Apps are a must-have for all businesses if they want to increase their reach, market themselves and keep their customer informed. In the case of B2B apps, the approach is slightly different compared to regular apps. As the principles used in B2B and B2C are completely different; hence, the app development cycle for each will also be different. The key to creating a successful B2B app is knowing about the client’s requirements and ongoing trends. In this blog, we will discuss how to build a successful B2B app, its types, and its market overview. 

With the advent of new technologies, it has become easy to access emails, social media, music, games, and more. Research has revealed that 85% of the time on mobile phones is spent on apps. Hence, promoting your products/services on apps is much more effective than traditional ways of doing it. 

Types of B2B Apps

There are several types of B2B apps. Which can be categorized based on the tasks they accomplish. Let’s have a look at each one of them in detail.

Commerce

Like B2C eCommerce apps, B2B eCommerce apps are created to sell products to customers. The only difference being that they are meant for other businesses. Earlier, businesses used to send to their partners large excel spreadsheets with a list of products & prices. A long trail of emails followed before a deal was made. However, with B2B mobile apps, it is much easier to find & order products. Clients can see product listings, delivery statuses, push notifications, get easy checkout and make electronic payments.

E.g., CAT, Alibaba, Amazon Business

External Management

This type of B2B app helps in coordinating with vendors, managing supply chains, and facilitating communication between various stakeholders. These include Customer Relationship Management (CRM) apps, online conferencing apps, and project management apps. DocuSign is an example of an External Management application that allows users to view and sign documents online, reducing the time needed for making decisions. Another app, Jira, helps assign tasks, create deadlines, manage projects, and track progress. It is very popular with IT companies to manage and complete projects.

Internal Operations

These Apps help in internal communication, delegating tasks, and keeping track of operations. Such apps help in internal coordination between departments and employees. Slack is a popular app in this category that helps in internal communication and sending files. It helps in teamwork, allowing users to create tasks and projects to make internal operations smooth.

Work Process Facilitation

This category of B2B apps is meant to make employees’ jobs easier and more productive. These sets of tools will vary depending on the domain of the business. For example, warehouse employees can use software for inventory management, and delivery agents will use an app that helps locate delivery addresses and change the delivery status in real time. Human Resource Executives use such apps for employee performance management and for hiring process facilitation. BambooHR is one such example of an HR management app. 

Tips for Building a Successful B2B App

Optimize For Repeat Purchases

In the case of B2B purchases, companies find little difference between competing products. Companies are looking for value, quality support, and communication. A B2B app can make this easier by making the buying process easier, enabling repeat purchases, and creating a Quick order list.

Optimize the Checkout Process

A company may lose a lot of business due to abandoned shopping carts. The most common reason is difficulty in making payments. However, it is not so difficult to provide a secure & fast payment gateway.

Creating a Better UX/UI

Like a B2C app, B2B apps should have a good UX/UI experience, load quickly, and be intuitive. Content, including texts, graphics, images, and videos, should be optimized for the mobile and easy to consume. 

Push Notifications

Push messages are an efficient way to promote your products. As they are read much more than emails. They should be scheduled appropriately depending on the target audience and contain engaging text and emojis.

Benefits of B2B Apps

B2B apps provide a wide customer reach and are crucial to marketing and long-term relationships with clients. It enables micro-interactions in the form of interactive animation, push notifications, and real-time support. B2B apps provide global access, enabling the workforce to make decisions while traveling, at home, or on vacations. 

Another advantage B2B apps can provide is employee management, tracking their in & out times, task management, and performance reports. Social media is all over the place, with several platforms available to showcase your products and keep in touch with your clients. You can create a business page of your firm and encourage the audience to install your app, which will widen your reach. As more potential clients install your app, your sales turnover will go north. With repeat purchases being more common in B2B than B2C, the company will consistently have a good client base. 

Statistics of B2B Apps

Challenges Of The B2B market

• Although B2B firms have access to diverse industries, the market is still limited in size. This makes B2B risky for small and mid-sized B2B firms.
• eCommerce supply chain management is complicated, and miscommunication at any     point can slow down the process and affect operations.
• B2B eCommerce apps are more complex than B2C apps, with many integrations.
• Developing a User Persona for a B2B eCommerce app is complex and results in multiple user personas.
• In the case of B2B eCommerce, there can be many stakeholders, and the buyer may    not necessarily be the end user.

Market Overview of B2B eCommerce Platform

The growth of any business depends on the quality of goods and services provided by the firm. As a result, firms need to have a strong relationship with suppliers of raw materials/spare parts. The other requirement is a stable B2B payment channel for faster payment and supply of goods and services. This is being done by real-time electronic payments, in which funds get transferred within no time. 

Asia-Pacific has the highest share in the global market. And is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 10 % till 2030. Europe is the second largest contributor and is projected to reach USD 640 billion by 2030. North America is the third largest region, and most electronic payment solution companies have opened their offices in the US. Some of the notable electronic payment solutions companies include American Express, MasterCard, PayPal, Visa, etc. 

To Summarize…

The B2B apps industry is still in its nascent stage and will continue to grow as per forecasts of various market research conducted. Although there are some bottlenecks at present, there is tremendous potential for the market size to grow exponentially. As mobile app development evolves with introduction of new technologies like Blockchain, Smart Contracts, B2B apps will also become faster, more productive, and more secure. This will make B2B apps successful and popular amongst small, mid-sized, and large corporations.