In 2023, an estimated 14 percent of B2B sales were expected to be generated digitally. In 2020, the figure was 12.2 percent. Whether the purchase transaction is finalized online or not, online channels have gained relevance in the B2B customer journey. In the United States, two in three buyers use search engines for product discovery, and half of them browse online marketplaces. From product discovery to a revenue source Digital channels are going to be a key source of revenue for B2B companies based in the United States. By 2025, 56 percent of their revenue is expected to be generated online. Four years prior, the figure stood at 34 percent. As far as online channels are concerned, the use of third-party platforms is still limited in the B2B segment. In 2022, 81 percent of B2B organizations still invested in their website to sell their products and services. UX has yet to improve Poor user experience is one of the factors that pulls back B2B e-commerce growth – not just in the United States. In a survey investigating customer satisfaction worldwide, 23.5 percent of B2B buyers stated they had a very negative experience and another 14.9 percent of them had a somewhat negative experience when completing a purchase on a B2B e-commerce site.

In 2022, sales through business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce amounted to more than 623 billion U.S. dollars in the manufacturing industry in the United States. This represented a 15 percent increase compared to the previous year, when B2B digital sales were around 543 billion U.S. dollars.

The gross merchandise value (GMV) of B2B e-commerce in manufacturing sector in India amounted to nine billion U.S dollars in 2022. In comparison, the GMV of retail distribution in B2B e-commerce was 11 billion dollars during the same year. The GMV of the manufacturing sector in B2B e-commerce was estimated to increase to 70 billion dollars in 2027.

In 2022, one of the most active sectors in B2B e-commerce in Poland was transport, logistics, and distribution, with around 60 percent of activity. However, the administration did not engage in B2B e-commerce sales.

In 2022, 27 percent of companies in Poland recorded from 80 to 100 percent B2B e-commerce sales in the total sales.

In 2022, 59 percent of Polish companies declared not participating in B2B e-commerce sales.

Personalization is not only a trend in business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, as it is gaining relevance in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, too. Globally in 2022, personalized site search results were the most effective personalization method for roughly 60 percent of B2B e-commerce companies. More than 55 percent also used personalized payment or shipping options effectively. Personalized marketing, personalized product recommendations, and targeted site content were all deemed effective by almost 50 percent of respondents.

Personalization matters

Some personalization features like product recommendations or website analytics proved to be effective conversion strategies according to B2B sellers. Thanks to a tailored offering of products of services, personalization improves the customer experience, an aspect many B2B organizations prioritize. According to a global survey, roughly half of B2B e-commerce companies invested resources to improve the customer experience, the second-most mentioned factor, after attracting new customers.

The most important data

There is no effective online personalization with accurate analysis of customer data. In the B2B realm, this includes a range of specific information about customers. European professionals stated that the professional role was the most important data, with 37 percent of respondents using it for personalization scopes. Belonging to a specific segment of key accounts and the engagement history with the customer were both at 36 percent in the ranking of most used data.

Over the last years, marketplaces have turned into profitable platforms for business-to-business (B2B) vendors. In the United States, B2B marketplaces went from 24.35 billion U.S. dollars in 2019 to 224 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.

In 2023, China's online B2B market surpassed 16.7 trillion yuan, increasing slightly from 15.5 trillion yuan. In the next few years, China's business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce market is predicted to grow rapidly, with its market size approaching 20.2 trillion yuan.

In Italy, the share of business-to-business (B2B) sales held by e-commerce stabilized at 21 percent in 2022. However, the figure increased from 2018, when e-commerce accounted for only 13 percent of B2B sales in the country.

According to findings of a survey from 2022, the reasons to invest in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce vary a lot. Almost seven in ten respondents stated that the main driver to invest in B2B online sales is to attract new customers, while roughly 54 percent agree that it is important to improve the customer experience. Retaining existing customers and generating more sales from repeat customers were also some of the main reasons why companies invest in B2B e-commerce.

Personalization in the B2B customer journey

Sellers aiming at keeping existing customers will prioritize personalization. Tailoring site search results or payment and shipping options to the needs of B2B customers proved to be an effective personalization method, together with targeted marketing and customer-specific pricing.

How to achieve personalization

Like in the business-to-consumer (B2C) realm, B2B e-commerce players must capitalize on available customer data to ensure a more personalized customer experience. Basic information on job roles or functions in the company is the most used type of data among B2B organizations. Key data of the account and history of customer engagement follow in the ranking. In 2022, one in two B2B marketers considered account engagement metrics very relevant in structuring marketing campaigns in the United States.

E-procurement accounts for a limited share of all business-to-business (B2B) sales, as companies are inclined to use other e-commerce platforms for their purchases. However, e-procurement accounted for more than seven percent of total B2B sales in 2022, up from previous years.

In 2022, the value of the business-to-business (B2B) market in Italy reached 468 billion euros, up from the previous years. Since 2017, the value of online purchases made by companies has increased significantly.

Amazon Business is the most popular business-to-business (B2B) generalist marketplace, a worldwide survey from 2022 revealed. 36 percent of B2B buyers stated to have used it, while eBay followed with usage rate of nearly 30 percent. 27 percent of respondents used Chinese marketplace Alibaba.

In 2022, nearly 90 percent of companies with revenues of more than 100 million zloty conducted B2B e-commerce sales in Poland.

In China, the market size of cross-border export B2B e-commerce totaled 4.5 trillion yuan in 2022, with an around 8.2 percent growth compared to the previous year. China's B2B cross-border export e-commerce was expected to further grow, amounting to over 6.9 trillion yuan in 2025.

In 2022, 70 percent of companies in Poland did not export online B2B e-commerce and three percent planned to do it.

In 2022, malware attacks and competition were the highest risks of B2B e-commerce in companies in Poland.

In 2022, most Polish companies introduced B2B e-commerce due to a 57 percent increase in sales and client growth.

Between 2021 and 2022, business-to-business (B2B) sales remained stable in Brazil. In turn, the value of B2B online sales tripled in the considered years, going from 24 to 61 billion Brazilian reals.