When running a wholesale business, it’s important to have a website and supporting programs to increase your market size and expand your operations.

There are a lot of digital platforms that cater to eCommerce businesses, but the ability to meet the unique needs of your company is what makes any particular platform effective.

Functionality is a priority, but for a small or mid-sized business owner or accounting department, it may be equally important for the software to be user-friendly.

Exploring the Top Digital Platforms for Wholesale Businesses

Your company’s budget will influence what software is a viable option but always look for scalability. For your choice to provide the best return on investment, you should consider platforms that will grow in functionality as your company grows and offer the following:

• Multiple channel data synchronization
• Optimized content marketing
• Convenient third-party integration
• Mobile accessibility
• Flexible pricing
• Security
• Versatile consumer payment options
• Product support

Reviewing the Top Industry-Leading Digital Platforms

Visualize what you want for your business and make notes of what that should look like when supported by your website. It is these features and elements that will identify which of the following platforms are best suited for your business.

1. Shopify

The efficiency and simplicity of this platform have led it to be one of the most-used platforms around the globe.

Online businesses of all sizes and users with relatively little experience appreciate the simplicity of both design and configuration. B2B operations can take advantage of a single dashboard to control and update all aspects of data.

This platform integrates well with over 100 different payment gateways, while marketing efforts can expand to include social media campaigns over several platforms.

Shopify also provides users with detailed reports to track marketing campaigns, and the platform can also use a third-party app or CSV file to import or export product data.

• Basic Shopify is $29 a month.
• General access is $79 a month.
• Advanced access is $299 a month.
• Shopify Plus receives a custom quote.

2. 3DCart

If you work with several different product types, 3DCar offers mobile-friendly templates for an efficient but powerful website design optimized for eCommerce needs.

The site offers features like one-click ordering and subscription setup, several payment options, configurable discounts, a pre-order process design and thorough inventory management.

Because of its unlimited product listings and unlimited orders, this is a great option for companies that do a lot of business across a number of different products.

Built-in SEO and marketing tools help drive business growth, and segmentation for customers supports each relationship. Some find the templates too simplistic, but as it’s convenient to set up, this is among the better digital platforms for beginning users.

• Start-up is $17.10 a month.
• Basic is $26.10 a month.
• Plus is $71.10 a month.
• Power is $116.10 a month.
• Pro is $2206.10 a month.

3. Magneto Commerce

Great for businesses still looking to grow, Magneto Commerce is an upgrade from the open-source Magento platform.

This premium version offers more advanced marketing features, special promotions and loyalty programs for customers. Multiple stores, brands, warehouses and products can be integrated into the system for a seamless experience.

This is one platform that works well with Amazon to help drive business revenue, and engagement also increases thanks to both desktop and mobile access.

Users and developers for the platform can aid in business-specific customization, and you can efficiently control operations with the listing, inventory and fulfillment management elements.

• Magento Community is free but has limited functionality.
• Magento Enterprise begins at $22,000 annually.
• Magento Commerce Cloud starts at $2,000 a year.

4. PencilPay

If your business has already been set up with a website and you are looking to hone your accounting possibilities from the digital platforms available.

PencilPay gives suppliers the accounting tools that can efficiently manage trade credit. With this system, a buyer’s financial responsibility can be vetted in a moment.

This software covers every piece of the trade credit process, revealing credit risk as well as providing payment and collection interfaces.

Auto-billing,  prepayment, automated payment reminders and several payment options give businesses an edge when trying to maintain firm control over their finances.

PencilPay helps minimize the risks associated with B2B wholesale transactions and makes sure timely payments are received.

5. Global Sources

Your company may need to explore purchasing options for different products, and Global Sources is one of the first B2B platforms to reach the NASDAQ.

It carries high-quality products across a wide range of industries, and wholesalers all over the world are connected through this Singapore company.

The platform is also connected to the International Trade Fairs out of Hong Kong, and both manufacturers and suppliers follow the international trade regulations and principles.

This leads to greater security in the many services and offerings found through the platform.

6. Cin7 Core

For help with inventory management, Cin7 Core is a cloud-based inventory platform that is designed to take the time and stress out of managing your inventory and sales.

With Cin7 Core, you get a ton of features from real-time inventory tracking to accurate customer demand forecasts. It allows you to scrap a large portion of your day-to-day administrative tasks and focus on the things that matter most.

Cin7 even integrates with PencilPay, and with their new feature, Cin7 users can now take deposits or payment installments prior to releasing goods.

7. Xero

For your accounting, look no further than Xero.

Xero is an online accounting software that will help you automate your invoices, keep your records organized and provide automated reporting to give you a full financial picture of your business.

This accounting software also allows you to connect to your bank account. This allows all your transactions to automatically flow into Xero, so you can reconcile easily and see how your overall cash flow looks.

8. Trunk

For help with inventory management, Trunk is a cloud-based platform that enables your eCommerce venture to both manage and list products from several sales channels. Automatic linking through SKUs can reduce duplicated entries and help manage workflow.

Users can
create customizable bundles with product categories and quantity packs as well as track inventory levels through uniquely configured system settings.

With Trunk, it only takes minutes to sync thousands of SKUs across integrations with digital platforms like eBay, Shopify, Squarespace and Etsy. After a 14-day free trial, Trunk costs $35 a month.

9. inFlow

If you would like an all-in-one platform for inventory management, inFlow quickly and accurately gives the options to receive, fulfill or transfer stock in real-time.

While it has several useful inventory management elements, customizable access rights, barcode scanning and mobile device access are three features that make this software stand out.

It’s also possible to customize catalogs and prices to send to individual customers. Several eCommerce platforms can integrate with this tool, including Amazon, Shopify, Squarespace and WooCommerce.

While a 14-day trial gives you time to test all the features of the platform, it will cost $49.80 a month when signing up.

Selecting the Right Digital Platforms for Your Company

Your business may need several digital platforms or software to cover your unique B2B needs. To give yourself an advantage when dealing with trade credit, PencilPay is your solution. Get started today.