Block and Co.

A B2B eCommerce solution differs from B2C in many obvious and not so obvious ways, making an out-of-the-box solution out of the question and a flexible platform an absolute necessity. WebLinc eCommerce, having worked with a number of B2B businesses over the years, understands the unique needs inherent to a business-to-business project. That’s why, when Block and Co. wanted to redesign and re-launch their site, WebLinc hit the ground running.

Block and Co., formed in 1934, are a primarily B2B business providing thousands of banks, casinos and restaurants with all of the supplies they need to operate – everything from money counters to the pamphlet shelves you see in bank lobbies. Their site needed to cater to their expansive demographic of financial institutions and entertainment and service industries, as well as a burgeoning consumer-direct audience. Using the WebLinc Direct eCommerce platform, Block is able to manage their multi-purpose site with an efficient and user-friendly front-end and a best-of-breed product and content management system on the backend.

The trick to Block effectively managing their B2B and B2C operations on the same site is their ability to provide the same level of service to a small business owner as they do to banks and casinos. Using a customized interface called My Block, internal staff can control B2B clients with some familiar functionality from the retail world, such as shopping lists and email-a-friend, while still offering B2B necessities like expense approvals and multiple order/client management. This enables Block to streamline and automate all the requisite features for hierarchical order processing and variable pricing structures.

At the same time, and with the same system, clients are able to access their accounts to view exclusive customer resources and content, as well as shop for the products they need. Access to customized shopping lists, including most frequently ordered items and best-priced items within each client’s pricing agreement, creates a more refined shopping experience. Even the checkout process is simplified by using previously defined payment options and shipping information.

Block also utilizes a customized Customer Service Order Management System, strengthening and streamlining traditional revenue flows from phone and mail orders. Tools to create customized products also find their home in WebLinc Direct, allowing customers to create individualized products specific to their brand or branch with ease. Block and Co. also use automated site taxonomy and product categorization tools taking full advantage of WebLinc's proprietary data import processes to create and manage category/product relationships automatically via the nightly feeds, minimizing the amount of admin work required when adding and adjusting categories.

These are a few of the many standout features that the WebLinc Direct eCommerce platform delivers to Block and Co. Inherently flexible, each solution WebLinc creates is unique to the needs of each client, ensuring a user-friendly, multifaceted eCommerce experience for internal staff, corporate clients and individual users alike.

Visit the site:

www.blockandcompany.com