7 Proven Ways to Get Your Wholesale Clients Ordering on Your B2B eCommerce Site
Launching a B2B eCommerce platform is a major milestone, but getting your existing wholesale clients to actually use it? That’s the real challenge. Many buyers in trades, distribution, and manufacturing are deeply familiar with traditional ordering methods like phone, fax, or email. Encouraging them to shift online requires a strategic, buyer-focused approach.
Here are seven proven techniques to boost eCommerce adoption among wholesale customers and increase digital order volume.
- Deliver Personalized Onboarding and Training
Tailored demos, walkthroughs, and video tutorials can ease clients into the platform by showing exactly how it simplifies their buying process. One-on-one onboarding—especially when supported by your sales or customer success teams—helps reduce friction and builds trust.
Teams aligned around an onboarding strategy (sales, marketing, support) often see faster adoption because they speak the customer’s language and reinforce value at every step.
- Use Targeted Incentives to Motivate Online Orders
Incentives can move hesitant buyers into action. Consider exclusive online discounts, volume-based pricing, or loyalty rewards that only apply to digital orders.
These promotions don’t just drive traffic—they create meaningful reasons to stay on the platform. Framing these incentives around customer value (faster processing, better pricing) rather than internal goals makes them feel like helpful nudges, not sales tactics.
- Streamline the Ordering Experience
Speed and simplicity are critical. Tools like saved shopping lists, “reorder all” buttons, and real-time inventory visibility can make the online experience faster than calling or emailing.
An intelligent, AI-driven search function is essential, especially for large or complex catalogs. Incorporating predictive search capabilities and reducing zero-result queries significantly improves product discovery and ordering efficiency. Helping users find the right SKU quickly not only improves satisfaction but also reduces reliance on sales reps and shortens the time to order.
- Equip Clients with Self-Service Account Tools
Wholesale buyers expect operational control. Giving them instant access to order history, invoices, payment terms, and shipping details empowers users and builds trust.
Behind the scenes, this depends on integrating your eCommerce platform with ERP, CRM, and other backend systems. Automation reduces errors, speeds up service, and supports a seamless experience across departments—exactly what your clients need to reorder with confidence.
- Communicate Consistently Across Channels
Adoption doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Use email, sales calls, newsletters, and even post-sale touchpoints to share platform benefits, highlight new features, and showcase success stories.
Wholesale clients often need to see proof that others like them are using the platform effectively. Testimonials, case studies, or even internal usage stats can give skeptical clients the confidence to log in and try it themselves.
- Gently Nudge Clients with Transitional Messaging
Traditional channels still matter—but gentle nudges can guide clients toward digital behavior. Automated email reminders, checkout messages, and rep talking points that highlight faster processing or real-time inventory can gradually shift habits without creating friction.
This is especially useful in relationship-driven sales models (like PHCP or building materials), where a soft push is more effective than a hard stop.
- Provide Always-On Support and Intelligent Help
Even the most intuitive eCommerce platform needs a support safety net. Offering robust self-service options—like searchable FAQs, how-to video libraries, chatbots, and responsive customer service—empowers clients to troubleshoot issues without needing to call in. For wholesale buyers working after hours or in the field, this kind of support removes friction and reinforces the reliability of your platform.
Beyond basic support, intelligent features like personalized search suggestions and AI-driven assistance can actively guide users through the buying process. These enhancements not only improve the overall user experience but also build the kind of digital confidence that accelerates long-term adoption. Clients are more likely to return when they know they can get answers quickly and complete their orders independently.
Final Thoughts
Encouraging wholesale clients to adopt your B2B eCommerce platform isn’t just about launching new features; it’s about helping people change habits. That means aligning your onboarding, marketing, and sales teams around a clear adoption strategy. At Layer One, we help clients execute this shift through sales enablement plans, targeted promotions, and integrated communication strategies that connect the platform’s value to the buyer’s day-to-day. From building custom onboarding experiences to mapping out multi-channel promotional campaigns, we work alongside teams to turn eCommerce into a primary, trusted ordering channel.
eCommerce Onboarding is the fifth of Layer One’s 
See the other 13 Focus Points for Manufacturers and Distributors here!