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B2B and B2C

E-commerce agency

Our services as your e-commerce agency cover the entire range of e-commerce management, from strategic consulting to conceptual design and technical implementation – all the way through to the ongoing maintenance and optimisation of your online shop. And if you wish, we also offer all services relating to maintenance and marketing.

Your contact

Susann Höpel 

Susann Höpel

Consultant Digital Projects

Our e-commerce services

Online shop: E-commerce system consulting

Whether Shopify, Crystallize, Woo-Commerce or Magento, we will advise you independently and work with you to determine which online shop solution best suits your business. In doing so, we always keep our eyes open to new developments. We are also happy to offer this consulting as a single, impartial service.

To web shop system consulting
Online shop development

From design and UX to the integration of payment services and CRM systems: As an e-commerce agency, we will design your web shop with you and then implement it. In doing so, we always make sure to identify the most cost-effective solutions.

To online shop development
B2B online shop development

B2B web shops differ from their B2C counterparts in several important ways. As an e-commerce agency, we are very familiar with these critical points – and we know how to adapt web shops cost-effectively to the very specific needs of B2B business.

To B2B online shop development
Online shop marketing

Marketing your online shop calls for a targeted, multi-layered approach that ranges from search engine optimisation to social media marketing. As a full service agency, we also have expertise in online marketing and can reliably boost your sales.

Shop system consulting: Which solution is best for me?

A number of different web shop solutions have now established themselves on the market. As an e-commerce agency, we are often asked which of these is “the best”. This is almost as tricky as the question of which car is “the best”. It all depends: Different models are suitable for a single person living in a big city than for a large family commuting. And whether an e-car is already a realistic option still depends on the individual case.

When choosing the right e-commerce platform, a whole range of factors plays a role. Here are some of the more important ones:

  • Budget: Are you ready for a monthly fee or are you looking for a free open-source solution?
  • Technical capabilities: Do you need an e-commerce platform that doesn’t require programming, or do you have developer resources?
  • Scalability: Will the platform be able to grow with your business?
  • Integrations and extensions: What additional tools or services will need to be integrated?
  • Tech stack: What other software solutions do you already work with – and what interfaces does the e-commerce solution need to fit into?
  • Target market: What are the requirements of your specific target markets?

Depending on how you answer these questions, the perfect solution to meet your needs may be Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce (WordPress plugin), BigCommerce, Shopware, PrestaShop, OpenCart or even Squarespace. It is important to undergo a conscientious and well thought-out selection process here. Quite simply bBecause, with a poorly suited e-commerce platform, you will be as happy as a ranger with a sensitive sports car as his work vehicle.

You should also pay close attention to who is advising you. Many agencies have a favourite right from the start. It is most often the e-commerce platform they know best. And they then steer the decision-making process towards this platform. It may not be done intentionally: people who like to work with hammers tend to see nails even in screws.

For this reason, it is important to seek advice from independent specialists who are open to technology. We at the Ruess Agency usually look after a whole range of different shop systems at the same time. And since the capabilities of the e-commerce systems often change, we look at each project anew to see which solution is best suited in each case.

We are also happy to offer this e-commerce system consulting as a single, impartial service. This way we can provide you with an objective “second opinion”. And you can then be sure that your online shop system is a perfect fit for you – and not just for your agency.

Online shop development

A disciplined, systematic approach is essential when building an online shop, as many work steps build on each other. Trying to “catch up” with these later can quickly lead to high expenses, as many things would then have to be adjusted again.

For this reason, we as an e-commerce agency follow a logical approach. We make sure to retain enough flexibility at the level of the individual steps to be able to react to eventualities. The following overview shows the individual work steps that distinguish this structured approach:

01. Planning and design

In this phase, we as your e-commerce agency collect your functional and design requirements and create wireframes and design mock-ups for the shop’s visual representation. We coordinate these with you to ensure that everything meets your expectations.

To Experience Design
02. Development

Now we start with the actual development. This includes the installation of the chosen e-commerce platform, the configuration of the basic settings, the creation of custom functions and the integration of plug-ins, if required. We add your product information and set up payment and shipping options to suit your specific needs and preferences.

To technology
03. Testing

During the testing phase, we verify all functions and their ease of use on different devices and browsers. We also carry out security checks to ensure that all security regulations and data protection guidelines are adhered to.

04. Training and handover

Once the shop is ready, we provide user training to you or your team so that you can manage the shop yourself. We also provide you with documentation with instructions and best practices.

05. Launch

After a final review with you to make sure everything is ready, we set up the domain and hosting, if not already in place, and launch the shop.

06. Aftercare and support

After the launch, we offer ongoing support and updates as needed. And, of course, we are also happy to support you with SEO and marketing measures.

Constant communication and coordination with you as the client is always at the heart of this process for us as your agency. To ensure that the final result meets your expectations.

B2B online shop development

Historically, the focus of the e-commerce market was initially very clearly on the B2C segment. For programming, it was not yet possible to fall back on ready-made tools, modules and plug-ins as it is today.

The programming effort was therefore many times higher compared to today. This also applies to hosting fees, solutions for payment processing, etc.. This is why the success of the online shop initially began in areas where it offered especially great efficiency gains – such as clothing, electronics, household goods, books or consumer electronics.

Over time, however, the costs of development and operation have fallen considerably. As a result, the B2B e-commerce market has also developed very strongly and B2B online platforms are increasingly seen as an efficient way to serve business customers and simplify procurement processes. This is especially true in industries such as IT, wholesale, manufacturing and logistics.

Although the B2B segment is now seeing almost as much turnover in online trade, the “infrastructure” of web shop systems is still very much geared towards end-consumers. Therefore, when setting up and maintaining a B2B platform, there are a few points to consider, for which shops often need some customisation:

Prices in B2B: Calculating a basis for negotiation

In B2C, pricing is very “online friendly”: Binding unit prices usually apply, which can be displayed on the product pages and reduced during special promotions. Everything else can be shown, for instance via discount codes.

In B2B, prices are often based on individual agreements, quantity discounts, seasonal adjustments or other factors. Nonetheless, there are some common ways in which pricing in the B2B segment can be mapped in an online shop:

  • Individual customer accounts: B2B customers can have individual accounts with specific prices, discounts and conditions. As soon as the customer logs in, they see the prices that apply to them.
  • Quantity discounts: Price scales based on quantities ordered can be displayed transparently in the shop. For example, customers who buy 100 or more units of a product could receive a 10% discount.
  • Request-based pricing: Sometimes it makes sense not to display fixed prices, but instead to offer a “quote request” option. Customers can specify the products they need and the quantities, and the seller can create a customised quote.
  • Dynamic pricing: This allows prices to be adjusted based on real-time market data, stock levels or other factors. This flexibility can be especially useful in fast-moving or competitive markets.
  • Contract pricing: If there are long-term contracts with set prices, these can be integrated into the online shop so that the customer always sees the contracted price.

Membership levels: Different prices or discounts may apply depending on the relationship or customer’s status. For example, “gold” members may have access to exclusive discounts or offers.

However, the implementation of these strategies is technically more complex. This is because it often requires close integration between the online shop and internal systems such as CRM, ERP or other data sources.

The B2B purchase decision: emotions vs. numbers

Another important difference between B2B and B2C is that end-customers usually decide on a purchase alone and often on a whim. Therefore, the design, content and marketing of a B2C web shop should appeal more strongly to people’s emotions.

In B2B, decisions then to be more dispassionate. You are dealing with decision-making teams that may consist of members of a specialist department, the purchasing department and a member of the management. Their decisions have to be backed up with facts and figures. Therefore, this information is also the focus of a B2B web shop. It should be prepared in such a way that it can be integrated as well as possible into a decision-making template. And, of course, a B2B web shop also has to offer services relating to the documentation of invoices, delivery notes etc.

High complexity: customer service in B2B

Depending on the product, customer service in B2B can be very complex.

After all, all the eventualities of a complex special machine can rarely be depicted on a help page. Therefore, personal support is often required here, which goes beyond the programmable functions of an online shop.

Nevertheless, well-formulated FAQs can often be helpful. Many enquiries can also be quickly and easily pre-qualified via selection menus, so that the right contact person can be reached directly. A link between the shop and CRM is a must in B2B anyway, so the entire history of the customer relationship can also be considered.

Online shop marketing

Marketing an online shop is a complex process that calls for a clear strategy and targeted efforts to succeed in today’s competitive digital landscape.

To effectively increase the visibility, traffic and ultimately the sales of your online shop, you need the right expertise in all disciplines of online marketing:

Search engine optimisation (SEO)

Optimising your online shop for search engines is an important step to ensure that potential customers find you. This includes optimising keywords, meta tags, content and the entire website structure to increase visibility in search engines.

To SEO agency
Content marketing

We strengthen your brand and encourage visitor engagement by creating valuable, engaging content. This could include blogposts, videos, infographics or other forms of content that add value for your customers.

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Social media marketing

Having a social media presence is paramount to promoting your brand and interacting with your community. As your web shop agency, we create profiles on relevant platforms and share posts regularly to increase awareness and customer engagement.

E-mail marketing

An effective e-mail marketing campaign allows us to communicate directly with your customers and inform them about offers, news and events. We use segmentation and personalisation to create relevant and engaging e-mails.

Advertising campaigns (PPC)

When budget allows, we use paid advertising campaigns on platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to run targeted ads and draw customers to your shop.

Data analytics & ongoing optimisation

In conclusion, continuous monitoring and analysis of marketing efforts are essential to measure success and make any necessary adjustments. As an e-commerce agency, we prepare regular reports and adjust the strategy according to the results and feedback.

With many of these measures, you can benefit from significant synergies if the technical support of the web shop and its marketing are managed by a single source.

This allows online marketing measures such as landing pages for search engines or social media ads to be not only sketched out, but also implemented directly. Optimising campaigns for high-margin products or for overall sales maximisation can also be ensured more quickly and easily. Conversely, keyword analyses by SEO experts should be considered in the structure of the web shop even before development.

This is why we deliberately commit to a holistic approach and attach great importance to offering and implementing as broad a range of services as possible. Even if we are only commissioned with one aspect, for example, with the marketing of a web shop or with the selection of the shop system, we always know what needs to be considered in terms of the other areas of work. And in all the projects we are involved in, we always take great care to think in terms of the overall success – and to proactively hand over important preliminary work at the respective interfaces and thereby ensure a good exchange of relevant information.

As an online shop agency, we look back on a very long list of successful projects, most of which we have managed over long periods of time or are still managing.

Your contact for
E commerce solutions

Susann Höpel 

Susann Höpel

Consultant Digital Projects