Top B2B Platforms to Use for Exporting in 2022
This article is written with an aim to guide everyone associated with the export business, about the current and future trends of the market and how Top B2B platforms could help them to make the most of their export business in 2022.
Lately, global trade and commerce have experienced many ups and downs. It has been a rocky journey, with many unprecedented events unfolding simultaneously and unexpectedly. Supply chain disruptions, increased demands, lower productions, great resignations, fuel shortages, logistics issues, and state incentives- everything has exposed our false claims of a very well-established economy- unabated and unbridled.
But then comes the pandemic, a mirror that reflected how increasingly chained and dependent we are on others, and this notion of "Globalized Economy" is not a mere perception but the reality of time.
We are bound by the harmonized economy, where efficient production in one country will determine the sales and profit in another. Be it any product or service, we are compelled to look beyond the borders for the businesses and the greater sake of humanity. And this is where the Exim industry shined brightly, from the imports of vaccines to the export of medical equipment.
Why Export?
Precisely, export in international trade is the goods or services produced in one country and is sold to another country. According to UNCTAD, albeit the setbacks suffered in late 2019 to early 2020, the global export industry has already surpassed the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, with many countries' export growing at double-digit rates.
Overall, the value of international trade reached a record level of $28.5 trillion in 2021. That's an increase of 25% in 2020.
But this massive growth has arrived on the heels of huge changes and adaptations. The biggest one being the transition of brick and mortar trade. During this pandemic, we have experienced a shift in consumer and corporate patterns. We have witnessed the deviation from in-store to online, luxury to safety, dine-in to dine-out, and most notable conventional warehouses to B2B portals.
In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say that the Covid-19, contrary to its destructions, transformed what traditional business-to-business like to be. Thus, marking a new beginning of B2B.
The New Beginning of B2B?
Before we go deeper, B2B or Business to Business is a type of transaction or exchange of goods or services between businesses via an online sales portal. Unlike the much-hyped B2C, it is between the companies, manufacturers, or wholesalers rather than the company and individual consumer.
B2B platforms have taken over the traditional Exim industry by storm. It has redefined what the wholesale import and export used to be with the help of its in-built features and advanced technology that keeps it ahead of its many competitors and contemporaries. Some of them being:
- The massive exposure, reach, and customers that these B2B website brings.
- Its increased emphasis on adapting customer-centric strategies and keeping customer services at the core.
- Enhancing the sales engagement and eliminating the cultural barriers.
- Enabling organizations to launch comprehensive analytics campaigns and helping them to evaluate and propose future plans.
Still, there are many more to the perks of B2B platforms, identifying all demands a separate article, which is due for the next time. However, it is safe to say that the B2B portals have become the DNA of exports, operating without which will bear dire consequences. So without further ado, it is crucial to discuss a few of the best B2B platforms which will shape the 2022 outlook of worldwide export.
Alibaba
You shouldn't be surprised to see the face of the B2B industry at the top of our list. One of the oldest and championed as the leader of B2B portals, Alibaba was founded by Jack Ma, in 1999, in Hangzhou city of China. It is the most famous B2B marketing firm in the world with a net worth of 1.65 billion dollars and around ten companies operating under its umbrella.
Alibaba was founded with the aim to transform online shopping in china promote the Chinese start-up, SMEs, and giants, and since then, it has not only revolutionized the B2B buying, selling, and customer sales network but has become a brand recognized far beyond the Chinese markets.
Moreover, Alibaba offers diverse options of payment, premium memberships, and a dedicated sales manager that makes the trading across a different time zone, borders, languages, and cultures hustle-free.
It allows its suppliers to set up their own storefront, where their posted products bring them massive leads, genuine inquiries, and bulk orders from verified buyers. Thereby enabling both the manufacturers to increase their exposure and buyers to buy what they require.
Alibaba is listed in the Hong Kong stock exchange and as many analysts predict, by 2025, Alibaba's GMV will double again to USD 2.5 trillion dollars. It is primarily because the platform has become a dominant face for quality products being delivered across the regions, timely and safely.
Tradewheel
Tradewheel is a relatively new platform that has secured a significant position in our list because of its rapid success and recognition. With its headquarter in Delaware, United States, the platform was created with a mission to add value to the customer experience and connect global suppliers to reliable buyers.
The platform, with its advanced tool and technology, enables the customers to access its huge categories and diverse markets worldwide. Its user-friendly website and search filters make the navigation easy, allowing the traders to display, buy, or sell their products easily.
Tradewheel currently has millions of active users, and every day, according to the data, thousands of new users join. This is because, unlike the many renowned, it does not focus on one size fits all instead emphasizes on providing tailored services to its clients.
They can explore, access, and post their inquiries on the platform for free. In addition to this, they have the option to pick, from different memberships, one that satiates their needs and demands. Thereby making them the decision-maker of their online stores, the services they want to provide, and the buyers they want to grab.
Tradewheel has been widely tried and trusted by its many customers; a considerable part of it is attributed to the platform's own effort to continually evolve, adapt and deliver the community of exporters with efficient services, active support, and effective tools and offers.
Thomasnet
Thomasnet.com, another gem in our throne of best B2B website for exports. Formerly known as "The Thomas Register for American Manufacturers," it was founded in 1898 to gather the global buyers and suppliers under one roof.
It has become one of the largest sourcing and procurement marketplaces where the importers, exporters, manufacturers, suppliers, and buyers from across the world post their inquiries, generate their offers, connect and ink the massive deals.
It has nearly 1.8 million monthly buyers and is considered a valuable ecommerce marketplace for many North Americans & Canadians. It allows them to explore different markets, tap diverse niches, and align with the shifting trends of the market.
Here the exporters and importers are provided with deep insights into the market, access to some 6 million products, and 500,000 suppliers and buyers. The reason why it has become one of the most popular B2B platforms for international trade.
Thomasnet's singular focus has been on assisting in the success of industry; its users say it has been doing it duly with its vertical platform where products, traders, and quality services are in everyone's reach.
Europages
Europages is one of the largest B2B platforms catering to the supplier, buyers, manufacturers, and wholesalers of the European market. Since the industries in Europe are thriving and competing, Europages assist them with a hub of global buyers, exporters, and importers to be accessible worldwide.
The platform allows the users to sign-up for free, build up a robust company profile, and effortlessly connect with the consumers of different languages, geographies, and time zones. Europages has assumed the position of a leading B2B platform with a strong network of international businesses, advanced sourcing tools, 2.6 million active users, and a classified catalog of millions of products mainly from the European market.
Europages was built on the notion to provide the biggest block, the European Union, of 28 nations a flat forum where manufacturers and suppliers could take their region's excellence to the global audience, and rightly so, the platform connects the distributors, vendors, retailers, agents, and manufacturers and allows them to trade freely and efficiently.
SeeBiz
SeeBiz is the world's first social networking platform for businesses. It is an online sales portal and networking platform that allows manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to exchange goods and connect with each other in one place.
Unlike the many conventional, it provides a social platform where businesses can conveniently connect with their desired businesses without setting boundaries or prescribed limits. Its easy-to-use interface allows instant access to an entire network of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and wholesalers.
SeeBiz, despite being the new player in the industry, deploys some very advanced tools and technologies that have significantly contributed to its rapid growth and success. The platform, albeit does not have a massive directory of products but is widely recognized for its extensive and quality clothing variety. Everything from costumes to gowns, you name it, and they have it making it a potential market for massive exports.
What to Expect?
B2B platforms have time and again proved that they are the saviors of the economy whenever it is hit by recessions, disasters, and disruptions. It is because of its many inherent advantages and the competition that keeps the websites on their toes, prompting them to embrace modern technology. This constant evolution has turned the B2B marketplace into a giant industry with a market value of around $40 billion.
Therefore, today in the 21st century, while many former market practices are deemed obsolete, B2B platforms are the only one that remains leading the export and driving the change. So paint the contours of your 2022 export brighter and brighter with these best B2B platforms. You never know which one turns out to be your defining medium.