What is a B2B Portal

Business to Business or B2B refers e-commerce transactions between businesses. It is a term that originated and is almost exclusively used in electronic commerce and usually takes the form of automated processes between trading partners. Or you can also perceive B2B as the transactions that happen within an industrial value chain before the finished product is sold to an end user or a consumer.

B2B can also describe marketing activities between businesses, not just the final transactions that result from marketing, though the term can be used to identify sales transactions between businesses. As an example of B2B we can consider a tyre manufacturing company supplying tyres for an automobile company.

HOW B2B Web Sites help Business in International Trade?

For example, let's say a Textile Factory (China) wants to Search/Export to a Garment Factory (India) who is also looking for good textile for his garments. B2B plays the interface between them and help them in all the steps to make the final deal, Then lets say the a Wholesaler/Importer of Garments (Canada) wants to Source/Import from Garment factory (India). B2B Website helps them locate Garment Factory According to the Importer Specification and helps them import.

Textile Factory -> Garment Factory <- Garment Wholesaler/Importer

So with this example we learn how B2B helps Exporters to search and contact Buyers/Importers and again helps the Imports to Source/Locate the specific Manufacturer/Exporter for the product he is interested in.

B2B Portals are those which provide information about services/information provided by businesses which can be used by other businesses. B2B portals are usually categorized on the basis of the business type and services they render. It acts as a platform for the businesses to display the product/services and attract potential customers. Or we can say B2B portals are meeting place for buyers and sellers across the globe.

Cost Effectiveness is an important aspect of the portals. The companies operating in different countries cannot always catch their business deals through advertisement campaigns. It will not be feasible for a company to spent big amounts on advertising and wait for the results. So for these companies business to business portals are really helpful. They can register in the portals and get business from there.

Portals operate in different styles. But most of the portals have two different kinds of membership for businesses.

1) Basic membership: This membership is free, which will provide the company listing for them in the portal and limited access to other businesses or trade leads from the portal.

2) Premium membership: This membership is not free. Here companies have to pay some fixed amount for registration. This will give enhanced company listing and unlimited access to other businesses and trade leads. Some portals also provide mail feature and other attractive offers.

In the present day world, web is having its influence in each and every sector. Most of the businesses doing Import or Export have their business listed in the leading b2b portals. They are reaping the benefits of the web based business world.