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Rethinking B2B e-commerce

Strategic. Realistic. Effective

B2B e-commerce appears on many agendas today.
Rarely, however, where it truly creates impact.

In practice, B2B e-commerce is no longer just about ordering functions or portals. It’s about how digital sales should work in B2B—across markets, organizations, and buying processes. And about the role e-commerce can realistically play within that structure.

Many companies invest early in systems. Yet the decisive levers are set elsewhere: in the structure of demand, in the alignment of marketing and sales, and in how digital processes can be integrated into existing sales workflows in a controllable way.

Anyone who wants to think B2B e-commerce strategically must see it as part of a functioning digital B2B sales system. Not as an isolated initiative, but as a reinforcement of clear decisions across demand, buying processes, and organizational structures.

Context before decisions

Many questions around B2B e-commerce cannot be answered meaningfully in isolation—
especially when digital sales, organizational structures, and existing processes intersect.

In an initial conversation, we take a step back together: Where are you today? Which options are realistically viable—and where is clarity still missing?

Schedule a meeting

Steffen Ruess

Steffen Ruess

Managing Partner
Ruess Group

A term that means many things—and explains very little

Why B2B e-commerce is more than a shop

B2B e-commerce is no longer a niche topic.
It appears in strategy discussions, investment decisions, and debates about the future of sales. And yet, it often remains unclear what it actually stands for in concrete terms.

For some, it means efficiency and automation. For others, relieving sales teams, improving scalability, or creating digital proximity to customers. Still others associate it with customer portals, self-service features, or digital quotation flows. The term bundles many expectations—and precisely for that reason, provides little orientation.

This ambiguity is no coincidence.

B2B e-commerce often describes the visible surface. Its real impact, however, unfolds beneath it.

Because e-commerce in B2B goes deeper than it first appears. It changes how demand is captured, how information is made available, and how commitment is created. Prices become more comparable, processes more transparent, decisions more traceable. What starts as a technical project quickly develops structural impact on digital B2B sales.

In practice, this becomes very clear. Systems are introduced before their role in the sales process is defined. Digital journeys run parallel to personal sales without clean handovers. Responsibilities are spread across marketing, sales, and IT—without clear overall ownership. The shop works, but its contribution to demand, pipeline, or revenue remains vague.

There is also a common misconception: comparing B2B with B2C. In B2C, e-commerce is often the central sales channel—standardized and transaction-driven. In B2B, different rules apply. Buying processes are longer, more fragmented, and highly context-dependent. Decisions are coordinated, solutions explained, prices negotiated. Relationships and trust are not add-ons—they are integral to the business.

That’s why B2B e-commerce cannot simply be “implemented.”
It has to be positioned.

The key question is not which features a shop offers, but what role e-commerce should play in the interaction between marketing, sales, and the organization. Where can it structure demand? Where can it relieve processes? Where can it create transparency? And where does it reach its limits—because personal interaction remains essential in the B2B buying process?

From this perspective, it becomes clear: a B2B e-commerce strategy is not a platform decision.
It is a sales decision.

It defines how digital sales should work—and what responsibility e-commerce assumes within it. Only once this positioning is clear does e-commerce become a lever. Not for more technology—but for effective, controllable digital B2B sales.

Not at the beginning. Not at the end. But in between.

The role of e-commerce in digital B2B sales

Digital sales in B2B do not follow a linear logic.
They do not start with a campaign and do not end with an order. Between initial interest and a binding decision lie numerous touchpoints, questions, and alignments. It is along this path that digital initiatives either create impact—or fade away.

E-commerce plays a special role in this context.
It is neither a pure marketing instrument nor a replacement for personal sales. Its impact emerges where demand becomes concrete and transitions into purchase-relevant processes—where interest turns into commitment.

In many organizations, this role is defined too late. E-commerce is introduced as an additional channel, running parallel to existing sales structures. Marketing generates demand, sales closes deals, and digital journeys operate “on the side.” What’s missing is a shared logic for the digital B2B sales process.

The consequences are familiar. Digital and personal touchpoints compete with each other. Customers are unsure which path to take. Internally, discussions revolve around responsibilities instead of impact. Digital sales lose clarity—and with it, controllability.

Concepts such as demand-to-order or lead-to-order describe exactly these transitions. They make it clear that digital B2B sales are not a classic funnel, but a sequence of decisions, responsibilities, and handovers. E-commerce is one possible building block within this sequence—not the process itself.

When positioned correctly, e-commerce can provide stability right here.
It structures information, makes offers transparent, and reduces friction at the right moments. It supports buying processes without artificially shortening or forcing them. Especially in complex B2B purchasing scenarios, this clarity becomes a decisive factor.

Without this positioning, the effect is reversed. Digital journeys add complexity instead of reducing it. Handovers between marketing and sales remain vague. Responsibility is shifted rather than clarified.

The central question, therefore, is not whether e-commerce is used—but how.
What role should it play in a given market? For which customer groups? In which phases of the buying process? And with what expectations regarding automation, transparency, and commitment?

A viable answer does not emerge from best practices or tool comparisons. It results from the interaction of market realities, organizational structures, and sales logic. E-commerce must fit into this logic—not the other way around.

Understood this way, e-commerce becomes a stabilizing element in digital B2B sales. It connects demand with process, provides orientation for customers and organizations alike, and increases decision-making capability throughout the sales journey.

Not as a starting point.
Not as an endpoint.
But as an effective component of a functioning digital sales system.

Why B2B decisions work differently

Demand-to-order and buying processes

In B2B, the path to an order is rarely straightforward.
Weeks or even months often lie between initial interest and a binding decision. Multiple stakeholders are involved, requirements change, and priorities shift. It is within this dynamic that digital sales either prove effective—or fall flat.

Classic funnel models fall short here.
They assume clear phases and clean transitions. The reality in B2B is far more fluid. Demand emerges, intensifies, slows down, and regains relevance. Buying processes are not linear, but iterative—shaped by feedback loops, coordination, and situational decisions.

The concept of demand-to-order describes this journey more accurately.
It shifts the focus away from individual measures toward the overall connection: from first awareness to deeper engagement and, ultimately, decision-making. In B2B, this means one thing above all—creating orientation rather than artificially shortening processes.

E-commerce can play an important role in this context.
Not as an accelerator at any cost, but as a structuring element. It helps make information accessible, options comparable, and decision processes easier to navigate. Especially when multiple stakeholders are involved, this structure becomes a decisive factor.

At the same time, the limits are clear.
Not every step in a B2B buying process can—or should—be digitized. Negotiations, individual requirements, and strategic alignment follow their own rules. Attempts to fully automate this complexity rarely lead to better outcomes and often create additional friction.

A viable B2B e-commerce strategy consciously acknowledges this reality. It distinguishes between phases where digital processes add value and those where personal interaction is essential. It creates handovers instead of replacing them.

The transition from marketing to sales is particularly critical.
Many organizations experience breaks here: demand is generated but not consistently carried forward. Information is lost, context is missing, responsibilities remain unclear. In this sense, lead-to-order is less a technical challenge than an organizational one.

Where demand-to-order is clearly thought through, commitment emerges. Marketing, sales, and digital systems interlock. E-commerce supports this process by creating clarity—around content, status, and next steps. Not as a rigid pathway, but as a flexible framework.

Demand-to-order in B2B ultimately means one thing:
preparing decisions—not forcing them.

E-commerce is a tool in this process.
Effective where it is used deliberately—and embedded in real buying processes.

Demand-to-order and buying processes
Demand-to-order and buying processes
Demand-to-order and buying processes

Not every digital option is a good decision

When B2B E-Commerce Makes Sense – and When It Doesn’t

B2B e-commerce does not create impact automatically.
Whether it makes sense is not determined by trends or technologies, but by a company’s specific reality: its products, customers, processes – and its willingness to clearly define responsibility.

In many organizations, this assessment happens too late. The pressure to “go digital” is high. Competitors invest, customers expect convenience, internal discussions point to efficiency gains. E-commerce then appears to be the logical next step. What is often missing is a sober evaluation of relevance and fit.

B2B e-commerce becomes meaningful where processes are repeatable and expectations can be clearly defined. Where products are explainable, but not explanation-intensive. Where customers already have orientation regarding needs, budgets, and framework conditions. In these contexts, e-commerce can reduce operational effort, increase transparency, and accelerate processes.

E-commerce can also create value in international structures. Unified information levels, consistent offer logic, and comparable ordering processes help establish orientation across markets. This only works, however, if such standardization is intentional and organizationally supported. Without clear rules, standardization exists on paper only – while complexity grows in reality.

At the same time, clear limits exist.
Complex project business, highly customized solutions, or purchasing processes with extensive coordination requirements can only be digitized to a limited extent. In these cases, value is created not through automation, but through dialogue, consultation, and trust. E-commerce can support such processes – for example through information provision or pre-qualification – but it cannot replace them.

Problems arise when e-commerce creates expectations that cannot be fulfilled internally. When customers expect digital commitment, but decisions are still made situationally. When prices become visible without clarity on negotiation ranges. Or when digital processes are introduced without adjusting sales responsibilities accordingly.

A realistic B2B e-commerce strategy takes these tensions seriously. It does not ask only what is technically possible, but what is actually sensible. It accepts that deliberate limitation is often more effective than half-hearted implementation.

In the end, the question is not whether to use e-commerce everywhere.
It is about using it where it can create real impact – and deliberately holding back where it promises more than it can deliver. This clarity builds trust. Internally and externally.

Complexity, Organization, Internationality

Why structure matters more than technology

B2B e-commerce does not unfold its impact in simple environments.
It becomes relevant where complexity increases: multiple markets, diverse customer groups, established organizations, international sales structures. This very complexity makes the topic demanding – and often underestimated.

In many companies, e-commerce starts as a local or functional initiative. One unit launches, one market experiments, one department implements. This can work in the short term. But as soon as internationalization begins or additional business units are involved, fractures emerge. Processes differ, responsibilities are inconsistent, systems are used in different ways. Comparability is lost.

Complexity rarely arises from technology.
It arises from organization.

Different sales models, regional pricing logics, varying roles between marketing and sales – all of this shapes how e-commerce is actually used. When this reality is ignored, parallel worlds emerge: digital channels on one side, personal sales on the other. Coordination effort increases, while controllability declines.

This tension becomes particularly visible in international B2B organizations. Central guidelines meet local market requirements. What is meant to be standardized collides with established relationships and regional specifics. E-commerce quickly turns into a political issue – instead of becoming a functioning part of digital sales.

A sustainable B2B e-commerce strategy therefore does not rely on maximum standardization.
It differentiates.

It clarifies which elements must be centrally governed and where local responsibility makes sense. It establishes shared principles without forcing markets into rigid structures.

The decisive factor is organizational integration.
Who is responsible for e-commerce? How do marketing, sales, and IT interact? Which decisions are made centrally, and which locally? Without clear answers to these questions, e-commerce remains operational – and escapes long-term control.

Complexity cannot be eliminated in B2B.
It can only be structured.

Where organization, processes, and international requirements are considered together, e-commerce becomes manageable. Not simpler, but clearer. Comparable across markets, aligned with sales, and controllable for management. This is the prerequisite for digital sales to create sustainable impact in B2B.

Why B2B E-Commerce Is a Leadership Issue

Responsibility, Risk, and Manageability

B2B e-commerce is often treated as an operational topic.
A project. A system. A platform. What is easily underestimated is this: with e-commerce, decision spaces change – and with them, responsibility.

Digital processes create commitment. Prices become visible, offers comparable, workflows transparent. What was previously decided situationally becomes repeatable. This increases transparency – and at the same time exposes weaknesses in organization and governance, especially where rules were never explicitly defined.

In B2B, this tension is particularly pronounced.
Different customer segments, individual pricing logics, regional specifics, and established sales structures cannot be standardized arbitrarily. Yet e-commerce still forces decisions to be made. Not technical decisions – organizational ones.

This is where it becomes clear whether e-commerce will be manageable –
or whether it will create new uncertainty.

Lack of governance is one of the most common causes of problems in B2B e-commerce. Responsibilities remain diffuse, decisions are postponed or made informally. Marketing owns content, sales owns pricing, IT owns systems – but no one owns overall impact. Risks are not actively managed; they only become visible once conflicts arise.

Manageability is not created through control, but through clarity.
Clear roles. Clear decision paths. Clear criteria. Who is allowed to decide what? What degrees of freedom exist? Where do binding rules apply – and where are exceptions deliberately allowed? Without this order, e-commerce remains fragmented and difficult to lead.

Risks can only be assessed realistically on this basis as well.
These include price transparency, cannibalization, internal acceptance, or customer expectations. Such risks do not disappear through technology. They must be understood, contextualized, and actively managed.

Sound governance in digital sales provides the necessary framework. It connects strategic objectives with operational reality. It enables comparability across markets without overriding local specifics. And it gives organizations the confidence to further develop e-commerce instead of merely administering it.

In the end, the success of B2B e-commerce is not determined by the platform.
It is determined by the ability to take responsibility, assess risk, and make impact manageable. That is its true strategic dimension.

From Strategic Clarification to Effective Execution

How We Advance B2B E-Commerce

B2B e-commerce rarely fails due to a lack of technology.
It fails when strategy, concept, and execution do not come together.

That is exactly where we come in.

Our work starts with clarification. Together with our clients, we define the role e-commerce should play within digital B2B sales, how Demand-to-Order logic is structured, and which organizational prerequisites must be in place. This clarity is the foundation for every viable decision – strategically and operationally.

Based on this, we develop strategic and conceptual frameworks for B2B e-commerce solutions. Not as isolated shop concepts, but embedded within existing sales processes, pricing logic, system landscapes, and organizational structures. The goal is not a shop that functions – but a sales component that delivers real impact.

We remain accountable during implementation as well. Together with specialized technology and implementation partners, we accompany execution and ensure that strategic decisions are consistently translated into processes, interfaces, roles, and operating models. Our role is not technical delivery, but integration and orchestration within the overall context of digital B2B sales.

In ongoing operations, we support organizations wherever further development, international expansion, or organizational transitions are required. Not as system operators, but as partners for structure, clarity, and decision-making capability – especially where e-commerce would otherwise begin to drift away from sales and organizational reality.

Clear differentiation is important to us.
We are not a classic e-commerce or shop agency. We do not compare platforms or optimize systems for their own sake. Our contribution lies in strategic B2B e-commerce consulting – and in the ability to structure complex initiatives so they remain implementable, manageable, and effective over the long term.

For marketing leaders and sales executives, this means:
A partner who does not merely advise, but assumes responsibility. From strategic clarification through execution. And who ensures that B2B e-commerce does not remain an isolated project, but becomes an integral part of a functioning digital sales system.

A Conversation for the Right Strategic Perspective

If you are facing decisions about the role B2B e-commerce should play in your digital sales organization, a focused conversation is worthwhile.

We discuss your current situation, assess realistic options, and clarify where e-commerce can provide meaningful support – and where it cannot.

Schedule a meeting

Steffen Ruess

Steffen Ruess

Managing Partner
Ruess Group

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions
About B2B E-Commerce

  • For us, B2B e-commerce is not synonymous with an online shop.
    We understand it as part of digital B2B sales – embedded within buying processes, organizational structures, and existing sales models.

    The focus is not the transaction itself, but the role digital processes should play across the entire Demand-to-Order journey. Only from this perspective does it become clear which forms of e-commerce are meaningful – and which are not.

  • In B2B, buying processes are more complex, longer, and highly context-dependent.
    Multiple stakeholders are involved, prices are negotiated, solutions explained, and offerings individually adapted.

    While e-commerce in B2C is often the central sales channel, in B2B it remains part of a hybrid sales model. These differences ultimately determine whether e-commerce creates impact or introduces additional friction.

  • B2B e-commerce becomes meaningful where processes are recurring, customers expect digital support, and organizations are prepared to define responsibilities clearly.

    The decisive factor is not company size, but whether buying processes, roles, and governance structures are sufficiently clarified.
    Without these prerequisites, e-commerce often increases complexity instead of reducing it.

  • Yes. Our work includes the strategic positioning and conceptual design of B2B e-commerce – always in the context of digital sales.

    We do not create isolated shop concepts. Instead, we embed e-commerce within existing processes, pricing logic, system landscapes, and organizational structures. The goal is a solution that is effective, realistic, and sustainably manageable.

  • We support implementation and operations wherever integration, manageability, and further development are critical.

    Technical execution is typically handled together with specialized partners. Our role remains one of structural leadership: ensuring that strategy and concept are consistently translated into processes, systems, and organization – and that e-commerce does not evolve in isolation.

  • No.
    We are not a shop agency and do not provide purely technical implementation or platform comparisons.

    Our contribution lies in connecting strategy, organization, and execution. We work where decisions must be prepared, structured, and responsibly managed – not where the focus is limited to features or templates.

  • Our strategic B2B e-commerce consulting approach is particularly suited to B2B organizations with complex market and organizational structures: multiple target groups, international markets, hybrid sales models, or a high need for alignment between marketing and sales.

    It is less suitable for companies seeking only a fast technical implementation or an isolated shop solution.

  • Collaboration always starts with a conversation.

    In this discussion, we clarify your current situation, identify open questions, and assess the role B2B e-commerce can realistically play in your digital sales organization.

    This is not about solutions or proposals, but about orientation and clarity. Only then does it make sense to decide whether – and how – a collaboration should move forward.