---
title: "What Is B2B E-Commerce? How to Build a Wholesale Site: Step-by-Step Guide"
description: "What is B2B e-commerce and how do you build a wholesale site? A guide covering dealer groups, tiered pricing, minimum orders, approved memberships, payment and accounting steps."
url: https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/what-is-b2b-e-commerce-how-to-build-a-wholesale-site-step
language: en
site: Faprika
---

# What Is B2B E-Commerce? How to Build a Wholesale Site: Step-by-Step Guide

> What is B2B e-commerce and how do you build a wholesale site? A guide covering dealer groups, tiered pricing, minimum orders, approved memberships, payment and accounting steps.

In many wholesale businesses, order day still goes the same way: dealers call, ask for a product list by message, ask the price and dictate the order; the sales team enters orders into the system by hand, and rings the warehouse to answer every dealer who asks about stock. As the business grows, this routine slows down, wrong-product and wrong-price mistakes increase, and the sales team spends most of its time recording orders.

**B2B e-commerce** changes this routine: your dealers and wholesale customers see their own prices and place their own orders against current stock, at any hour of the day. In this guide, we explain what B2B e-commerce is, how it differs from retail e-commerce, how to build a wholesale site step by step, the features it needs, pricing, and the common mistakes.

Key Takeaway

“B2B e-commerce doesn't replace your sales team; it frees it from typing up orders. The dealer places the order themselves, and your team grows the relationship.”

## What Is B2B E-Commerce?

B2B e-commerce (business-to-business e-commerce) is an online sales model in which a business sells its products over the internet to its dealers, wholesalers, retailers or corporate customers, at prices and terms set specifically for them. It is also known as a wholesale site, dealer order system or dealer portal.

On a B2B e-commerce site, the customer doesn't shop in a store open to everyone but with an account defined for them. The price they see, the quantities they can order, the payment methods they can use and even the products they can view are shaped by the rules the business has set for them.

Okumanızı öneririz

B2B Nedir, Ne İşe Yarar?

## What Are the Differences Between B2B and B2C E-Commerce?

In B2C e-commerce everyone sees the same price and usually buys items one at a time; in B2B e-commerce, each customer group has its own prices, order rules and payment terms, and orders are larger and more regular. This difference changes how the site is designed from top to bottom.

*Görsel: Comparison of B2B and B2C e-commerce: customer, price, order quantity, access, payment and order frequency (The six core differences between B2C and B2B e-commerce: the same product, different rules.)*

| Topic | B2C e-commerce | B2B e-commerce |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Customer | Individual consumer | Dealer, wholesaler, retailer, corporate |
| Price | The same open price for everyone | Special price by customer group or quantity |
| Order quantity | One or a few units | Cases, packs or high quantities; often a minimum order quantity |
| Access | Store open to everyone | Login with approved membership; prices or the store are open to members only |
| Payment | Card, cash on delivery | Bank transfer (havale/EFT), card, open account and reconciliation with accounting |
| Order frequency | Irregular, tied to campaigns | Regular and repeated; the same products are ordered again and again |
| Purchase decision | Fast, emotional | Planned; based on price, stock and delivery time |
| Relationship | Can be one-off | Long-term, contract-based |

## Why Does B2B E-Commerce Matter?

B2B e-commerce takes order-taking away from the sales team and hands it to the dealer, so orders speed up, errors fall and the sales team has time to win new customers. For a wholesale business, the main benefits are these:

- **Orders at any hour:** Dealers can order in the evening or on weekends without waiting for business hours.
- **Fewer errors:** Because product code, variant, quantity and price are chosen on the dealer's own screen, the misunderstandings that happen by phone or message disappear.
- **Current stock and prices:** A dealer doesn't order an out-of-stock product; price changes are made in one place and reach everyone at the same time.
- **Time for the sales team:** Instead of writing up orders, there is time for dealer visits, winning new dealers and campaign planning.
- **Speed on repeat orders:** The dealer sees their previous orders and reorders the same products quickly.
- **Measurable sales:** Which dealer bought what, which product sells in which region and how often orders come in are tracked with reports.
- **Scalability:** When the number of dealers grows, you don't need to grow the team in the same proportion.

Tip

Don't hang up on the phone, redirect it

Some dealers will keep ordering by phone out of habit. Instead of turning these orders away, have the sales team enter them in the system on the dealer's behalf, and each time say, "next time you can place it from the panel in a few clicks." The switch happens through ease, not force.

## How to Build a Wholesale Site: B2B E-Commerce in 7 Steps

A wholesale site is built in seven steps: choosing the model, defining customer groups, setting up price lists, setting access and order rules, connecting payment and accounting, and bringing dealers onto the system. Following the steps in order removes the need to rebuild later.

*Görsel: Wholesale site setup steps: model, customer groups, price lists, access and approval, order rules, payment and accounting, onboarding dealers (The seven setup steps of a B2B e-commerce site.)*

### 1. Choose Your Model: B2B Only or Together with B2C?

The first decision is whether the site will be open to dealers only, or will sell both retail and wholesale on the same site. On a B2B-only site, the store is closed to members only; a visitor can't see products or prices without logging in. In a mixed (hybrid) model, a retail customer sees normal prices and a logged-in dealer sees their own. The mixed model lets you manage two channels from one panel but requires more careful price and campaign design.

### 2. Define Customer Groups and Dealer Structure

Divide your customers into groups to which you will apply different prices or terms: for example main dealers, sub-dealers, retailers and corporate customers. Each group's prices, payment methods and order rules are defined separately. If you have a dealer and sub-dealer structure, also decide at this stage whether a main dealer will earn a commission on its sub-dealers' sales.

### 3. Set Up Price Lists

In B2B, price changes with the customer group and the order quantity. Group-based price lists and tiered prices that fall as quantity rises are the two most common methods. We explain pricing in detail in a separate section below.

### 4. Set Access and Approval Rules

Letting everyone see wholesale prices puts both your dealers and your retail price structure in a difficult position. That is why memberships should be approved: a company that applies to be a dealer is approved after its tax details are checked and it is assigned to the right group. As needed, the whole store is opened to members only, or products are visible but prices are shown only to those who log in.

### 5. Put Order Rules in Place

For each product, define the minimum and maximum order quantity and, if needed, case multiples. Limit which payment and shipping methods each customer group can use. Rules such as the minimum order amount and the free shipping threshold are also settled at this stage.

### 6. Set Up Payment, Invoicing and Accounting Connections

In B2B, bank transfer (havale/EFT) and credit card are the most common payment methods; some businesses work with their dealers on an open account. Sending orders automatically to the accounting or ERP system, issuing invoices automatically and updating stock from a single source bring out the real efficiency of B2B. Otherwise, an order that arrives online is entered again by hand in the back office.

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### 7. Bring Your Dealers Onboard

When the site is ready, invite dealers to the system one by one: open their accounts, send a short usage guide and be with them for their first orders. Starting with the dealers who order the most in the first weeks helps the system get adopted quickly. Use dealers' feedback to improve the product list, the category layout and the quick order screen.

## 12 Features a B2B E-Commerce Site Must Have

A B2B e-commerce site should include customer-group pricing, tiered pricing, approved membership, price and store hiding, minimum and maximum order quantity, payment and shipping restrictions, bulk product management, fast reordering, order notes, e-Invoice, accounting integration and reporting.

| Feature | What is it for? |
| --- | --- |
| 1. Customer-group pricing | Main dealers, sub-dealers and retailers see the same product at their own price. |
| 2. Tiered (layered) pricing | The unit price falls as the order quantity rises; it encourages dealers to place large orders. |
| 3. Approved membership | Only verified companies can access wholesale prices. |
| 4. Price hiding | Products are visible; prices are shown only to members who log in. |
| 5. Store hiding | A visitor who is not a member cannot enter the store at all. |
| 6. Minimum and maximum order quantity | Wholesale terms (case, pack, minimum quantity) are applied at the cart stage. |
| 7. Payment and shipping restrictions | Each customer group sees only the payment and shipping methods defined for it. |
| 8. Bulk product and price management | The prices and stock of thousands of products are updated in bulk. |
| 9. Fast reordering | The dealer sees their previous orders and reorders the same products quickly. |
| 10. Order notes | Delivery, shipment or special requests are recorded with the order. |
| 11. e-Invoice and accounting integration | Order, invoice and stock information is synchronized with the accounting or ERP system. |
| 12. Reporting | Sales by dealer, product and region, and order frequency, are tracked. |

We recommend reading

What Is Stock Tracking? How Is It Done?

## How Is B2B Pricing Done?

B2B pricing is done by setting a customer-group price or discount on top of the list price, and by setting up tiered prices where the unit price falls as the order quantity rises. The two methods are often used together.

*Görsel: Illustration of a B2B e-commerce dealer panel: dealer-group pricing, tiered price table, minimum order quantity, case quantity and cart summary (The screen the dealer sees: group-specific price, quantity-based tiered price and order rules on a single card.)*

- **Group pricing:** A separate price list or a group discount off the list price is defined for each customer group. The main dealer, sub-dealer and retailer see the same product at different prices.
- **Tiered pricing:** For the same product, the unit price drops as the order quantity passes certain thresholds. When a dealer can see how far the quantity in their cart is from the next tier, they are more willing to increase their order.
- **Variant pricing:** Prices are defined per variant according to differences in color, size or packaging.
- **Campaign:** Seasonal discounts on specific products, brands or categories can be opened only to the relevant customer groups.

The table below is an example of how tiered pricing can be set up; the amounts are for illustration only:

| Order quantity | Unit price (example) | Message to the dealer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1–2 cases (12 units per case) | 100 TL | "Go up to 3 cases and the unit price drops to 94 TL" |
| 3–9 cases | 94 TL | "2 cases to go for 10 cases" |
| 10 cases and above | 89 TL | "Best price applied" |

Tip

Set the Tiers Based on Profit

Set the tier thresholds based on your own costs, not by looking at competitors' prices: the lower shipping, packaging and handling cost on a large order is how much the tier discount can be. That way the dealer buys more and you keep the same profit per order.

We recommend reading

What Is Price Management in

E-Commerce

?

## Can B2C and B2B Coexist on the Same Site?

Yes. In a mixed (hybrid) model, the same e-commerce site serves both retail customers and dealers; visitors see retail prices, while a dealer who logs in sees the prices and ordering rules of their own group. Products, stock and orders are managed in a single panel.

|  | Separate B2B site | Mixed (hybrid) site |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Management | Two separate stores, two separate product and stock systems | One panel, one product and stock system |
| Confidentiality | Wholesale prices are kept entirely separate | Wholesale prices are visible only to the logged-in dealer |
| Brand perception | The dealer enters through a separate door | Dealers and consumers see the same branded site |
| Who is it for? | Manufacturers and distributors that sell wholesale only | Brands that sell to both consumers and dealers |

The most important thing to watch for in the mixed model is that retail campaigns do not clash with dealer prices. Limit campaigns by customer group, and make sure retail discounts never fall below the dealer price.

## What Should the Dealer Experience Look Like in B2B E-Commerce?

A good dealer experience in B2B e-commerce means the dealer can place an order of hundreds of items in a few minutes, without errors and with up-to-date stock information. Dealers come to order, not to browse; the screens should be built accordingly.

- **Fast search by code and name:** Dealers often recognize a product by its stock code. The search box should work with stock code and barcode as well as product name.
- **List view:** Instead of a showcase full of large images, a simple list that shows product name, code, stock status, dealer price and quantity box on a single line shortens the ordering time.
- **Order history and reorder:** The dealer should be able to see previous orders and add the same products to the cart again in one go.
- **Clear stock and delivery information:** Out-of-stock or limited products should be clearly visible at the ordering stage; the dealer must know before making promises to their own customer.
- **Rule notifications in the cart:** The minimum order quantity, case multiples or the next price tier should be shown clearly in the cart; the dealer should correct the order while sending it, not after it has been sent.
- **Mobile compatibility:** Dealers often place orders by phone from the store, the warehouse or on the road. The list and cart screens should be comfortable to use on a phone too.
- **Order status:** If the approval, preparation, shipping and invoicing stages are visible in the dealer's panel, "what is the status of my order?" calls decrease.

## How Is Success Measured in B2B E-Commerce?

The success of B2B e-commerce is measured by the share of online orders in total orders, the number of active dealers, the order frequency per dealer and the average order value. Track these indicators regularly by comparing them with the situation before launch.

| Indicator | What does it tell you? | What to do if it is low |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Share of online orders | How many of your dealers have adopted the system | Explain it one-to-one to dealers who still order by phone; guidance from the sales team |
| Number of active dealers | The number of dealers who placed at least one online order recently | Call the dealers who have never logged in and set up their accounts together |
| Order frequency per dealer | How regularly the dealer places orders | Get in touch with dealers whose frequency is dropping; offer a special campaign |
| Average order value | Whether tiered pricing and product suggestions are working | Review the tier thresholds and complementary product suggestions |
| Number of order corrections | Whether the ordering rules are applied correctly on the site | Move the minimum quantity, case multiple and payment rules to the cart stage |

## 7 Common Mistakes in B2B E-Commerce

1. **Leaving wholesale prices open to everyone:** The retail price structure is disrupted and dealers get upset.
2. **Using the B2C site as it is:** Screens designed for adding products one by one turn into torture for dealer orders of hundreds of items.
3. **Updating price and stock by hand:** A site that is not synchronized with accounting or the warehouse quickly goes out of date; dealers stop trusting it and go back to the phone.
4. **Applying ordering rules by phone instead of on the site:** If the minimum quantity, case multiple and payment terms are not applied at the cart stage, every order has to be corrected after a call back.
5. **Launching without onboarding the dealers:** A site that opens without accounts, training and first-order support stays empty.
6. **Leaving the sales team out of the process:** If the team sees the system as a competitor, it keeps steering dealers to order by phone. The team's targets should cover online orders as well.
7. **Not looking at the reports:** A dealer whose order frequency is dropping shows up in the reports before being lost; if nobody looks, the opportunity is missed.

## B2B E-Commerce Checklist

Review the list below before launching your wholesale site.

*Görsel: B2B e-commerce checklist: 15 items across access, pricing, order rules, payment and accounting, and dealer experience (15-item B2B checklist to complete before launch.)*

- **Access:** Memberships are approved; the store or prices are open only to members; every dealer is assigned to the right group.
- **Pricing:** Group prices are defined; tiered prices are calculated on the basis of profit; retail campaigns do not clash with dealer prices.
- **Ordering rules:** Minimum and maximum order quantities and case multiples are defined; payment and shipping methods are restricted by group; the minimum order amount is set.
- **Payment and accounting:** Bank transfer and card payment have been tested; orders are transferred to the accounting or ERP system; e-Invoices are issued automatically.
- **Dealer experience:** The quick reorder screen works; usage guidance has been sent to dealers; the first orders have been placed together with the sales team.

## B2B E-Commerce with Faprika

The features needed for wholesale are ready in the panel of the Faprika e-commerce infrastructure; from the same panel you can set up a B2B-only site or a mixed one together with retail. You can see which plan each feature starts in on the [e-commerce plans](https://www.faprika.com/en/pricing) page:

- **B2B (wholesale):** The wholesale module is included from the Ultimate plan onwards.
- **User group and dealership settings:** You divide your customers into groups and define separate terms for each group.
- **Tiered pricing:** You define tiered prices that change with order quantity; you can enter prices per variant.
- **Price hiding and store hiding:** You show prices only to members or close the store completely to non-members.
- **Minimum and maximum purchase quantity:** You set order quantity limits on products.
- **Restriction of order, shipping, user and payment systems:** You determine which customer can use which payment and shipping method.
- **Bulk product management:** With Excel product upload and update, and bulk product and category updates, you manage the prices and stock of thousands of products quickly.
- **Commission-based sales system:** If you have a dealer and sub-dealer structure, the entitlements arising from sub-dealers' sales are calculated automatically and shown in their account statements.
- **Accounting and ERP integrations:** With [accounting add-ons](https://www.faprika.com/en/accounting-add-ons), you connect your order, stock, account and invoice data to the system you use; with automatic [e-Invoice](https://www.faprika.com/en/e-invoicing) and e-Archive, invoices are not issued by hand.
- **Order and member export:** You get an instant XML / Excel output of your order and product data.

We recommend reading

How to Manage Orders in

E-Commerce

?

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What Is B2B E-Commerce?**

B2B e-commerce is an online sales model in which a business sells its products over the internet to its dealers, wholesalers, retailers or corporate customers, with prices and terms specific to them. Customers log in with approved accounts and see the prices and ordering rules defined for their own group.

**What Is the Difference Between B2B and B2C E-Commerce?**

In B2C, individual consumers usually buy single items at public prices. In B2B, the customer is a business: prices vary by customer group and quantity, orders are larger and more regular, and the store or its prices are often open only to approved members.

**How do you build a wholesale site?**

First, decide whether to sell B2B only or together with retail. Then define customer groups and price lists, set up access rules such as approved membership and price hiding, set order rules such as a minimum order quantity, connect payment, invoicing and accounting, and invite your dealers to the system.

**Can B2B and B2C be run on the same site?**

Yes. In a mixed model, visitors see retail prices, while dealers who log in see the prices and terms defined for their group. Products, stock and orders are managed from a single panel; campaigns need to be limited by customer group so they don't clash with dealer prices.

**What is tiered pricing?**

Tiered (layered) pricing is a method in which the unit price of the same product falls as the order quantity passes certain thresholds. It encourages dealers to place larger orders; setting the thresholds according to the processing and shipping costs that drop on large orders protects your profit.

**How Are Wholesale Prices Hidden on a B2B E-Commerce Site?**

With the price hiding feature, products are visible to everyone but prices are shown only to approved members who log in. With the store hiding feature, a visitor who is not a member cannot enter the store at all. Dealer applications are approved after review and assigned to the right customer group.

Let Your Dealers Place Their Own Orders

Manage your wholesale sales from a single panel with group-specific pricing, tiered pricing, approved membership and minimum order quantities. Compare the plans to see which plan the B2B features start in.

Explore the Plans

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