E-commerce for manufacturers: 4 ways to win

The e-commerce switch in manufacturing 

In 2022, nearly 65% of B2B companies engaged in e-commerce. This is the first time B2B digital channels outperformed traditional, in-person sales—even as face-to-face operations resumed post-pandemic.

Why is this such a feat? E-commerce for manufacturers is far more intensive than selling B2C. With specialized products, complex configurations, and bigger-scale decisions, in-person sales have historically been the norm.

Still, a basic website is not enough. As digitally-enabled products dominate more links in the supply chain, forward-thinking manufacturers must optimize every facet of their online presence to remain competitive. And the manufacturers that successfully transition to e-commerce only stand to benefit—achieving much broader reach, leveraging advanced analytics, and creating personalized, innovative selling experiences. 

1. Offer a frictionless buying journey

To encourage online ordering, make your e-buying and user experience (UX) as seamless as possible. More than 80% of B2B companies hold their e-commerce efforts to the same standards (or even higher) than other sales channels.

To accomplish that, your online presence should:

• Be mobile-first and fully responsive – Some 80% of B2B queries cross the smartphone at some point during the buying journey. In fact, 90% of buyers who enjoy a smooth mobile experience will likely become repeat customers, while that number drops to just 50% for those who encounter friction.
• Emphasize SEO and a content generation strategy – The buying journey begins long before customers arrive at your website. To surface among top search results, manufacturers need content optimized for relevant keywords and buying intent—backed by clean, consistent product data across every listing. This is where a PIM platform like inriver can help—ensuring your product data is accurate, enriched, and optimized for discovery.
• Maintain fresh, consistent content – Longer sales cycles are common in B2B, requiring buyers to consult multiple stakeholders. Publishing useful, up-to-date content—like product guides, how-tos, or spec sheets—not only supports SEO but enables buyers to advocate internally. A centralized PIM solution enables teams to publish accurate product content faster and maintain consistency across formats and channels.
• Integrate product and inventory systems – One of the fastest ways to lose a sale is by informing buyers post-purchase that items are unavailable. Link your PIM and ERP systems to deliver real-time inventory data and provide transparency throughout the purchase journey.
• Ensure smooth, secure checkout and payment experiences – A complicated or lengthy checkout process accounts for 17% of cart abandonments. Implement online workflows to handle purchase orders and organizational approvals, one-click purchasing, and instant payments. Additionally, protect customers and yourself by ensuring payment processing integrations meet the necessary security standards (like PCI DSS) and hold up-to-date certifications (like SOC 2).
• Provide post-purchase support – A lack of meaningful follow-up could make customers feel like you just want a sale, not a relationship. Make it simple for buyers to understand any implementation or post-sale requirements, and don’t forget to give them easy access to their order status and purchase history.
• Continually optimize with advanced analytics – When it comes to monitoring metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), e-commerce will always hold an advantage. Customers’ preferences, interactions, and other e-buying behaviors can be tracked—traffic sources, web page heatmaps, commonly grouped purchases, customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (CLV), and more—to refine core UX factors like navigation and web page layouts.

A fast, intuitive site powered by accurate, structured product data is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive differentiator.

2. Build a true omnichannel experience 

The B2B buying journey has been radically disrupted by an avalanche of data and new digital channels. This gives you more opportunities than ever to impress customers and make that sale. E-commerce for manufacturers and B2B companies is now the leading revenue driver, accounting for over one-third of total sales among businesses embracing it. However, to achieve this result you’ll need to start with your B2B omnichannel strategy.

On average, B2B buyers go through eight touchpoints before committing to a purchase. A strong B2B e-commerce strategy prioritizes consistency and quality of experience across every single one. This includes interactions across:

• Online stores & marketplaces
• Social media sites
• E-procurement portals
• Mobile apps
• Email and online chat
• Virtual reality (VR) tours

The foundation of omnichannel success is centralized, synchronized product information. A PIM platform like inriver makes it possible to publish once and distribute everywhere—tailoring data formats and attributes for each channel.

This channel-agnostic approach supports a true digital shelf strategy—one where accurate, enriched product data is available wherever your customers choose to buy.

Success begins with clearly defined channel strategies and an infrastructure that can support scalable syndication and personalization.

3. Implement interactive content and tools 

B2B manufacturing products are often highly technical and require long consideration cycles—sales can stretch over 130 days to close—and involve multiple stakeholders. These complex processes were once navigated through in-person sales relationships.

On the digital shelf, manufacturers can now replicate and even enhance these interactions through guided selling and interactive tools. These include:

• 3D configurators
• Virtual photography
• Drawings and diagrams
• ROI calculators
• Video tutorials
• AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots
• Reviews and user-generated content (UGC)

These technologies make it easier for buyers to explore products, understand configurations, and validate their decisions. For example, using augmented reality (AR), buyers can visualize how a product will look and function in their intended environment.

Critically, tools like these rely on structured, enriched product data to function properly. A PIM solution ensures every tool is fueled by the latest, most accurate specs, assets, and content. Reviews and UGC also support self-service transactions by providing social proof and transparency—helping close deals faster.

A personalized content portal can take the B2B buying experience even further. ​A recent study indicates that 54% of B2B buyers feel overwhelmed by the amount of content available to them. However, the same poll found nearly 40% said the content still failed to answer their questions.

A personalized portal containing customers’ buying history, AI-assisted recommendations, one-click reorders, and similar functionality can cut down on content noise. It also ensures the right information is delivered at the right time, and can even fuel after-sales opportunities like cross-sell and up-sell.

4. Prioritize accurate product information 

Out-of-date, hard-to-find, or inaccurate product information can alienate even the most eager buyers. A recent McKinsey survey revealed that over 50% of B2B customers are likely to seek alternatives if they encounter cross-channel friction.

Building loyalty in B2B e-commerce doesn’t come from adding more channels—it comes from delivering consistent, high-quality product data within those channels.

That’s not always easy, especially when you’re managing a large, rapidly changing, or complex product ecosystem. Thankfully, the right PIM software can help you stay in control. By using a product information management (PIM) platform, you gain a single source of truth for all your product information. Consider learning more on how PIM for manufacturing is so effective, and why more businesses are adopting it.

A market-leading platform like the Inriver PIM solution ensures all your product content is accurate and consistent across all your channels. It also has game-changing capabilities like product data syndication (PDS) and digital shelf analytics (DSA) which optimizes mean every one of your digital touchpoints for conversion.