For B2B ecommerce, increasing Average Order Value (AOV) is key to driving growth. It works for both new and existing buyers. For existing customers, increasing AOV means getting more out of each transaction. For new buyers, it’s about making that first purchase count. Whether you’re trying to expand relationships with current clients or convert new leads into bigger sales, these strategies will help you boost your AOV and revenue.
1. Enhance Product Discovery
Your buyers are busy. The easier it is for them to find what they need, the more likely they are to buy—and buy more. Implement visual search, detailed navigation, and advanced filtering options. These tools allow buyers to navigate your catalog faster and more efficiently.
Buyers in B2B are often looking for very specific products with detailed specifications. Offering faceted search by price, size, or industry can save them time and improve their experience. And when the experience is easy, they’re more likely to add more to their cart.
Example: Grainger’s platform has powerful faceted search and filtering options for industrial buyers. Users can quickly search for products based on detailed specifications like material or thickness, leading to larger and more frequent orders.
2. Leverage Personalized Product Recommendations
Personalization isn’t just for B2C. In B2B ecommerce, personalized product recommendations can significantly increase order size. By suggesting relevant, complementary products based on a buyer’s past purchases, you can upsell and cross-sell more effectively. According to Adobe, 48% of B2B vendors are seeing strong outcomes using personalized product recommendations.
For B2B buyers, seeing related products or upgrades during their shopping journey can prompt them to purchase additional items they hadn’t considered.
Example: Instacart offers personalized recommendations, helping businesses discover products they didn’t know they needed—driving up AOV.
3. Implement Volume-Based Discounts
Everyone loves a deal. In B2B, offering tiered pricing or bulk discounts can push buyers to spend more. The logic is simple: the more they buy, the more they save. When buyers see that ordering just a little more gets them a better price per unit, they are more likely to increase their order size. HubSpot found that 69% of B2B companies consider discounts and promotions as one of the top strategies to sell to existing customers. It’s a small change that can have a significant impact on your AOV.
Example: Quill provides discounts for bulk orders, incentivizing customers to increase their order quantities. By showing how much buyers save when ordering in bulk, Quill pushes customers to hit those higher spend thresholds.
4. Offer Net Terms to Increase Purchasing Power
Offering net terms is one of the most powerful tools in your AOV toolkit. Allowing buyers to pay later frees up their immediate cash flow, making them more comfortable placing larger orders. In B2B, businesses are often balancing multiple expenses at once, so offering them flexibility can drive higher AOVs and repeat purchases. In fact, 79% B2B buyers believe that flexible payment terms are essential to their business's success.
With Balance, you can extend net terms to your buyers while the platform takes on the credit risk. As a result, you can offer net terms without worrying about bad debt or late payments.
Example: FASHIONGO offers net terms without worrying about credit risk. By enabling more SMBs to access net terms, Balance helps FASHIONGO drive larger orders.
5. Allow Multiple Users Per Account for Approval Workflows
In B2B ecommerce, purchases often need approval from several people in the organization. Having the ability to create multiple users per account with varying levels of access and approval permissions can streamline these complex workflows. The more seamless this process is, the quicker orders can be approved and processed, resulting in higher AOV.
This approach is particularly helpful for larger organizations where different departments or individuals need to collaborate on purchases. By offering this flexibility, you allow bigger orders to go through faster, with less friction.
Example: Amazon Business allows multiple users with different roles to operate under a single account, simplifying approval processes and expediting larger transactions.
6. Incorporate Subscriptions and Reordering Options
Recurring orders are a gold mine for increasing AOV. By offering subscription models or easy auto-reordering options, you lock in consistent sales and build long-term customer loyalty. Plus, businesses are more likely to spend more when they know they’re committing to a long-term relationship with your brand. Subscriptions not only drive recurring revenue but also give buyers peace of mind that they won’t run out of critical supplies.
Example: Staples Business Advantage offers subscriptions for office supplies, allowing businesses to automatically reorder key items. This helps increase order size and frequency.
7. Transparent Pricing and Terms
Transparency builds trust. Buyers are far more likely to increase their order size if they understand exactly what they’re paying for. Avoid hidden fees, confusing terms, or surprise charges at checkout. Transparency in pricing can also reduce cart abandonment, a common issue for many ecommerce platforms. Clear, upfront pricing reduces friction and increases the chances of a completed—and larger—purchase.
Example: Alibaba provides clear pricing and terms on its platform, which makes international B2B buyers feel more secure in placing large orders.
8. Create Educational Content
B2B buyers need information. A 2023 survey found that over half of B2B buyers want vendors to improve the online shopping experience with more accurate and updated product details.
The more educated they are about your products, pricing, and solutions, the more confident they’ll be in making larger purchases. Providing educational content like guides, webinars, and tutorials helps buyers understand how your products can solve their problems. Educated buyers are more likely to place larger orders because they can see the bigger picture of how your products fit into their business needs.
Example: Curbell Plastics has a rich resource library on plastic materials and application challenges, empowering B2B buyers to make informed decisions, which often results in higher-value purchases.
9. Streamline the Buyer Journey with a Better UX
A seamless, easy-to-use platform keeps buyers engaged. Make sure your buyer portal is designed with B2B buyers in mind, offering features like wish lists and saved payment methods functionality. A well-designed UX makes it easier for buyers to place bigger orders faster. Small improvements, like reducing the number of clicks to complete a purchase or offering access to previous transactions for reordering, can make a big difference.
Example: Berlin Packaging’ ecommerce platform provides a smooth buyer journey with its easy-to-use portal. Buyers can quickly create wish lists and reorder from past purchases, leading to higher order volumes.
10. Optimize the Checkout Experience
The checkout process can make or break a sale. A streamlined checkout with multiple payment options—like ACH, net terms, or pay by invoice—reduces friction and ensures that buyers complete their purchase. The easier and faster the checkout, the more likely buyers are to finalize larger orders.
Unfortunately, payment challenges create friction for 73% of B2B buyers, with about a third saying payment terms need improvement in both online (32%) and offline (30%) checkouts. Therefore, addressing these issues, and offering flexible payment options and reducing steps in the checkout process can significantly impact your AOV.
Example: ChemDirect offers a simple, flexible checkout process with multiple payment options. Buyers are more likely to finish larger orders when they can choose how and when to pay.
Conclusion
By focusing on product discovery, personalized recommendations, flexible payment options, and a smooth checkout experience, you can significantly increase your AOV in B2B ecommerce. Whether it's offering net terms, bulk discounts, or improving your platform's UX, these strategies are proven to work.
Ready to start growing your AOV? Implement these best practices today and watch your sales soar! If you need help offering net terms or managing credit risk, Balance has the tools to support your business growth.
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