Andy Hoar

Science-fiction writer William Gibson once said, "The future has already arrived; it's just not evenly distributed yet." Some B2B enterprises have been selling online for years, but most are new to online selling and have much to learn. Fortunately, their more experienced B2C brethren have much to teach them about standards for customer experience and eCommerce best practices. This report provides a road map for digital business professionals developing and executing their B2B eCommerce… Show more

Science-fiction writer William Gibson once said, "The future has already arrived; it's just not evenly distributed yet." Some B2B enterprises have been selling online for years, but most are new to online selling and have much to learn. Fortunately, their more experienced B2C brethren have much to teach them about standards for customer experience and eCommerce best practices. This report provides a road map for digital business professionals developing and executing their B2B eCommerce strategies. This is an update of a previously published report. We revised this edition with new data and customer examples for continued relevance and accuracy. Show less

Building a world-class B2B eCommerce business requires that digital business professionals define and prioritize key issues, allocate scarce resources, and avoid costly missteps. This report explores how B2B companies create industry-leading experiences by addressing five strategic issues: performing effective customer segmentation, adopting proper differentiation, defining clear goals, allocating sufficient resources, and cultivating a culture of excellence. This is an update of a previously… Show more

Building a world-class B2B eCommerce business requires that digital business professionals define and prioritize key issues, allocate scarce resources, and avoid costly missteps. This report explores how B2B companies create industry-leading experiences by addressing five strategic issues: performing effective customer segmentation, adopting proper differentiation, defining clear goals, allocating sufficient resources, and cultivating a culture of excellence. This is an update of a previously published report. We revised this edition with new data and customer examples for continued relevance and accuracy. Show less

New forms of digital customer engagement are transforming B2B businesses, forcing B2B digital business strategy professionals to fundamentally rethink how they go to market — from the customers they target to the channels they sell through. In the B2B eCommerce playbook, we examine today's broader B2B eCommerce landscape and outline how organizations can use digital to optimize their B2B eCommerce teams and processes for success. This report is an update to a report published on April 8, 2016.

In our 35-criteria evaluation of B2B commerce suite providers, we identified the 11 most significant vendors — BigCommerce, CloudCraze, Episerver, Handshake, Insite Software, Intershop, Magento Commerce, Oracle NetSuite, Sana Commerce, SAP Hybris, and Unilog — and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps digital business professionals at midmarket B2B companies make the right choice.

B2B companies face a daunting yet critical task: accurately measuring and reporting the impact that digital channels have on sales, service, loyalty, and operations. This report outlines how successful digital business strategy professionals identify and prioritize key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze omnichannel customer interactions to produce value-added insights and drive sustained growth. This is an update of a previously published report. It includes new data, examples, and… Show more

B2B companies face a daunting yet critical task: accurately measuring and reporting the impact that digital channels have on sales, service, loyalty, and operations. This report outlines how successful digital business strategy professionals identify and prioritize key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze omnichannel customer interactions to produce value-added insights and drive sustained growth. This is an update of a previously published report. It includes new data, examples, and insights. Show less

Omnichannel business-to-business (B2B) buyers are more active, generate more incremental revenue, and cost less to serve than single-channel customers. But as customer expectations rise, B2B buyers are becoming fickle and demanding a full spectrum of self-service, full-service, and hybrid purchase options. This report helps B2B digital business professionals make the case for building better omnichannel experiences. This is an update to an earlier published report and includes new insights… Show more

Omnichannel business-to-business (B2B) buyers are more active, generate more incremental revenue, and cost less to serve than single-channel customers. But as customer expectations rise, B2B buyers are becoming fickle and demanding a full spectrum of self-service, full-service, and hybrid purchase options. This report helps B2B digital business professionals make the case for building better omnichannel experiences. This is an update to an earlier published report and includes new insights, data, and examples Show less

B2B eCommerce organizations know that having a vision alone does not guarantee success. The devil is in the details and the hard work associated with executing on solid, actionable strategies. This report, a part of the B2B eCommerce playbook, outlines how B2B eBusiness and channel strategy professionals can transform generic strategies into "ACTIVE" strategies capable of more successfully achieving company goals in the age of the customer. This document is an update to a report published in… Show more

B2B eCommerce organizations know that having a vision alone does not guarantee success. The devil is in the details and the hard work associated with executing on solid, actionable strategies. This report, a part of the B2B eCommerce playbook, outlines how B2B eBusiness and channel strategy professionals can transform generic strategies into "ACTIVE" strategies capable of more successfully achieving company goals in the age of the customer. This document is an update to a report published in January 2016 and includes new insights, data, examples, and charts. Show less

Forrester estimates that B2B eCommerce will reach $1.2 trillion and account for 13.1% of all B2B sales in the US by 2021. At the end of 2017, Forrester expects eCommerce to reach $889 billion and represent 11% of total B2B sales in the US. We're forecasting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% in B2B eCommerce over the next four years. This report defines the potential of the US B2B eCommerce space and what B2B digital business professionals must do to take advantage of the opportunity.

Producing an effective B2B eCommerce technology strategy is like planning for a successful journey: You need a good map, a proper guide, and the right tools. In the age of the customer, B2B digital business pros must: 1) create a compelling strategic plan; 2) select world-class partners; and 3) choose a robust and scalable B2B eCommerce solution suite. This report distills Forrester's best thinking on how B2B digital business pros can create the right customer use cases, select key partners… Show more

Producing an effective B2B eCommerce technology strategy is like planning for a successful journey: You need a good map, a proper guide, and the right tools. In the age of the customer, B2B digital business pros must: 1) create a compelling strategic plan; 2) select world-class partners; and 3) choose a robust and scalable B2B eCommerce solution suite. This report distills Forrester's best thinking on how B2B digital business pros can create the right customer use cases, select key partners, and choose the best technology solutions. This document is an update of the report published on January 7, 2016, and includes new insights, data, and examples. Show less

Two years after forecasting that 1 million B2B salespeople would be displaced by 2020, Forrester sees B2B buyers both accelerating their shift to self-serve and demanding higher-quality interactions with sales pros. This report, a follow-on to "Death Of A (B2B) Salesman," explores how and why leading digital business pros are automating the order-taking process and digitally enabling sales reps for unified, full-spectrum B2B commerce.

In our 35-criteria evaluation of B2B commerce suite providers, we identified the 11 most significant vendors — Apttus, CloudCraze, Episerver, IBM, Insite Software, Intershop, Magento, Oracle Commerce Cloud, Oracle NetSuite, SAP Hybris, and Unilog — and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps eBusiness and channel strategy professionals make the right choice.

In our 29-criteria evaluation of B2C commerce suite providers, we identified the 13 most significant vendors — commercetools, Digital River, Elastic Path, Episerver, IBM, Intershop, Kibo, Magento, Oracle Commerce Cloud, Oracle NetSuite, Salesforce, SAP Hybris, and Sitecore — and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps eBusiness and channel strategy professionals make the right choice.

B2B brands that do not sell direct are disappointing customers and leaving money on the table. New research shows that B2B buyers want to engage directly with brands, which is calling into question the age-old instinct of B2B brands to defer the selling function exclusively to the traditional channel. This report explores how and why digital business pros must now put themselves at the heart of their selling story and sell their products and services everywhere and anywhere that customers want… Show more

B2B brands that do not sell direct are disappointing customers and leaving money on the table. New research shows that B2B buyers want to engage directly with brands, which is calling into question the age-old instinct of B2B brands to defer the selling function exclusively to the traditional channel. This report explores how and why digital business pros must now put themselves at the heart of their selling story and sell their products and services everywhere and anywhere that customers want to buy them. Show less

As B2B customers demand frictionless buy flows, global competition erodes margins, and manufacturers crave direct customer engagement, layers of middlemen are under pressure to evolve — or die. This report describes how age-of-the-customer digital forces are creating a challenging new reality, but also compelling new opportunities, for digital business professionals working at B2B manufacturers and channel partners.

Today's B2B eCommerce organizations must balance executing on a digital strategy with transforming a business. Individually, each priority represents a difficult challenge. Combined, they represent a once-in-a-generation test of the people called upon to lead an organization in the age of the customer. This report explores how leading eCommerce entities are structuring, hiring, and staffing for such an important and pervasive business transformation. It also provides a useful RASCI chart for… Show more

Today's B2B eCommerce organizations must balance executing on a digital strategy with transforming a business. Individually, each priority represents a difficult challenge. Combined, they represent a once-in-a-generation test of the people called upon to lead an organization in the age of the customer. This report explores how leading eCommerce entities are structuring, hiring, and staffing for such an important and pervasive business transformation. It also provides a useful RASCI chart for digital business professionals. This is an update to the report published on November 19, 2015 and includes new data, charts, and customer examples. Show less

With the B2B C-suite increasingly demanding that companies make more informed digital investment decisions, B2B digital professionals are now closely measuring their progress and benchmarking their maturity. Forrester offers a new framework, the Digital Maturity Model 4.0, that enables B2B digital pros to compare their investments in human capital, business processes, and technology infrastructure to their peers. This is an update of a previously published report; we substantially revised this… Show more

With the B2B C-suite increasingly demanding that companies make more informed digital investment decisions, B2B digital professionals are now closely measuring their progress and benchmarking their maturity. Forrester offers a new framework, the Digital Maturity Model 4.0, that enables B2B digital pros to compare their investments in human capital, business processes, and technology infrastructure to their peers. This is an update of a previously published report; we substantially revised this edition to factor in our new Digital Maturity Model 4.0. Show less

In the age of the customer, it is critical that B2B companies know where they're performing well with their customers and where they're falling short. As such, Forrester partnered with Internet Retailer magazine to survey business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce professionals and benchmark B2B seller performance. The survey focused on B2B budget/spending plans, customer experience comparisons with business-to-consumer (B2C) retailers, feature/function/site component priorities, site… Show more

In the age of the customer, it is critical that B2B companies know where they're performing well with their customers and where they're falling short. As such, Forrester partnered with Internet Retailer magazine to survey business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce professionals and benchmark B2B seller performance. The survey focused on B2B budget/spending plans, customer experience comparisons with business-to-consumer (B2C) retailers, feature/function/site component priorities, site measurement/metrics, and mobile and tablet plans. This document is an update to a report published in December 2014 and includes new insights, data, examples, and charts. Show less

2016 presents B2C and B2B professionals with a now-or-never choice: Either outpace the pack by responding effectively to six important trends — or fall permanently behind in the customer obsession race. This brief outlines our six key predictions for 2016 and what you should do about them, from responding to Amazon's surging growth to incorporating self-service in B2B. It also debunks five widespread claims about what 2016 will bring that it actually won't.

Few B2B companies doubt the value of having ratings and reviews on their websites. But developing and offering any feature comes with a price. This report shows how B2B eBusiness professionals can use best practices and proven methodologies to determine under what conditions ratings and reviews are right for their companies and how to implement them successfully. This is an update to the report published in December 2014 and includes new data and customer examples.

Until recently, most business-to-business (B2B) companies relied on thick print catalogs, armies of sales reps, and well-staffed call centers to drive and support customer purchases. But B2B customers have substantially shifted their research and transaction activities online — and onto their mobile devices. As a result, B2B companies have been forced to fundamentally rethink critical customer engagement strategies and core investments in commerce infrastructure. This report outlines… Show more

Until recently, most business-to-business (B2B) companies relied on thick print catalogs, armies of sales reps, and well-staffed call centers to drive and support customer purchases. But B2B customers have substantially shifted their research and transaction activities online — and onto their mobile devices. As a result, B2B companies have been forced to fundamentally rethink critical customer engagement strategies and core investments in commerce infrastructure. This report outlines Forrester's vision for how B2B eCommerce professionals can deliver value-added experiences by using content to drive commerce and by leveraging old and new channels to maximize customer reach. This is an update to the report "The New And Emerging World Of B2B Commerce," originally published on February 10, 2014. Show less

In Forrester's 88-criteria evaluation of B2B commerce suite vendors, we identified the eight most significant providers in the category — CloudCraze, eBay Enterprise (Magento), hybris (an SAP company), IBM, Insite Software, Intershop, NetSuite, and Oracle — and researched, analyzed, and scored them in three areas: current offering, strategy, and market presence. This report details our findings about how well each vendor fulfills our criteria and where they stand in relation to each other to… Show more

In Forrester's 88-criteria evaluation of B2B commerce suite vendors, we identified the eight most significant providers in the category — CloudCraze, eBay Enterprise (Magento), hybris (an SAP company), IBM, Insite Software, Intershop, NetSuite, and Oracle — and researched, analyzed, and scored them in three areas: current offering, strategy, and market presence. This report details our findings about how well each vendor fulfills our criteria and where they stand in relation to each other to help eBusiness and channel strategy professionals select the right partner for their B2B commerce solution. Show less

Forrester forecasts that 1 million US B2B salespeople will lose their jobs to self-service eCommerce by the year 2020. While B2B buyers overwhelmingly prefer to research, and increasingly buy, products and services via a self-service website, B2B sellers still force buyers to interact with their salespeople as part of the purchase process. This report describes how and why B2B eBusiness and channel strategy professionals must radically transform their historical sales models to accommodate a… Show more

Forrester forecasts that 1 million US B2B salespeople will lose their jobs to self-service eCommerce by the year 2020. While B2B buyers overwhelmingly prefer to research, and increasingly buy, products and services via a self-service website, B2B sellers still force buyers to interact with their salespeople as part of the purchase process. This report describes how and why B2B eBusiness and channel strategy professionals must radically transform their historical sales models to accommodate a real-time and global buying environment where websites, not salespeople, are at the heart of how B2B companies buy and sell. Show less

Forrester estimates that B2B eCommerce will top $1.1 trillion and account for 12.1% of all B2B sales in the US by 2020. At the end of 2015, Forrester expects eCommerce to reach $780 billion and represent 9.3% of total B2B sales in the US. We're forecasting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% in B2B eCommerce over the next five years — driven largely by channel-shifting B2B buyers and the desire by B2B companies to reduce their costs to serve clients. This report defines the potential… Show more

Forrester estimates that B2B eCommerce will top $1.1 trillion and account for 12.1% of all B2B sales in the US by 2020. At the end of 2015, Forrester expects eCommerce to reach $780 billion and represent 9.3% of total B2B sales in the US. We're forecasting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.7% in B2B eCommerce over the next five years — driven largely by channel-shifting B2B buyers and the desire by B2B companies to reduce their costs to serve clients. This report defines the potential of the US B2B eCommerce space and what B2B eBusiness and channel strategy professionals must do to take advantage of the opportunity. Show less

In Forrester's 77 criteria evaluation of the top 10 global commerce service providers (GCSPs), we found that Deloitte Digital, SapientNitro, Accenture Digital, Razorfish Global, Cognizant, and IBM Global Business Services lead by offering a complete suite of B2C commerce services. Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Infosys, and Wipro offer a compelling combination of digital strategy and technical execution capacity focused on B2C businesses. The purpose of this report is to help… Show more

In Forrester's 77 criteria evaluation of the top 10 global commerce service providers (GCSPs), we found that Deloitte Digital, SapientNitro, Accenture Digital, Razorfish Global, Cognizant, and IBM Global Business Services lead by offering a complete suite of B2C commerce services. Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Infosys, and Wipro offer a compelling combination of digital strategy and technical execution capacity focused on B2C businesses. The purpose of this report is to help eBusiness and channel strategy professionals choose the best fit digital business partners to help them accelerate digital transformation and meet the rapidly changing expectations of customers. Show less

In Forrester's 77-criteria evaluation of the top 11 global commerce service providers (GCSPs), we found that Accenture Digital, Deloitte Digital, and SapientNitro lead the pack with their integrated customer-facing and technology integration services. Razorfish Global, IBM Global Business Services, EPAM Systems, HCL Technologies, Cognizant, Tata Consulting Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro are strong providers in the space and offer differentiated capabilities and capacities. The purpose of… Show more

In Forrester's 77-criteria evaluation of the top 11 global commerce service providers (GCSPs), we found that Accenture Digital, Deloitte Digital, and SapientNitro lead the pack with their integrated customer-facing and technology integration services. Razorfish Global, IBM Global Business Services, EPAM Systems, HCL Technologies, Cognizant, Tata Consulting Services (TCS), Infosys, and Wipro are strong providers in the space and offer differentiated capabilities and capacities. The purpose of this report is to help eBusiness and channel strategy professionals choose best-fit development and design partners to help them accelerate digital transformation both inside and outside of their companies. Show less

Customers are flocking to affiliate deal sites that offer promotional coupons and offer codes. The slowdown in the economy, advances in technology, and a more favorable consumer mindset toward couponing are driving online shoppers en masse to horizontal coupon and deal sites such as ShopatHome and RetailMeNot, vertical coupon and deal sites such as TechBargains, and cashback sites such as Ebates and Upromise. But unlike just a few years ago, these sites now employ sophisticated merchandising… Show more

Customers are flocking to affiliate deal sites that offer promotional coupons and offer codes. The slowdown in the economy, advances in technology, and a more favorable consumer mindset toward couponing are driving online shoppers en masse to horizontal coupon and deal sites such as ShopatHome and RetailMeNot, vertical coupon and deal sites such as TechBargains, and cashback sites such as Ebates and Upromise. But unlike just a few years ago, these sites now employ sophisticated merchandising tools and robust tracking and reporting technologies. In addition, in many cases they offer global reach. Yet for eBusiness professionals, some historical questions persist around measuring incrementality, sales crediting, and brand association. But the impressive traffic flowing to these sites, coupled with the relatively low-risk pay-for-performance model, offer eBusiness professionals compelling new opportunities in the space. Show less

To better understand how manufacturers can increase the ultimate conversion rate on leads they send to online retailer websites, Forrester teamed up with Channel Intelligence to analyze the patterns resulting from 44 million initial clicks on "buy" buttons across more than 150 major manufacturers' sites in 2010 and 2011. The purpose of the study was to determine the optimal page design, price presentation, and stock status display for manufacturers offering "where to buy" information on behalf… Show more

To better understand how manufacturers can increase the ultimate conversion rate on leads they send to online retailer websites, Forrester teamed up with Channel Intelligence to analyze the patterns resulting from 44 million initial clicks on "buy" buttons across more than 150 major manufacturers' sites in 2010 and 2011. The purpose of the study was to determine the optimal page design, price presentation, and stock status display for manufacturers offering "where to buy" information on behalf of online retailers. Forrester found that shoppers who were shown "buy" button language, pricing information, and stock status in a specific way upstream on a manufacturer's website converted at a much higher rate downstream with online retailers. Show less

In just days or even hours consumers can cost brand manufacturers and retailers millions of dollars and much heartache by wittingly, or unwittingly, distributing large numbers of fake coupons. Media has enhanced this capability by way of TV shows such as TLC's Extreme Couponing, via coupon enthusiast blogs and websites, and through social media dedicated to sharing couponing tips in real time. While the vast majority of coupon fraud and abuse still takes place with newspaper-delivered print… Show more

In just days or even hours consumers can cost brand manufacturers and retailers millions of dollars and much heartache by wittingly, or unwittingly, distributing large numbers of fake coupons. Media has enhanced this capability by way of TV shows such as TLC's Extreme Couponing, via coupon enthusiast blogs and websites, and through social media dedicated to sharing couponing tips in real time. While the vast majority of coupon fraud and abuse still takes place with newspaper-delivered print coupons, as retailers move more coupons into the digital space, old forms of fraud and abuse are finding a new home and new forms of fraud and abuse are emerging. Troubling cases can arise quickly from obscurity, impose acute financial and public relations pain, and make a company vulnerable — all in a very short period of time. eBusiness professionals need to follow three straightforward rules to contain the larger problem and avert specific coupon fraud and abuse. Show less

Although currently used by only 5% of US online adults who own cell phones, services that allow consumers to "check in" on their mobile phones at retail locations are used by 11% of US online smartphone owners. Services such as Facebook Places and foursquare presently count more than 10 million mobile users, and newer entrants such as CheckPoints and shopkick this year eclipsed the 1 million user mark. In some cases, these services have shown early success using targeted offers to drive… Show more

Although currently used by only 5% of US online adults who own cell phones, services that allow consumers to "check in" on their mobile phones at retail locations are used by 11% of US online smartphone owners. Services such as Facebook Places and foursquare presently count more than 10 million mobile users, and newer entrants such as CheckPoints and shopkick this year eclipsed the 1 million user mark. In some cases, these services have shown early success using targeted offers to drive in-store leads and product trials. However, most check-in services have not generated tremendous transaction activity and have yet to prove themselves as viable customer loyalty tools. We'll need to wait for "check-ins 2.0," with more and better offers and a refined closed-loop buying process, to deliver more fully on those goals. However, eBusiness professionals responsible for mobile channels should start experimenting with existing "check-ins 1.0" functionality as a means to reach a persuadable in-store audience and enhance existing loyalty strategies. Show less