Industrial Ecommerce Challenges (and How to Solve Them)

Industrial ecommerce challenges: Moving industrial and manufacturing sales online runs into resistance from traditional sales, legacy systems, complex product and pricing logic, and channel conflict with distributors. Each challenge has practical solutions — from phased rollouts and ERP integration to clear rules for direct vs. channel and investing in the right platform. This guide names the main challenges and how to address them.

Industrial companies that move online often hit the same walls: sales prefers the phone, IT is stuck on old systems, the catalog is a monster, and distributors worry you're competing with them. None of these are showstoppers — but they need to be named and tackled. This guide lays out the main industrial ecommerce challenges and how to solve them.

Challenge 1: Breaking free from traditional sales

What happens: Sales has always sold via relationships, phone, and email. Ecommerce feels like a threat. Leadership may also believe "our customers don't buy online."

Why it matters: If sales doesn't support the channel, they won't drive customers to it. And B2B buyers increasingly do research and buy online — the question is whether they do it with you or a competitor.

How to solve it:

• Frame ecommerce as a tool for sales — Self-service for repeat orders frees reps for complex deals. Use the portal for quotes, order history, and reorder so reps can focus on high-touch opportunities.
• Share data — Show how many orders and which accounts use the portal. Tie portal adoption to territory or team goals so it's in everyone's interest.
• Start with a slice — Pilot with one product line, region, or segment. Prove adoption and ROI before a full rollout.
• Leadership alignment — Get a sponsor (e.g. commercial or digital) who can clear resistance and fund the change.

Challenge 2: Legacy systems and ERP integration

What happens: Pricing, inventory, and customers live in the ERP. The ecommerce site needs that data in real time. Many ERPs weren't built for modern APIs, so integration is custom and brittle.

Why it matters: Wrong prices or stock levels destroy trust. Manual sync doesn't scale. Deep integration is usually non-negotiable for serious industrial ecommerce.

How to solve it:

• Treat ERP as source of truth — Ecommerce displays and captures; ERP holds master data. Don't duplicate pricing or inventory logic in the store. We outline the process in how to integrate ERP with your e-commerce business.
• Phase the integration — Start with product and inventory sync; add pricing and customer/credit next. Use middleware or iPaaS if the ERP has weak APIs.
• Choose a commerce layer that can connect — Custom or API-first platforms integrate more cleanly than rigid out-of-the-box systems. See best industrial ecommerce platforms for comparison.

Challenge 3: Complex B2B purchasing and catalog

What happens: Products have many attributes and SKUs; pricing is customer- and contract-specific; orders need approval. Off-the-shelf platforms assume simple products and fixed pricing.

Why it matters: If the platform can't model your catalog and workflows, you'll hack around it forever and still deliver a poor experience.

How to solve it:

• Model catalog and variants properly — Use a product/variant architecture that scales. Consider a PIM if many people or systems maintain product data.
• Support B2B workflows natively — Customer-specific pricing, quote/RFQ, approval chains, and PO-based ordering. If your platform doesn't, either extend it (apps, custom) or move to one that does. We cover what B2B actually needs in building a B2B e-commerce platform.
• Invest in search and filters — Part number, specs, and faceted filters so buyers find the right SKU. See industrial ecommerce experience (section on what a good experience looks like).

Challenge 4: Technical debt and limited in-house tech

What happens: Existing systems are old, poorly documented, or hard to change. IT is small or focused on operations. Building and maintaining a modern ecommerce stack feels out of reach.

Why it matters: Industrial ecommerce that's bolted onto legacy with no clear ownership tends to stagnate or break.

How to solve it:

• Start with a focused scope — One catalog slice, one segment, one geography. Prove value before rebuilding everything.
• Use a platform that reduces ops — Managed hosting, security, and upgrades (e.g. Shopify for simple cases, or a managed custom/headless build) so you're not running servers and patches yourself.
• Partner where you lack depth — Agencies or product teams that specialize in B2B and industrial can design and build the catalog, integration, and UX so your team can own strategy and content.

Challenge 5: Channel conflict (direct vs. distributors)

What happens: You sell through dealers or distributors. When you launch direct ecommerce, they worry you're taking their customers. Relationships and revenue can suffer.

Why it matters: Channel partners drive a lot of volume. Ignoring their concerns can backfire.

How to solve it:

• Define rules of the game — Who can buy direct (e.g. national accounts, government, direct-assigned) and who goes through channel. Document and communicate clearly.
• Give channel a role — Let dealers fulfill orders in their territory, or refer leads from the site to the nearest dealer. Use the portal to generate leads and pass them to partners.
• Pricing and incentives — Avoid undercutting channel on list price. Consider different SKUs, bundles, or terms for direct vs. channel so both can coexist.
• Transparency — Talk to key partners before launch. Explain how direct helps the brand and where you'll protect their accounts.

Challenge 6: Regulatory and compliance

What happens: Export controls (e.g. ITAR/EAR), safety data sheets, certifications, and trade rules vary by product and region. The store must show the right info and restrict access where required.

Why it matters: Non-compliance can mean fines, blocked shipments, and reputational damage.

How to solve it:

• Attach compliance to the catalog — SDS, certs, and export classification at product or SKU level. Control visibility by customer, region, or login.
• Geofence and access control — Don't show or ship controlled items to unauthorized users or regions. Use roles and rules so the platform enforces policy.
• Stay current — Assign someone to track regulatory changes and update product data and rules. Consider legal or compliance review before going live in new markets.

Challenge 7: Measuring success and ROI

What happens: You've launched, but it's unclear whether ecommerce is paying off. Metrics are scattered or missing.

Why it matters: Without clear metrics you can't optimize or justify more investment.

How to solve it:

• Define a small set of KPIs — e.g. online revenue, orders, conversion rate, average order value, cost to serve (support, returns). Track them in one place (dashboard or BI).
• Compare to baseline — Before/after online channel; or online vs. offline for the same segment. Attribute incremental revenue where you can (e.g. new accounts that only buy online).
• Tie to business goals — Margin, retention, share of wallet. Show how the portal supports those so leadership sees ecommerce as strategic, not a side project.

Where to go from here

Industrial ecommerce challenges are real but solvable. Prioritize: (1) sales and leadership alignment, (2) ERP and catalog foundation, (3) clear B2B and channel rules, (4) a platform that fits your complexity. If you want to work through your specific situation — catalog, systems, or channel — get in touch or book a call. We run our own industrial store and help manufacturers and distributors do the same.