B2B eCommerce for manufacturers: How to stay relevant in 2022

B2B eCommerce for manufacturers has evolved dramatically in recent years, driven by technological advances and customer demands. In all probability, digitization is the key to success in the future of the manufacturing industry.

Let’s have a look at recent research and analysis on B2B eCommerce sentiment and investments to get a better understanding of how manufacturers can reap benefits of investments now and in the years to come.

Integrated eCommerce is the future

According to research reports, 80% of all B2B interactions between buyers and suppliers will happen digitally by 2025. In other words, the complete sales and marketing lifecycle ranging from search, contemplation, and purchase will all take place through eCommerce. 

Just launching eCommerce sites independently would do no good for manufacturers. They have to adopt an integrated ecosystem. The manufacturers need to integrate the customer journey primarily so that the end customers and channel partners can interact at any given point of the process effortlessly. In this approach, manufacturers must integrate their eCommerce solutions and digital experience to design a unified customer journey.

A classic example is the renowned water treatment manufacturer in the US, Pentair, which integrated 35 brands and eCommerce experiences into a single website. The company did so to unify its brand experience and support B2C and B2B eCommerce experiences.

Invest in self-service buying portals to boost sales 

Streamlining buying journeys by automating repeat purchases with a self-service portal is necessary for manufacturers since nearly every B2B eCommerce decision-maker is looking forward to it in 2022.