B2B Gets The B2C Treatment

B2B and B2C…maybe they’re not so different, after all. That’s the belief of Ryan Shields, CEO of Indaba Group, who shares with PYMNTS his thoughts on the commonality of the two spaces, and how they point to a bright future for B2B.

B2B, B2C – what’s the difference in one letter? Not much, says Ryan Shields, CEO of Indaba Group. He spoke with PYMNTS recently about his company’s partnership with OroCRM, and how more and more B2B merchants are looking to benefit from being treated, in many ways, almost as if they were B2C.

 

You recently announced a partnership with OroCRM as a way to provide better well-rounded B2B services. What does this mean for your clients?

RS: The eCommerce space isn’t just maturing in the digital landscape – it’s invading it, setting things up for a defining moment. What that means for us is that we are going to be able to not only serve a wider audience of customers as we move from the B2C side to the B2B side, something that we’re very excited about.

On the B2C side, it’s important to know your customer in a 360-degree view – and that’s the case for B2B, as well. Being able to get much more information about your customer, now, whether you’re a B2B or B2C player in the eCommerce world, is essential for all of our clients.

 

How will this partnership impact your B2B strategy?

RS: From a B2B strategy standpoint, we have seen a massive uptick of those merchants wanting to tap into the services of Indaba. That speaks to the fact that we have the ability to craft online experiences on the B2C side that the B2B side is now recognizing that it needs to adopt.

What that means is we are going to be able to tap into the B2B market a lot more readily with the tools in our armory to deliver a very strong online digital experience for the B2B world that has been, in the past, more recognizable in the B2C space.

 

What top challenges do you face in working with B2B sellers?

RS: One of the biggest challenges, honestly, is the perception that B2B is, or should be, different from B2C.

I believe that there is a lot of commonality between a B2B and a B2C play. There are some nuances on the B2B side that are unique to it, and the resultant challenge posed there is the need for some different technologies. We believe that we can innovate current technology to satisfy a B2B play. I really think that something like Oro is an innovation of technology – not a recreation or a reinvention of the wheel, if you will – to satisfy B2B needs.

 

Experts predict that the B2B eCommerce industry will reach a valuation of $6.7 trillion by the end of 2020. What role do you plan to play in moving the industry forward?

RS: I would love for our role to be in helping the industry reach those figures before 2020.

I think that figure can be met a lot sooner. Once the perceptions have changed for the better for B2B, and it is viewed as being more closely aligned with the B2C experience, I think we’ll see it be an even more lucrative market by 2020.

My guess for reaching $6.7 trillion, actually, would be 2018. Just look at how the B2C market has surprised everyone year over year: similarly, there is right now such a low benchmark for B2B commerce that I believe it’s going to exceed expectations, as its potential and capability really come to light.