No More Guesswork: A Holistic Guide To B2B E-Commerce Capabilities To help e-commerce leaders develop a clear path forward, Forrester has developed a best practice framework — from the e-commerce ecosystem’s broad landscape to the intricacies of individual e-commerce capabilities — that provides clarity for e-commerce leaders when building their organization.

Because of these multifaceted needs, the Forrester B2B E-Commerce Ecosystem Model provides a strategic framework to assist B2B e-commerce leaders in developing a comprehensive, high-performing e-commerce ecosystem (see Figure 1). By acknowledging the interdisciplinary requirements of e-commerce and the need for focusing on buyer needs and preferences, the model advocates for a holistic strategy that also places customer obsession at its core.

In a report commissioned by Sana Commerce, 91% of B2B buyers say that at least one reason prevents them from placing orders online; 68% report that they are put off from ordering online due to order errors. E-commerce leaders must adopt a specific measurement strategy that goes beyond traditional B2B metrics to meet customer expectations, serve their needs more fully, and drive impactful decisions and digital growth (see Figure 1).

At smaller firms, one person may fulfill both the B2B e-commerce leader and B2B e-commerce manager roles.

The B2B e-commerce manager’s success hinges on their ability to achieve operational excellence in supporting aggressive growth objectives while ensuring that the firm’s e-commerce efforts align with broader objectives.

The retail and wholesale industry set the highest digital sales target as a proportion of overall sales at 35.2%, stemming from the sector’s early adoption of e-commerce, growth of online shopping, and maturity in fulfillment for online orders (e.g., buy online and pick up in store and same-day delivery).

Figure 1 The B2B Wholesale Market Source: Forrester’s 2022 B2B E-Commerce Forecast, US A conceptual graphic shows the industry value-chain, from the manufacturer to the distributor/wholesaler to the enterprise/retail business to the consumer, as well as the transactions that we include and exclude in our B2B e-commerce forecast definition.

In B2B e-commerce, focusing on AI use cases that enhance buyer experience, optimize supply chains, and enable personalized interactions at scale is critical and should be prioritized relative to the expected impact. Eighty-nine percent of B2B AI leaders using AI for e-commerce applications assess AI’s strategic value, while 90% evaluate feasibility before starting AI initiatives according to Forrester’s State Of AI Survey, 2025.

Respondents who work at companies that believe in the importance of leveraging digital routes to market also plan to harness direct-sales e-commerce portals (40%) or direct-sales marketplaces (45%) in the next 12 months. It is imperative that organizations meet modern B2B buyer expectations. Forward-looking organizations recognize that e-commerce is critical to meeting evolving B2B buyer expectations for greater online research and commercial interactions.

However, in Forrester’s Marketing Survey, 2024, B2B marketing decision-makers indicated that, on average, only 24% of their organization’s revenue comes from direct new business. Companies also may have B2B, B2B e-commerce, B2B2C, and direct-to-consumer lines of business with a variety of acquisition, upsell, cross-sell, and retention objectives.