10 Features Your WooCommerce B2B Store Must Have in 2021
1. Shopping Lists / Purchase Lists
B2B e-commerce is all about speed and versatility. Business customers want to order products or replenish stock in as little time as possible and immediately find what they need. Purchase lists are a critical part of that. Your B2B e-commerce store must give customers a way to create an unlimited number of purchase lists and order from any of them on a per-need basis.
Allowing buyers to save and reuse shopping lists and quickly purchase previously saved products is an essential feature for your B2B store. How can you implement purchase lists for your WooCommerce store?
2. Multiple Users per Account
Business buyers often need many employees within their company to have access to a store, whether to browse price catalogs, place orders, or simply send custom requests and inquiries. A system that supports multiple users under a single account, along with a permission system that controls what each user can do, is an important feature if you are selling wholesale. You also want specific WooCommerce customizations that let you see who placed each order or who made a particular inquiry or quote request. B2BKing does it all for you and implements a powerful multi-user account system.
3. Bulk Order Form
Time is money! A wholesale order form is the fastest way to order, and it's perfect for business buyers who often know exactly what they need, down to the SKU. Providing your customers with a bulk order form lets them find what they need faster and have a better overall experience with your company and store. Read about how you can implement a wholesale order form in your WooCommerce store.
4. Complex Order Management Rules
Each business is different, and you may need to treat your business customers differently: different prices for the same products, different discounts, different minimum order thresholds, or different available shipping and payment methods. Each business customer's experience with your store should be customized and personalized. This boosts your sales, gives you full control over operations, and provides a better experience for your customers.
- Minimum Order Quantity or Value
You should be able to set different minimum order quantities or minimum order values for each user, product, or category. For example, you should be able to set a product to be purchasable in minimum quantities of 25 pieces for Company A but 50 pieces for Company B. Flexibility and versatility are critical, as prices and agreements are often subject to negotiation.
- Order in Multiples of X
Certain products come in boxes or cartons of X pieces, and you might want to allow such products to be purchasable only in multiples. It's a simple but useful feature for your store.
- Free Shipping Rules
Under what conditions should you provide free shipping? In B2B e-commerce, it's different for every customer or customer group. You may even strike an agreement with a particular company and offer perpetual free shipping in exchange for order guarantees. An e-commerce platform that allows that kind of flexibility can save you a lot of time and effort.
5. Unique, Personalized Product Catalogs and Pricing
- Different prices for different users
- Hide some products from some users
- Give discounts for certain product categories
- Unique discounts based on different scenarios
- Personalized free shipping offers
You want an e-commerce platform that allows you to do all of this and more. You should have full control over what products each customer sees and at what prices. This kind of personalized approach is key to B2B e-commerce and can be a significant sales boost if you use it correctly.
6. Tax Rules and Tax Exemptions
If you're setting up a wholesale store, you may have customers from many different countries operating under various tax rules. If you're in the European Union in particular, tax exemptions based on VAT ID and the ability to validate VAT numbers are critical.
You may also need to provide tax exemptions to particular users or for particular products or categories. Furthermore, you may want the ability to add custom taxes, for instance a city tax for tourism operators.
B2BKing equips your WooCommerce store with a powerful tax rule system through the Dynamic Rules functionality.
7. Hide Prices from Guests or Hide the Entire Website from Guests
You don't want everybody to see your pricing. Setting up a gated B2B platform with a registration process that allows manual user review is an essential feature for wholesale e-commerce. You should have the option to hide prices from guests, hide the entire website, or even replace prices with "Request a Quote."
8. B2B & B2C Hybrid Support
Many shops and businesses sell both B2B and B2C. If you want to maximize reach, you may want to do both online, and you'll need a solution that enables it. With WooCommerce and B2BKing, you can set up a hybrid store with very different experiences, prices, and product catalogs for your business customers and individual customers.
Furthermore, if you want to set up a hybrid shop, certain features like a separate B2B/B2C registration form or the ability to hide certain features (such as quote requests) from your B2C users are essential. Learn more about how B2BKing can help you create a hybrid B2B+B2C store.
9. Built-in Messaging System
Emails are fine, but why not equip your WooCommerce store with a dedicated messaging platform that allows instant, live chat with your customers? Answer customers' questions, negotiate, and help them find exactly what they need. Communication and a personal touch are critical for successful B2B e-commerce.
10. Offers, Bundles, and Promotions
Like everyone else, businesses love a good offer or promotion. Create seasonal bundles or time-limited promotions and make them accessible to only particular users or groups.
Or negotiate a particular package and create a unique offer that's available to only that specific user. That kind of flexibility can help you grow your business and build personalized, unique relationships with each of your business customers.
