Digital Commerce Transformation Strategies

Most agencies think B2B commerce is B2C with quotes and net terms. Developers think B2B is B2C with ERP integration. Both are painfully wrong. And we see this constantly. Agencies pitch beautiful websites. Developers promise perfect APIs. Projects crash and burn. Here's what they miss: 𝟳𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲. EDI processes 20 billion transactions yearly. APIs millions more. Punchout catalogs. Email orders. Fax. Per Capital One, the global B2B market hit $32 trillion. In the U.S. alone, B2B is responsible for 86.6% of all ecommerce. By 2028, only 27.5% of B2B digital commerce will happen through sites. This isn't technology failing. It's a misunderstanding of B2B commerce. After nearly 20 years bridging tech and business, I can confidently say this: 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗲. Best projects? Zero code for three months. Conversations. Workflow mapping. Process documentation. → Talk to warehouse managers before developers → Map ERP workflows before wireframes → Document business rules before features → Understand operations before optimization Client told me: "You understood our business better than we did." That's the job. B2B "digital commerce" means:  • Automated RFQ processing  • Customer portals  • Accurate customer-specific pricing  • Real-time inventory APIs  • Digital document exchange  • Bulk order uploads Sometimes the shopping cart is not even needed. B2C optimizes conversion rates. B2B needs operational efficiency. B2C focuses on user journeys. B2B needs system integration. B2C designs beautiful interfaces. B2B needs bulletproof workflows. Different problems. Different expertise. Solution isn't making B2B look like Amazon. It's making business work better. Stop selling websites. Solve workflow problems. Stop pitching platforms. Build partnerships. Stop thinking ecommerce. Think business transformation. That's how you capture $32 trillion. Found this valuable? Hit like 👍 Follow me for more B2B insights. Repost if your network needs this ♻️

‼️ What CPG marketers can learn from the Global Head of Digital Commerce Strategy at the world’s biggest ice cream brand: Melda Hamarat's (Unilever) interview on The CPG View was packed with takeaways for anyone navigating omnichannel, retail media, or digital commerce strategy in a multinational org 👇 ➡️ Global frameworks ≠ rigid playbooks. A global strategy should be a north star—not a mandate. Markets need flexibility to adapt based on retail maturity, infrastructure (like cold chain), and consumer behavior. ➡️ Digital commerce ≠ standalone. It only works when integrated holistically into brand, marketing, and media strategies—especially when 30%+ of shoppers research online before buying anywhere. ➡️ PSO is the new shelf. “Perfect Store Online” is table stakes. Hero images, PDP copy, search optimization—they all matter. Bad contrast or poor grammar = lost sales. ➡️ Experimentation is a culture. Their teams are required to run experiments. They even built an internal "Knowledge Bank" so learnings are instantly shareable across global markets. ➡️ Transformation isn’t about a flashy team. It's about digital literacy across every function. Media, shopper, brand, category—all should understand retail media, DTC, and eComm shelf dynamics. ➡️ What’s next? -Retail media standardization -AI-driven performance and targeting -Social commerce (esp. Gen Z/Alpha) -Time-of-day ad optimization (Temptation Tuesdays, anyone?) Melda’s POV is a masterclass in how to scale digital transformation without becoming inflexible or disconnected from market reality. 👀 If you're a brand trying to modernize your go-to-market strategy, this one’s worth a listen.

Too many B2B companies are fooling themselves about their eCommerce success—and it’s costing them millions. Too many B2B companies proudly claim they’re "leaders" in digital because 20-35% of their revenue comes from eCommerce. Sounds impressive—until you look under the hood and realize what’s really happening. ❌ Customers aren’t actually shopping—they’re just using the site as an order entry portal. ❌ They already know what they need (part numbers, repeat orders) and aren't looking for more. ❌ Sales reps still do all the work in helping customers find the right products. This isn’t digital transformation—it’s just making your customers do manual data entry for you. B2B companies that rely on this model are fooling themselves about their digital maturity. They’re not making it easier for customers to buy—they’re just forcing them to place orders manually instead of calling or emailing a rep. By treating eCommerce as nothing more than a self-service checkout, these companies: ⚠ Commoditize themselves, making it easier for customers to switch to a competitor. ⚠ Fail to create any real digital value, reducing their role to just another transaction channel. ⚠ Ignore the biggest opportunity—leveraging digital to actually help customers buy smarter and easier. If your eCommerce site doesn’t help customers decide what to buy, it’s not a digital strategy. It’s an admin burden disguised as progress. The companies actually leading in B2B eCommerce aren’t just forcing customers to enter part numbers. They are using digital to do what great salespeople do—but at scale. ✅ Guided selling tools that help customers find the right products, even when they don’t know part numbers. ✅ Targeted, personalized recommendations based on real buying behavior (not generic “you might also like” nonsense). ✅ AI-powered search and filtering that makes finding the right product fast and frictionless. ✅ Multimedia content (videos, tutorials, PDFs) that actually help customers install, maintain, or optimize products. Every day a company keeps treating eCommerce as order entry, they are: 💰 Losing revenue from customers who would buy more if they were guided properly. 🏃♂️ Driving customers to competitors who make it easier to buy. 📉 Forcing outside sales reps to handle tasks that should be automated, instead of focusing on actual consultative selling. B2B eCommerce isn’t just about letting customers place orders. It’s about helping them buy better. Let’s be real—if your customers can’t discover new products, get smart recommendations, or be guided to the best solution, then your ecommerce site isn’t a sales channel. It’s just a (very expensive) digital fax machine. So I’ll ask: 🔹 What’s one feature or approach that’s actually adding value for your customers? Let’s talk. Drop your thoughts below. 👇