Why B2B Ecommerce is the Smartest Investment You’ll Make in 2025

In today’s market, digital transformation is about more than being online. It’s about building smarter, faster, and more scalable operations. For manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors, the most impactful investments are those that streamline processes, enhance customer experience, and create room for growth. That’s what makes B2B ecommerce one of the smartest moves a business can make right now.

According to TEKsystems, 85% of digital leaders say digital transformation is central to their strategy. Their top priorities? Replacing legacy systems, improving employee productivity, and delivering better customer experiences. The focus has shifted inward, toward infrastructure that drives measurable results.

This blog is designed to help you make the case for B2B ecommerce within your organization. Whether you're presenting to the board, your executive team, or internal stakeholders, you'll find practical strategies, data-backed benefits, and real-world examples to support your justification. 

From estimating ROI to addressing common risks, this resource is here to help you frame ecommerce not just as a technology upgrade, but as a long-term growth strategy.

B2B buyers are already digital

B2B has become a digital-first buying experience. The global B2B ecommerce market reached $19.3 trillion in 2024 and will more than double by 2030, growing at over 16% annually. Buyers now expect 24/7 access to products, self-service tools, personalized pricing, and mobile-friendly shopping.

They aren’t just expecting these features — they’re ready to pay for them. In fact, 65% of B2B buyers are willing to pay more for suppliers that offer strong digital capabilities. B2C brands have set a new standard, and forward-thinking B2B suppliers are stepping up to meet it and pulling ahead in the process.

What’s holding businesses back?

Even with the right goals and intentions, many B2B businesses struggle to make progress. Outdated systems, internal silos, and resistance from legacy sales models often stall transformation. Add to that the scarcity of digital talent and pressure to show ROI quickly, and it’s clear why some organizations hesitate to move forward.

But the risks of inaction are growing. Businesses clinging to manual processes, clunky systems, or phone-based ordering are losing customers, margin, and market share.

Why B2B ecommerce works

B2B ecommerce creates real business value by addressing core operational challenges and unlocking new opportunities for growth. The sections below break down the key reasons it works, and how leading brands are putting it into practice.

Modernizes tech stacks.

Outdated systems are one of the biggest barriers to digital progress in B2B. Legacy ERPs, disconnected CRMs, and manual workflows create data silos, slow down operations, and make it difficult to scale. B2B ecommerce addresses this by acting as a central hub, integrating with key systems like ERP, CRM, and PIM to unify data, automate processes, and improve cross-functional visibility.

AHP Dental & Medical, a leading Australian supplier of dental consumables, modernized its operations by replacing an inefficient, phone- and email-based ordering system with a fully integrated BigCommerce storefront. They connected their ecommerce site with their ERP (MYOB), automated manual processes, and streamlined payments. Online transactions increased from 25% to 75%, while customers gained access to tools like repeat ordering, invoice history, and multi-user workflows, all contributing to a more scalable, customer-friendly experience. This automation saved an estimated 11,000 hours of data entry annually, which equated to six FTEs.

"By integrating BigCommerce with MYOB, we automated AHP's workflows, slashed manual data entry, and boosted efficiency — empowering them to focus on growth and customer success," shared Scott Lovett, Founder of MyIntegrator.

Boosts operational efficiency. 

Manual processes slow teams down, increase errors, and make it hard to scale. B2B ecommerce solves this by automating key workflows like quoting, order entry, fulfillment, and invoicing. The result is fewer bottlenecks and more time for high-value work.

OK4WD, a supplier of four-wheel-drive parts and accessories, saw major gains after moving from Magento to BigCommerce. By automating drop order processing with B2B Edition, they cut the task from five minutes to just 30 seconds, saving 12 hours each week. Customers can now place orders, view invoices, check stock, and make payments on their own, freeing the team from manual data entry and follow-up emails.

Since switching platforms, OK4WD has nearly doubled its conversion rate and significantly reduced backend workload, making the business more agile and scalable across both B2B and B2C channels.

“With BigCommerce, we have automations in place that make it so it only takes 30 seconds to approve one dropship order, when it previously took five minutes. Before the invoice portal, it could have easily taken 5 hours in one day to process purchase orders, but now it takes me an hour and a half at most,” remarked Sam Wheeler, Operations and Account Manager at OK4WD.

Enables scalable growth. 

Traditional sales models often rely on more reps, more offices, and more overhead to expand. B2B ecommerce offers a smarter path, enabling companies to reach new markets, serve diverse customer segments, and scale operations without proportional increases in cost or complexity.

MKM Building Supplies, the UK’s largest independent builders’ merchant, did exactly that. After recognizing their outdated website was hindering growth, MKM migrated to BigCommerce and adopted a headless architecture using Vue Storefront and Bloomreach. This flexible, API-first approach allowed them to rapidly innovate, personalize the customer experience, and streamline their tech stack. Within weeks of launch, MKM saw a 42% increase in site traffic, 82% growth in revenue, and a 77% boost in time spent on site.

“Since moving to the platform, we have been performing above expectations on ecommerce metrics and driving more physical store visits,” said Andy Pickup, Digital Director at MKM Building Supplies.

Improves retention. 

When it’s easier to do business with you, customers stick around. Providing real-time inventory, order history, and self-service tools strengthens loyalty and encourages repeat purchasing — especially in B2B, where convenience and reliability directly impact operational success.

Inhaven, a B2B brand serving vacation rental owners and property managers, used BigCommerce to build a seamless, self-service experience that keeps customers coming back. The business offers real-time inventory visibility and intelligent search, while custom checklists and a progressive web app make reordering effortless. 

Customers can quickly restock approved products, manage multi-user accounts, and check out with a single click. Since launch, Inhaven has seen double-digit revenue growth quarter over quarter, driven by a digital experience designed to retain and empower its customers.

“We needed to set up customer accounts at the company level to allow multiple users with different access levels. We also needed the functionality to build tiered pricing by volume quotes. BigCommerce had all of the B2B features that I needed to quickly launch the site,” shared Ashley Ching, Founder and CEO of Inhaven.

Fuels better decision-making. 

With visibility into every customer interaction, you gain the data needed to make strategic decisions about pricing, promotions, and product planning. From inventory signals to behavioral trends, ecommerce analytics turn insights into action.

Music Direct, a supplier of premium audio equipment, used BigCommerce to unlock deeper insights into its B2B operations. By segmenting pricing by customer group and integrating real-time inventory indicators, the company ensures buyers always have accurate, relevant information, reducing uncertainty and abandoned orders. 

The team also monitors buying patterns so they can tailor shipping promotions or product availability accordingly. These insights now shape everything from annual stock plans to how and when promotions are rolled out, giving Music Direct a more agile, data-backed growth strategy.

“We can create a lot of cool shipping rules and promotions that we've never been able to build before. Now, we're offering free shipping promotions and pickup options,” remarked Steve Shapiro, Director of Ecommerce and IT at Music Direct.

How to build the business case

B2B ecommerce isn’t just a technology upgrade — it’s a lever for growth, efficiency, and long-term competitiveness. But to get internal buy-in, you need more than a vision. You need a clear, strategic case that shows how ecommerce ties directly to business outcomes. Use the steps below to align stakeholders, model the impact, and make the value unmistakable.

Step 1: Define objectives.

Start by connecting the initiative to clear strategic goals. These might include: 

• Increasing revenue

• Expanding margins

• Improving customer experience 

• Reducing operational costs

The more your proposal supports top-line or bottom-line metrics, the more likely it is to resonate with leadership.

Step 2: Estimate benefits.

Estimating ROI isn’t about perfect precision — it’s about building a realistic, directional model that helps stakeholders see the potential impact of your investment. Use the benchmarks and formulas below to calculate where your ecommerce strategy can create meaningful time savings, cost reductions, and revenue growth.

Operational efficiency

• Order automation: Reduce time spent on manual order entry (typically 1–2 minutes per order).

  • Formula: (Manual orders per year) × (Avg. minutes per order ÷ 60) × (Hourly rate) = Annual labor savings

• Invoice payment automation: Eliminate time spent manually processing invoices (typically 3–5 minutes per invoice).

  • Formula: (Invoices per year) × (Avg. minutes per invoice ÷ 60) × (Hourly rate) = Annual labor savings

• Order tracking automation: Free up time spent manually tracking order statuses (typically 2–3 minutes per order).

  • Formula: (Tracking activities per year) × (Avg. minutes per activity ÷ 60) × (Hourly rate) = Annual labor savings

• Support call reduction: Reduce call volume and duration by enabling self-service (typically 5–10 minutes per call).

  • Formula: (Support calls per year) × (Avg. minutes per call ÷ 60) × (Hourly rate) = Annual labor savings

Error reduction and inventory optimization

• Order error reduction: Lower costs related to shipping mistakes, returns, and corrections.

  • Formula: (Annual error-related costs) × (Estimated reduction rate of 30–50%) = Annual cost savings

• Inventory optimization: Improve forecasting accuracy and reduce carrying costs and stockouts.

  • Formula: (Carrying costs + Stockout losses) × (Estimated reduction rate of 20–40%) = Annual inventory savings

Customer retention

• Retention and repeat purchases: Increase loyalty and reorder frequency by improving the digital buying experience.

  • Formula: (Annual repeat customer revenue) × (Estimated improvement rate of 5–10%) = Additional retained revenue

Revenue growth

• Conversion rate lift: Improve site performance and UX to increase conversions (estimated lift: 10–20%).

  • Formula: (Annual site visitors) × (Conversion rate increase) × (Average order value) = Additional annual revenue

• New customer acquisition: Expand into new markets and reach digital-first buyers.

  • Formula: (Estimated new customers) × (Average annual revenue per customer) = Additional annual revenue

Advertising ROI

• Feed optimization and ROAS improvement: Improve ad performance with better product data using tools like Feedonomics.

  • Feedonomics customers typically see a 10–20% increase in conversion rates after improving product data quality, leading to stronger ROAS.

Step 3: Account for costs.

A strong business case doesn’t just highlight the upside, it also sets clear expectations. Transparency builds trust with stakeholders and avoids surprises down the line. Outline all associated costs, including:

• Software and licensing fees

• Integration with ERP, CRM, and other systems

• Internal or external implementation support

• Staff training and change management

• Ongoing maintenance and optimization

This ensures stakeholders understand both the investment and the operational readiness required.

Step 4: Model ROI.

Don’t present just one outcome, model a range. Build out conservative, baseline, and aggressive ROI scenarios to show how the investment could perform under different conditions. Include key metrics like payback period, projected net benefit over time (such as a three-year net present value), and overall ROI percentage. This range gives finance and executive stakeholders the context they need to evaluate the investment through a risk-adjusted lens, while also demonstrating that you've accounted for variability in adoption, revenue growth, and cost efficiency.

Step 5: Address risks.

No strategic investment is without risk, and stakeholders will expect you to show that you’ve thought through potential challenges. Common concerns include slow adoption, internal resistance, and system integration complexity. Build credibility by presenting a clear plan for how you'll mitigate those risks. Consider including:

• A phased rollout plan (e.g., by product line or region)

• Executive sponsorship and cross-functional task forces

• Built-in buffer for training and onboarding

• KPIs to measure adoption and performance

By demonstrating that you’ve accounted for both execution and outcomes, you’ll position the proposal as well-planned, realistic, and ready for approval.

The final word

B2B ecommerce isn’t just a digital channel, it’s a competitive differentiator. The cost of doing nothing continues to grow, as manual workflows, lost orders, and customer churn chip away at profitability.

Investing in B2B ecommerce isn’t about checking a box. It’s about unlocking a more efficient, scalable, and customer-focused future.

Ready to build your B2B ecommerce strategy? Download our Digital Maturity Guide.