You can be a business owner that sells to customers (B2C) or one that sells to other business (B2B). The thing to focus on is that your customers, no matter who they are, should have easy access to your products. The obvious solution is building a web Store. Perhaps you already have a web store.

Your web store is just like a brick and mortar store in terms of maintenance. Keeping your e-commerce store up-to-date with latest technologies is very important and here’s why:

According to Forrester Research, by 2020, – which is only next year – the US will have 12.1% of all B2B sales, via e-commerce. Therefore, it is necessary that your store stays relevant in the ever-growing competition. To figure out all the measures you need to take, you should know the various differences between B2B and B2C business models and website requirements.

When you have a B2B web store, its aesthetic needs to be different from a B2C one:

• You will need to provide bulk selling options rather than single unit options
• You need to come through on your word, in terms of delivery, quality etc.

This is not to say that you don’t have to do that on a retail store, but that a B2B relationship can make or break your business.

B2B deals go through multiple levels of approval, while a B2C customer will make a purchase if they find what they are looking for. When a B2B customer buys your products, if you throw in extra benefits like free shipping or a bundle of accessories for that product, you can be looking at a long-term contract with them. B2C customers will buy once and with a good offer maybe come back to your store, but there is no contract with them or a permanent relationship.

While building a web store, you have to keep all of these things in mind. So how do you go about it? The first thing to do is pick out the platform you want to build your store on. There are multiple options, offering a variation of services and tools. One of the best platforms out there is Odoo. Let me help you explore why.

Building an e-store on the Odoo platform is a no-brainer. It provides a host of benefits and customization options. Whether you are starting from scratch or switching over from another platform, there are a number of Odoo development services and providers in the market. But before giving your business to any of the service providers, make sure they are official Odoo Ready partners, which makes them a premium provider of Odoo development services. These providers know the ins and outs of the platform in detail & know what they are doing. If you are looking to hire Odoo developers then make sure they can work dynamically and help you develop your web presence in multiple ways.

Below are some of the ways any good Odoo developing company can help you with:

Website development:

If you want to build a website on the Odoo platform, then any good development company can help you with that. The standard Odoo format is not a limitation. Make sure the company provides customization for your website according to your business requirements. Odoo gives the flexibility to build a great website based on its platform, which helps in retaining each website’s unique character. When your website is great, it is easier to navigate. As official Odoo partners, it is very easy for them to tailor your Odoo website to your needs.

Store development:

When the concept of e-commerce started, geography was no longer a limiting factor for businesses. You can have a much wider customer base with an e-store. With Odoo, you can design an excellent online store, so that you can reach out to customers much more easily, no matter where they are based. With an internet store, there is also the challenge of keeping your customer on your website. If the design of your e-store is as beautiful and functional as a brick and mortar store, your customers are bound to stay, and, come back.

App development:

The future is app focused. Everyone has heard this and is trying to work towards it. Mobiles are the most accessible internet devices. So putting your e-store on that platform is the next step for your business. An Odoo app will reflect your web store. Mobile applications provide a much better experience on the smaller screens when compared with navigating the webpage on a similar screen.

Theme development:

A theme is how you arrange things, what color everything will be, the flow of products, etc. It is a décor term. Although, that doesn’t mean it is unimportant. Décor determines the mood of a shop. Similarly, a web store theme determines the look and feel of your e-commerce store. You should carefully consider what your store represents and then choose the right theme for you. There are multiple Odoo themes to choose from, for both the frontend and the backend of your store.

Module development:

Every platform will be missing something or the other. A web store, however, cannot miss anything in order to be fully effective. However, there is a simple solution to this. You can add different elements according to your requirement and customize your Odoo based store, as you want to! This is also your way to stand out from other stores, by adding something additional for your customers.

Integration:

Lastly, you have to think about what you can do to make your business run smoothly and the backend more efficient. You can integrate a Customer Relationship Management module, an accounting module, as well as other apps to it.

Although having enough B2C development platforms, the B2B market needs customized and dedicated B2B software to rationalize the complexities and provide ground-up technological B2B solution. The best way to go about this is to hire Odoo developers who can work for your store’s needs. At the end of the day, the solution should help you run your business smoothly and be financially beneficially.

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