Why Many B2B Stores Fall Short of Expectations
B2B stores and customer portals are an important part of modern sales processes today. Nevertheless, many companies are finding that their systems are becoming increasingly expensive, slower, and more difficult to operate—while the benefits are stagnating or even declining. This article highlights the most common causes of this and describes what modern systems must be capable of to ensure long-term success.
1. Lack of or insufficient ERP integration
Many B2B stores are poorly integrated with ERP or retail management systems – or not integrated at all. The consequences are immediately apparent:
- Customers see incorrect or incomplete information
- Prices, inventory levels, or availability are incorrect
- Orders must be entered or corrected manually
- Important ERP processes and data are not utilized
Without deep, seamless integration, the online store remains a siloed system and creates more work than it saves.
2. Rising costs due to increasing complexity
Missing B2B features are often supplemented with custom extensions. Over the years, this leads to:
- increasing technical complexity
- high dependence on service providers who must be familiar with the custom logic
- increasing costs for maintenance, testing, and customizations
With every new feature, the effort increases, but the benefits rarely do.
3. Changes become difficult or extremely expensive
The more customizations a system contains, the more difficult each subsequent development becomes.
- New features interfere with existing logic
- Small changes can trigger unexpected side effects
- Customizations must be thoroughly tested
- Further development costs time and money
Technical debt hinders innovation – permanently.
4. Service providers are reaching their limits
Many agencies have worked exclusively in the B2C sector for years and gained valuable experience there, but it is precisely this expertise that is often lacking in the B2B context:
- different data structures (ERP instead of PIM-only)
- different processes
- different integration requirements
When a store has become complex due to numerous custom extensions and there is a lack of B2B and ERP expertise, this results in:
- long wait times
- numerous follow-up questions
- high costs
- little impetus for further development
Over time, this combination leads to stagnation and frustration.
5. Expensive updates & technical risks
When a system grows over the years through plugins, modules, and custom code, updates become complicated and risky:
- extensive testing efforts
- high susceptibility to errors
- Updates are postponed → security risks
- Systems become slower and less stable
Over the long term, the system loses technical quality.
6. Lack of features & limited capacity for innovation
Many B2B stores remain at the level they were at when they were first launched. New requirements – whether from customers, markets, or legal mandates – are difficult to integrate; for example:
- accessibility
- mobile use
- Order automation
- AI support
- Modern UX
The store is falling behind current expectations and standards.
7. Poor user experience
Slow loading times, complex navigation, or outdated interfaces cause customers to avoid digital offerings.
In B2B today, just as in B2C , the rule is: whoever offers better usability wins the contract.
8. Declining usage – rising costs
When customers use the store less while costs rise at the same time, an unfavorable situation arises:
- the system generates too little revenue
- and requires a disproportionate amount of effort
- Further development is expensive
- a relaunch or system change seems risky
On top of that, the last implementation was often a struggle – that experience still lingers.
Why does this happen so often?
Many companies have opted for established e-commerce platforms or relied on their agency’s recommendation—without realizing just how fundamentally different B2C and B2B systems are. At the same time, many service providers have extensive experience in B2C e-commerce but only limited expertise in B2B processes and, in particular, in ERP integration. Gaps are then filled retroactively through customizations. Over time, this results in a solution with built-in limitations: adequate at first, but later becoming expensive, complex, and difficult to further develop.
What modern B2B systems need to be able to do today
For B2B stores to operate sustainably, they must meet three requirements:
- B2B standard instead of custom development
Typical B2B processes must be mappable within the standard system. - Deep ERP integration
Data and processes belong in the ERP system—not duplicated in the store. - Cost-effectiveness (TCO)
Less custom code → lower implementation and operating costs.
How avanta meets these requirements
- 1. True B2B standard
98% of all requirements are directly configurable. - 2. ERP-first architecture
avanta leverages processes and data from ERP, PIM and other systems. - 3. Upgradeable & future-proof
Clear system logic, modular design and stable standards. - 4. Low TCO
Low implementation and ongoing costs due to less customization.
In short:
avanta offers the B2B standard, the depth of integration and the cost-effectiveness that many systems lack.
Let’s work together to figure out what your B2B store should look like
Many companies know what their current system is lacking—but they don't know how modern platforms address these needs today.
The easiest way to clarity:
- Your requirements
Send us your requirements or discuss them briefly during an initial consultation. - Practical implementation
We’ll then show you how these requirements can be implemented with avanta – usually directly within the standard system. - Transparent cost overview
You’ll receive a clear breakdown of costs for usage, implementation, and integration.