Love B2B eCommerce
This guide is part of our Love B2B eCommerce hub - you can find more articles like this one, case studies, and in-depth videos to support your wholesale growth right here! Schedule a personalised, 1:1 consultation with our expert team, and we’ll guide you through every step of your wholesale journey!
What is B2B marketing?
B2B (Business-to-Business) marketing is essentially how one business markets itself to sell to another - and it’s changed a lot in recent years. Successful marketing focuses on attracting buyers at the right time, helping them understand the value you add, and building confidence in choosing you.
Why is B2B marketing different from B2C marketing?
Although B2B and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) marketing strategies often leverage some of the same channels, the way those channels are used and what buyers expect from them is very different.
In B2C, purchases are typically driven by individual needs, impulse, and convenience, with decisions made quickly and independently. In B2B, buying is more considered, more rational, and often involves multiple stakeholders.
B2C marketing is typically designed to drive quick, impulsive decisions, often for small, one-off purchases. A lot of social media adverts focus on enjoyable visuals and promise instant value in order to convert a single individual as fast as possible.
Trust is huge in wholesale environments, as buyers are placing large, frequent, high-value orders and need to feel confident in doing so. As a result, B2B marketing works across longer timelines and more touchpoints.
Price matters, but so does reliability. Buyers want to know that a supplier can support them consistently over time, which means that trust is more important than aesthetic advertising.
A B2B buyer might see a paid ad, read several online resources or reviews, sign up for emails, browse product pages multiple times, and only place an order weeks or even months later. Each touchpoint needs to convey the same level of service for the overall marketing strategy to have a positive impact.
How does B2B marketing work?
The advertising channels that perform well also tend to differ between B2C and B2B.
B2C brands often rely heavily on social media platforms designed to create FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and impulse, while B2B brands see stronger results from channels that support deeper research and long-term intent.
Search advertising, LinkedIn, and retargeting are often more effective in B2B marketing because they reach buyers who are actively looking for solutions or comparing suppliers.
The messaging in these adverts also tends to be more practical, focusing on problems solved, efficiency gained, and risks reduced, rather than promoting a certain lifestyle or aspiration.
Wholesale buyers rarely convert after a single interaction, so brands need to have repeated touchpoints to provide useful, relevant information. Website content, product pages, and emails all contribute to the overall perception of a supplier.
B2B eCommerce email marketing, in particular, plays a crucial role in nurturing relationships over time, supporting repeat orders and keeping customers informed without being intrusive.
Perhaps the biggest distinction between B2B and B2C marketing is the focus on relationships rather than transactions. In B2C, success is often measured by one-off conversions. In B2B, the real value comes from repeat purchasing, loyalty, and long-term partnerships.
How do B2B buyers make decisions?
B2B buying decisions are rarely quick or straightforward. Most purchases involve multiple people, longer timelines, and more considered risk than consumer buying. A single order might need input from procurement, operations, finance, and senior leadership. This means buyers need time and information before they are ready to commit.
In most cases, the process starts long before a supplier is contacted. B2B buyers research independently, compare options online, and look for evidence that a business understands their needs.
They read content, review product information, check pricing structures and look for proof that others like them have had a good experience. By the time they engage directly, they often have a clear shortlist in mind.
Trust plays a huge role throughout this journey. Buyers are not just choosing a product, but a partner they can rely on over time. The brands that make it easy to find information and buy with confidence are the ones most likely to win repeat business.
Why B2B eCommerce marketing needs a rethink
B2B eCommerce is booming, and that growth is reshaping how buyers discover and choose suppliers. As more manufacturers and distributors move online, competition has intensified. Simply having great products and competitive pricing is no longer enough to stand out.
Today’s B2B buyers behave very differently from how they did even a few years ago. They research independently, compare suppliers digitally, expect personalised experiences, and want to self-serve wherever possible.
This means B2B eCommerce marketing can no longer be an afterthought or a set of disconnected campaigns. It needs to be a core part of how businesses attract, convert, and retain customers.
At SparkLayer, we work with over 3,000 global brands selling B2B online. One of the most consistent patterns we see among high-performing businesses is a clear alignment between how they market and how their customers actually buy.
The following five strategies reflect what we see working in practice and form the foundation of successful, modern B2B eCommerce marketing.
1. Personalising from day one
One of the biggest mistakes B2B brands make is treating their audience as a single group. In reality, B2B buyers are diverse, even within the same organisation. Procurement teams, operations managers, and business owners all approach purchasing with different priorities and expectations.
Strong B2B eCommerce marketing starts with segmentation. This might be based on role, industry, company size, order history, product categories, or buying frequency.
The goal is to move away from generic messaging and towards communication that feels genuinely relevant to the person receiving it. Once segmentation is in place, personalisation becomes far more powerful.
Email campaigns can be used to recommend products based on past orders rather than pushing the same offers to everyone. Promotions can be tailored to buying behaviour, like encouraging bulk purchases or simplifying reorders. Paid campaigns can focus on audiences most likely to convert instead of broad, catch-all adverts.
This approach creates consistency across the entire experience. Your emails, campaigns, and website feel aligned, which builds trust and reduces friction.
When buyers feel understood, they are far more likely to choose you as their supplier, making personalisation one of the most impactful B2B eCommerce marketing strategies available today.
2. Marketing the buying experience
In B2B, buyers are rarely just purchasing a product. They’re buying into a way of working. Ease, reliability, and efficiency often matter as much as price or features, particularly when orders are complex or repeated frequently.
That’s why effective B2B eCommerce marketing focuses on the benefits of buying through your platform, not just what you sell. Features like 24/7 self-service portals, quick reordering, saved baskets, shopping lists, and bespoke pricing directly address the challenges that most B2B buyers face every day.
These benefits should be clearly communicated across your marketing channels. Product pages, landing pages, and email campaigns should explain how your eCommerce experience saves time and reduces manual work to make procurement easier.
When buyers understand that ordering from you will simplify their role, the value of your offering increases significantly.
3. Using multiple advertising channels
Email remains one of the most effective tools in B2B eCommerce, particularly when supported by data and segmentation.
B2B eCommerce email marketing allows brands to nurture relationships over time, promote relevant products, and encourage repeat purchases without relying solely on sales teams. However, email works best as part of a wider, coordinated channel mix.
Paid advertising plays a key role in reaching new buyers who are actively researching solutions, as well as re-engaging customers who haven’t ordered in a while. When audience targeting is aligned with segmentation, paid campaigns become far more efficient and measurable.
SEO and content marketing are equally important. Many B2B buyers spend months researching suppliers before they’re ready to place an order. Content that answers real questions helps build trust early and positions your brand as a reputable authority. Promotions and incentives can then be layered in strategically to encourage first orders or increase order values.
The most effective B2B eCommerce marketing strategies don’t rely on a single channel. They use multiple touchpoints to guide buyers through a longer, more considered purchasing journey, increasing the likelihood of long-term retention.
4. Leveraging social proof
Trust is a critical factor in B2B purchasing decisions. Buyers often face a lot of risk, and pressure from their stakeholders, when choosing suppliers, which means reassurance plays a huge role in conversion.
Customer reviews and testimonials provide that reassurance in a way that marketing messaging alone cannot. Seeing how other businesses have benefited from your products and services helps reduce perceived risk and builds confidence from day one.
Even short testimonials can have a powerful impact when leveraged strategically. Integrating social proof into emails, product pages, and paid campaigns reinforces your credibility at key decision points.
Over time, this approach strengthens loyalty, making social proof an underrated but highly effective component of B2B eCommerce marketing.
5. Measuring and improving continuously
B2B eCommerce marketing is never set-and-forget. Buyer behaviour changes, and what works today may not work tomorrow. That’s why measurement and optimisation are essential - your approach has to evolve in line with buyer expectations.
Tracking on-site behaviour provides valuable insights. Regularly reviewing email performance and campaign engagement is essential to understanding what’s actually working and driving new business acquisition.
Understanding which emails drive opens and clicks, which promotions convert, and which pages buyers revisit allows you to refine segmentation and improve personalisation.
For many businesses, managing this level of insight internally can be challenging. This is where working with a specialist B2B eCommerce marketing agency can add significant value.
Building better B2B eCommerce marketing
When these strategies are applied together, B2B eCommerce marketing becomes less about pushing products and more about enabling buyer success.
Personalisation, clear value propositions, multi-channel engagement, and trust-building all contribute to stronger relationships and more reliable, predictable revenue. The businesses that succeed in B2B eCommerce are those that recognise marketing as part of the buying experience itself.
For more guidance on B2B eCommerce marketing strategies, explore our Love B2B eCommerce hub. If you’d like to talk through your own approach, our team is always happy to share insights and best practices in a bespoke 1:1 consultation.