IT procurement has changed fundamentally in recent years. System houses are increasingly becoming service partners for their business customers. Although the role as a supplier of hardware and software is central, it is taking up less space. While large companies from industry often procure their IT infrastructure via B2B shops, small and medium-sized businesses often still handle their IT procurement personally with their system house – or procure their hardware via other sources. Three reasons why every system house customer should now have their own B2B e‑commerce solution:
1. Utilizing B2C experience to enhance B2B IT procurement
Everybody knows them, everybody uses them: Web shops like Amazon have set the bar high for e‑procurement. What B2B buyers know from their private lives, they also don’t want to miss in the business environment. An intuitive B2B online shop is therefore also immensely important for B2B IT solutions, especially to avoid customers looking for other sources of supply. A professional IT online shop is accessible around the clock and directly displays availability, stock levels and possible delivery dates.
2. B2B e-commerce saves resources
With an IT B2B shop, orders are processed within seconds, eliminating the need for manual intervention by employees. This streamlined process saves time and resources for both the system house and their customers. In addition, efficiency can be gained through an integrated approval process. To enhance and streamline the procurement process, utilizing different shopping baskets can be a game-changer. These customized baskets can be categorized based on departments, topics, or employees and can be approved by the designated person, eliminating any confusion or delays. Many customers also want PunchOut integration with their own e‑procurement system.
3. Increase customer loyalty
An individualized B2B shop with a curated selection of products showcases to your business customers that you highly esteem their company and their needs. As a system house, you can enhance the shopping experience for your customers by providing additional services that showcase your commitment to their needs: For example, you can offer him special quotes and discounts. By analyzing the transparent orders and conversations with your customers, you gain valuable insights into their purchasing behavior, which can be utilized to suggest the most appropriate IT products and services to them. This not only strengthens customer loyalty but also helps to increase sales and revenue for your system house.
How system houses increase their sales with e-commerce
The advantages of a B2B shop for system house customers are therefore obvious. But does such a shop also offer added value for the system house itself? The simple answer: yes! Just like their customers, B2B shop providers also save time and resources through automated, digital processes such as automatic price calculations. In addition, the transparent ordering process provides you with valuable information about your customers, enabling them to generate additional sales. By offering a B2B online shop, system houses can reduce the barriers to IT procurement and increase their sales turnover. It’s a win-win situation for both parties involved.
What is the cost of setting up an online IT shop for business customers?
Now that we have established the importance of having a B2B web shop for your customers, the next step is to determine the best approach for creating a platform that offers a seamless IT product selection experience. The good news: you don’t have to develop a solution yourself. There are ready-made shop systems that make IT sales easy for you. ITscope’s B2B shop solution is particularly suitable for system houses: The B2B Suite is optimally designed for selling IT products and comes with a 7 million-product standard catalogue. Content such as article information, images and data sheets are already integrated – just like your suppliers. This means that an individual B2B IT shop is ready for use in just a few clicks and you take your business to a new level.
You want to learn more? Then request your individual B2B Suite demo now.