THE BEST B2B E-COMMERCE WEBSITES

THE BEST B2B E-COMMERCE WEBSITES 2

Today’s B2B buyers prefer researching

and buying online, and they’re increasingly

demanding that B2B websites deliver the

same user-friendly experience they’ve come

to expect from B2C. That means the ability to

buy anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

It means convenience, credibility, and content,

not just price.

B2B financial success now depends on

growing the online channel to meet B2B

buyers’ complex requirements and rising

expectations. The consumerization of B2B

increases the cost and complexity of digital

selling, as sites must integrate multiple

applications to deliver an engaging and

differentiated online experience.

Oracle Commerce for B2B helps brands build

their e-commerce sales by powering websites

that deliver revenue growth and compelling

customer experiences while simplifying the

management of complexities inherent in B2B.

Acknowledged as a leader in the space by

both Forrester and Gartner, Oracle Commerce

for B2B is purpose-built to handle the back-

end complexities and scale of B2B, while

delivering a “consumer-like” front-end

experience that helps business buyers do their

jobs with ease for a more personalized and

profitable buying experience.

This E-book takes a closer look at some of

the best B2B e-commerce sites – Grainger,

Ferguson, Medline, and Carolina Biological —

and the Oracle technologies that power their

key features.

• Revenue Growth: Increase revenue by driving

more online traffic, making it easy for buyers to

find what they need, increasing order values, and

opening new markets globally.

• Customer Experience Management: Differentiate

your brand with relevant personalized interactions

across channels and devices, anytime, anywhere.

• Complexity Management: Simplify the buying

process. Delight customers by making it easy for

buyers to do repeat business with you.

Introduction

THE BEST B2B E-COMMERCE WEBSITES 2

THE BEST B2B E-COMMERCE WEBSITES 3

Research shows that 84% of revenue growth on

consumer sites is due to increasing site traffic,

and it’s likely similar for B2B sites. Furthermore,

71% of search-result clicks come from organic

search results. In other words, companies need

site traffic for revenue growth, but it can’t simply

be bought with search engine advertising.

Oracle-powered websites boost search results

through long-tail search optimization. Products and

pages are coded with lengthy search term variations

that B2B buyers are likely to use. Stronger SEO

means better search rankings, greater click-through

results, and increased site traffic.

Grainger, a leading distributor of industrial supplies,

tools, and equipment, appears first in search

engine results — even before many of its products’

own distributors. A simple Google search for

“Marson fastener rivets,” for example, returns over

65,000 results. Grainger’s product page is first,

and Marson — maker of the rivets and itself one of

the search terms — is second. That’s the power of

long-tail search optimization and Oracle’s strategic

site mapping.

B2B SUCCESS Over 40% engagement increase and overall lift in SEO and site traffic

HOW? Long-tail search optimization and Oracle’s strategic site mapping boost Grainger’s site to appear even before the product’s actual manufacturer in search results.

Revenue Growth (Site Traffic): LONG-TAIL SEARCH OPTIMIZATION

71% of search-result clicks come from organic search results.

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Few providers can handle B2B’s back-end

complexity and scale without additional partners.

Oracle Commerce sites offer a seamless

experience with the digital assets modern B2B

buyers expect, such as “how to” videos, high-

quality photos, detailed product information,

and warranties.

For Carolina Biological, a company that has

supplied science-teaching materials for over 80

years, this robust ability lets it share critical care

instructions and helpful advice that strengthen its

client relationships. Whether it’s a video like “Care

and Handling of Termites” or a PDF on “Butterfly

Anatomy,” Carolina Biological’s Oracle-powered

website supports thousands of content assets that

benefit its users and enhance their experience.

For Ferguson, a top-rated wholesale plumbing

supplier, buyers can view thousands of high-

resolution photos of available products, as well

as relevant warranties. In an industry where

aesthetics are crucial, B2B buyers can zoom in to

view products up close and browse showrooms for

kitchen, bath, lighting, and appliances.

Revenue Growth (Conversion Rate): SUPPORTS CONTENT & COMMERCE

74% of today’s B2B buyers want product information available online and across all channels.

DIGITAL ASSETS FOR A RICH CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Carolina Biological’s site features helpful videos, instructions and extras that encourage customers to learn and engage in search results.

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Oracle’s e-commerce sites are robust and detailed,

instantly processing immense volumes of data.

As with long-tail search optimization, extensively

labeled products allow B2B buyers to search an

Oracle-powered site and quickly refine millions

of products down to precisely what they’re

looking for.

Each product is labeled with dozens of searchable

attributes — name, brand, style, color, size, part

number, manufacturer number — any way that

B2B buyers might search for their desired product.

It’s a remarkable and powerful capability, but users

never see the complexity. They simply find what

they’re looking for, faster and easier.

Grainger’s site allows buyers to instantaneously

refine millions of industrial products down to the

exact parts a user needs. Whether it’s a contractor, a

mechanic, or any other B2B buyer with an extensive

and specific shopping list, the structured search

capability makes it easy and saves the user time.

Revenue Growth (Conversion): STRUCTURED SEARCH

76% of B2B buyers say finding what they are looking for is the most important factor in a site’s design.

B2B SUCCESS Over 30% of sales through web (up ~5%)

HOW? Grainger’s powerful search capabilities help users by refining results that help them to quickly find what they need (and more).

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Oracle-powered websites can guide users toward

specific products or suggest related items that users

may want. This built-in intelligence leverages the

same extensive data as a structured search, analyzing

the terms and products that a user is looking for to

increase average order values and conversion rates.

Boost raises a product’s relevance in a user’s

search results, while bury lowers it. A company

might boost a product with high inventory that

it’s trying to move or one that’s perishable and

needs to be sold soon — all with no IT involvement

necessary. A company like Carolina Biological

that sells its own products and distributes others’

can boost its brand in search results so that its

products always come up first.

Likewise, an Oracle-powered site can suggest

related items to cross-sell or upsell buyers. A

company might suggest a brand that is on sale, or

it might suggest the brand with the best mark-up.

Ferguson can suggest related products that its

buyers might need to complete a common job; for

example, a user searching for a “toilet flapper” will

see results alongside recommendations for all the

vales and tools necessary to install a toilet flapper.

Revenue Growth (Average Order Value): BOOST & BURY, CROSS-SELL & UPSELL

Some studies have determined the impact of site search on conversion rate can be as much as a 50% increase.

B2B and B2C CONVENIENCE Ferguson is a single omin-channel destination for both distributors and B2C customers.

Search the site, and you’ll find everything you need to complete a common job -- and high-res photos that boost confidence in what you’re buying.

Ferguson’s site manages purchasing, quoting, contract management, invoice management, warehouse restocking and account management in a single destination.

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Today’s B2B buyers expect convenience, and

Oracle-powered websites provide it through ease

of use across multiple platforms. Web pages

adapt due to responsive design, resizing, and

restructuring to deliver the same information

regardless of window or screen size. That means

that a company’s site is optimized whether B2B

buyers are accessing it on their smartphones,

tablets, laptops, or PCs.

For Medline, the largest privately held

manufacturer and distributor of health care

supplies in the U.S., responsive design and

optimization across multiple devices helps provide

convenience to B2B buyers in a 24-hour industry.

Buyers can access the medical supplies they

need on Medline’s site anytime, anywhere, on

any device.

Customer Experience Management (Convenience): RESPONSIVE DESIGN & MULTIPLE DEVICES

B2B SUCCESS Reduced call center inquiries while providing a consistent mobile experience

HOW? Grainger’s Oracle-powered website provides a responsive experience that visitors can access on any window or screen size.

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Oracle-powered sites make B2B buying convenient

by personalizing content for each user. Sites can

customize the content that users see based on

their personas and interests, and once users create

profiles, sites remember their buying histories and

simplify reorders, even across multiple platforms.

When users first access the Medline site, a

window appears asking them to select one of eight

areas of interest from “Hospital” or “Research/

Lab” to “Hospice,” “Laundry” or “Other.” Once

users select an area of interest, the Medline

site automatically customizes to preferences for

that persona. A search for “drapes” returns very

different kinds of drapes for a “Surgery Center”

user (surgical drapes) than for a “Nursing Home”

user (shower curtains).

Users on the Grainger site who have made

previous purchases can simply log back in and

easily place reorders. They see all details in their

user history, and the site makes suggestions for

additional products to consider. They can access

this information regardless of web-enabled

device, making it even easier for B2B buyers to

do their jobs wherever and whenever they want.

This premier customer experience strengthens

customer loyalty, increases order value and most

importantly, facilitates convenience.

Revenue Growth (Personalization): CUSTOMIZED USER CONTENT

62% of buyers say unified order history availability is important or very important.

B2B SUCCESS Increased SEO traffic and increased targeted content views by 60%, resulting in 20% online sales growth.

HOW? Search results are personalized by customer type, so “drapes” yields two different results for nursing home and surgery center customers.

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Companies with Oracle-powered sites can

create landing pages for individual products and

brands — an opportunity to monetize third-party

sponsorships. The “Browse Our Brands” page on

Ferguson’s site, for example, presents the logos

of four third-party brands: Kohler, Moen, Delta

and Pfister, with dozens of other brands listed

below them.

Carolina Biological displays logos of five third-

party brands in the middle of its home page

under the banner “Top Brands on Carolina.com”:

Corning, Diversified Woodcrafts, LaMotte, OHAUS

and Wolfe Microscopes. Clicking any of these

five logos directs the user to a search for that

brand’s recommended products on Carolina

Biological’s site.

Complexity Management (Selling Complexity): SPONSOR LANDING PAGES

MONETIZE THIRD-PARTY SPONSORSHIPS Carolina Biological site visitors can quickly navigate to recommended products from vendor partners via tailored landing pages.

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Today’s B2B buyers increasingly make their

purchases online while expecting greater

consumer-like e-commerce experiences. B2B

brands must adapt to these trends and grow

their online channels.

Oracle Commerce for B2B helps companies

connect with buyers online and achieve

these goals. With robust front- and back-end

capabilities, Oracle-powered websites provide

remarkable tools for businesses to grow their

online channels. Companies like Grainger,

Ferguson, Medline and Carolina Biological

have leveraged these tools to deliver some

of the best B2B e-commerce websites on

the Internet.

For more information on how Oracle

Commerce for B2B can help your business

grow its online channel or to request a

demonstration, please call 1-800-633-0738 or

visit the Oracle Global Contacts page to find

the phone number for your country.

We also invite you to visit www.oracle.com/

goto/b2b-ecommerce to learn more about

Oracle Commerce for B2B.

Thank you,

The Oracle Commerce Team

CONCLUSION

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