In the rapidly digitizing B2B landscape, companies grapple with the need to swiftly develop engaging online purchase journeys with captivating storefronts. The solution? The B2B Store, a pre-installed template for the unique demands of B2B digital storefronts, powered by commercetools Frontend. Now, you have the tools to build eCommerce experiences that keep B2B buyers coming back for more, driving customer loyalty and growth.
As 57% of B2B buyers list a manufacturer’s eCommerce site as their first choice to buy products, it’s clear that B2B companies have a real opportunity to capture new clients and engage existing ones on their preferred channel. But with every opportunity comes a challenge: As B2B companies seek to grow their digital maturity while improving customer experiences, developing eCommerce storefronts at a fast pace to meet the rising expectations of B2B buyers is not always a simple task.
This is where The B2B Store powered by commercetools Frontend comes in. As a pre-installed template, organizations can create a B2B commerce website with a set of frontend components and integrations following the latest UX and UI best practices, which empower frontend developers to craft engaging experiences with a faster time-to-market.
What’s more, this pre-built storefront template serves as a blueprint that can inspire a custom setup, so B2B companies can tailor digital storefronts to meet their customer needs. That means templates are crafted for flexibility, allowing for customizations that seamlessly align with your unique brand identity and business requirements.
Last but certainly not least, this starter kit already comes with all the out-of-the-box functionality provided by commercetools B2B Commerce, such as the ability to manage quotes and a Product Listings Page (PLP) functionality.
In today’s fast-paced environment, B2B organizations need to leverage the power of eCommerce as effectively and fast as possible. The B2B Store provides a robust platform that can handle all the intricacies of B2B operations while offering buyers an intuitive and seamless experience and scaling components in line with your business growth.
Leveraging key eCommerce functionalities from the get-go
The B2B Store offers a comprehensive suite of functionalities that cater to every aspect of B2B interactions, from a comprehensive dashboard to streamlined cart management. Here are the top six features The B2B Store makes available right off the bat:
Homepage
Hero section with call-to-actions, product categories, trends and blog posts offer a captivating start for buyers to discover products and explore your site further.
Dashboard
Provides an overview of account features (orders, quotes, company administration, purchase lists, settings & security and addresses), so buyers can easily visualize all important elements. Furthermore, the latest orders are prominently highlighted within the dashboard, including order tracking.
Company Admin Center
Empowers administrators to manage general information, addresses, associates and business units.
Product Listings Page (PLP)
One of the most critical components in the B2B digital experience, the PLP serves as a virtual showroom with a wide selection of products with intuitive filters and comprehensive information, so that buyers can discover, evaluate and decide on their purchases.
Streamlined Cart Management
Buyers can view and edit cart items, get an order summary (including item details and total costs), apply discount codes and proceed to checkout or request a quote.
Quotes
Buyers can easily manage requested quotes and navigate the negotiation process. Upon mutual acceptance of the quote, it converts into an order, streamlining and automating negotiations throughout the purchasing process.
And there’s more: With The B2B Store, buyers can view their complete order history, initiate returns, and make reorders easily. Purchase lists are also available, so buyers can organize items and create orders directly without effort. Plus, other essential features in every eCommerce site are included, such as a header, footer, 404 page, content pages, and security and privacy settings.
In addition to the recently launched features that compose the first installment of The B2B Store, more is coming soon to support B2B organizations even more, including Product Detail Pages (PDP), Checkout and Search.
More than speed: 5 top benefits with The B2B Store
#1 Faster implementation times
B2B firms want to rapidly prototype and deploy eCommerce storefronts with out-of-the-box solutions faster, and using The B2B Store is a great way to achieve this goal. This starter kit serves as an accelerator, offering comprehensive documentation, tutorials and best practices that cut down development efforts.
#2 Effortless integration
Our composable commercetools Platform, rooted in a best-of-breed approach, seamlessly integrates with your existing ecosystem, ensuring a harmonious and interconnected digital environment. In addition, you can easily plug and play any components to bring your purchasing, content, loyalty or customer support to the next level — without vendor lock-in.
#3 Resource optimization that leads to cost savings
When you’re able to leverage pre-built components, you can allocate resources more effectively and increase operational efficiency as you’re minimizing the need for extensive custom development. The result? Streamlined IT spend and significant cost savings.
#4 Intuitive experiences that are ready-to-go
There’s no need to invest valuable time deciphering UX/UI best practices for crafting intuitive, engaging, and conversion-optimized interfaces. The B2B Store has already laid the groundwork for you. Plus, with a powerful frontend platform behind the scenes, device responsiveness is also included out-of-the-box. This ensures that your B2B buyers navigate your eCommerce site with ease, leading to customer satisfaction.
#5 Scale up customer experiences and adapt as your business grows
The B2B Store is an adaptable solution that lets your business grow without constraints. Just like all commercetools solutions, it offers unparalleled flexibility and extensibility, enabling you to expand templates beyond their core functionality. In other words, you have the freedom to customize functionalities to align with your brand identity, business requirements and customer expectations.
Furthermore, with commercetools Frontend running on cloud-native architecture powered by Google Cloud, you can rest assured that your eCommerce performance and speed are designed to handle increased demand and traffic without a hitch.
Getting started with The B2B Store
Your commercetools Frontend project comes with The B2B Store template that you can use to create a B2B commerce website. Consisting of frontend components with features and functionalities from commercetools Composable Commerce and commercetools Frontend, you can try out the pre-installed template with your project, starting today.
If you’re exploring ways to accelerate digital storefront implementation while creating intuitive eCommerce experiences, explore our documentation.
Sopio is the Head of Product at commercetools Frontend, with a rich background in product development and user experience. She has previously worked in the i-gaming and software development sectors and is adept at cross-functional teams and initiatives management. As a certified Product Leader and Executive MBA candidate, Sopio is committed to creating products customers love and fostering high-performance product teams.