses handle sensitive customer data and large transactions. To ensure this information is safe, brands should evaluate their ecommerce platform’s security standards.

For instance, all BigCommerce stores come equipped with Level 1 PCI compliance, and the platform undergoes regular safety and security audits to receive certifications that reflect its high standards. Meanwhile, stores hosted on an open source software are responsible for their own security and maintenance, leaving more room for error. To mitigate this risk, B2B digital commerce brands should learn about their platform’s security protocol before hosting their online business on it.

Difficult to integrate current systems.

Many businesses rely on a variety of tools — like ERP, CRM, and inventory management systems — that don’t always easily connect with new ecommerce platforms. This lack of integration can lead to data silos, manual processes, and increased errors, slowing down operations and frustrating both staff and customers.

To avoid these issues, choosing a platform that offers seamless integration with current systems, allows for custom integrations, and provides a customer support team to assist with any challenges is crucial. Thankfully, tools like BigCommerce offer robust APIs that allow brands to effortlessly incorporate these technologies, as well as Professional Services teams that can help with implementation.

Total cost of ownership (TCO).

Total cost of ownership (TCO) is an essential factor B2B companies should consider when building or maintaining their ecommerce site. TCO includes all the ongoing expenses, such as maintenance, updates, security, hosting, and any additional tools or integrations required to keep the site running smoothly.

To get the best platform at the lowest cost, It’s important to calculate the full TCO from the start to ensure that the platform remains sustainable as the business grows. Tools such as BigCommerce are known for offering the lowest TCO compared to other platforms like Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento).

How BigCommerce helps B2B companies

BigCommerce prides itself in offering robust functionalities designed to elevate B2B ecommerce brands. Discover the many ways BigCommerce serves as the platform of choice for B2B businesses.

Robust security and performance.

BigCommerce offers the robust performance features that B2B ecommerce companies need to succeed. With 99.99% uptime and hosting powered by Cloudflare’s CDN, businesses can feel safe hosting on a fast, reliable platform, even during peak traffic times. 

Security is another one of BigCommerce's strengths, with the platform meeting ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and PCI DSS 3.2, Level 1 certifications, providing multiple layers of protection. This means both business and customer data are secure, giving brands peace of mind as they grow and scale their ecommerce operations.

Seamless integrations.

BigCommerce’s flexible APIs ensure smooth integration with essential systems, like a CRM, ERP, OMS, or other critical tools. It also comes with built-in connections to third-party online marketplaces — like Amazon and Alibaba — social media platforms, and business intelligence tools — like AI product description generators — allowing the entire business ecosystem to function seamlessly. This flexibility helps companies streamline their operations and keep their ecommerce site running efficiently without added complexity.

Low total cost of ownership.

Recognised for its low total cost of ownership, BigCommerce offers a cost-effective solution for B2B companies. In fact, Forrester Consulting’s Total Economic Impact™ study determined that BigCommerce customers break even just eight months after launch and see a 211% ROI by the third year.

With predictable, flat-rate pricing, ecommerce businesses can confidently plan their finances, avoiding hidden fees and surprise costs. This financial clarity allows companies to allocate resources more effectively and focus on growth, knowing their ecommerce platform won’t bring unexpected financial burdens.

B2B-specific functionality.

BigCommerce offers a wide range of B2B-specific functionalities designed to meet the specific needs of these businesses. Below are a few features B2B brands can take advantage of.

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

• Price lists and customer groups: Provide custom pricing down to the SKU level, offer bulk order discounts, and run promotions.

• Buy again: Let users view their order history and quickly reorder all previously purchased products.

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

• Set buyer roles and permissions: Enable customers to create a full corporate account profile and set up multiple tiers of buyers.

• 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 the BigCommerce B2B Ecommerce Solutions page to discover the platform’s full range of B2B capabilities or talk with a sales representative.

Examples of B2B ecommerce websites

Berlin Packaging.

Case Study: Berlin Packaging

Since launching over a century ago, Berlin Packaging has evolved from a small tinplate packaging business into a global company specialising in glass and plastic containers.

As a successful B2B brand, the company leverages BigCommerce’s powerful APIs to seamlessly integrate their ERP. The platform’s ability to connect bespoke features has also allowed it to build custom shipping and handling capabilities to improve the overall customer experience.

“The open API and the use of custom fields makes BigCommerce extremely flexible and the platform can do virtually anything you want it to do,” remarked Chris Hiller, General Manager at Berlin Packaging.

Toolsaver.

Case Study: Toolsaver

Toolstop started as a small business selling B2C hardware out of the UK and quickly evolved into a global company — ultimately leading to the launch of their B2B brand, Toolsaver.

Through BigCommerce's open APIs, Toolsaver built SKUPAL, an in-house product that acts as a PIM but also manages deals and promotions. They also launched their own warehouse management system that integrates with BigCommerce and their ERP — improving team workflows.

“One of the big factors was that BigCommerce had such an open API architecture. It allowed us to bring people in-house that would be able to develop systems that would integrate seamlessly with the BigCommerce platform,” explained Neil Bruce, Ecommerce Manager at Toolsaver.

Ballard Industrial.

Case Study: Ballard Industrial

Since launching in 1952, Ballard Industrial has evolved into a leader in the marine, manufacturing, and industrial supply chain.

Ballard Industrial takes advantage of BigCommerce’s B2B Edition tool to offer a seamless buying experience for shoppers. They even launched a real-time pricing automation feature that tracks and updates the price of raw materials on their site with the help of their agency partner, Groove Commerce.

“When customers add products to their cart and check out, all those items are verified through Ballard’s ERP in a real-time call,” explained Justin Bright, Director of Technology and DevOps Engineering at Groove Commerce. “Let's say pricing changes — it goes up a penny or goes down at 10 cents. When a customer adds something to the cart, that update is checked and adjusted before they check out.”

AS Colour.

Case Study: AS Colour

Founded in 2005, AS Colour got their start creating high-quality clothing blanks, primarily for the music industry. Since then, the brand has expanded into the B2B space, supplying blank clothing for printers and embellishers worldwide.

As a brand selling both B2B and DTC, AS Colour needed a platform that could easily support both business sides. With the help of BigCommerce’s native functionality, the brand was able to take advantage of features such as customer groups to create a unique experience for B2B shoppers.

“Because we have the DTC and B2B sides of the business, we really needed a website that had the look and feel of a retail site, while also providing that B2B functionality. BigCommerce is perfect in that aspect, because we can create a beautiful website, but also create customer groups, price tiers, and custom logins for business partners,” explained Joe Sharplin, Head of Design at AS Colour.

Coco Republic.

Case Study: Coco Republic

As a hybrid B2B and DTC brand, Coco Republic supplies quality furniture to both homeowners and businesses. However, the brand struggled to grow both sides of their global business due to their ecommerce platform, leading them to move to BigCommerce.

Since migrating platforms, Coco Republic has drastically expanded both their DTC and B2B sectors at a lower total cost of ownership. Thanks to features like B2B Edition, the brand has been able to customise their cart, build custom pricing, and offer a modern B2B shopping experience.

“In home furnishings, our B2B customers are digitally native, and they're excited about the opportunity to have access to tools that allow them to do what they need to do for designing and servicing their customers,” explained Jack Kiefer, Global Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer at Coco Republic.

Heat Transfer Warehouse.

Case Study: Heat Transfer Warehouse

Since 2010, Heat Transfer Warehouse has established a strong DTC and B2B presence in the world of vinyl heat transfers.

With the help of BigCommerce, Heat Transfer Warehouse has been able to amplify their B2B business through the platform’s robust native features. With customer groups and price lists, the brand has enhanced their UX by creating pricing structures for specific types of B2B customers.

“We liked BigCommerce because we had enough business customers that we could set up pricing structures, pricing guidelines, and base it on certain products,” explained Kirk Anton, Senior Sales Manager and Owner at Heat Transfer Warehouse.

The final word

With 90% of global B2B customers expecting an online shopping experience that’s similar to buying on a B2C site, it's crucial for B2B brands to offer a world-class, frictionless journey.

To stay competitive, these businesses need to host their online store on a modern ecommerce platform with robust B2B features that enable them to bring this top-of-the-line user experience to life.

With tools like BigCommerce, B2B brands can create an ecommerce site that’s built to scale and exceeds customer expectations.

Explore how BigCommerce’s superior B2B functionalities have helped countless brands see success on the platform.

FAQ about B2B ecommerce websites