Commerce Cloud is an integral part of the Salesforce Success Platform, offering an ecommerce solution that integrates with existing Salesforce productsDue to the differences between the B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) environments, Commerce Cloud offers specialized solutions for each scenario. 

Commerce Cloud is packed with powerful out-of-the-box capabilities for site design and customization. It comes with best practices built-in to optimize the ecommerce experience for both businesses and customers. Additionally, Commerce Cloud contains shopping cart functionality as well as metrics capabilities, language options, mobile-friendly interfaces, and currency flexibility. And because it is powered by Salesforce, all CRM data and features can be integrated into ecommerce sites created with Commerce Cloud. In fact, over 3,000 websites across over 50 different countries use Commerce Cloud to power their sales.

The Differences Between B2C and B2B

Commerce Cloud can be broken down into two main products – B2C and B2B. While many functions are available across both products, the fact remains that each market requires different specific features.  Single B2C customers and large B2B buyers each have different use cases, which is why separate products exist.

For instance, B2C sites are built to attract a large number of customers. Businesses want to use these websites to convert browsers into buyers, and they are designed with this goal in mind. Companies focus energy on showing customers products that are relevant to their tastes and optimizing pages to create sales. Purchases are meant to be quick and easy, streamlining the transaction process. And resource allocation for holiday visitors is easy to scale up and down depending on the time of year.

On the other hand, B2B sites are built for a much smaller set of users. These customers are known and do not need to be converted most of the time. They make large or frequent purchases and sometimes ship to multiple addresses. Streamlining the transaction process for these customers is a much different task compared to B2C customers. B2B sites need to make it easy for large orders and reorders to be placed, and there is less priority put on flashy features.

With that distinction in mind, here are the unique features Commerce Cloud provides for both kinds of site.

B2C Features

If you have purchased goods or services online, chances are that you’ve used a site powered by Commerce Cloud. B2C Commerce lets brands create web and mobile sites that promote sales across digital channels and devices. It does this by integrating ecommerce sites with marketing and service solutions to create personalized experiences designed to close deals. Some of the key features include:

• Einstein for B2C Commerce – Einstein provides robust AI capabilities without the need of a data scientist. The five key features include Einstein Product Recommendations, Einstein Predictive Sort, Einstein Commerce Insights, Einstein Search Dictionaries, and Einstein Search Recommendations.
• Order Management – This feature allows for full visibility into order and inventory information. It also enables customers to purchase from anywhere and pick up anywhere. For instance, a customer can purchase a good online and pick it up in a store.
• Endless Aisle – Businesses can leverage endless aisle to offer customers an unlimited amount of product choices. Brick and mortar stores are often limited by their inventory, but with endless aisle, businesses can sell or ship any product to their customers regardless of location. Digital inventory can be fully extended to physical stores, and sales staff can tap into this to sell products.

B2B Features

Businesses often purchase goods in bulk, and online portals can make this easier. The core features offered for B2B sites are:

• Account Management – B2B Commerce offers authenticated sites with unique logins for each visitor. With individual accounts, businesses can offer custom catalogs, exclusive items, or special prices that are specific to individual customers. This is often the case with large businesses, as contracts allow for negotiated prices.
• Order Flexibility – Businesses can reorder past orders in an instant or copy past orders and edit their quantities. With shopping carts that often contain thousands of items, a very different engine is required to manage purchases. Additionally, B2B Commerce can handle shipping requests to multiple locations over different delivery dates.
• Payment Options – Credit cards, Purchase Orders, and ACH (Automated Clearing House) are available depending on the business’s specifications.

Learn More By Talking To An Expert

If you want to learn more about leveraging Commerce Cloud for your ecommerce site, we have a few resources for you. In the next week, we will be releasing a tips and tricks guide to help you get started, but if you can’t wait until then, Trailhead has an excellent training module. And if you are looking for immediate results from a professional organization, Ntegro can help you with your Commerce Cloud needs. Just contact us online for a free consultation!