Launch and sell
Matrix to choose between catalog, store and corporate website
Matrix to compare B2B catalog, online store and corporate website using criteria from your own operations: price, specification, inventory, purchase cycle and team capacity. Useful to decide together with sales before requesting proposals.
In this guide
How to use the matrix
- Download the CSV and open it in your spreadsheet.
- For each criterion, write the evidence from your operation in the column «Evidence from my company».
- Rate each format from 1 (does not fit) to 3 (fits well) in its column.
- Add up each score column by hand or with your spreadsheet function: the CSV does not include formulas.
- Review rows rated 1: those are exceptions you will need to handle outside the site.
Bring it to your business
Download resource| Criterion | Guiding question | Evidence from my company | Score corporate website (1-3) | Score B2B catalog (1-3) | Score online store (1-3) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic example: price | Is the price the same for all customers? | Price changes by volume in 8 of 10 orders (made-up data) | 2 | 3 | 1 | Quote via WhatsApp |
| Price | Is the price the same for all customers? | |||||
| Specification | Does the customer need to validate compatibility or a standard before buying? | |||||
| Inventory | Can the real stock be shown on the site without errors? | |||||
| Purchase without advisor | Can the customer decide and pay without talking to someone? | |||||
| Purchase cycle | How much time passes between the first inquiry and the order? | |||||
| Number of SKUs | How many products or services will you display? | |||||
| Complete product sheets | How many SKUs have a technical datasheet ready? | |||||
| Shipping and payments | Can you charge and ship online today? | |||||
| Team capacity | Who answers inquiries and in how much time? |
Keep exploring
Launch and sell
B2B catalog, online store or corporate website: which does your company need
Many B2B companies ask for “a website” when what they really need is to solve how they price, how they sell and which inventory they show. This guide compares B2B catalog, online store and corporate website based on how your customer buys, and provides a matrix to decide with your team before requesting proposals.