Wholesalers are a vital component of the supply chain and the efficient running of all businesses located “downstream” from the manufacturer. Typically, wholesale orders are purchased with the intention of selling them on. This follows from the simple economic principle that the products bought in bulk work out cheaper per unit than individual purchases. The wholesaler supplies the bulk order and the retailers sell the individual units – everybody wins.
That, at any rate, is the fundamental principle behind the wholesaler’s business model and is something that certainly hasn’t changed in the era of ecommerce. However, many things about wholesaling have actually been affected by ecommerce, just as nearly every other form of traditional commerce has been similarly revolutionized.
The Potential for Error
Olympic Eyewear, a bulk sunglasses wholesale seller, says that wholesale ecommerce is something that needs to be carefully planned. There are a few ecommerce-specific factors that can lead to mistakes when wholesalers take their business online.
Many of these mistakes arise from the very same ecommerce factors that offer all the aforementioned benefits to wholesale companies. For example, the ability of wholesalers to target B2C consumers can lead to confusion in terms of how marketing is carried out (because marketing B2C is completely different from B2B) and this can lead to conflicts among the different channels a wholesaler needs to balance.
Most Common Mistakes in B2C
So, given that ecommerce and online selling offers so many benefits to wholesalers, it might be better to look at the pitfalls instead.
Looking Like a Retailer
This is one of the most common mistakes among wholesale companies, and it can take on a number of different manifestations. The company could suffer from the aforementioned conflict between B2C and B2B and have an undue focus on B2C marketing, which will make the wholesaler look like they are only targeting individual consumers. The other way a wholesaler can simply look like a retailer is all down to brand identification, website design, and the tone of ad campaigns. In other words, all of the aesthetic considerations within marketing. You have to look like you’re selling products in bulk and specifically targeting companies.
Ignoring Product Pages
When designing the website of a wholesale company, it is normally the homepage that is given the most (perhaps undue) focus. Product pages are often erroneously considered more suitable for B2C businesses and therefore will often not give as much attractive detail as they should. This point is indeed somewhat in conflict with the first mistake listed above because you need to take care to avoid looking like you are just selling single units. Nevertheless, if you make matters clear by including phrases such as “bulk order” and “wholesale batch” and you clearly state the number of the products included in each batch, then you don’t need to worry about looking like a retailer. Then you can focus on making the product pages as attractive as possible. They might want a hundred of them, but your customers still want a great product.
Not Investing in Ecommerce Software
An ecommerce site – or portal, as it is usually called among wholesalers – is essential for the success of your business. So too is advanced inventory tracking software and all the software designed to coordinate delivery routes and returns. You are still engaging in ecommerce, so all the essential software needs to be used. Ecommerce is taking the world of wholesaling to the next level, but amid all the opportunities there is still a great deal of confusion. Avoid the pitfalls though and the internet could just prove the best place for your wholesaling enterprise to grow.