A website is essential if you want to start a wholesale company. All of this starts with an intuitive platform that allows you to place and set up the first brick of your eCommerce website. With a single click, you can access a variety of platforms. It can be tedious if you simply go to the search bar and don’t have any concept or standards for the platform that you want.

Although you might have done the things I mentioned, it is still a daunting task to navigate the vast ocean of information available on the Internet. This is not just what you are experiencing. Before starting their first eCommerce business, many B2B wholesalers will face similar problems.

Don’t worry!

This article is designed for people who don’t have the time to browse through hundreds of websites in search of the right platform. You will learn what features you should consider when selecting a platform, and also the top lists to help you put into practice what you have learned.

Top 11 Best B2B Wholesale Platforms

1. Shopify

Shopify is the best eCommerce platform because of its simplicity and efficiency. Online businesses can now sell their products online with ease thanks to the platform. Shopify is more than just a simple platform with a straightforward design. It also offers a wealth of sales features that rivals. Online shop owners can effectively market their products with different marketing campaigns including email marketing using Shopify email, Google Smart Shopping and Facebook Ads.

Shopify is a time-saving, flexible management tool for busy B2B business owners. It allows them to manage all their important data from one dashboard. Shopify’s customer support is unmatched in the eCommerce world. To resolve issues or get expert advice, you can reach them 24 hours a day.

Shopify offers a variety of responsive themes and apps. Shopify stores are a great place to find all the features you need for your eCommerce wholesale website.

Visit Shopify

Outstanding features

• Multiple websites can be launched from the same backend

• Pricing options for advanced custom orders

• There are thousands of apps that can be integrated

• Sell to everyone, anywhere, and through multiple channels

• All your information in one place

• Content marketing and SEO tools can help you grow your audience.

• Customers can attract themselves with built-in blogs

• To track campaign performance, you will need to have insightful reports

• Fully edit HTML and CSS

• Shipping rates flexible and shipping free

• Integrate with more than 100 payment gateways

• Register for an account at the checkout

• One click to fulfill one or more orders

• Automated store emails that can be customized with any design

• Integration of social media

• Create a multilingual website

Shopify’s Pros

• It is simple to use

• Affordable pricing

• Massive selection of apps and stunning storefront themes

• Flexible selling online and offline, with extensive Point of Sale (POS), options & hardware

• Attribute sales can be assigned to certain staff

• Use third-party apps or import/export product data directly from CSV files

• You can create up to 100 variants of a single product

• Automated product collections save time when you have to deal with large product lines

• Multiple shipping rates

Shopify’s Cons

• Only limited functionality available for large growth (unless you upgrade Shopify Plus).

• Many apps are not available for free

• The built-in SEO tools are sufficient. Apps are required to access extended features

• Only available for paid apps

Shopify Pricing

• Basic Shopify: $29/month
• Shopify: $79/month
• Advanced: $299/month
• Shopify Plus: Contact for a quote

Who should you shopify for?

Shopify is the easiest eCommerce platform to use for small and large B2B companies. It provides all the tools you need to create a beautiful and functional website. Shopify Plus is a better option if you have a lot of wholesale products to handle. 

2. BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers another amazing tool for eCommerce wholesale within the B2B market. BigCommerce is the world’s most popular cloud eCommerce platform. It offers many features and options that will allow you to create a strong and fast eCommerce website. BigCommerce allows you to create API-driven, high-touch user experiences via your CMS, DXP or application, device, custom front-end, and more.

You can create an easy checkout for your customers using powerful eCommerce tools and engines. This will also ensure a seamless shopping experience for you. From the homepage to the checkout page, you can easily create mobile-responsive options. It’s easy to create differentiated mobile-responsive offerings from the homepage to the checkout page. PCI compliance has already been set up so that you can be sure that all your customers’ and online store data are protected from malicious attacks.

Outstanding features

• Site pages can be easily edited without the need for coding

• Mobile optimization

• Many fully customizable themes available with built-in HTML, CSS and Javascript

• WordPress Integration – Build your website

• B2B payment services should be supported

• Create a beautiful and responsive storefront

• Mobile optimization

• Cross-channel sales

• Segment customer groups

• SEO-friendly URLs and metadata that are not in the box

• Discount coupon & gift vouchers

• Automated emails help to avoid abandoned carts

BigCommerce: The Pros

• It is easy and flexible to add unlimited product variations

• Different business types can be scaled

• There are no transaction fees

• SEO is a great option

• Speedy and solid security

• Simple and responsive design

Cons of BigCommerce

• If sales exceed the limit, the plan will be automatically updated

• Not strong enough to edit content

• Pricing is tough

• Switching to a self-hosted setting requires high costs

Pricing

• Standard: $25.95/month
• Plus: $79.95/month
• Pro: $299.95/month
• Enterprise: Call sales for custom pricing

BigCommerce: Who should it be used?

BigCommerce can be used by both small and large wholesale B2B businesses. There are many features available for all levels of projects. BigCommerce is best suited for large, fast-growing companies.

Go to BigCommerce

3. Magento Commerce

Magento, a leading open-source eCommerce platform for B2B businesses, offers incredible features and scalability. Magento Commerce, a premium version of Magento Open-source, is designed to accelerate your business within the current eCommerce landscape. It includes intuitive Magento 2 features. Magento’s simplicity of use allows you to create a website that is attractive and has editable content layouts.

Magento Commerce offers more functionality than Magento Open Source. This includes advanced marketing features, customer rewards programs and targeted promotions. Magento Order Management allows large wholesale companies to maximize their potential by integrating multiple brands, products, warehouses, and stores into one seamless experience.

Outstanding features

• Create webpages using powerful content tools and in-line editing

• Add products quickly to content pages

• For easier product discovery, create custom category pages

• Mobile and desktop engagement can be increased to increase conversion rates.

• For more relevant experiences, consider product recommendations

• Integrate seamlessly with Amazon to increase revenue

• Inventory management

• Listing management

• Fulfillment management

Magento Commerce: The Pros

• Modern eCommerce growth requires more functionality.

• Scalability for large B2B companies

• Flexible customization

• Support from a large community of developers and users 

• Design themes and templates for professionals

• Multi-store and multiple-warehouse functionality

• User interface intuitive and simple to use

• Data management is simple

• Multiple extensions offer extended functionality

• Rapid loading

Cons of Magento Commerce

• Magento Commerce is very expensive

• It is difficult to find Magento developers who are authentic and highly qualified.

• Support for products can be quite expensive

• Limited B2B sales features

Pricing

• Magento Community: Free
• Magento Enterprise starting at $22,000/year
• Magento Commerce Cloud – Start at $2000/year (includes Hosting)

Magento Commerce: Who should it be used?

Magento Commerce can be a great choice for wholesale businesses that have high sales volumes. You might consider other options if you are on a tight budget.

4. 3DCart

3DCart allows you to quickly build an eCommerce website that converts customers and attracts new customers for your wholesale business. 3DCart allows you to implement the essential features of your business with minimal technical difficulties.

Your website will be able to access many mobile-friendly templates and take into account important design considerations. 3DCart themes are fully eCommerce-optimized. The standard for website performance includes the optimal amount of whitespace and the appropriate placement of important content.

3Dcart also allows you to customize your site in a more complex way. Access all files and edit your HTML and CSS as quickly as possible.

Outstanding features

• Pricing customization

• Subscriptions and orders can be made in one click

• Segmentation for customers

• Multiple payment gateways

• Store that is mobile-friendly and responsive

• You can create configurable coupons and discount codes 

• Use the pre-order procedure

• Control and manage the content of your website

• Inventory management

3Dcart: The Pros

• Other platforms offer more features

• Unlimitless product listings

• Any device can be loaded quickly

• Many options for checkout

• There are no transaction fees

• Many built-in SEO and marketing tools

• Interface that is user-friendly

• Unlimited orders

3Dcart: Cons

• It is difficult to upload products that have multiple variants

• These templates are too basic and simple.

• More optimal templates require fees

Pricing

• Startup store $17.10/month
• Basic store $26.10/month
• Plus store: $71.10/month
• Power store: $116.10/month
• Pro store: $206.10/month

Who should use 3DCart

3DCart is simple to use so that any type of business can use it.

5. Prestashop

PrestaShop offers open-source eCommerce platforms to B2B wholesalers. It is well-known for its flexibility in customization. It offers innovative, efficient eCommerce solutions that allow you to build an online store and tailor it to your needs.

PrestaShop is an excellent solution for building a wholesale B2B platform that includes all the essentials. PrestaShop will make your store fully functional with all the necessary features, including customer service tools and other features that can be installed quickly. PrestaShop allows you to sell globally at wholesale levels with support for multiple currencies and languages. This makes it possible for your business to transcend borders.

Outstanding features

• Create products, categories and values quickly

• Modify the product navigation

• Track product inventory

• Many features can be customized

• Increase engagement by marketing the store with special deals, product highlights and other promotional offers.

• Manage your orders

• Customer loyalty can be increased

• Learn about customers, products, and marketing performance.

• Multiple stores can be run on the same BackOffice

• All support documents and technical assistance are available online.

Prestashop pros

• It is easy to install

• Budget-friendly

• User-friendly

• Multiple customizations are possible with ease

• Support different secure payment options

Cons of Prestashop

• Limited scalability

• Unprofessional design

Pricing: This open-source platform comes at no cost. PrestaShop can be downloaded and used to create an online shop immediately.

PrestaShop: Who should it be used for?

PrestaShop is ideal for small to medium-sized wholesale businesses. PrestaShop is an affordable solution for those who have limited budgets and want to build an online wholesale shop.

6. WooCommerce

WooCommerce is another popular open-source eCommerce platform. WordPress is the platform that allows users to customize and optimize their websites. WordPress experts who are familiar with WordPress can build websites quickly and easily.

WooCommerce allows non-technical users to build a fully-featured B2B site with many amazing plugins and themes. You’re supported with many performance optimization tools from the very beginning of website development. These tools will help you rank higher and attract more customers.

Outstanding features

• Extensive range of extensions and add ons

• Wholesale-friendly

• Design that is SEO-friendly

• WordPress allows you to think outside the box.

• Secure payment and configurable shipping options

• Integrate with official intuitive extensions

• You can integrate almost any service with it, and you have great scalability.

• Community growing quickly

WooCommerce’s Pros

• Open source and free

• There are thousands of themes that can be customized

• Flexible configurations to sell all types of products

• Secure and optimal cybersecurity

• Complete control over content and store

• A wide range of plugins

• Support from large communities

WooCommerce: Cons

• Users should have some knowledge about WordPress and WooCommerce

• Many extensions available for a fee

• It is difficult for those with no technical skills to create a strong site

• WooCommerce is not compatible with WordPress updates.

• Multi-currency implementation is difficult

• No multilingual functionality

WooCommerce: Who should it be used?

WooCommerce provides the essential tools to create a standard eCommerce website. It includes inventory management, shipping costs calculation, tax calculation, payment options, and tax calculation. This platform is suitable for wholesale businesses of any size. WooCommerce users have the ability to create powerful websites for larger businesses by combining other extensions and adding new functionality.

7. eWorldTrade

eWorldTrade has been growing rapidly and is now the fastest growing B2B platform. It’s a global platform that allows buyers and sellers to trade their products. The B2B platform is a trusted and established industry player that has been in operation for more than ten years. It aims to facilitate transparent trade across the globe. This B2B eCommerce platform was created to help you connect with trustworthy sellers and manufacturers for B2B trading. eWorldTrade is able to serve clients across all geographic borders, providing secure and reliable services worldwide.

eWorldTrade provides services at affordable rates and looks forward to achieving remarkable business transactions. The platform is a gateway for every business and allows them to expand their global business reach. Their mission is to make trade transparent and trustable by making each step transparent. They have access to a large list of suppliers and buyers that allow them to select the best trader for their needs. It’s a smooth-running, 24/7-operating B2B platform. It categorizes each product according to the industry they are in.

Outstanding Features

• Connects with international customers

• More than 500,000 users are registered

• A seamless platform for B2B

• Large database so that every product can be shown to millions of users

• It is a great way to grow your business.

• Operate all the time

• Premium users have unlimited access

• There are many products that you can choose from

• Get a free quote

• It is quick to deliver

• Verified suppliers and manufacturers

• A flawless mobile app that works perfectly

• Secure website encrypted with HTML

• Customer support is more important than satisfaction

Pros Of eWorldTrade

• Socializing platform for brands

• You are guaranteed a 100% success

• Operates in two languages

• Secure your company with the fastest VPN

• Brands can create a logo to represent themselves.

• Strategic and safe business solutions

Cons of eWorldTrade

• It does not work in more than 2 languages

• Premium package rates moderately high

Pricing

• The Elite Member is $399/Year
• Gold Member: $1499/Year
• Platinum Member: $2499/Yearly
• Platinum Plus Member: $3999/Yearly
• $7999/Year for Exclusive Members

Who should use eWorldTrade Every corporation can join the platform to conduct business transactions. It’s easy to use and intuitive for both small and large companies.

8. TradeGecko

TradeGecko is a cloud-hosted, B2B eCommerce platform that was established in 2012 to help businesses manage and track their retail inventory. The platform’s simplicity and automation allow wholesalers to quickly build an eCommerce website.

TradeGecko’s simple and easy implementation and configuration are worth mentioning. TradeGecko also offers extensive reporting and analytics. TradeGecko’s all-inclusive integrated and automated wholesale operations allows B2B wholesalers to keep track of inventory and products sold. This platform also allows for cross-channel selling.

Outstanding features

• You can easily sell across multiple channels

• Create a B2B eCommerce store

• One click to enable wholesale B2B payments

• Automate sales order, fulfillment, shipping, discounts, and other tasks

• Templates for workflow actions

• Mobile sales app allows you to manage orders, customers and products from anywhere.

TradeGecko Pros

• Payment transactions that are quick and flexible

• Inventory report in depth

• Integrate seamlessly into major platforms and accounting 

• iOS mobile app allows for on-the-go management

TradeGecko’s Cons

• For larger B2B eCommerce wholesales, there are limited features

• Lacks built-in POS system

• Refunds can only be accepted via credit card

• Support is not always available

• Bad syncing with other platforms could cause inventory tracking to not work as well as you expected.

Pricing

• Founder: $39/month, payable annually
• Lite: $79/month, payable annually
• Small business: $199 per month, charged annually
• Business: $599/month, to be billed annually

TradeGecko: Who should it be used?

This platform can be used by small and medium-sized companies, wholesalers, and retailers to simplify inventory management, particularly physical inventory.

9. Netsuite SuiteCommerce

Netsuite SuiteCommerce a cloud-based eCommerce platform designed with optimization and multi-channel selling in mind. It is suitable for both brick-and-mortar and online businesses. An intuitive POS system allows store owners to connect data from offline shops with their eCommerce website. This makes it easy for them to manage inventory, orders and customer service.

It is simple and quick to adjust and optimize product content across multiple channels. This feature allows you to manage product information for tons of wholesale products efficiently. Netsuite SuiteCommerce offers everything you need to make your business a success. It is backed by high-standard services and professional experts.

Outstanding features

• Data synchronization across multiple channels

• With Intuitive Points of Sale, you can satisfy omnichannel demand

• Commerce marketing that is powerful, feature-rich and simple to use

• Orders can be managed from different channels

• All channels can be used to leverage product content

• Comprehensive CRM allows you to gain customer visibility and understanding

• Provide various services: consulting, development, implementation, etc

Netsuite SuiteCommerce Pros

• Stable and secure platform

• It is easy to set up and customize to meet your business’s needs

• Report with accurate and detailed data

• High-quality, personalized and brand-specific shopping experience

Cons of Netsuite SuiteCommerce

• Large businesses are not able to integrate automation and scale up their integration capabilities.

• A precise, but limited function report

• Updates to currency take time

Pricing

• SuiteCommerce Standard: $2.500+/month
• SuiteCommerce Advanced – $5000/month

Your Netsuite SuiteCommerce solution’s total cost will vary depending on the number of users, add-ons, extensions and length of your contract. The fee will increase as your business grows.

Who should use Netsuite SuiteCommerce

Netsuite SuiteCommerce is not recommended to new users without any technical knowledge. SuiteCommerce Standard is a good choice for B2B wholesalers who are looking for an easy but essential eCommerce solution. SuiteCommerce Advanced is best suited for businesses that have high volumes of transactions and a complex product catalog.

10. OROCommerce

OROCommerce is the platform for you if you are looking for a platform that meets your unique requirements as a wholesale B2B eCommerce business. This platform offers the best eCommerce solutions for creating a strong online presence. OROCommerce includes a built-in CRM that allows business leaders to manage the sales process more efficiently by having a better understanding of customer reactions and a better organization of their sales pipeline. It will be easier to establish marketing and sales projections for your business.

Outstanding features

• Manage corporate accounts in B2B companies

• Define roles for internal and external employees

• Multiple price-lists can be created and managed

• Allow buyers to collaborate on multiple shopping lists

• Personalize and organize your products’ catalog

• Manage content easily

• Inventory management

• Promotion & tax management

• 360-degree customer view with multi-channel CRM

OROCommerce: Pros

• Good implementation

• Businesses with complex rules need speed development

• Useful account users levels

• Numerous features

• CRM improves user experience

Cons of OROCommerce

• It takes a lot of learning to implement and customize.

• Only a few integrated extension

• Slow to work in the local environment

Pricing

• FREE OROCommerce Community Edition
• Paid OROCommerce Enterprise Edition (price is not included)

OROCommerce: Who should it be used?

This platform was created to assist large and mid-sized businesses in achieving their goals.

11. X-Cart

X-Cart is the last candidate on this list – it’s one of the most robust and reliable B2B wholesale platforms. You’ll soon realize that customers are increasingly looking for an omnichannel experience once you get into the industry. X-Cart cares about this too and has dedicated their efforts to helping wholesalers launch an eCommerce site that is compatible with their B2B wholesale customers. X-Cart offers a variety of cutting-edge features for your website.

Outstanding features

• X-Cart Cloud makes it easy to create and launch an eCommerce site without writing a single line.

• Mobile-friendly design and SEO

• More than 120 payment options are supported

• Carts that have been abandoned can be recovered

• Enable real-time shipping quotes

• 150+ features built into X-Cart Enterprise – Free eCommerce Hosting

• Product management is simple and intuitive

Pros of X-Cart

• Lightning-fast speed

• Feature-rich

• Developers will find it easy to use

• Mobile and SEO friendly

Cons of X Cart

• It is difficult to update and upgrade

• Mobile friendly is not 100%

• Limited product variant integration (especially on Facebook)

• Templates and custom themes can be quite expensive

• Additional charges for technical support

Pricing

• Standard: $165/month (£1990 annually)
• Premium: $250 per month ($2990 annually)
• Custom: contact for a price quote

Who should use X Cart?

X-Cart is a better option for tech-savvy business leaders and B2B professionals who are able to afford to hire a professional to install it.

What are the most important features of a wholesale B2B platform?

An eCommerce website must have basic functionality in order to run your business smoothly. You will need to improve the functionality of your eCommerce website to grow your business. It will be easier to manage and run your B2B wholesale business if the platform has these functionalities.

You will find out what the most important features of a B2B wholesale marketplace to look for when choosing a platform.

The best B2B wholesale platform

1. Navigation and design are simple

A seamless platform is essential, not one that is slow or complicated. This is what your customers will expect from your B2B site. They want Simplicity.

You shouldn’t get too involved in the functionality and neglect to check out the layout of the platform. It should be easy to navigate. Customers will have difficulty browsing your pages and finding the products they are looking for.

2. Data synchronization across multiple channels

It is not new to sell on multiple platforms and channels. It is a proven method that many online businesses have used and seen great results in terms of revenue and sales. This is a very effective way to increase sales and revenue. Your future platform should allow data to be synchronized from multiple sources. This will simplify your life as managing data from wholesale businesses can be difficult.

3. Flexible integration of third-party back-end systems

You will start to optimize your website with additional functionalities that the platform does not offer. Third-party modules, tools, and platform integrations are a key component of optimizing websites. Integrating is a great way to personalize the customer journey and improve your sales process.

You can, for example, integrate email marketing into your site to personalize communication with customers. You will have more loyal customers if you send personalized, targeted letters.

4. Optimized content marketing

Content marketing is constantly evolving. You can increase brand awareness and customer loyalty by creating a content marketing strategy. It’s also possible to use content marketing with SEO. Therefore, it is important to make sure that there are opportunities for content marketing on the platform you choose.

You should be able to increase your content’s diversity and effectiveness by using a useful platform. With this platform as a base, is it possible to add different types of visual content to your website? You can always try another platform if it is impossible to include essential features such as social sharing buttons on your landing pages.

5. Facilitate customer service

Communication between online businesses, customers and other parties is crucial for the success of any sales process. Livechat is a great way to communicate with customers.

According to Forrester research, approximately 44% online shoppers believe that having live support when they order something online is an essential feature. This feature should be available on any platform that does not have it.

6. Enable mobile access

Because mobile technology opens up new opportunities, modern retailers are quickly catching up with it. Experts predict that mobile eCommerce will account for 53.9% in eCommerce sales by 2021.

In the last few years, eCommerce has seen a rise in mobile adoption. This trend isn’t slowing down. Every e-retailer should consider a platform that is mobile-friendly.

7. Flexible pricing plans

When choosing the right platform, pricing is a key consideration. Your budget will play a role, but there are more options available that can be tailored to your needs when you choose the right platform for your wholesale business. Most eCommerce wholesale platforms offer different plans and different offerings.

8. Flexibility in payment

Remember that you are a wholesale B2B business and that your customers are business people. They will purchase differently from B2C customers or small groups of customers. They buy in large quantities and therefore the cost of their purchases is high. This makes it necessary to provide a fast, convenient, and secure payment method that will make their lives easier.

B2B buyers prefer credit cards. The demand for extended payment terms is also growing. Your buyers will not be happy with the same payment terms. Flexible payment options are essential to enable your customers to achieve their business goals.

You should also consider the following:

Type of platform

There are many types of platforms when it comes to choosing a wholesale B2B platform. You should be aware of two types eCommerce platforms:

• Open-source: There are no license fees for these platforms. Hosting, PCI compliance and many other tasks will fall to you. This type of eCommerce platform allows you to modify any aspect of the code but is very expensive and technical.

• SaaS (Software-as-a-Service): SaaS eCommerce platforms use Cloud hosting, which reduces the complexity and development costs associated with running an online business.

Security

To protect your website from malicious attacks, choose a high-security platform. Cybersecurity is a critical feature of any eCommerce platform.

Support

You never know what might happen, even if your chosen platform meets all your needs. Expert help is required for certain problems that are beyond your control. Make sure you have access to expert support from your platform provider.

How do you choose the right B2B platform to promote your wholesale business?

You are familiar with the functions of an eCommerce wholesale platform. How do you choose a platform that will not disappoint?

It all depends. This is the most common answer that you will get, yet it’s not always satisfactory. The platform you choose depends on several factors, including your business size, budget, and your target customers. To get the wholesale platform that you desire, it is important to fully understand these factors. Sometimes it is easy to lose yourself in the maze of business information, and waste time on things that are not important.

To figure out how to do things, you will need to be more specific and focused. These questions will help you find the right B2B wholesale platform.

• What do you need for your business?

• Is the platform flexible enough to grow with your business?

• Are there any important features on the platform?

• What are the best ways to get help if you have problems with the platform?

• What is your budget? Are you able to afford the platform?

• Is the platform a great place to work for you and your customers?

• Are there any third-party integrations possible?

• Is it safe?

These are just a few of the many points that can help you to determine what wholesale’s best eCommerce platform should look like. You can also easily visualize an ideal platform for your business.

The right platform will help you grow your wholesale B2B business

These are all B2B eCommerce websites for wholesale. I believe they will assist you in your journey to becoming a successful wholesaler. There is no single solution. When choosing a platform, think about what your business needs. I wish you the best of luck in your search for the right platform. You are welcome!