In order to better understand what B2B ecommerce executives are looking for when sourcing their ideal ecommerce platform, B2B Online surveyed 100 executives on their preferences.
a need for flexibility around technology integrations. As the pace of technology development continues at a rapid clip, an ecommerce platform that remains static and inflexible can quickly go from an asset to a liability. Respondents placed the ability to integrate into an existing technology infrastructure as both the biggest barrier in the way of adopting a new platform, as well as the most appealing aspect of a potential new solution.
In response to these needs, flexibility in the form of cloud-based and open-source infrastructure is becoming increasingly popular for ecommerce platforms. In the same vein, more comprehensive Product Information Management (PIM) systems, AI chatbots and automated assistance solutions, and microservices architecture are all being looked at as methods of improving the fluidity with which the online experience can be managed and improved. Flexibility is a factor for the share of B2B executives who are also integrating secondary solutions for loyalty management and other purposes, as they need a platform that can integrate with the more specific tools they would like to deploy.
While the majority of B2B executives are currently satisfied with their ecommerce platforms, 25% have serious complaints—a significant share of the audience when it comes to such a critical component of an organization’s technology infrastructure. They are looking for a platform that delivers on the promise of next-generation features, while remaining feasible to integrate into the systems that they have in place now.
Read on to discover where your B2B peers are currently satisfied, and where they are demanding change and looking to adopt new technologies and features in the pursuit of a leading ecommerce strategy.
Ecommerce is a significant source of revenue for the majority of B2B respondents who have invested in the channel. Now, the ability to grow their strategies is contingent on improving the efficiency of their ecommerce sites, as well as the back-end management of data.
The most common limiting factor preventing respondents from updating their ecommerce platforms is a lack of compatibility with their existing technology infrastructure. Conversely, the ability to integrate with existing technology setups is the most important factor that makes a potential solution appealing.
Advanced PIM systems as well as assisted sales alternatives such as AI-enabled chatbots are the new ecommerce tools that respondents feel are the most essential to their success.