The way companies buy and sell has shifted away from traditional B2B sales relationships in favour of seamless digital transactions. To remain competitive, B2B manufacturers must embrace ecommerce. Learn how even established manufacturers can achieve digital transformation with ease by adopting the right technology.
Manufacturers and processors have always been the backbone of industrial progress. But as global markets evolve and supply chains become more complex, the way companies buy and sell in B2B markets is changing. Procurement managers, distributors and industrial buyers expect the same seamless digital experiences they enjoy in consumer life – but with features adapted to the unique needs of B2B buyers.
For businesses across processing and manufacturing, this shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Those who adapt stand to gain efficiency and new market reach. Those who delay risk falling revenues.
The state of B2B: from catalogues to clicks
Traditionally, B2B commerce in manufacturing has relied on long sales cycles, paper catalogues and personal relationships. These methods delivered stability, but cannot keep up with the modern buyer’s needs. Today, research from Gartner[i] shows that 75% of B2B buyers say they prefer digital self-service for researching and ordering products.
This preference is not just about convenience, but also allows customers to be more agile and productive in their own roles. Digital-first buyers demand:
- Real-time inventory visibility
- Transparent pricing and shipping costs
- 24/7 access to product information
- Seamless reordering and account management
Companies that still rely only on manual processes are finding themselves at a disadvantage. By contrast, manufacturers who invest in ecommerce platforms gain both efficiency and the ability to expand internationally without proportionate increases in sales resources.
How buyer expectations are changing
Many industrial buyers are no longer comparing direct competitors; they are comparing the ordering experience to what they encounter with giants like Amazon. A procurement manager who can order office equipment with one click expects a similarly frictionless experience when ordering replacement valves or machine parts.
This phenomenon is reshaping manufacturing procurement. The new B2B buyers expect speed, accuracy and ease. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing long-standing customers to competitors who can deliver a more modern digital storefront.
Getting online with confidence
Digital transformation doesn’t have to be as complex as it sounds. Platforms like BigCommerce – powered by parent brand Commerce – enable manufacturers to move online quickly while integrating with existing ERP, PIM and CRM systems. This allows businesses to start small, for example by digitising repeat orders, and then expand as they gain confidence.
Beyond simply going online, digital solutions can also support the diversification of sales channels. With Feedonomics – also part of the Commerce solution stack – manufacturers can manage and syndicate product data across marketplaces, search engines and industry platforms. This ensures products are discoverable and accurate wherever buyers are searching, from Google Shopping to sector-specific portals.
In today’s volatile markets, that discoverability translates into resilience. When one sales channel slows, others can fill the gap.
Case study: TYGRIS future-proofs its industrial business
TYGRIS, a family-run business in Scotland, has been supplying cleaning, lubrication, and protection solutions to industries since 1971. Like many manufacturers, TYGRIS faced the challenge of modernising its sales processes.
In 2020, the company launched a B2B ecommerce site on BigCommerce’s B2B Edition. Features like a quick order pad and purchase order workflows enabled its customers to buy more efficiently, while real-time inventory visibility proved invaluable during product shortages at the height of the pandemic.
The impact was transformative: between 2020 and 2021, TYGRIS achieved a 145% increase in conversion rate, a 99% increase in orders, and a 138% increase in revenue.
As Jed Simpson, General Manager at TYGRIS, put it:
“We chose BigCommerce because it can scale at the same level and speed as we do. The platform gives us the scalability, flexibility and openness we need to implement changes exactly when our customers need them.”
Proof over promises
For directors and senior managers in the manufacturing and processing industries, investing in digital transformation can feel daunting. Budgets are significant, change management is complex, and the wrong platform choice can be costly. That is why independent validation is so critical, and why BigCommerce’s track record stands out.
BigCommerce has consistently been rated a top performer by Paradigm B2B, the analyst-led commerce technology report. In the 2025 reports, BigCommerce was awarded 24 medals across the Mid-Market and Enterprise editions.
As the highest-rated B2B ecommerce solution for customer satisfaction on G2, BigCommerce customers report achieving return on investment in as little as six months, less than half the industry average.
BigCommerce has been named a Leader in Worldwide B2B Digital Commerce Applications by IDC MarketScape, praised for its open SaaS model, scalability, and ability to integrate seamlessly with ERP, PIM and CRM systems.
Highlighted as a Challenger in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce Report, BigCommerce was recognised for its rapid pace of innovation and unique ability to serve both B2B and B2C businesses on a single platform.
Together, these endorsements form a powerful message. Ecommerce with BigCommerce is not an experiment, but a proven growth strategy that delivers measurable impact for manufacturers, processors and distributors worldwide.
Building resilience in manufacturing
The future of manufacturing is global, digital, and increasingly customer-centric. Trends shaping the next decade include:
- AI-powered personalisation: enabling predictive reordering and customised recommendations for buyers
- Sustainability demands: with customers requiring greater transparency across the supply chain
- Omnichannel fulfilment: integrating ecommerce with physical operations to meet buyer demands for speed and flexibility
By building digital-first infrastructure today, manufacturers can respond to these shifts with agility. Ecommerce is not just about selling, but future-proofing a business for whatever comes next.
What’s next?
For the processing and manufacturing sectors, the message is clear: ecommerce is no longer a nice-to-have, but a business imperative. From efficiency gains to customer retention and global growth, digital commerce provides the foundation for resilience in uncertain times.
Manufacturers who act now will not only meet the expectations of today’s buyers but also position themselves for the opportunities of tomorrow.
BigCommerce is proud to support manufacturers and processors on this journey, helping them not only get online, but grow online.
[i] https://www.gartner.com/en/sales/insights/b2b-buying-journey
