How To Win Clients And Influence Markets with B2B Marketplace Sites?
B2b
Marketplace Sites represent an alternative for companies when selling products
and services on-line inside and outside the country. What types of markets there
are, what advantages they have for internationalization or what to take into
account before using them are some of the issues addressed in this article.
A basic element to identify an e-marketplace is that it allows you to perform a commercial function: providing company contact details, directly buying and selling products, receiving or sending information requests and quotes, organizing auctions or reverse auctions, etc.
Buyers and sellers relationship - Basically, these are platforms on the Internet that
allow buyers and sellers to get in touch in a many-to-many relationship,
differentiating themselves from other types of electronic commerce systems
where the relationship is established in a particular way between a supplier
and a customer.
Shopping centers - These markets act as shopping centers in the
off-line world: they agglutinate the offer of different companies and meet the
demand to facilitate commercial exchanges for both parties. B2B marketplace sites allow companies to create on-line stores in different markets niche to
sell their products adapted to their needs.
Focus marketing - These platforms can be oriented to the purchase of products and services or focused to the sale. In this platform, buyers has complete control and pays for procurement services, While those who bet on the seller include functionalities to present themselves and their products.
Classification Of B2B Marketplace Sites
·
Vertical and horizontal - Depending on
whether they are engaged in a single sector or multiple industries, they are
classified into vertical and horizontal electronic markets, respectively. In
the monosectorial specialization priority and usually includes information
relevant to this type of business; Those that include several categories have
the advantage of bringing together more buyers and sellers.
·
Free or closed
- Another classification can be established, depending on whether they allow companies
for freely or open participation or if it is necessary for the company to take approval
and manages it to access its services.
·
Geographical approach
- Finally, considering the geographical approach of the electronic market, we
can divide them between global platforms, those that operate around the world
or a large part of it, or regional, if they bet on countries or specific
geographical areas.
These
classifications are not exclusive but define different aspects of the markets,
so we can have, for example, horizontal, open, regional and vendor-centered
platforms. If it is more convenient one type or another depends on the
objective pursued with the use of e-marketplaces and the type of product that
you want to sell or buy.
How do B2B marketplace sites work?
Online
B2B marketplace sites vary in terms of the functionalities they provide
companies, although, they all allow the company to publish information about
the company. Some e-marketplaces also facilitate the publication of the catalog
of products that the company sells, and others go a step further by allowing
the direct purchase of these products.
Why offer so many options?
Because
the product catalog is a crucial aspect of the presence in vendor-oriented
markets, where the best is what is sold, the greater chance of success will be.
It is also common to be allowed to include offers and demands as classified
ads. This option is particularly interesting as a way to exit an excess of
punctual stock or look for services and products for supply.
Auctions Certain platforms base their marketing system on the
auctions. They can be upward, allowing buyers to bid for products by raising
their final price, such as the US giant eBay , or down, also called reverse
auctions, in which sellers offer their services to the buyer at Style of public
tenders.
Complementary services - In addition, many B2B marketplace sites provide
complementary services directly or indirectly, such as payment management.
SoloStocks, for example, has an international payment platform, so companies
receive their charges in the account without worrying about the country from
which they were made.
Guarantors - Some even act as guarantors of payments thanks to the
escrow system, where the e-marketplace collects the buyer 's money and is not
released until the goods have been received. An example is Nubelo , a platform
for contracting professional services, which uses this system to mediate
between free lance and contracting companies, and in this way ensures both the
collection for the work done and the correct development of the operation,
since The money is not delivered until the order is completed correctly.
One of the great advantages of B2B Marketplace Sites is its ability to embrace new
markets and locate new trading partners at very low cost through participation
in internationally focused platforms. This also gives a great help in the
process of internationalization.
