Do you know the importance of selling in B2B Marketplaces? When we talk about Ecommerce we can’t help but think of retail, fast and even cheaper sales. But today B2B sales between companies double the volume of sales to the B2C market. But what is B2B?
What is B2B selling?
The B2B or Business to Business sale is a business model that refers to all those commercial exchanges that are made between two businesses. This terminology allows us to differentiate this business model from others, such as B2C or Business to Consumer (company-client).
Generally, and given the complexity of B2B management, the clients of this business model are people specialized in sales areas, who know the sector and the strategies to follow perfectly. But, in recent years…
B2B marketplaces
B2B sales have approached a greater number of companies thanks to the rise of the digital economy and especially marketplaces
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of marketplaces is B2C sales. It is necessary to highlight that, especially after the COVID-19 crisis, companies began to look for another means that would facilitate the management of their B2B sales, limiting contact and lowering costs. That is why corporations like Alibaba promoted this business model, which has established itself as a good B2B sales option in Marketplaces.
Currently, the most advanced marketplaces in this business model are Alibaba and Amazon Business, but little by little they are appearing more and more specialized. A clear example is Makro Marketplace (which we talk about in detail here) which offers the option of carrying out B2B exchanges in the Horeca sector.
Broadly speaking, a B2B Marketplace works in a similar way to a B2C: a seller creates their account and from there manages the catalog, customers, inventory, etc. Buyers also act as in a B2C Marketplace: they look for a supplier, compare prices, decide on one…
In the case of B2B Marketplaces, buyers can also leave their comments and ratings on the supplier’s profile.
One of the most important characteristics of B2B Marketplaces is that the payment methods, as well as the order options (number of packs, indivisible packages, etc.), are very flexible. This is done to favor professionals by adapting to their needs.
The best Marketplaces for B2B sales
The benefits of marketplaces that use the B2B business model are several. These platforms offer a series of added services centralized in the platform, such as logistics, payment service, risk coverage or digital marketing tools (essential in the B2B world, especially for capturing leads and internationalization of products).
Within the panorama of marketplaces, we will highlight three that stand out from the rest, especially in Spain:
Alibaba
Alibaba.com has an estimated traffic of about 97,200,000 monthly visitors, this e-commerce platform connects exporting companies with importing companies. Apart from its high traffic, it has a total of 40 main categories in which one can offer their products more specifically.
Amazon Business
Amazon Business is the additional service for Amazon sellers. The usual Amazon, but adapted to B2B. Today, the platform has more than 1 million business users. In addition, there is the possibility of having an Amazon Business Seller account, which allows access to all customers in order to have more opportunities to increase sales and reach new customers.
To have access to Amazon Business it is necessary to also have a seller account, but it is not mandatory to sell products in B2C.
SoloStocks
SoloStocks is one of the leading platforms in Spain and with a strong international presence, offering more than 2.5 million products from trusted and verified seller companies. In its list of suppliers, there are more than 50,000 who sell their products among the 6,000 available categories. This makes it easy to search in detail and compare prices and ratings. SoloStocks is the only Spanish B2B platform with an offer that spans 12 countries.
Virtual Expo
The Virtual Expo group is a conglomerate of Marketplaces made up of 6 specialized platforms in different sectors: aeronautics, agriculture, architecture and design, industrial, medicine and technology, navigation and maritime. It has a total of more than 39,000 exhibitors, more than a million and a half suppliers, a million products and half a million catalogues. Being one of the world leaders in B2B Marketplaces, each specialized portal is translated into 9 languages and has very powerful SEO tools that attract both international buyers and sellers.
Ankorstore
Ankorstore presents itself as the first Marketplace to connect brands and designers with boutiques throughout Europe and is considered one of the promoters of local commerce. The scope of this platform is European, and they have the special feature that all shipping costs directed to stores and refunds from brands are totally free. One of the requirements of this Marketplace is that to access and start buying or selling, you must be a professional and also the orders must be over €100 (without VAT).
Ankorstore is one of the most recent Marketplaces and has had rapid growth, proving to be doing things correctly and being a safe and reliable portal.
Most experts in the field of sales, and especially in B2B sales, agree that in the coming years, after the COVID-19 crisis and the impact it has had on the professional environment, the B2B business managed from marketplaces will have a boom that will generate golden opportunities to increase business.
Therefore, it is very important to anticipate what is to come and start working on B2B sales strategies and the analysis of the different marketplaces in which one can work.
Do you want to start selling on digital platforms?
At Década Studio we are aware of the importance for different businesses to be present in the largest online storefronts worldwide. Above all, when this presence translates into increased sales, expansion into new markets, minimal infrastructure and operating costs, and much more.
For this reason, we offer comprehensive management of the entire sales process so that you can get the most out of online sales.
Since after hours invested in training and knowledge we have become one of the few agencies in Spain cataloged as Official Amazon Partners.
and how you can start taking your first steps to sell through the marketplace
