A marketplace is a website where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods or services. They’re a growing B2B software trend as more companies realize the value of facilitating their online B2B marketplace. They can be used as a way to sell to other businesses or as a way for businesses to buy from other companies. B2B marketplaces are significant because they allow you to access thousands of potential partners, suppliers, and buyers in one place.
What is a B2B Marketplace?
A B2B Marketplace is a website where companies can create product and service listings. Buyers can search for what they need, then contact sellers directly.
An excellent way to think about this is like an online shopping mall—where buyers don’t have to find everything by themselves but can choose from a wide range of possibilities that experts in the industry have already vetted.
The best B2B marketplaces offer advanced features such as:
- E-commerce integrations (to help you sell on your website)
- Payment processing capabilities (to make payments easier for the buyer)
- Coupon codes/discounts (to incentivize customers)
The Difference Between B2C and B2B Marketplaces
B2C platforms are designed for individual consumers to buy and sell products. These might include:
- Peer-to-peer marketplaces like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace
- Brokers like eBay and Amazon Marketplace
- Classifieds sites like Craiglist, Tibero, Gumtree, or Kijiji
B2C marketplaces are the most popular eCommerce platform worldwide because they’re the easiest way for any person or business to start selling online. However, these platforms are only sometimes profitable. In fact, many B2C marketplaces lose money by charging fees to both buyers and sellers for listing their products on the site (more on this later).
Alibaba
Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce company founded by Jack Ma and Peng Lei in 1999. It provides services like Taobao Marketplace, Tmall, Juhuasuan, AliExpress, 1688.com, and Alibaba.com.
Alibaba makes money through advertising on its websites, commissions for transactions made through its various platforms, and by providing data analytics to businesses. In 2018 alone, it delivered over 400 billion packages globally via courier companies such as DHL and UPS.
Alibaba was valued at $500 billion in September 2018, but this figure has grown further, now to $600 billion[5]. The company has three main businesses:
- Retail marketplaces (Taobao) and business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, which includes international trade & crosses border e-commerce.
- Cloud computing & internet infrastructure.
- Digital media & entertainment.
- Financial services, including payment processing via Alipay, among other things.
Amazon Business
Amazon Business is a B2B marketplace for businesses to buy and sell products and services. It’s part of Amazon.com but completely separate from its consumer retail business.
Businesses on Amazon Business are both manufacturers and resellers who want to connect with other businesses through the site. They can list their products and services, manage their inventory, order shipments, track orders, and more through the platform.
TradeFord
TradeFord is an online B2B marketplace that helps suppliers and buyers connect, buy and sell products and services. It provides a wide range of business products and services, including office supplies, industrial equipment, food and beverage, automotive parts, and accessories.
Tundra wholesale platform
Tundra is a global marketplace that brings buyers and sellers together. Tundra has over 15 million products from over 2,500 suppliers in their marketplace.
Tundra’s platform is set up for B2B wholesalers looking to purchase bulk wholesale goods at lower prices than those found on traditional retail websites. The company has built its proprietary software called “Smart Match,” which helps connect buyers and sellers, then monitors the transaction until it is complete so both sides can trust each other in the deal.
DHGate
DHGate is a Chinese online marketplace that helps buyers and sellers connect and do business with each other. DHGate is a good choice if you want products from China but don’t speak Chinese.
- They offer a large selection of products ranging from clothing to electronics.
- Their website provides various shipping options to get your items quickly and easily.
ThomasNet
ThomasNet is a B2B marketplace for suppliers and manufacturers. It’s a social network for B2B manufacturers and distributors and a database of products and services. That means you can find suppliers on ThomasNet, manufacturers, and distribution companies.
SupplyHog
SupplyHog is a B2B marketplace platform that offers real-time access to the right products and services for your business. This is not just another eCommerce solution: It is an industry-specific marketplace where businesses can find suitable products and services from various vendors.
The platform provides you with all the necessary tools to set up, run, manage and grow your online store(s). Various integrations allow you to connect seamlessly with 3rd-party apps such as MailChimp or Google Analytics without worrying about technicalities. It also comes with built-in SEO optimization features, so you don’t have to hire developers for search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns anymore – your site will automatically be optimized for search engines.
There’s also no need for developers when it comes time for updates since everything is centralized on SupplyHog’s servers which ensures safety against hacks too.
When it comes down to it, though, this software can do everything else, but what makes them stand out above others? Well, first of its price tag: no hidden costs are involved when signing up; only one low monthly fee (about $10/month). Second would have been their friendly customer service team, who quickly responded whenever I had questions about its features or helped fix any bugs I encountered during the testing period.
eWorldTrade
eWorldTrade is a B2B marketplace that brings together businesses and buyers. It’s an online platform connecting companies in over 50 countries worldwide, giving them access to thousands of products from manufacturers, exporters, and suppliers.
eWorldTrade has been around since 2010 and is used by thousands of companies worldwide. It’s one of the largest business-to-business marketplaces on the internet today, with over 1 million users from over 180 countries participating online anytime.
In Conclusion
When you’re ready to start your B2B marketplace, there are many options to choose from. We hope our list helped point you in the right direction for building your own business.