The verdict in three sentences
A B2B e-commerce platform for a wholesaler costs EUR 30,000 to 80,000 excl. VAT, depending on the complexity of customer-specific price lists and the depth of the ERP integration. The realistic goal is 40% of orders online within 12 months, freeing inside sales reps for prospecting and advice. These projects rarely fail on technology: they fail when online prices are not exactly what customers get on the phone.
Why phone orders cost more than they seem
At a wholesaler of supplies, building materials or food products, phone ordering is still the norm: the customer calls, the rep checks stock, applies the negotiated discount and re-keys it into the ERP. With 1,800 active customers and around 150 orders a day, a team of 8 inside reps spends most of its time on data entry.
| Indicator | Phone or email order | B2B portal order |
|---|---|---|
| Processing time per order | 8 to 12 min | 1 to 2 min (check) |
| Data entry error rate | 2 to 4% | under 0.5% |
| Ordering hours | 8 am to 6 pm | 24/7 |
| Estimated processing cost | EUR 9 to 14 | EUR 1.5 to 3 |
| Average basket | baseline 100 | 110 to 120 (suggestions, reorders) |
| Stock visibility for the customer | none | real time |
These values are 2026 orders of magnitude observed at distributors with EUR 5 to 40 million in revenue. The basket increase comes mainly from reorder lists and related products, not promotions.
The features that drive the price
A standard online store is not enough. B2B requires multi-user accounts, negotiated prices and payment terms specific to each customer.
| Feature | What it covers | Estimated budget impact |
|---|---|---|
| Customer-specific price lists | discounts by product family, net prices, quantity breaks | EUR 5,000 to 15,000 excl. VAT |
| 30-day terms or card payment | credit limit, block when exceeded, card via Stripe or Payplug | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 excl. VAT |
| ERP integration (Sage, Cegid, SAP Business One, Odoo) | stock, prices, orders, invoices synced | EUR 8,000 to 25,000 excl. VAT |
| Multi-buyer accounts | approval by a purchasing manager, budgets | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 excl. VAT |
| Quick order | entry by SKU, CSV import, one-click reorder | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 excl. VAT |
| Catalog and search | 10,000 to 50,000 SKUs, technical filters | EUR 6,000 to 15,000 excl. VAT |
| Foundation, design and QA | EUR 4,000 to 10,000 excl. VAT |
The low end, EUR 30,000 excl. VAT, fits a wholesaler with a well-documented standard ERP and family-level discounts. The high end, EUR 80,000 excl. VAT, covers net prices per item and per customer, several warehouses and a legacy ERP needing a dedicated connector. Allow 10 to 15% of the project per year for hosting and maintenance.
A 4 to 5 month timeline, with a pilot phase
The typical plan: 3 weeks of scoping and price data clean-up, 8 to 10 weeks of development and ERP integration, a 3-week pilot with 50 loyal customers, then a gradual rollout in waves of 300 customers. The pilot is essential: it is where you discover verbal discounts never entered in the ERP.
Adoption is driven commercially. Inside reps walk each customer through their first online order, and some wholesalers grant a 1% discount on web orders for 6 months.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Thomas, sales director of an electrical supplies wholesaler in Lyon (EUR 22 million revenue, 1,800 customers), receives 80% of his orders by phone. He invests EUR 55,000 excl. VAT in a platform connected to Sage X3.
- Annual orders: 36,000. After 12 months, 40% go online, i.e. 14,400 orders.
- Processing savings: 14,400 × (EUR 11 − EUR 2) = EUR 129,600 per year, reinvested in prospecting time.
- 8% higher average basket on web orders: about EUR 700,000 in extra revenue, EUR 140,000 gross margin at 20%.
- Maintenance: EUR 7,000 per year.
- The project pays back in under 6 months on productivity alone.
FAQ
Can each customer see different prices?
Yes, that is the core feature of a B2B portal. Prices are calculated at login from the ERP or a discount table, refreshed every 15 minutes or in real time.
Should a B2B site accept card payments?
Yes for small accounts and new customers without credit terms: they often make up 20 to 30% of buyers. Fees range from 1.2 to 1.8% + EUR 0.25 per transaction.
Shopify or custom for a wholesaler?
Shopify Plus B2B works up to a few thousand SKUs with simple discounts. Beyond per-customer net prices and a legacy ERP, a custom build at EUR 30,000 to 80,000 excl. VAT is often cheaper over 3 years.
How long before customers adopt the portal?
Expect 20% of orders online at 6 months and 40% at 12 months with active rep support. Without support, the share often caps at 10 to 15%.
What happens to the inside sales team?
It shifts from data entry to advice and reactivating dormant customers. Wholesalers who make this choice see 5 to 10% extra revenue on managed accounts.
Let's scope your project. Send us your customer count, your ERP and your discount structure for a precise estimate between EUR 30,000 and 80,000 excl. VAT and a 4 to 5 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
