Though open-source options, like Magento, provide better management and adaptability over web site customizations, they usually contain a excessive complete price of possession (TCO) when it comes to software program, internet hosting, implementation and help charges. And as your enterprise outgrows your open-source expertise, you might search to modernize your B2B ecommerce setting and shift to an Open SaaS resolution.
Enter BigCommerce.
With the mixed advantages of open supply and SaaS, BigCommerce gives a turnkey resolution that enables ecommerce companies to reply to fast-changing buyer calls for. Even with an increasing product catalog, B2B companies can enhance how they merchandize with out worrying about platform upkeep complications and considerably scale back the necessity for personalisation.
However as many B2B ecommerce retailers might know, making the massive change from open supply to SaaS isn’t all the time a stroll within the park.
For steering, we sat down with Vik Gundoju, Associate at StrikeTru, to learn the way their company helps B2B purchasers migrate to BigCommerce utilizing StrikeTru’s Akeneo PIM Connector.
What Are Among the Deciding Components for Proposing BigCommerce to Your Purchasers?
VG: “We work with numerous small- and medium-sized companies and retailers, and I’ve seen a number of purchasers, together with bigger purchasers, that battle with having a superb on-line presence after they have a Magento backend.
“It’s primarily as a result of it’s an open-source platform that’s not as simple to arrange and keep. It has an excessive amount of flexibility and when you might have a platform like that, you want a improvement group that’s well-versed in Magento, and your necessities also needs to warrant the flexibleness and related prices of the platform.
“We additionally felt that for B2B performance, BigCommerce gives out-of-box performance at a really compelling worth, and it comes with such good help.
“We knew that with BigCommerce, we [could] choose up the cellphone and get a [customer support representative] inside a minute, and, in my expertise, they had been very educated. All of this stuff put collectively make us snug in proposing BigCommerce.”
What Was Your Expertise Growing the Market Connector App and the Ease of Integrating Akeneo PIM with the BigCommerce Platform?
VG: “Based mostly on [advice from BigCommerce], we developed an app that synchronizes all of the product information constructions, information and property within the Akeneo Product Data Administration (PIM) system into the backend of BigCommerce.
“It’s a very API-based system, so I had my group take a look at the APIs, they usually had been pleasantly stunned that there’s a lot of useful documentation out there in your web site.
“We shortly obtained a trial web site going so we may begin experimenting. Then, we had entry to the help group, which we truthfully didn’t want a lot as a result of there was a lot documentation out there. We had been already working with some accounts, so we had been aware of the performance of BigCommerce … However what made it tremendous simple to construct a connector was the truth that the APIs are so complete and well-documented. We had been form of self-servicing ourselves, which is nice. We by no means ran right into a wall creating the Akeneo PIM connector with BigCommerce — and that’s large.”
What are Among the Benefits of Working with an Company like StrikeTru?
VG: “Particularly throughout COVID, we’ve seen that most individuals at the moment are shopping for merchandise on-line — so firms have to rework to reply to the surge on digital channels. There’s no “ifs” and “buts.”
“To remodel, you must remedy your core expertise and information points. Finest practices right here embody deploying new tech instruments, implementing agile information administration practices after which making your information very usable and moveable throughout departments and throughout your buyer and accomplice ecosystems.
“Typically what we discover is firms, particularly SMBs, don’t have experience on these instruments and don’t have the employees who can arrange and function these instruments, particularly at first phases — that’s the place the businesses are available in.
“We usher in greatest practices in deploying these instruments. We carry within the experience on these instruments that the businesses don’t have; we all know learn how to deploy and configure them, and combine them. We’re additionally information architects and know learn how to remedy information challenges. We’re additionally course of re-engineering individuals. We get to know all the consumer’s information and commerce processes and re-engineer them to greatest leverage the brand new tech instruments. We align consumer necessities with the capabilities of those instruments, and likewise present mission administration and coaching companies to assist keep away from stalled or failed tasks.”
How Does Shifting a B2B Enterprise On-line Affect the Gross sales Group if They Have been Beforehand Supporting B2B Clients?
VG: “What’s occurred — and that is one thing {that a} wholesale distributor of commercial provides advised me once I interviewed them up to now — historically, they’d good margins on all types of product strains, near 30% — and that afforded them the flexibility to have direct gross sales individuals promote these merchandise to their prospects.
“However now, because of Amazon and all the value transparency and intense competitors on-line, for sure merchandise which might be commodities, the margins have shrunk to a degree the place the enterprise can’t all the time help a direct salesperson. So, they’ve to go surfing with these merchandise.
“Now, what the distributor wished to do is actually begin promoting extra of these commodities on-line, corresponding to a set of micro websites or energy instruments — it’s a commodity class. You may stroll into Lowes or Residence Depot and get these merchandise. You don’t want a high-end gross sales man to promote these to you.
“The margins are low, so the one strategy to become profitable there may be to leverage all their present relationships and entry to product and distribution, after which promote on-line and survive even on these decrease margins as a result of they’re scaled. Then, remove the salesperson out of the equation as a result of they’re excessive fee.”
What Methods Did Your B2B Purchasers Use to Onboard Clients to Purchase On-line?
VG: “I’ve had some B2B purchasers desirous to transition away from relationship-based gross sales and onboard prospects to purchase on-line, and sometimes they’re slowed down in expertise points and getting all of it working correctly for B2B. In addition they have channel battle to fret about. So there are different challenges that they must account for earlier than they’ll transfer numerous their purchasers in mass.
“I feel channel battle is a key one. They want to ensure their present gross sales group is introduced into it, even when it means they’ve to regulate their gross sales compensation, no matter it’s. As soon as these discussions occur, I feel they’ve a wholesale purchase in, then they’ll aggressively transfer their prospects on-line. I’d say expertise and information points, in the event that they overcome that, then they’ll resolve their gross sales and enterprise points. After that’s after they would actually go at it.”
What Recommendation Would You Give to Different B2B Corporations Trying to Shift Their Enterprise On-line?
VG: “If I can say one factor: Don’t wait. You don’t have time, so get began now.
“In as we speak’s digital-first setting, you could digitize operations and digitize now, in any other case you danger being out-competed and turning into irrelevant. In case you are going by way of a digital transformation, assess your present state of content material and commerce operations and develop an implementation roadmap and be methodical about that. You may take a crawl, stroll and run implementation method with as we speak’s trendy instruments. You shouldn’t really feel like it’s good to remedy for every part [from] day one. You may all the time remedy some high-priority use circumstances first and transfer on to others subsequent — that’s the place a roadmap is available in.”
“I’ve had numerous purchasers who’re very anxious about seeing outcomes straight away, and I feel the important thing message is it’s an funding — so you must be just a little affected person. It’s a must to make investments first, after which it’s best to have lifelike expectations on what this funding is doing for you, whether or not it’s commerce or content material. Don’t be impatient, since you would possibly get disillusioned and transfer on. It’s steady stakes as we speak. So you must do it. Spend money on it and do it proper.”
Discover the B2B Ecommerce Answer from BigCommerce
Are you a B2B enterprise seeking to make the leap from open supply to SaaS? Schedule a demo for BigCommerce B2B Version, and our migration specialists might be completely happy to help you within the transition. And for further insights on all issues B2B, try The State of B2B Ecommerce: 2022 Pattern Report.
