7 Reasons to Choose This eCommerce Company

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been observing the quarterly reports and other communiques by distributors in a number of industries – Sonepar, Rexel, Watsco, Fastenal, Grainger, Ferguson and similar – and there has been a recurring trend … growth in their eCommerce business.

Admittedly, for most of them, a deeper dive would probably reveal that this is not seismic growth in new customer business but a transference in the channel that their customer is doing business. By “channel” I mean their preferred mode of doing business.

Recently we’ve done some customer satisfaction research for some clients. As part of that we conduct interviews with a subset of their customers. One of the interview questions relates to the distributor’s eCommerce capabilities. Lo and behold, over 50% comment that they have used the distributors’ websites. And yes, we hear positive comments about some sites / features and areas for improvement (in some cases, much improvement.)

Bottom line, eCommerce usage is growing (and our upcoming State of Contractor eCommerce Usage report, inclusive of electrical contractors, further affirms this (click here to reserve your copy.)

Recently I was interacting with Lori McDonald, President and CEO of Brilliance Business Solutions. Brilliance works with distributors and manufacturers and helps them implement web-based stores and similar services. They are experienced with multiple eCommerce platforms as well as PIMs and ERP implementations.

Last month she posted on LinkedIn, thoughts about how BigCommerce had gotten better for eCommerce due to their introduction of Advanced Account Hierarchy functionality. So, given that BigCommerce is an advertiser and a sponsor of our State of Contractor eCommerce usage report, I offered her the opportunity to share why she promotes BigCommerce for distributors … after all, she has the experience in understanding the technology and has implemented it for distributors.

7 Reasons to Choose BigCommerce for Your Distribution Business

Navigating the complexities of B2B eCommerce requires a platform tailored to the unique needs of distributors. BigCommerce stands out as a leading solution, offering efficiency, flexibility, and tools to support growth.

Here are 7 compelling reasons why BigCommerce is the ideal choice for your distribution business. 

1. Start Small and Improve Incrementally

Distributors often prefer to test the waters before fully committing to a digital transformation. BigCommerce’s SaaS platform allows businesses to launch quickly without significant upfront investment. At Brilliance Business Solutions, we’ve helped B2B clients go live within 6-12 weeks using tools like the Beacon Theme, designed specifically for B2B needs. The real advantage here? You can start learning from your customers’ behaviors right away and use those insights to enhance your digital experience over time.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce makes iteration easy, helping you gradually refine your online presence based on real customer feedback.

2. User-Friendly for Marketers and Developers

BigCommerce strikes the perfect balance between ease of use and customization. The built-in PageBuilder for Stencil empowers marketers to easily edit and manage content, while BigCommerce’s rich set of customization options allows developers to tailor the platform to meet unique B2B requirements.

For distributors needing more complex features, BigCommerce partners complete BigDev certifications, ensuring you have access to a robust ecosystem of trained professionals. Whether refining your UX or optimizing your checkout process, there’s no shortage of tools to meet your goals.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce is intuitive for marketers yet powerful enough for developers.

3. Dedicated to B2B Success

BigCommerce has made significant investments in B2B features, solidifying its position as a top choice for distributors. When Brilliance first started working with BigCommerce in 2018, they were already investing in B2B ecommerce. Their acquisitions of Bundle B2B and B2BNinja, alongside their regular participation in B2B-focused events and B2B Ecommerce Association, are clear indicators of their dedication to serving the B2B sector. This dedication has earned the trust of merchants, with BigCommerce now supporting over 12,000 B2B accounts on its platform.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce delivers trusted, innovative B2B tools that evolve with customer needs.

4. Powerful B2B Features

Whether you opt for the standard platform or license BigCommerce’s B2B Edition, you’ll have access to features aligned with distributor needs. Without the B2B Edition, you can still:

• Use Customer Groups to provide group discounts and product visibility.
• Enable configurable products for a streamlined shopping experience.
• Leverage apps like B2BNinja for quoting capabilities.

With the B2B Edition, distributors unlock premium functionality, including:

• Invoice Portal – Streamline Your Accounts Receivable Process
• Tailored Customer Pricing: Accessible through secure, individual logins.
• Shared Lists & Reordering: Simplify repeat purchases with ease.
• Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) Capabilities: Customize and streamline pricing processes.
• Advanced Account Hierarchies: Benefit from sophisticated permissions and account management tools.

These features allow you to meet even the most demanding business requirements.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce equips distributors with scalable solutions, from basic B2B capabilities to advanced tools for high-demand situations.

5. Strong Integration Capabilities

Seamless integration with existing systems is critical for distributors. Our team has integrated BigCommerce with many different back-office systems including platforms like Acumatica, NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics. In some cases, pre-built integrations offer a starting point, in others iPaaS solutions with pre-built connectors provide an efficient way to integrate and maintain the integration over time. Their commitment to APIs and modern architecture, evidenced by membership in the MACH Alliance, ensures smooth synchronization with your tools.

Many distributors recognize the benefits of multi-channel selling, and Feedonomics streamlines the process of managing sales across all platforms.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce streamlines integration with critical backend systems for efficiency.

6. Flexible, Scalable Growth

BigCommerce is designed to scale as your business evolves. Start with a cost-efficient, pre-designed Stencil theme. If needed, when you’re ready to expand, transition to a headless commerce model with BigCommerce Catalyst, which supports advanced, composable commerce solutions.

At Brilliance Business Solutions, we’ve worked with Catalyst to enhance features and cut costs, empowering businesses to future-proof their operations.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce supports scaling without overcomplicating your operations.

7. Unmatched Focus on Customer Value

BigCommerce prioritizes lowering operational costs and improving customer experiences through constant innovation. From app integrations to enhanced quoting tools, the platform evolves to meet new challenges. Additionally, their town halls and BigCommerce Summit events demonstrate their dedication to transparency and relationship-building.

Key takeaway: BigCommerce fosters lasting results through community-driven innovation and customer focus.

Final Thoughts on BigCommerce for Distributors

BigCommerce has established itself as a leading eCommerce platform for distributors, offering unmatched flexibility, advanced B2B features, and a strong focus on growth.

Whether you’re starting small or scaling to new heights, BigCommerce provides the resources you need to elevate and grow your digital operations.

Lori McDonald is on a mission to help manufacturers and distributors unlock untapped sales potential through digital commerce. After starting her tech career as a flight controller at NASA-Johnson Space Center, she founded Brilliance Business Solutions, an ecommerce digital agency. Follow Lori McDonald on LinkedIn and contact her team at BrillianceWeb.com.

Thoughts

• Whereas 10 years ago a catalog-enabled site was optional, nowadays it is mandatory. And yes, some of the transactional elements can be phased in. Why is it mandatory? Contractors are telling us they are visiting sites for pricing, inventory, and product information. And if you cannot provide it, they are going to your competition to get the information. They may come back to you for a quote, and maybe give you an order, but do you want to take the risk of them not coming back?
• If you serve the industrial market, whether MRO or OEM, they are using distributor websites even more and you need an eCatalog to offer punchout / eProcurement capabilities (and we can recommend a punchout resource if you need one.)
• The only distributors who should not have this functionality are those who are considering selling in the next 12-18 months.
• Further, the cost of a quality, product-content rich website has dropped significantly so it is now affordable for, essentially, all. You may not get all of the bells and whistles, and may not need, but you will have a quality site that will represent you well.
• As you can see from Lori’s seven reasons, the BigCommerce offering is robust and offers everything, and more, that distributors need. Further, if you are considering replatforming, BigCommerce should be on your review list because the system is scalable as well as being robust (in fact, I had an international manufacturer contact me last week on something else who mentioned that their site is built on eCommerce. I’ve also worked with a manufacturer client who built their catalog-driven site, designed to funnel leads to their reps, on the BigCommerce platform.)

Lori closed her article with “Considering BigCommerce for your business? Contact Brilliance Business Solutions to see how we can help you unlock its full potential.”