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B2B / B2C

E-commerce solutions differ fundamentally in the orientation of the target group. If you sell to other companies and follow a B2B strategy, functionalities such as bulk order options, individual price offers, or customer accounts may be needed. In contrast, B2C shops selling to end consumers focus more on other topics such as appealing design or simple navigation and user guidance. We support you in the conception, selection, and development of your own e-commerce solution, in both the B2B and B2C sectors.
Spektrum
E-Commerce Lösungen für B2B und B2C Implementierungen.
Anwendung
Bei Onlineshops und digitalem Vertrieb von Produkten und Dienstleistungen.
Details
Unterschiede in der Benutzerführung, Navigation und Funktionen bilden den entscheidenden Unterschied zwischen B2B und B2C.

From the pricing model to a working order path

We start with the pricing and customer model, because nearly everything else follows from it. In B2B we clarify whether customers get fixed negotiated prices, discount groups, volume tiers or their own price lists, whether net or gross figures are shown, and whether the catalog should be visible at all without a login. In B2C the questions are promotional pricing, vouchers, bundles and how few steps it takes to order without an account.

The order path is built on that basis. B2B usually means company accounts with several users, quick entry by article number or CSV upload, reordering from history, quote requests instead of instant checkout, and invoice payment against a credit limit. B2C means guest checkout, filters that work, product reviews and the payment methods consumers expect.

We implement this with WooCommerce, Shopware or Shopify, and with SAP Commerce Cloud in corporate environments, connecting the ERP, customer records and shipping providers.

One shop for both audiences, or two separate ones

Plenty of midsize companies sell to dealers and to end consumers at the same time. The question is then not B2B or B2C, but whether one system can carry both. A shared shop is worth it when assortment and product data largely overlap and the differences can be handled through customer groups, price lists and visibility rules. You maintain data once and display it differently depending on who is logged in.

Separate storefronts make sense when the assortments diverge, when the brand needs a different tone toward dealers than toward consumers, or when direct sales put you in competition with your own retail partners. Logistics that differ sharply, pallet freight alongside parcel shipping, also argue for a split.

A dedicated B2B shop earns its keep as soon as orders arrive by fax, email or phone and someone types them in by hand. If you serve a handful of key accounts on individually negotiated terms, a lean ordering portal often fits better than a shop with marketing features.

Customer pricing, approvals and the details that bite

Pricing logic is the most common source of rework in B2B. As soon as a negotiated price, a volume tier and a promotion can all apply to the same line, someone has to decide which one wins and whether discounts stack. Equally important: whether the price is calculated in the shop or fetched from the ERP. Live lookups are always current but cost load time, mirrored prices are fast but drift without solid synchronization.

On top of that come requirements B2C never has:

  • Approval workflows when the person ordering is not the person holding the budget
  • Minimum order quantities and packaging units that differ from single pieces
  • Quote functions where the customer asks and sales responds with a price
  • Invoice payment against a credit limit and a block status held in the ERP
  • Customer specific assortments, where not everyone may see everything

These points belong before the system choice, not after. They decide whether a requirement stays configuration or turns into development.

Frequently asked questions

What technically separates a B2B shop from a B2C shop?

Mainly the pricing and permission model. A B2C shop knows one price per article and an anonymous buyer. A B2B shop knows customer groups, negotiated prices, volume tiers, packaging units, credit limits and company accounts with several users and roles, plus quote and approval processes. The two can look similar on the surface, but the data model behind a B2B shop carries far more rules.

Can customer specific prices from the ERP appear in the shop?

Yes, in two ways. Either the shop fetches the price live from the ERP on every page view, which is always current but costs load time and puts traffic on the interface. Or price lists are mirrored into the shop on a schedule, which is fast but needs reliable synchronization. The right choice depends on catalog size, how often prices change and how much load your ERP tolerates.

Can we run B2B and B2C from a single installation?

In most cases yes. Customer groups control prices, visibility and payment methods: guests see the consumer view, logged in business customers see their own terms. That works as long as assortment and product data largely match. Once brand, range or logistics clearly diverge, two storefronts on a shared data source tend to cause less friction than one overloaded shop.

Does the whole B2B catalog have to sit behind a login?

No, and hiding it usually costs you. A catalog without prices but with product data, datasheets and use cases stays visible to search engines and doubles as a reference for your sales team. Prices, availability, ordering and history then live behind the login. Closing the catalog entirely makes sense when the range itself or the terms are genuinely confidential.

How are quotes handled instead of instant checkout?

The customer assembles a cart and submits it as a request rather than an order. Sales picks it up, adds prices, quantities or alternative items and returns the quote, either inside the customer account or as a PDF. Once accepted, it converts into an order on exactly those terms. Where a CRM or ERP already owns quoting, we pass the request into that system instead.

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