In the fast-paced world of online business, setting up an online store has become an essential step for any business that wants to stay competitive. While the B2C market has dominated the eCommerce industry for years, the B2B market is quickly gaining ground.

In fact, the B2B eCommerce market is expected to reach $6.7 trillion in 2020, surpassing the B2C market by over $4 trillion. With this growth potential, it’s no wonder many businesses are choosing Shopify as a seamless B2B eCommerce solution.

So, what exactly is B2B eCommerce and how can Shopify help?

B2B eCommerce is the buying and selling of goods or services between businesses, rather than between a business and a consumer. This form of eCommerce differs from B2C eCommerce in terms of the volume of sales, the complexity of the purchasing process, and the level of personalization required.

If you’re looking to enter or grow your business in the B2B eCommerce market, we’ve put together some key steps to help you get started and make the most of Shopify’s B2B features.

1. Set up a wholesale channel:

Shopify’s wholesale channel lets you create a separate store in your Shopify account just for your B2B customers. This lets you create custom pricing, discounts, and payment terms for your B2B customers, and have a separate catalog and ordering system.

2. Take advantage of volume discounts and bulk pricing:

One advantage of B2B eCommerce is the ability to offer volume discounts and bulk pricing to encourage your B2B customers to place larger orders. With Shopify, you can set these pricing options for specific products or your entire store.

3. Create custom pricing tiers:

Shopify lets you set custom pricing tiers for your B2B customers based on their order history, loyalty, or other criteria. This helps you reward and retain your most valuable B2B customers.

4. Streamline the checkout process:

Shopify’s B2B features make it easy for your B2B customers to place orders, track shipments, and view order history—all from within their own accounts. This saves you and your customers time and effort.

Conclusion

As the B2B eCommerce market continues to expand, businesses must adopt scalable and efficient solutions to stay ahead of the competition. Shopify provides a powerful platform that enables businesses to streamline their B2B operations, from setting up a dedicated wholesale channel to offering custom pricing and bulk discounts. By leveraging Shopify’s robust features, businesses can simplify the purchasing process, improve customer relationships, and drive long-term growth.