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B2B buyers are ready to order online, yet distributors’ websites are holding them back. It’s not because buyers prefer phone calls or emails—it’s because eCommerce platforms haven’t kept up with their needs.
Distributors want to drive more online sales, but clunky ordering processes, incomplete data, and limited flexibility are pushing buyers away. Let’s break down what’s going wrong and how you can fix it to win back those online orders.
Why Are Buyers Frustrated?
- Bulk Orders Are a Nightmare
Your customers aren’t buying one or two items—they’re purchasing dozens or even hundreds at once. Most eCommerce platforms force buyers to manually add each product to their cart, wasting time and creating endless frustration. The result? Buyers avoid the website altogether and go back to emails or phone calls. According to Forrester, 75% of B2B buyers prioritize convenience and efficiency, and if your site doesn’t deliver, they’ll look elsewhere. - Ordering Options Are Too Limited
Today’s buyers aren’t tied to their desks. They work on the go, juggling emails, texts, and calls. Yet, most distributor websites insist on a single way to order—forcing buyers to adapt their workflows instead of meeting them where they are. - Inaccurate or Missing Information
B2B buyers rely on specific pricing, availability, and product specs to make decisions. If your website isn’t showing accurate data or is missing key details, it creates confusion—and doubt. A study by Sana Commerce found that 90% of buyers will switch suppliers if a website doesn’t meet their expectations for accuracy and usability.
What Buyers Want from eCommerce
The message from buyers is clear: they need tools that make their jobs easier. That means websites that:
- Allow bulk uploads for purchase orders, spreadsheets, or BOMs.
- Support multiple ways to place orders, from email to text to voice commands.
- Provide accurate, up-to-date pricing and product details.
- Work quickly and intuitively, without unnecessary hurdles.
When distributors deliver this kind of seamless experience, buyers will happily shift more of their orders online.
How to Turn Your Website into a Sales Engine
- Make Bulk Orders Effortless
Buyers don’t have time to manually add 50 items to their cart. Give them the ability to upload their POs or product lists directly. You’ll save them hours and keep their orders flowing through your website instead of your inbox. - Offer Flexible Ordering Options
Whether it’s email-to-cart, text-to-cart, or voice ordering, give buyers multiple ways to interact with your site. The easier you make it, the more they’ll prefer your platform over a competitor’s. - Show Real-Time Data
Nothing kills trust like incorrect pricing or showing items in stock that aren’t available. Integrate your website with backend systems to ensure the information buyers see is accurate every time. - Improve Search and Navigation
Buyers want to find what they need quickly. Add advanced search features, predictive suggestions, and saved lists to make the process painless. - Eliminate Risk with Guarantees
Show buyers you’re confident in your platform by offering a risk-free onboarding experience. Let them test the tools without commitment to prove your value.
Why This Matters
By 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions will happen online (Gartner). Buyers aren’t avoiding your website because they don’t want to use it—they’re avoiding it because it doesn’t work the way they need it to.
Distributors who don’t adapt to modern buyer expectations risk losing market share to competitors who make online ordering easier and faster.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t just about fixing a website—it’s about creating an experience that buyers actually want to use. When you remove the friction, streamline the ordering process, and give buyers the flexibility they need, you’ll turn your website into the go-to destination for your customers.
The distributors who invest in these changes now won’t just keep up—they’ll lead the market. It’s time to stop making buyers work harder than they need to and start giving them a reason to click “Buy.”
About the author: Justin Johnson
Justin Johnson is the Founder and CEO of Motivate, an AI-driven sales process automation platform designed for B2B distributors. Motivate’s patent-pending eCommerce platform enables buyers to upload, text, or email Purchase Orders (with dozens of products) directly to online shopping carts, simplifying the buying process and driving a 300% increase in distributor online sales. A seasoned tech entrepreneur, Justin has a proven track record in B2B distribution and manufacturing solutions, having built multiple high-growth software companies, including LeadMethod (acquired by Revalize, backed by TA Associates) and MightyRep (acquired by Blue Agave). He is a frequent thought leader in technology and sales process automation for B2B manufacturers and distributors.