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Create a B2B networking platform to launch your business

More and more B2B matchmaking platforms are appearing on the web. This race results from the effectiveness of these networking tools in the development and growth of a company. Thanks to these software and applications, professionals can have more interactions with each other.

With such a platform, it has become easier to find business partners, to launch a new product or service. Since the appearance of these matchmaking sites, professionals were able to find opportunities more easily.

Find out how a B2B provider marketplace allows you to boost your business. Also, take note of some platforms to give you an idea and finally, how to create them.

What is a B2B networking platform?

A B2B marketplace is a technological solution that makes it easier for professionals to interact with each other. It is used in particular for prospecting, promoting a product, generating leads or others. These tools can be in the form of a website, web applications or even mobile applications.

These platforms are a perfect fit for all sectors of activity, whether your business is in the field of IT, food processing, construction, etc. They are also suitable for different business sizes and structures.

Regarding their functioning, it depends on their form. There are matchmaking sites in the form of professional social networks, like Linkedin. There are also networking platforms in the form ofdirectories.

The first, professional social networks, connect companies looking for partners or collaborators. They facilitate contact with potential customers. As for directories, they list businesses that are in the same sector of activity.

Concretely, do you have an offer to offer to other companies in the same field as you, or not? All you need to do is publish on the platform. Conversely, you can also use the same platform if you are looking for another company to collaborate with.

How can a B2B provider marketplace boost your business?

Are you wondering how a matchmaking platform Business to Business can you boost your business? There are various ways that make these relationship tools excellent levers of development for a business. We've already talked a bit about this, but here are more details on that.

A B2B platform to boost the visibility of your business

Visibility is very important for a company, regardless of its sector of activity. Moreover, it is for this reason that the creation of a website, blog or e-commerce site has become very trendy. With digital marketing and content marketing, the world of commercial exchanges has changed.

Thus, a B2B networking platform, more than a business site, is an excellent solution to boost visibility. What differentiates it from a company's website is this possibility ofexchange between professionals. Between experts in the same field of expertise, transactions are only more beneficial.

The B2B marketplace to strengthen the digitalization of your business

If you are in transition to Digitalization of your establishment, think of the B2B platform. This is a very good way if you want to digitize your services and have more business more quickly.

In addition, you can use these sites as information sources. To do this, simply browse the profile of the various companies to have a database. This is valuable for improving the commercial strategy, evaluating the potentials of competitors or even finding growth opportunities.

A B2B e-commerce platform to launch a product or service

An e-commerce site or a simple online store makes it possible to sell products or services. However, this may be limited to a b2c transaction, i.e. transactions between professionals and individuals or c2c, between individuals. This is not suitable for commercial establishments that only do business to business.

With a B2B networking platform, you can launch your new product or your service for professionals. If the matchmaking tool is well optimized, this has a huge advantage. You will more easily find a market, customers or partners to work with you.

Some examples of professional networking platforms

The following few marketplaces for professionals will put you on the path to better understand the concept.

LinkedIn

When we talk about B2B platform, LinkedIn immediately comes to mind. It is among the best professional social networks today. In particular, it connects various experts in a wide variety of fields. Moreover, you certainly have a LinkedIn account, whether personally or for your business.

With this site, it is possible to make precise searches using specific filters. So, you can find a company based on its size, structure, or location. LinkedIn company pages allow, among other things, to promote a brand, a product or a service.

This platform has the advantage of offering the possibility of creating an unlimited database of prospects. The connection is also filtered and the contact is immediate. On the other hand, you have to publish regularly and work on your page well to have visibility. In addition, it may take some time to get started.

Europages

This marketplace of B2B providers specializes in international trade relationships. It plays an important role in the field of professional exchanges. In addition, this platform considerably facilitates transactions between companies in Europe and around the world.

This site allows users to search by country, by products, by services or by sector of activity. It also simplifies quotation requests. In addition, it offers multiple benefits:

  • Available in 25 languages
  • Simple and intuitive platform
  • Great visibility

Kompass

This B2B networking platform is in the form of a directory. It has very numerous businesses from different countries and different sectors of activity. It contains all the details about the company: size, structure, products and services, etc.

This networking tool thus makes it possible to find a particular company and facilitates contact if necessary.

B2B networking platform, how to make the right choice?

A business-to-business networking platform has many advantages for a company and professionals. However, to take advantage of these numerous benefits, you have to make the right choice. Here are our tips:

Know your real needs

To serve as a guide, the first thing we need to do is Define your real needs. In this sense, what are:

  • What are your goals?
  • Your products?
  • Your services?
  • The skills you are looking for?
  • Your skills?
  • Your fields of activity?
  • Your budget, etc.?

Other criteria you need to consider

Do you have a clear idea of what you really want? So, here are some other things to consider in order to find the right B2B marketplace:

  • The price
  • Payment methods (by subscription, by commission, by advertising, etc.)
  • The proposed functionalities

In any case, remember to make sure that the platform has reputation and good visibility. These are essential elements to guarantee the success of your project, whether it is to find business partners, collaborators, launch a new product, service or others.

How to develop a B2B networking platform?

Do you have a project to develop a platform for professional networking? For that, you need to follow a few steps.

What is your objective in creating the B2B provider marketplace?

You saw it, a B2B e-commerce platform is very trendy for a variety of reasons. So why do you want to create them?

  • To strengthen the digitalization of your business?
  • To make more income through remuneration?
  • To improve your visibility?
  • To collect a database?
  • To offer products or services?
  • For prospecting or others?

Once you have defined your goals, you need to decide between creating a generalist platform And a platform for special expertise. In the first case, your site can accommodate all professionals in different sectors of activity. In the case of a solution for special expertise, you should choose a particular field or profession.

Make a portrait of your persona

If you want to create a B2B networking platform, it's because you have an audience to target. Who will your future visitors be? What products or services will they offer? To be clear, consider defining the profile, age, needs, and problems of your persona.

When you know which professionals are intended forB2B networking tool, the rest will follow.

What business model for monetization?

At least, to ensure its operation, a matchmaking platform needs remuneration. Hence the importance of choosing a business model.

To start, you can decide to turn to the remuneration by commission. This means that you take a percentage of the transactions made on your site. It is one of the most common systems on these platforms.

Then there is The subscriptions that give access to your site only to businesses that have paid. This can be monthly or annual depending on your choice. If you want to choose this system and want to reassure providers, consider establishing a non-binding subscription. Plus, make sure your offers are perfectly appealing.

You can also choose to receive benefits on your B2B networking platform through ads. In this case, your site is free for users, but you earn money from the ads that are posted.

B2B networking platform: what functionalities?

To be able to write the specifications, you need to have all the details of the platform. So think carefully Define functionalities according to your needs. The tool must have a registration and login form. You can also include buttons to offer products and services. Don't forget communication features like messaging or chat. Of course, the payment method and many more.

To better understand the functionalities, put yourself in the shoes of the visitors. First, he must register, log in, create an account, until the last phase of operations. All of this is needed to make development easier. In other words, developers need all the information to know what they need to do.

Web application or mobile application for its B2B networking tool?

A marketplace of B2B service providers can be in the form ofweb application Or ofMobile app. You can choose between the two according to your expectations.

Web application or web app

A web application or web app is a tool that can be accessed on the internet.

However, it should not be confused with websites. It is true that websites make it possible to present information and to make sales. However, a Web App allows you to enjoy a better experience in terms of immersion and interactivity. An application offers a better user experience or UX.

For a new product, the web application is a better option. It's also the best choice to make if you don't have an online presence yet. Indeed, your users will not have to download.

Mobile app

A mobile application, as its name suggests, is intended for mobile devices. It can be on Android or iOS. Users can download it from the stores. In general, this tool needs a landing page to present it and make it visible.

One B2B matchmaking mobile application is then possible if you already have customers. It is also a good choice if you already have a Web App. In case you have features that a web application would not support, the mobile app is the ideal solution.

Choosing experienced professionals for the development of the B2B networking platform

To develop a B2B provider marketplace, Go through professionals has advantages. You can benefit from quality work by experts.

Freelance or web development agency?

There are various possibilities: Either you Hire a freelancer to carry out the task, either, you trust a web development agency.

It is important to specify that a freelancer is an expert, but it is especially suitable for doing a specific job. A web development agency is an excellent option for designing a B2B networking platform. You will benefit from support from the audit to the maintenance of the tool.

An agency specialized in application and website design

Entrust the creation of your B2B networking platform to a web development agency like Scalapp.

To do the design work, the team uses no-code tools. This has advantages like the Time saver And theMoney saving. Indeed, the design takes much less time than with computer coding. Thus, it allows significant savings to be made. Whether you want to develop a web application or a mobile application, no code remains an effective solution.

In conclusion

One B2B networking platform is an effective way to digitize a business. It also makes it possible to improve the marketing strategy, to boost visibility, and to facilitate interactions between professionals. A B2B e-commerce site makes it possible, among other things, to facilitate the prospecting of new commercial partners or to launch a new product or service.

Online, you have the possibility to choose between a large number of B2B service provider marketplaces. However, make the right choice by taking into consideration a few criteria. Think about your purpose, the rates, the features you need, and the payment system offered.

Finally, if you have a project to create a professional networking platform, consider various points. Depending on your needs, do not overlook any detail or steps in the production of the tool. Namely, the definition of your objective, the persona, the choice between paying by commission, by subscription or by advertising. Finally, choose carefully the professional who will do the work.

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