Ever-since Information Technology came into existence, it endured to get out of its abstract self. By understanding the nuances of tangibles, which ultimately rules one’s life, the IT endured to make a cross over. It initiated the process by providing general information services, net messaging services, social networking, etc., to the global masses. But it was able to accomplish certain degree of acceptance towards this end is only through Business to Consumer (B2C) portals. It arrived with the punch line “one does not have to leave one’s shelter to survive”. Unfortunately, B2C online services were confined to end users of particular region and were not able to translate the services cost effectively to far away places due to various factors.
While B2C provided ease of getting things being in one’s home, Business to Business (B2B) websites provided services cost effectively by overcoming international trade barriers and through volume. World Trade Organization’s aim of offering multilateral trading system in the world, is best responded by B2B portals. The goal of B2B websites is to provide not just multilateral rather an universal trading system, that which will in turn allow each player, the freedom to showcase or source one’s product or service with utmost ease of doing business.
B2B websites have evolved over a period of time to address the comprehensive needs of the trading community around the globe. The innovative concept has enabled each and every business house to advertise one’s company with minimum expenditure. Most of the B2B’s provide free membership, and the premium membership comes with a price tag. But the free version is basically a trial service made available to the clients to accustom with the functions of the site in particular and to encourage them to become premium members in general. Further all the popular B2B portals empower every exporter and importer to establish a business relationship among one another by spending less time and money. Some companies use these portals even for their domestic trade.
If a trader is looking at an option of doing business through any B2B portal, it would be ideal for his or her company to register primarily as a free member and then get upgraded, once he or she is comfortable with the functions. The best recommended membership is the premium membership of any leading portals which comes with a host of ingenious features. The premium status can increase one’s company’s chances of getting genuine trade inquiries. To gain maximum exposure, one should register as a premium member of all the leading B2B portals.
The major feature of a B2B portal is that it helps one to search whatever products or services one is looking forward to sell or buy through “Trade leads”. A Trade lead is nothing but a description of the product or service which one extends to the market with an intention of selling or buying. A Trade lead further enables one to minimize the time spend on business exploration through its product or company specific search. Thus B2Bs literally help a trader to interact with businesses across the world by just sitting in one’s office chamber and keying in some words of communication.