A successful B2B web store removes friction for customers and admin work for your team.
The 10 steps below walk you from first idea to first order. No fluff, no shortcuts, just a proven roadmap.
This guide is also a useful reminder checklist if you’re about to start a replatforming project for your current online store.
Whether you are a small business or a large company, every successful B2B e-commerce implementation starts with the following 10 steps. These are based on the combined expertise and experience of our Project, Sales and Customer Success Managers, here at Sana Commerce.
Table of contents
Step 1: Define your “why”
Start with clear business goals that everyone can rally behind.
Revenue growth
For instance, Y%+ within 18 months
Customer convenience
X% of repeat orders placed online.
Process efficiency
Cut manual order entry by Z%
Quick win: Read our blog on SMART e-commerce goals to capture, rank and socialize your objectives.
Step 2: Know your customers inside out
Talk to your buyers. Ask why and how they purchase today:
Buying habits: desktop vs. mobile, working hours, approval flows
Desired outcomes: faster re‑ordering, self‑service invoices, live shipment tracking
Use these insights to design journeys that feel effortless.
“E-commerce is most successful not just when it aligns with your overall company strategy, but when it is part of your overall strategy.”
— Jacco Hop | Manager Pre-Sales at Sana Commerce
Step 3: Build your A-team
Assign clear roles early so nothing slips through the cracks:
Executive sponsor
Removes roadblocks, approves budget
Project manager
Timeline, scope and stakeholder updates
E‑commerce manager
Prioritizes features, owns KPIs
IT/ERP lead
Data flows, integrations, security
Marketing & sales
Content, launch campaigns, training
Customer service
Feedback loop, FAQ updates
Do you know what your B2B clients want?
Get the full insights from our B2B Buyer Report.
Step 4: Align internally
Before writing a single line of code, make sure everyone sees the upside and knows what’s expected of them. Kick off with a workshop where each department shares what success looks like, then keep momentum with a clear comms plan.
Ask each group:
Executive leadership: Which business outcomes will make this project a visible win, and how will we track them?
Sales: How will online prices and discounts reflect existing contracts—and how will reps be rewarded for web orders?
Finance: What payment methods, tax rules and credit limits must be live on day one?
Operations & logistics: How will we handle split shipments, partial deliveries or backorders without adding manual steps?
Customer service: Which routine questions can self‑service handle immediately, and when should a human step in?
IT/ERP: Which data and integrations are mission‑critical for the MVP launch?
Change champion: Who owns employee training, feedback collection and adoption KPIs?
Quantify the value of e-commerce for your business
Use our guide on calculating TCO for your organization.
Step 5: Choose the right platform
When you prioritize solutions that integrate natively with your ERP, you benefit from:
Real-time data syncing: Inventory, pricing, credit limits
