A Step-By-Step Guide to Building a B2B Wholesale Marketplace
29 Nov · 9 min read
Nowadays, it's quite common that one instantly starts thinking about Amazon, Etsy, eBay, or Alibaba as one encounters the phrase "Marketplace". Although some of them started as traditional online businesses, as time went on, they began to attract third-party vendors. The format of such sites has grown in popularity in recent years.
Marketplaces are expected to account for more than half of the global online trading sector by 2021, as per credible estimates. This is an important consideration to make while starting your own modern or historical wholesale marketplace. Let's begin with a brief overview of the wholesale industry on the internet.
What is a B2B Wholesale Marketplace?
In 2021, managing an online wholesale marketplace is a profitable business that is constantly garnering entrepreneurs' interest. A new ambitious trading platform might take its rightful place in the market at the height of B2B company popularity.
Image Source: Shopify.com
The online selling of goods and distribution of services from one company to another has been at the heart of B2B eCommerce. Its main purpose is to bring potential wholesalers and buyers to one location to enhance sales competency and efficiency.
Customers may compare pricing, product attributes, engage, and then, ultimately choose the best alternative on wholesale marketplaces that are different from regular wholesale selling sites. Sellers enhance brand visibility, broaden their potential consumer base, and gain more commercial benefits by participating in online markets.
There are 5 major B2B directions that are widely recognized:
- Customer-oriented — Such platforms are run by businesses seeking goods and services: a buyer compares pricing for a product and then selects the best option based on specific preferences and demands;
- Supplier-driven – run by suppliers who want to grow their business;
- Independent — the platform is managed by third-party and works as a mediator between the buyer and the supplier;
- Vertical — a local marketplace or one catering to a specific industry;
- Horizontal — combines enterprises from numerous spheres of operation from all regions.
Dinarys has successfully created eCommerce businesses, marketplaces, meal ordering systems, and corporate websites since 2014. Their recent work cases consist of LastBid marketplace, which connects auction houses with collectors, a B2B eCommerce wholesale marketplace for the transfer of a leading forklift dealer from Magento 1 to Magento 2, etc.
Step-by-Step Creation Guide of Reliable Wholesale Marketplace
The trading market has changed dramatically since 2020, owing primarily to the Coronavirus epidemic. Below are some of the following top eCommerce trends to watch in 2021:
- Management of multiple customer communication channels;
- focus on the accumulated customer base;
- all-around process automation;
- augmented reality and chatbots;
- offline presence effect;
- eco-friendliness and sustainable business practices;
- voice assistants for cross-selling, support, and marketing surveys, etc.
Choosing a Niche and Development of Business Strategy
Firstly, it’s important to consider the niche you want to work in before starting wholesale eCommerce. Some of the key pointers to consider for choosing the right direction for the business are as follows:
- Evaluation of specific markets to become a leader;
- Choosing the profitable niche as per 2021;
- Avoid restraining yourself from opportunities that limit your growth.
Therefore, it’s essential to structure the business plan that helps you reach your desired goal followed by continuous modifications during the project.
Finding the Appropriate Suppliers
Every wholesale marketplace starts as a blank piece of paper. Although, it's not easy to find reliable suppliers of goods or services. Below are some of the things to keep in mind while negotiating with a potential supplier:
- Work experience in a specialized niche;
- Expanding client base and feedback;
- Qualitative and quantitative product/service indicators;
- Boosting partnerships with other prominent B2B wholesale.
Developing a Monetization strategy
A marketplace business model is based on two revenue sources: one-time transactions and recurring payments. Furthermore, the popular revenue streams are as follows:
- Subscription rates for using the platform - vary based upon the number of products generated by users followed by accessibility of services;
- Advertising - best suited to platforms with a large user base;
- Transaction fees - a commission based on the platform's transactions;
- Extra services include paid access to premium features, loans, and warehouse services, among other things.
Determining Marketplace's Structure and its Key Features
Three important rules for developing a successful online wholesale marketplace are shared by Dinarys’s experts which are as follows:
- Firstly, it’s important to create a specific niche for your business. If you focus on offering a generic B2B platform, you'll have a hard time generating initial demand. However, if the platform is targeted at a specific market, it will be seen as a reliable resource.
- Create a product that is per market requirements i.e., ensuring that consumers and businesses require your product without a un and that you aren't attempting to conquer the market without a compelling value offer.
- It’s also essential to choose the appropriate marketplace model as the ideal model will help in the creation of a lucrative business that will scale in the future.
Following the model selection, one must decide on the functionality and logistics, such as user profiles, catalogs, filters, statistics and reports, inventory management, and payment methods. Furthermore, integration with major payment systems is critical for businesses that employ a variety of payment methods.
Implementation of Support and Knowledge Base
After the creation of a B2B eCommerce wholesale marketplace, there is a strong possibility that some users might appreciate the website performance whereas others will see room for improvement. Therefore, it’s essential to set up a support service to resolve customer/supplier inquiries.
Another important implementation is the knowledge base. A section with frequently asked questions will assist the client in understanding their requirement. It will probably help you in saving money on resources. Furthermore, it’s also crucial to create a social media profile to register all complaints, requests, and wishes in one place where customers feel valued and informed about the latest innovations.
Final Thoughts
The platform is ready to use once you've implemented the functionality from a customer's standpoint. We hope that this brief article has offered you amazing insights into the process of creating a wholesale marketplace. Moreover, relevant market research, consumer focus, and the implementation of your marketplace will lead to enormous success and growth.
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Can you share some effective ways to build a strong business development strategy?
It would be really helpful if you could suggest some top marketplaces in a B2B space.
What are the best frameworks for B2B marketplaces, apart from Magento?
Cely Peters
03 May, 2022