Questions to Ask During a B2B eCommerce Software Demo

To ensure your B2B wholesale or distribution company continues to thrive, it's essential to invest in innovative B2B eCommerce software that elevates your operations. Your customers are eager to place orders online, and your sales team requires cutting-edge tools to excel. With numerous turnkey solutions available to help you get started quickly, the challenge lies in selecting the right one. Here are key considerations and questions to ask during demos to gather the crucial insights you need.

When you schedule demos with vendors, ask them the same questions. If you see several demos — especially over a short time period —it will be sensory overload. Take good notes.

Choosing software in today’s market doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. Find one with month-to-month terms, so you can easily get out of it if it doesn’t work for you.

What happens after you make the purchase?

Many B2B eCommerce software programs have similar features, so it’s important to understand what kind of support you will get from the software company and the relationship you can establish with them.

• What kind of support will you get? Is support free?
• What kind of support team is there, and how available will they be?
• Can you get support by phone, email, or live chat?
• Does staff training and onboarding come with the package?
• Is there a personal onboarding process to help your staff familiarize themselves with the platform?
• How often is the software updated? Are there any costs for upgrades?

Compatibility Issues

Issues with new software can arise because the software environment in the system includes incompatible elements, so one part doesn't interact well with the others. There may be formatting differences or other incompatibilities that are not immediately apparent. Ensure that the eCommerce software you choose is compatible with your current systems.  An eCommerce system must work with your accounting software, like QuickBooks.  With a product-based business, you need to ensure your software can keep your records consistent and inventory updated.

• How well does the software integrate with existing software?
• Does the vendor have experience with the software we are currently using?
• Does the software integrate well with your existing network structure and hardware?
• Will you be able to import your past data, previous order information, and historical records without re-entering them?
• Will past sales numbers be available immediately after the new software is live?

Ensure that all the capabilities of the new software are understood from the outset.

• What reporting capabilities does the software have?
• Does the application enable the translation of sales data into performance reports and metrics?
• How much data can the software handle? How well does it use the bandwidth available on your systems? Is there room to scale up and handle your business growth?
• How well can the software be customized as your business changes? Are there features to handle discounts, special sales events, and varied inventory? Can the software be personalized to include your logos and branding?
• Are there sufficient privacy provisions? Will access to information be controllable? How will the sign-in provisions work? Will certain staff members be prevented from seeing the data of other staff members?

Portability, networking, and flexibility of use are very important for most business software.

• Can staff access the software from outside the office?
• How well can the software be used in remote locations?
• How convenient is it when working directly with customers?
• Does it have the capability to create orders and update information in real-time?
• Is the user interface intuitive?

Deciding to streamline your business with B2B eCommerce software can be crucial for your company. Make the right choice by asking the right questions.