In the current situation, digitalisation is a great opportunity for companies to make their organisational processes more digital and thus more efficient. Many retailers are only tentatively taking advantage of this opportunity and are very hesitant to implement new digital services. Perceived high implementation costs and a lack of digital expertise among the workforce, deter many corporate decision-makers from investing more in the digital transformation of their business model. Failure to make the necessary investments in the digital future of the company will have negative consequences for the future of the current business model. In the B2C sector, it has already been shown in recent years that the boundaries between online and offline have completely disappeared and the traditional business model has been developed further with great success, through e-commerce. This trend has also already arrived in the B2B sector, but many companies in the retail sector are not yet aware of the full potential.
The introduction and operation of a digital portal is the biggest lever for a retail company to exploit the potential in online trade for itself. In retail, the consumer is enthusiastic about the digital services of the big players, such as Amazon and Zalando. In a matter of seconds, customers can view up-to-date information on availability or the current delivery status clearly on the portal.
In the B2B sector, such services are often only possible in analogue form and with increased personnel input. Customers often still have to order by phone, enquire about current product availability or find out detailed product information. A portal is advantageous for such process steps from both sides and offers enormous added value for all stakeholders involved, from the customer to the company's own staff. Companies can thus not only make their current business model more efficient by digitising previous offline processes, but also expand it by offering new digital services.
Operating a portal creates a lot of added value for the online trade. Depending on the scope of the portal, digital services can be offered to customers, partners and staff. The possible applications are numerous and are oriented along the individual digital strategy of the respective company. Thus, in addition to normal customer enquiries about price, availability and performance, resources can also be automatically obtained directly via the portal. By offering interesting loyalty programmes, new customers are poached from the competition, won over for the portal and thus develop into regular customers. In addition, engagement programmes and the creation of a community can inspire customers and partners to actively use the portal. This can have important side effects that have a positive impact on the future success of the company. Important information about customers and target groups can be used to improve the offer, the services and for marketing campaigns.
The added values that result from operating their own portal for trade are numerous and the investment costs are amortised within a very short time. Companies will gamble away the future of their business model if they fail to keep pace and miss the opportunity to offer new digital services to stakeholders through a portal solution. If retailers succeed in building a strong portal, this will lead to improved positioning where additional market share can be gained.
