B2B eCommerce Shows Signs Of Hope And Dismay

When Forrester polled a panel of 33 business and IT decision-makers to rate their B2B eCommerce capabilities, we found that their feelings were mixed. Ten of the respondents rated their competencies "very good or outstanding," while another 10 viewed their performance as "poor or below average." In addition, Forrester discovered that a few of the key areas that plague B2C capabilities are also primary pain points for B2B, such as email Web campaigns and online ordering. However, we also learned that there are some subtle distinctions where sentiments around B2B and B2C capabilities differ broadly, such as online quoting and cross-sell/upsell. To master B2B eCommerce and avoid common pitfalls: 1) Be sure that you have a firm grip on your B2B goals and objectives; 2) understand your B2B eCommerce strengths and weaknesses; and 3) arm yourself with a long-term applications strategy.