Why Choose an Australian B2B eCommerce Platform

Choosing a B2B eCommerce platform for your business can seem like a daunting task. Your evaluation needs to consider factors such as features, pricing, and integration capability. But what about location? It’s a factor that often gets overlooked, until it’s too late. While it’s true that many popular eCommerce platforms are based in the US or Europe, for companies in Australia and New Zealand, a local eCommerce platform provider is often the better choice.

It’s logical to start your search with the well-known global eCommerce providers, but failing to include a locally-based option in your shortlist can be a costly mistake. With benefits ranging from more accessible support and easier communication to more relevant integrations, choosing an Australian eCommerce platform over an international one can certainly put your business at an advantage.

Easier Communication & Better Business Relationships

One of the biggest reasons to choose an Australian B2B eCommerce platform is that it makes communicating with your platform provider much more straightforward. Using a platform based overseas can introduce difficulties with time zone differences during the planning and implementation of your project.

It may also mean having to involve a third party or agency to get around the issues caused by working with a platform based overseas. By choosing an all-in-one B2B eCommerce provider in your geographic region, you can ensure straightforward communication without worrying about time differences or third parties.

Of course, with better communication comes better relationships, and the relationship you build with your platform provider can have a powerful effect on your business. With a deeper understanding of your challenges, goals, and digital strategy, a B2B eCommerce provider that you communicate well with can build a far more effective solution for your business needs.

Local Knowledge

Working with a local Australian eCommerce provider means that you’ll be working with a team that understands B2B eCommerce in Australia. As such, they’re better equipped to help you take on the challenges and opportunities unique to doing business in Australia and New Zealand.

This level of local market awareness removes a barrier that can arise when working with a non-Australian provider who may not have specific technical knowledge of the Australian market regulations, trends, and customer expectations. This becomes even more important once the complexities of B2B eCommerce are factored in.

Accessible Support

Whether you’re experiencing an issue with your platform or have a question about functionality, it’s important to know you have support whenever you need it. Larger overseas platforms may provide Australian-based support, but many others don’t, meaning you’ll have to factor in time differences and international call centres when trying to contact their customer support.

A local Australian B2B eCommerce provider means you can simply pick up the phone or send a message and get in touch immediately. Having support available whenever you need it means your business stays up and running, 24/7.

Simpler Fees

B2B eCommerce platforms based outside Australia may not always provide pricing in Australian Dollars (AUD) for subscriptions, transaction fees, or any additional charges. This can make budgeting far more complicated - you’ll need to convert every relevant charge into AUD, creating a lot of extra effort.

There is also the risk of exchange rate fluctuations, where the value of the AUD changes and the costs you end up paying for your eCommerce platform are significantly higher than you’d originally budgeted.

Worse, some international platforms may not accept payment in Australian Dollars at all, meaning you might incur currency conversion charges when paying for your service - on top of the actual cost of your eCommerce platform.

The best way to secure transparent pricing and avoid these issues? Choose an Australian B2B eCommerce platform. With all fees already in AUD, you won’t need to factor fluctuating exchange rates into your budget, nor will you face any extra costs from conversion charges or overseas transaction fees.

More Useful, Relevant Integrations

Another critical feature to consider when choosing a B2B eCommerce platform is the range of integration it offers with other applications and services. The best eCommerce platforms provide a host of integrations to payment gateways, data reporting tools like Google Analytics, and marketing applications that offer search engine optimisation (SEO) or abandoned cart recovery, for example.

The integrations supported by an eCommerce platform will often depend on where it’s based. For example, US-based eCommerce solutions will likely offer many integrations to American payment options - which is great for businesses trading in the US, but not so helpful for your Australian company’s operations.

If you choose an Australian B2B eCommerce platform, however, you can make use of integrations that are far more relevant and useful for eCommerce in Australia. For instance, the Commerce Vision platform integrates with Australian payment providers such as Payright and eWay, giving you local options in addition to the standard integrations for your eCommerce transactions.

Choosing an Australian eCommerce platform allows you access to the most relevant integrations for your market, rather than paying for region-specific options you can’t actually make use of.

How Do You Choose The Best B2B eCommerce Platform In Australia?

The benefits above make it clear that a local Australian eCommerce platform can offer your business many advantages. The next question is how to choose one.

Some factors to bear in mind when making your choice:

• Which features and functions do you need?
• Does the provider specialise in B2B eCommerce?
• Which integrations would support your business processes and increase efficiency?
• Are there custom elements that your eCommerce platform will require?
• Do you need a dedicated B2B eCommerce platform or just an eCommerce solution for an existing B2C website?

If you’re looking for an Australian eCommerce platform that ticks all the boxes, look at Commerce Vision. As Australia’s leading B2B eCommerce platform, Commerce Vision offers a huge range of powerful B2B features backed by a dedicated Australian-based support team. Over 20 years of experience in Australia’s integrated B2B eCommerce sector means you’ll end up with the right eCommerce platform for your business.

Whether you’re looking to re-platform away from a current solution, or you’re building a B2B eCommerce website from scratch, Commerce Vision’s team of experts work with you to identify and implement the features and integrations your business needs. In-house implementation and dedicated Customer Success and Support teams mean you’ll have a local B2B eCommerce partner long after the day your website goes live.

In Summary

When evaluating B2B eCommerce platforms for your business, it can be tempting to consider only the most widely-known providers - even if they’re based overseas. However, choosing an Australian B2B eCommerce provider delivers clear benefits and business advantages that multinational operators just can’t offer. Selecting the right partner for your B2B eCommerce platform will set you up for success and allow you to focus on what really matters - growing your business.

To speak with an expert about your eCommerce requirements, schedule a consultation.