Why the future of B2B e-commerce is more about jobs than journeys

Let’s get one thing straight: your B2B buyer doesn’t consider themselves to be “on a journey.” They’re not “in a funnel” and they’re certainly not thinking about different “touchpoints.” They’re just trying to get through their day without swearing at another slow-loading website or rage-quitting a confusing checkout page.

Unlike a consumer discovering a new scented candle while doomscrolling TikTok, B2B buyers are on a straightforward mission with a clearly defined goal. A tight deadline, a missing part, a furious ops manager breathing down their neck – this is not a luxury, a hobby or a ‘vibe’; it’s their job.

So, why do so many B2B websites still focus on crafting the perfect journey instead of just helping customers to get sh*t done?

B2B buyers don’t want to be on your site

It sounds brutal, but it’s true: your customer doesn’t want to be on your B2B e-commerce platform. What they want is their problem solved. Fast. Quietly. Without being pitched to.

The difference between B2C and B2B is that, in the former you’re selling desire and counting on an emotional response, while in the latter you’re primarily solving a problem.

The buyers landing on your platform don’t need inspiration. They need utility. They need to find the right product, at the right spec, with the right payment terms, so they can get back to their other tasks as fast as possible.

What they’re actually trying to do

Let’s ditch the marketing BS for a second and talk real-world use cases. B2B buyers want to:

• Reorder the same 17 SKUs they’ve ordered every month for the last two years (in under 60 seconds)
• Check if a part is in stock before their customer calls back in 5 minutes
• Get a live shipping quote so they can lock in a deal
• Place an order on credit because finance hasn’t cleared this month’s budget yet

These aren’t “journey stages.” These are jobs. And your digital experience needs to help get them done without friction.

Stop polishing, start solving

If your homepage still leads with a giant banner that is all about your business, we’ve got some bad news for you: nobody cares. Here’s what actually helps your buyers:

• Smart, AI-powered search that understands “3m cable with heat resistance” better than your intern does.
• Real-time shipping quotes (wouldn’t you want to know when an order is arriving and how much it’ll cost?)
• Saved order templates for repeat buyers.
• A dashboard that knows who they are and shows relevant info (i.e., not your latest awards).
• Flexible credit options like trade accounts or 30-day terms, tailored to the buyer's history, risk profile and preferences. Better still, automate it. That’s one less job for your team, and one more reason for your buyer to stick around.

Measure what matters

Here’s a spicy take: conversion rate isn’t always that useful of a KPI in B2B.

Instead, you should be asking:

• How many logins per buyer per month?
• How quickly can a buyer repeat a previous order?
• What percentage of customers use trade credit?
• How often are sales reps pulled into digital orders?

These are the metrics that show whether your site is helping – or hindering – your B2B customers.

TL;DR: build for the job, not the journey

The future of B2B e-commerce isn’t a slick new frontend or a flashy AI chatbot. It’s an experience so seamless and convenient, your customer forgets they’re using it.

That means building digital tools that support how they work, not how you think they should shop.

If you want to win in the next era of B2B, stop asking “how do we make the journey better?” and start asking “What job is my buyer trying to get done and how can I make it stupidly easy?”

Want to make your buyer’s job even easier?

We help B2B merchants integrate seamless trade credit into the checkout flow – no chasing invoices, no payment risk, no nonsense. Want to see how it works? Let’s talk.