The State of B2B eCommerce Report

The needs and expectations of B2B buyers are evolving rapidly, and the demands for seamless self-service buying and e-commerce experiences are growing.

We compiled results that show that while there is a movement of early innovators who are prioritizing their eCommerce experience, and removing friction wherever possible, there is still a gap between buyer expectations and company execution when it comes to eCommerce. 

B2B eCommerce companies seem to have truly entered their heyday as of late.

When the pandemic began, businesses of all kinds in every industry were forced to move online. The eCommerce landscape saw rapid adoption, and retailers made whatever changes necessary to help them adapt their businesses, sales processes, and methods to this new arena.

Everyone had to find ways to meet changing consumer needs and demand in this new digital space. While it began as a way to make the best of a bad situation, the majority of consumers actually found that they preferred the added convenience and independence that online shopping provided by way of things like product configuration and customization, guided selling, dynamic pricing, and real-time product visualization.  

These techniques allowed consumers the freedom to shop without needing a sales or customer service representative to help them by giving them the tools to be self-sufficient. This shift was initially limited to B2C eCommerce. However, when B2B customers saw the impact that this had and realized what a vast improvement it was as well as what amazing things were possible, they made it clear that they wanted the same tools and customer experience that B2C consumers got.

To accommodate this, the B2B business model has shifted dramatically. When discussing the huge adjustments that have been made in the past few years by B2B companies, examples include finally opening online stores, switching to a more omnichannel approach, being more active on social media, offering custom products, leaning away from a representative focused sales process, and adopting the latest technology like CPQ software.

Those at the top of any successful B2B companies list are the ones that adapted to remain competitive. B2B products lists started to include more custom options to allow items to be tailored to consumer needs. If you want some great examples of B2B companies that made the transition well, look up a list of B2B companies with the highest revenue in recent years. Chances are, those are the businesses that made the switch the fastest and invested in top-of-the-line technology.

These changes are the main cause of the growth and popularity of B2B eCommerce companies in the USA reaching an all-time high.

Big-name giants dominate lists of eCommerce companies in the USA for which business is booming. The list of small eCommerce companies in the USA that make the cut likely isn't very long.

That's because any list of top eCommerce companies in the USA will probably include mostly businesses with the most resources. Big businesses likely had the best experts giving them advice. More successful companies have the money to invest in the best technology. Established brands can afford to take risks, know how best to respond to changes, and have the experience to recognize what's likely to be successful.

However, the data is out now, consumer preferences are clear, and the results are proven. Businesses of all sizes are learning about these in-demand eCommerce tools, their amazing benefits, and customers' enthusiastic reactions. While the largest businesses currently make up the vast majority of these successful B2B company examples, smaller businesses are beginning to switch too.

This technology is no longer confined to the top 100 B2B companies in the USA. It's not even limited to just the top 500 eCommerce companies in the USA for that matter. As these methods become more ubiquitous, they grow more widespread throughout businesses of every size, giving smaller businesses access to the benefits that come along with them.

Which businesses are listed as the top B2B eCommerce companies will depend on the criteria used to define the category. 

A list of the biggest B2B companies could similarly be characterized in multiple ways. However, the chances are good that the businesses that make any of these lists will be the ones with a global B2B platform supporting their architecture.

With huge corporations like Amazon dominating an increasing majority of the market share, it was getting harder for small businesses to compete. The great thing about the recent boom in eCommerce is the increase in the number and variety of tools and options on the market. The widespread availability made them more accessible.

When consumers moved to eCommerce for all their shopping during quarantine, they started ordering things that they never bought online before. Their preferences also shifted away from mass-produced, cookie-cutter products in favor of more bespoke options. People also became more environmentally and socially conscious, causing them to seek out smaller businesses with a better impact on their communities and the planet.

The explosion of tools aimed at SMBs and sole proprietors somewhat democratized eCommerce. Plus, consumer desires and values shifted in their favor. While the best tools and resources have traditionally been reserved for the likes of those corporate giants, today, more people than ever before can access the best tools available, and anyone can start their own B2B eCommerce business on one of the top 10 B2B platforms in the world.

Some of the most successful B2B websites today are the platforms that allow people to start their own eCommerce businesses. 

On platforms like Shopify, B2B products include tools and resources for starting an online store. The popularity of platforms like Shopify makes them ideal examples of B2B eCommerce websites.

Everyone knows about platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, and Etsy. However, they're rarely the names that spring to mind when trying to think of B2B business examples. Similarly, people don't often think about the fact that platforms that sell B2B eCommerce website templates, like WordPress, for example, are themselves B2B website examples.

As B2B businesses become more prevalent, adopt better technology, spread to more channels, and use more tools to scale and improve, the B2B businesses that provide them with all those things will grow right along with them. In this way, B2B eCommerce perpetuates itself in a way that B2C eCommerce does not.  

Let's start by addressing the most important question.

What are B2B platforms exactly? B2B eCommerce platforms are online shopping carts used by businesses to sell their products and/or services. This includes things like Shopify Plus, BigCommerce, Wix, and WordPress. They're used by eCommerce giants like eBay and Amazon as well as independent sellers and small businesses.

When discussing B2B eCommerce platforms, there are actually far more B2B eCommerce companies that fall under this umbrella than people often realize. For example, there are B2B wholesale platforms like AliExpress where businesses can buy and sell products at a steep discount. Then there are platforms like Shopify for B2B tools that let people set up online stores and help them sell.

Many of the best B2B eCommerce websites are also the best B2B eCommerce platforms in 2022. The sudden increase in popularity of side hustles, entrepreneurs, the digital nomad movement, and people selling handmade crafts on platforms like Etsy have allowed B2B businesses and marketplaces geared toward small businesses and individuals to become some of the top 10 B2B platforms in the world.

Today, it would likely be impossible to make it onto a list of the top 100 B2B companies without using eCommerce.

In fact, pretty much any B2B business now requires an eCommerce presence to compete in the current landscape. That includes everyone from small B2B companies all the way up to the top 5 B2B companies in the world.

If you look at the top B2B companies in the USA, you'll find some great examples of how the best B2B companies are utilizing the newest and most advanced business solutions, software, and methods available. A list of the top 100 B2B SaaS companies will tell you who to look toward to understand the latest developments in industry innovation and structure.  

Salesforce is the B2B SaaS company with the largest market share. They're wildly popular and provide business solutions to some of the top B2B companies in the USA and around the world. Logik.io is native to Salesforce CPQ. We partnered with Salesforce because they're one of the best B2B SaaS companies, making them the perfect foundation for our product configuration logic engine to provide a next-generation headless commerce experience.  

Watch our demo video or try out our interactive demo experience to see what Logik for Salesforce CPQ is like. You can also check out our CPQ Cheat Sheet to learn why Logik x Salesforce CPQ is such a powerful combination. Feel free to contact our sales team if you have any questions.

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