8 eCommerce Growth Strategies to Supercharge Your B2B Business

The B2B market is growing at an unprecedented rate. According to one analysis, B2B eCommerce could grow at an 18.2% annual rate to a value of more than $57 trillion by 2030. There’s a huge opportunity for both existing B2B businesses and B2C businesses that want to shift to B2B sales.

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However, B2B businesses that want to join in that growth face unique challenges. In particular, B2B transactions are large and complex, so it can be difficult to scale them up or make them move faster. 

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The good news is that here at DJUST, we know how you can use your B2B eCommerce platform to drive growth. Let’s dive into eight growth hacking strategies you can use today. 

Short on time? Here are the key takeaways 

Here are the strategies we cover in this guide:

1. Consider unified commerce
2. Personalize your customer journeys
3. Dig into new acquisition channels (with professional help)
4. Ensure seamless customer onboarding
5. Expand into global markets
6. Use eCommerce automation: AI & machine learning
7. Invest in your website’s user experience
8. Create a customer advocacy program

Understanding the types of B2B eCommerce growth

Before you start implementing strategies to grow your eCommerce business, it is important to know the types of growth you can achieve. They are:

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• Acquiring new customers.
• Selling more to existing clients by upselling and improving the customer experience so they place larger or more frequent orders.
• Achieving operational growth — i.e., streamlining your sales funnel and fulfillment process so your team has extra capacity to find new customers or develop new products that customers will love.

Now, let’s explore eight strategies that can help you achieve all three.

ECommerce strategies to grow your B2B business 

1. Consider unified commerce

Connecting your eCommerce tools — such as your enterprise resource management (ERP) software, product information management (PIM) platform, and order management system (OMS) — in one centralized location is one of the best strategies for growing your B2B company.

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When all your sales tools and channels work together on the same platform, you can reach customers wherever they are. Highly mobile B2B buyers can make purchases on any device completely seamlessly.

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In addition, your sales team can manage marketing and sales in a single enterprise eCommerce platform. There is no back-and-forth between software and no lost information. The result is more visibility into each customer’s journey and more personalized interactions, which are key for closing sales.

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And since unified commerce streamlines workflows, you can achieve operational growth through reduced costs and your team members spending more time on revenue-earning activities.

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Expert advice: DJUST’s platform is a great example of how unified commerce can help your business grow. Customers can shop and checkout online, place orders through your sales team, or order via connected channels that you manage through DJUST. No matter how they order, customers can access all their order details in one location.

2. Personalize your customer journeys

Personalizing customer journeys is a highly effective eCommerce growth strategy. With personalization, you get the perfect product in front of customers at the ideal time, which encourages them to make a purchase. 

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In fact, Adobe’s 2023 B2B Commerce Growth Strategies Survey found that more than 60% of companies that use eCommerce personalization see a boost in conversion rates.

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Here are a few ways you can personalize what your customers see:

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• Show recently or frequently viewed items at the top of a customer’s search results.
• Make it easy for customers to use the same payment and shipping options they have in the past.
• Recommend products based on what customers in the same market or industry have purchased.

3. Dig into new acquisition channels (with professional help)

Another great strategy to grow your B2B sales is to explore customer acquisition channels you may not currently be using — or may not be using to their full potential. This is particularly important if you are making the jump from B2C to B2B sales for the first time. 

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The chances are you are already doing some B2B sales are high, but formalizing and making them highly efficient is a whole other ball game.

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To get the most out of this strategy, consider enlisting professional help. Companies with deep B2B experience know what acquisition channels are most effective in different industries and how to tune your messaging for B2B customers as opposed to B2C customers.

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At DJUST, we have helped companies — including Victoria’s Secret subsidiary Adore Me — shift from B2C to B2B or wholesale models. We follow the latest B2B eCommerce trends and know what acquisition channels are most effective for reaching business customers. 

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In other words, experts can help you focus on the customers who deliver the best return for your time and money.

4. Ensure seamless customer onboarding

Customers never forget their first experience with your company. You need to make a great initial impression or risk driving them away. 

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With a seamless onboarding process, you can get started on the right foot — and avoid costly eCommerce mistakes. This is especially crucial if your customers are most familiar with placing orders by phone or email. You must ensure it is as simple as possible for them to start using your eCommerce platform. 

5. Expand into global markets

Expanding into new markets around the globe is a great way to grow your business’s potential audience and add new customers. It can also help you diversify your revenue and safeguard your business against a slump in your home market.

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To make your global expansion seamless, check that your eCommerce platform offers these key features:

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• Multi-language capabilities
• Market-specific product catalogs
• Support for multiple currencies and payment methods

6. Use eCommerce automation: AI & machine learning

Incorporating AI and machine learning tools into your business can save your team members time on repetitive tasks and free them to pursue new deals. You can use eCommerce automation at every stage of your B2B sales process, from marketing to new leads to upselling customers during the purchase process to providing support for existing customers. 

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Many eCommerce SaaS platforms now offer automated workflows to make these time-saving tricks as easy as possible.

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Expert advice: One of the latest innovations in eCommerce is the ability to use AI to scan text and place orders. For example, AI can read an order a customer sends by email and automatically place that order in your eCommerce platform. Want to know more? Reach out to DJUST to find out how we’re implementing this feature.

7. Invest in your website’s user experience

Investing in your website’s user experience is key to ensuring that customers actually enjoy ordering from your company — which is a big part of driving growth. The more seamless your online experience, the more likely customers are to place large orders or re-order more frequently.

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This starts with ensuring your site is easy to navigate. Organize your pages and products in a way that makes sense to your customers. You should also add a search bar and wishlists to make it easier for customers to find what they need.

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Creating personalized customer journeys is also crucial. A McKinsey report found that companies that deliver outstanding personalization in online experiences generate 40% more revenue than companies that fall short at personalization.

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In addition, make sure your site works well on mobile devices and tablets. This is especially important for businesses in industries such as construction, where customers may frequently need to place orders while working in the field.

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Expert advice: If your eCommerce website is visible to the public, make sure it is optimized for search engines. At a minimum, it should include keywords relevant to your industry.

8. Create a customer advocacy program

Customer advocacy programs enlist your most loyal customers as ambassadors for your brand. Advocates actively promote your company to their peers, review your products, and offer honest, positive testimonials to new customers interested in working with your business.

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Having advocates for your business is incredibly important. Research from Gartner has found that 76% of B2B buyers consult three or more sources of advocacy before making a purchase.

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In addition, these programs have a flywheel effect: existing customers’ loyalty grows as they engage more with your business. At the same time, they help you acquire new customers, who, in turn, become future advocates for your business.

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To identify potential advocates, look for repeat customers who purchase a lot of products from your company or customers who have reviewed your business favorably on industry forums. Customers who switched from another B2B provider to your company are especially good advocates because they can speak to what made your company a better choice for their needs.

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You can also nurture advocates by engaging with your customers outside of transactions. For example, if a customer posts on social media about a business milestone, comment and congratulate them. You can also offer loyal customers early access to new products or personalized meetings with your product management team.

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Expert advice: At the end of the day, the best growth strategy for eCommerce is customer retention. When customers love working with your business, they are more likely to increase their purchases and recommend your business to peers.

The bottom line

Leveraging eCommerce is one of the best ways to grow B2B sales from both new and existing customers. 

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We recommend using unified commerce to improve the sales experience for your customers and your team. Your eCommerce strategy framework can also include personalizing customers’ journeys, exploring new acquisition channels, and improving customers’ online experience. 

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Finally, consider expanding into new markets, incorporating automation into your sales process, and asking your top customers to be ambassadors for your brand.