B2B to DTC Ecommerce: A Beginner’s Guide

DTC ecommerce is gaining its boom and it is of paramount importance that you understand what all changes happen when you move from B2B to DTC.

B2B sales are where the companies sell to various businesses and DTC is the sale direct to the consumer. Here the targeted audience varies and so do the key factors. DTC will be more emotionally driven as it takes care of the need of a single customer.

It is not an easy decision for manufactures to change from B2B to DTC, but depending on the type of your business it is always better for a transition.

DTC Ecommerce

Let’s look at the changes that a B2B to DTC transformation will bring in.

Market size

DTC businesses can target a wide market which helps them to grow widely, whereas B2B has a limited target audience

Order size

B2B sales will have high volume orders and a high price but the sales volume will be less. Whereas, in DTC the sales volume will be high with small orders at a lesser price as it is consumed directly by the consumer.

Decisions

B2B sales will require multiple decisions from the various shareholders or partners of the company. On the other side, DTC eCommerce purchases involve a single consumer.

Customer value

Since D2C has small orders from a set of repeated individual customers the customer validity or lifetime value will be less compared to the B2C businesses where the transition is with other entities.

Dual/Hybrid eCommerce platform

This has been useful for various businesses to increase the customer base and to avoid losing customers. Usually, both use separate platforms, but there are companies that use the same platform to target both B2B and DTC. This gives a huge benefit to the businesses.

Database

Creating multiple databases for B2B and DTC can turn out to be a ruckus for your company. Since the products are the same offered by your company to both the groups it is always better to maintain a solo datastore for easy access for your sales and marketing teams.

Flexibility

Make sure your hybrid platform is flexible enough. It is not just the transition of B2B to DTC there are manufacturers who move from DTC to B2B too. Since the difference between both is merely a thread you need good technology for the backup.

Benefits of DTC for Manufacturers

DTC (direct-to-customers) model has its own benefits, especially if you are a manufacturer.

It is always beneficial to personalizing your website when you make a transition to DTC. This is because the target consumer and order size varies. In B2B the order rates will be negotiated and changed each time, whereas, in DTC the price will be fixed for each and every individual customer. It is always better to keep both platforms ready.

Product accessibility

In a survey, it was found out that most customers prefer going direct to the brand website for their products. Make your products easily findable for the targeted customers.

Customer experience

In DTC you can work on your products getting feedback from your customer. You can confine a place in your website for this purpose. You can also contact them to know more about how they liked the product and what changes can be made.

Checklist for a DTC business

1. Avoid conflict with your retail partners selling the same products, by communicating the pricing with your retail partners and add extra products on your website.

2. Have a smooth-running technology and give payment options to customers. Have a platform that supports both B2B and DTC.

3. Make sure your customers are attracted to your e-commerce site by advertising on social media or with attractive offers and pricing. Give a visual presentation of your products.

4. Give high customer support and provide the answers to their queries. Give easy and flexible shipping.